Song Review: Moon Jongup (B.A.P) – Headache (ft. Yunhway) – KpopHit

Now that every member of B.A.P has escaped TS Entertainment, solo careers abound. We’ve already heard from most of the guys, with Youngjae’s Forever Love being a particular highlight last year. But member Moon Jongup had yet to release solo material until yesterday’s Headache. He’s set his sights at a relatively laid-back level, delivering a fun – but slight – dance track.

Headache grooves on a keys-assisted hip-hop beat, highlighted by brushes of synth that give the chorus extra heft. The overall sound is straightforward and rhythmic, taking advantage of Jongup’s skills as a dancer. But while the hook slowly works its way into your memory, I crave a stronger refrain. Like most of the song, the melody here feels kind of throwaway – a fun little diversion, but not something that sticks for the long-term.

Jongup imbues the track with as much personality as he can, but Headache still feels a little faceless. I’m not sure that it has anything to do with his efforts as a performer. The song just isn’t designed to grab attention in any memorable way. It’s simply an easy groove, pleasant and polished. For better or worse, Headache’s most unique element is a guest feature from underground rapper Yunhway. Unfortunately, I find the effects on her vocals to be particularly grating, and they take me out of the track in a bad way. Even so, I can imagine throwing Headache onto an easygoing summertime playlist. It’ll likely get lost in the shuffle, but I’ll still be nodding my head when it pops up.