Kim Yohan – No More (Prod. Zion.T)

This is a day I have been anticipating for a long time – the re-debut of Kim Yohan after the sorrowful news of X1’s disbandment in the early part of this year. Yohan shows us many sides to himself in this fun new solo song, released ahead of his inevitable debut as part of boy group WEi.

Anyone uncertain of who Kim Yohan is, has somehow miraculously steered well clear of any ‘Produce X 101’ news from last year, as well as any X1 updates that followed. Yohan was a member of the survival show ‘Produce X 101’ and subsequently made it into the final group, X1 – however it is worth noting that he wasn’t just one of the 11 boys picked to be in the group, he was, in fact, the nation’s number 1 pick, earning himself the top spot on the show. Unfortunately, his success and fame under the ‘Produce’ name was short-lived after the controversy around vote-rigging, which subsequently led to the disbandment of X1 after only just over 4 months together.

Of course, someone who is loved enough to garner such a high level of support from the public couldn’t possibly be allowed to slip under the radar after all that success and attention. It was absolutely imperative that OUI Entertainment monopolised on the recognition that Yohan had received and not wait too long between X1’s disbandment and planning his next steps. He was supposed to star in a drama, which was subsequently cancelled and I couldn’t help thinking he deserved better. Luckily for him, OUI Entertainment seem to have a plan, and it’s not going to only save Yohan, but a number of other boys who have tried to find success in competition shows as well. ** But before OUI Entertainment can exercise their plan, they have made sure to remind the fans of Yohan’s presence, personality and range by allowing him to debut as a solo artist.

‘No More’ is a joyful mid-tempo pop track with a percussion underlay adding a twist of an R&B flavour. The song has a complex arrangement, with so many different distinctive elements, including punctuating guitar riffs and dreamlike pop synths and chords. The ever-changing composition keeps listeners surprised at each and every turn, even if we are constantly brought back to the simple and undeniably catchy chorus. I really like that Yohan has the opportunity to both sing and rap in this track. On ‘Produce X 101’ it was discovered that, whilst Yohan wanted to sing, he had an undeniably natural talent for rap. This track brings out some of that talent in small doses and allows us to see his full range of potential.

The song has been produced by renowned and respected artist Zion.T, and by adding his name to the title of the song, it will likely draw in listeners from outside of the KPop sphere to check out the track. Although this will be a somewhat different sound for Zion.T fans, some of his individual influences can be heard through the backing vocals (which, I am almost certain are performed by him) as well as the guitar riffs.

I am always really rooting for the ex-X1 members, and any of the Produce trainees for that matter, and always wish to see their growth and success in this market. ‘No More’ has given fans that long-awaited update on Yohan’s musical journey and it excites me to see and hear how much he has improved since his days on the ‘Produce’ show, both in terms of vocals and choreography – all his hard work and dedication are paying off. I look forward to seeing whether Yohan will continue to release music of this vane in the future for any upcoming solo work, or if he chooses to go down a different route, or if solo work is even on his priority list for the near future.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

** Yohan is set to debut in new 6-member KPop boy group ‘WEi’ 위아이 (pronounced we-eye) later this year, with:

• ex-JBJ member and soloist Kim Donghan (yaaaay – I was a huge JBJ fan after series 2 of ‘Produce 101’ and think that Donghan had some of the most ongoing potential)
• ex-Rainz member Jang Daehyeon,
• former ‘YG Treasure Box’ trainee and independent trainee on ‘Produce X 101’, Kang Seokhwa, and
• ex-1the9 members Yoo Yongha and Kim Junseo.

I have a feeling I’m going to end up loving this group.