10 Years On—Eun Ji Won—‘Platonic’

It might be an incredibly hard task, but cast your ears back to 2009. Upon doing so, you’ll realise it was a year full of interesting releases with The Black Eyed Peas having hit after hit, Lady Gaga continuing her chart domination, and, well, Cascada.

Ask a person like myself what they remember about a decade ago in terms of music and you’re likely to get a response similar to what was written above. But, some will decide to choose a slightly left-field option. In fact, they’ll choose an option so niché most audiences won’t have even heard of it. The album by Eun Ji Won, Platonic. Sure, it very much sticks to the themes of 2009; the usage of neon in your album cover, and making at least one song on your album about love, but it’s the throwback selection to impress your friends and colleagues.

But first, who is Eun Ji Won? At the time of the release of Platonic, he was onto his fifth full-length album, had started to become more prominently featured on variety shows, and still had an established name from being a member of a group who, at the time, had disbanded, Sechskies. However, nowadays the 40-year-old is comfortable as a standout star of television, is currently working on a new solo project, and is back with Sechskies after their reformation in April of 2016. Jiwon has continued to make his mark on the K-Pop industry that he and his group helped build, and is an artist that will no doubt be acknowledged as one of the trailblazers of the Hallyu wave, alongside his bandmates and contemporaries.

But, back to the matter at hand. Platonic may be an 11-track offering that bursts with colour, but does it hold up to a modern listener?

Promisingly, it starts fantastically, with a funky introduction providing a breezy and comfortable gateway into “Platonic,” the titular track of the album. Just like the prior offering, this song delivers thanks to a simplistically upbeat melody and accessible vocals. Sure, the vocoding may be a little grating to a more contemporary listener, but it’s a fun, mood-lifting track that doesn’t shy away from being agonisingly danceable. As is the norm with Ji Won, the rapping is flawless throughout, and helps ensure that this catchy number is one that has aged with a grace that only a select few singles can achieve.

“Out of Control” follows, along with more fast-paced, club inspired instrumentals. It’s a song that you can easily get lost in, sing along to without realising, and spam the replay button so you can hear it again and again. The melody is infectious, and Nolboo provides what can only be described as a sublimely trademark 00s rap feature. It’s a smile raising effort, and something that brings with it a warm nostalgia of late 2000s music stylings.

“Flutter” slows things down slightly, and feels a little more sensual than the fun-filled openers, but the song still does a clever job of remaining sonically in-line with the general vibe of the album, as well as succeeding in its ability not to deviate from the overriding theme of the record. It’s a nice breather from some of the surrounding tracks, but continues with the autotune, which at this point is starting to get a little tiring at times.

Fortunately, “Siren” pulls the listener right back in thanks to its clever dance beats and less harsh vocoding. The rap verses are scintillating, and everything about the song is pure excellence. It’s yet another gem of an earworm, and stands out as something of a highlight on an album full of flurries of brilliance.

It’s not all bright colours and pizzazz, though, as “Everything” strips things back to basics with the use of simple instrumentation, and a heavy reliance on handclaps. Featured artist Gilme plays an excellent part in keeping the track to a high standard, but at times the plodding instrumentals can be slightly distracting and allow for one to lose themselves in other thoughts. With that being said, “Everything” remains solid, and is a welcome showing of versatility.

Elsewhere on the album, “Favorite” is a carefree number, and one that has a fantastic chorus to boot.

“160,” the next track, continues the colourfulness with lightning-fast rapping coupled with vibrant instrumentals. The addition of brass is very clever, but this energetic anthem holds so much quality that it’s hard to truly pinpoint a standout moment. It may sound too soon to say, but songs like these are timeless, and will always be fun to revisit.

Wrapping up this stacked release is the Latin-Jazz version of “Adios.” It’s slick in its structure, meticulous in composition, and a stroke of genius to have as your curtain-closer. The layered chorus is the apotheosis in terms of the track’s high standard, but the accessible and restrained nature of the song allows for relaxing enjoyment throughout, thus ultimately bringing the album to a close with dignified finesse.

Overall, this is a record full of personality, and one that has aged tremendously. The heavy use of electronics (especially from a vocal perspective) can feel a little annoying, but other than that it’s a perfect blend of dance-fused hip-hop. There are no flaws in Ji Won’s rapping across the entire release, and it emphasises an unmatched consistency that can still be admired amongst new listeners. So don your neon t-shirt, ditch David Guetta, and do yourself a favour; listen to Platonic, you won’t regret it.