Whenever you listen to Woosung’s music, you can be certain that his songs are written in the correct key for his voice – his incredible musical arrangements perfectly suit his style of singing. There is no doubt that the singer always delivers a masterclass in the art of songwriting. His songs are relatable and honest; Woosung always manages to create a harmonic sound with a smooth blend of lyrics, bringing forth an authentic experience for his listeners.

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Woosung came to light in 2017 when he debuted as a member of The Rose, a pop-rock group that’s probably one of the finest bands that has hailed from South Korea. The Rose quickly gained recognition while touring around the world, including the UK. While still being a part of the band, Woosung has also been working as a solo artist since 2019.

The singer has released one studio album (Genre) so far, several singles, and two EPs, including his latest May release, Moth. The songwriting on Moth is simply first-rate; Woosung has managed to masterfully express his feelings through an incredibly catchy fusion of pop and other genres. Each instrumental and vocal layer has its own place and everything is perfectly balanced. It is a genuinely great release. And with that EP in mind, Woosung has decided to present his Moth EP Showcase Tour to his European audience. 

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On May 19th, straight after a concert in Paris, Woosung came to London to perform a sold-out show at one of London’s favourite venues: O2 Academy Islington. Although the doors opened at 7pm, the show itself started at 8.30pm. Fans and other guests didn’t mind the wait, on the contrary, those who stood next to me were super excited, inebriated and almost ecstatic to be at the venue that evening. 

8.30pm hits the clock and a cheerful crowd greets Woosung. Within just a few seconds, the singer starts his performance with Face, a song from Woosung’s 2019 EP Wolf, followed by Lazy and Dimples from the artist’s 2021 studio album, Genre. We are just three songs in and this show is already displaying Woosung’s vocal perfection. Although he might be tired from his relentless travelling and touring [prior to his European shows, Woosung supported Epik High on their US tour], he still gave an absolutely phenomenal opening performance. 

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After a short mention, Woosung shouts for the crowd to sing along while performing The Rose’s Red, before moving to a slower song, I.L.Y, which is also the band’s track. For that particular song, he sits on his high chair and picks up his beloved guitar. During the first 30-minutes of the show, Woosung truly concentrated on his performance. Although there were a couple of hiccups along the way, he still delivered something amazing. 

With his melodic, soaring voice, the singer performs more of his older tunes such as ILYSB, Beautiful Girl, Lonely and Island. There isn’t a moment of wasted energy, each and every one of Woosung’s songs is sheer perfection, it is pop-rock at its very best. 

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The second part of the show was all about the artist’s new EP, Moth. Prior to performing his new songs, Woosung explains the meaning of the title. He is fully engaged with his fans and also carefully listens to what they have to say. Moth consists of 4 songs: ComE dOWn, Side Effects, Modern Life and Phase Me (my favourite one of all). While Modern Life brings the audience to their knees – they truly sing along with their hearts – it is Phase Me that closes the show. 

With incredibly intense, hard-hitting rhythms and an energy-charged performance, Woosung explores new dimensions of the music world. He is truly unafraid to venture into new realms of inspiration and display it to his dedicated fans. Although the staging was basic, sometimes the simplicity of delivery is all that’s needed to really make a point as a solo performer, and Woosung shows that he is the next big thing. Whether he wants it or not, fame is surely along his path. 

Rating:

Written by Maggie Gogler

All photos © Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts

_{Image © 2022 Narine Chalabi for View of the Arts}

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