What’s the smoothest thing you can think of? Likely velvet and silk; honey and butter spring to mind instantaneously at the thought. But there’s a handful of singers whose voices flow like they’ve never experienced a cough or a croak once in decades – and the sound is a top contender for that earlier question. Even on a scale of silk to honey, cyd’s smoothness goes off the charts. The Korean R&B musician is warming up in his young career, but his vocal skills suggest years of experience. With the potential to join the same club as stars like JUNNY and DPR LIVE, cyd brings a 4-piece that’ll woo your ears. Warning: you may end up feeling hot and bothered by the end of this saucy little record. 

The EP’s very welcoming opener, All I Do, turns up the notch on swoon-worthy R&B Soul magic. Featuring singer Remain’s angelic voice weaves perfectly between cyd’s, both singers having a similarly silky timbre–although cyd’s got more of a nasally loverboy edge. Chimes and deep synths amp up the honeymoon-level romance: an infinitely feel-good track for lovers expressing devotion. The singers declare: ‘Love is all I do / So please don’t stop me now’. The duo previously worked together on their 2022 single tomorrow, and they seem to be a dream team with such complementing sounds. 

If music could physically massage your brain, This 90’s is the song to do it. The second track on the EP trickles its way into your eardrums – and finds its way into even the coldest of hearts. An acoustic guitar melody is swamped by ascending synths that sound like running water, constantly refreshing the mood. cyd’s absolutely heavenly harmonisations give off the strongest Bruno Mars vibes you’ll ever hear from a Korean R&B singer (which is quite the feat considering how many of them idolise the pop star). 

Just when you think it couldn’t get any more glittery, Got a One rolls in with everything about This 90’s amped up to 100. The slow beats hit hard, framing the chord progression very typical to Korean R&B. Perhaps it’s the tamer (for cyd’s standards, at least) song to prepare you before Better (feat. Chase) holds back absolutely nothing in terms of naughtiness: ‘I’m a desert for other b*****s, but for you, it’s oasis / I wanna dance with you naked in a bathtub, fillin’ Hennessy’. We’re served a chorus of just as raunchy lyrics with a designed breathlessness that paints the singer’s absolute infatuation.

It’s early days for cyd, but everything – from the songwriting to the production – is polished to perfection. And the best part is this young talent played his part in all these areas: truly a work he can call his own. After just four blissful treats for the soul, we’re aching to find out what cyd’s got next in store. While he paints his own colours, we love to be reminded of the past several years’ worth of beloved R&B in his music. Is cyd Bruno Mars’s long lost son? Probably.

Rating:

Written by Maddie Armstrong

Featured image courtesy of 이승현 & cyd

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}