BAMBI
Written By: Divya Singh
ABSTRACT
Byun Baek-Hyun, professionally known as BAEKHYUN, is a South Korean singer and songwriter who first made his debut to the world in 2012 as a part of the South Korean-Chinese boy band, EXO. EXO, a group that united China and Korea, were also leaders in the wave that brought KPOP idols to the western shores and around the world. During the era of second-generation KPOP, Lee Soo-Man, founder of SM Entertainment wanted to create a Chinese and Korean band to help promote artists in both those areas — a concept that was unheard of at the time. From there, the search began in 2006 through scouting, contests, auditions, etc…. Eventually, nine Korean members were found — Xiumin, Suho, BAEKHYUN, KAI, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., and Sehun, along with four Chinese members — Lay, Kris, TAO, and Lu Han. This group, later called EXO, also had two groups within it, EXO-K and EXO-M, “K” for Korean, and “M’’ for Mandarin (Chinese). After six years of much preparation, EXO debuted on April 8th, 2012 with their song “MAMA.” EXO was an immediate success, topping not only Korean charts but also Chinese charts, just as Lee Soo-man planned. After years and years of global success, with albums such as “XOXO,” “EXODUS,” “Ex’Act,” “The War,” “Don’t Mess Up My Tempo,” and “OBSESSION,” EXO went on to be known as the “nation’s pick,” as they were a representation of their nation’s pride and culture. However, as EXO was riding a wave of success, many members were hit with compulsory military service (all South Korean men are expected to perform military service around the age of 28). Luckily, those members that were not old enough to participate were able to shine, through their solo activities. One of those people being BAEKHYUN, the main vocalist of EXO. BAEKHYUN, who went on to release two mini-albums, “City Lights” and “Delight” in 2019 and 2020, respectively, broke Korean charts, with over 1 million copies sold for each (a feat not many can reach). Because of his mega-success, BAEKHYUN is now known as the “genius idol of KPOP,” for his outstanding vocal abilities, well-appraised dancing skills, and his loving, noisy, and super funny personality — because of his amazing skills, he was able to carve a niche out for himself, something that differentiated him from EXO. Most recently, on March 30th, 2021, BAEKHYUN released his third mini-album, “BAMBI,” the last album fans would get before he enlists in the military. “BAMBI,” a sultry R&B album, vividly explored love and comfort — where track after track, you can hear the awe-inspiring sophistication of his music with added-on guitar and piano melodies that bring back the aura of the classical era of music. His soulful, velvety voice along with the music video for his songs, oozes elegance and romance.
Love Scene
The album starts with the song “Love Scene,” a soft, hushed type of song. This song sets the stage for what all the other songs in this album will talk about — love. The soft electric guitar and Baekhyun’s soft, elegant, and dreamy vocals give the song a laid-back romantic vibe, making you want to dance a slow dance. This song is truly something that seems like it came out of a romantic movie, and the lines he sings can attest to this. He sings, ”You’re coming all the way from there/It looks like a movie scene/In the moment that has stopped, I walk in,” which clearly describes an opening scene in a rom-com as if you are meeting someone for the first time. But, what makes this song interesting is how Baekhyun’s voice at the beginning of the song starts soft and hushed, almost as if you are singing a baby to sleep, but as the song progresses, Baekhyun’;s voice becomes rich, and you can feel the emotion coursing throughout the song where he details a love story.
Bambi
“Bambi,” one of the many loved-themed songs on this album, oozes sophistication, but it has a twist to it because it introduces the first time that Baekhyun has dug deep into the various facets of the R&B genre, whereas his other albums tend to be more lighthearted and it playfully tapped into R&B. The underlying guitar melodies alongside his soulful, falsetto voice gives a velvety tone to it — the epitome of what a romantic song sounds like. The vocals in this song became the star attraction — they were clear and concise, giving off the message and theme of love he was trying to portray. Some of the lines in the song, (roughly the translation to English) “Whenever I’m with you, every day/I’m already blinded by your beauty/You’re my Bambi Bambi’’ helps listeners to relate to his feelings of love, and not wanting to let go of the person you admire and care for so much. The instrumentals behind the song don’t overcomplicate it. Furthermore, not only does his masculine voice give off the aura of a romantic song in a movie, his music video (linked above) depicts it, giving us fans the visuals we needed. This music is quite literally a cinematic experience, where it gives off a “James Bond’’ vibe. Lastly, I feel like this song breaks barriers to what a typical KPOP song looks and sounds like. Like many songs, companies tend to give artists a fun, pop, bubbly song, with a catchy chorus, and while “Bambi” may have a catchy chorus to it, it breaks societal norms because of the R&B vibes this song heavily gives off. Many companies tend to shy away from experimenting with new types of genres of music, they like to stick with what works to make their artists as big as possible. But “Bambi” and the entirety of this album steps out of Baekyhun’s comfort zone and it’s nice to see that the work and effort he put into this song paid off with the great response he got to it.
All I Got
“All I Got” is a reminiscence of jazzy music from the 1900s. Baekhyun’ soulful falsetto voice in this song is transcribed through his various high notes that seems to portray the sentiment of lyrics beautifully. This is a love ballad, but it has that pizzaze factor to it that makes you want to get up and dance! This song indeed brings out the best of Baekhyun’s vocal range because it shows just how high and low high his voice can naturally be, without trying too hard to strain his voice to sound entirely different. In other words, this song is perfect for his vocal range. Alongside his voice and lyrics, this song also has the sound of a vintage guitar and bass music, giving this song an old school, jazzy vibe to it.
Amusement Park
“Amusement Park,” previously released in December of 2020 as the first single released from this project, has a resemblance to his past songs with a more pop tone to it. This song opens with a bring piano melody and as the song progresses it will switch between the piano and a more low-key instrumental similar to “Bambi.” This song is fun, and it’s clear that Bakehyun had fun with this song because the music video was shot in an amusement park! This song is the perfect embodiment of the feeling you have after having a good night with a couple of friends. But, this song also able to incorporate the ongoing theme of love in this song by displaying the idea of an amusement park and fuses it with the idea of love and this can be seen with his lyrics “Full of dream and love/Let’s go to a mysterious world/Colorful fireworks/A wonderful parade for the two/I am your amusement park.” And because of this, listeners get the pleasant, warm, tingling feeling of happiness.
Privacy
“Privacy,” is a progression piece in this album — from sweet, playful love to sultry and seductive music. This bold piece is possessive, and it almost gives hints of a dark romance. The lyrics “You’re not the ‘you that everyone knows/You’re only my baby, my privacy” subtly hints at keeping a relationship private and not wanting to go public with it. This song also brings the attention of many fans because we can’t help but wonder if there’s a deeper meaning behind this song — does Baekhyun have a girlfriend? And if so, is he keeping it private? Many fans and I can’t help but wonder, because being an idol in the KPOP industry is hard enough, and if you’re dating it is looked down upon. Culture has shaped the way how dating is perceived, but now that KPOP has reached the western world with such force, many fans look to normalize dating, for the sake of the happiness of their idols.
Cry For Love
The last song of this album, “Cry For Love,” is a literal cry for love as it signifies a departure from the sweet, warm feelings of love this album gave off with the other songs. This song is more slow-paced, where it is a more reminiscent piece rather than telling us a story like the other thrilling songs on this album. This song talks about how gullible one can be and fall into love so quickly. And the result? A broken heart. You can see the literal cry for love in his lines “You made me feel so high, babe/Then crashes me to the ground, babe/I’m not good at love/I fall in love so easily, babe.” This is a good final track for this album because throughout the other songs, I feel as though I am dreaming, and walking on a cloud. But this song is realistic, it sets in the harsh reality of the world, and how heartbreaks exist, and they hurt. Not everything is a generic Cinderella story.