[Album Review] ‘Paper Moon’ a playbook on pop rap

JQ
“Paper Moon”
(Bugs)

Singer-songwriter and rapper JQ’s music is always easy on the ears. Although he is a rapper, his songs are catchy and rhythmic and never overbearing. Perhaps the reason that his music is so listener-friendly is that he is best-known for being the rap coach for artists at SM Entertainment such as TVXQ, Super Junior, and EXO. On his sixth EP “Paper Moon” JQ aptly demonstrates that he has a full understanding of how to shape rap for a pop audience.

The six tracks each take on a different angle on the topic of breakups. “Greedy Hobo” talks about the terrible consequences of being too greedy in love, “Paper Moon” is about pursuing a star-crossed love that ends in disaster, “Don’t Cry” is about facing a woman who wants you back after heartlessly leaving you, and so on. 

Each song is written to reflect the ambience of the lyrics, avoiding the mistake of pairing a happy tune to sad words, and vice versa. The most notable shift in mood is in the song “Don’t Cry,” where the devastation of the first two tracks gives way to a heart-wrenching dilemma. The emotion is never overbearing in any of the songs, with JQ maintaining a rhythm and tone similar to those of rappers in idol groups.

Easy on the ears, catchy, yet maintaining quality, “Paper Moon” is an example of well-made commercial pop music, and shows why JQ will continue to be in demand in K-pop.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)