Song Review:: Sungjae (BTOB): Lie

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  • Release date: 2025 May 06
  • Album tracklist: Lie, Lie - Instrumental
  • Album runtime: 8 minutes

 Yes, I did the two songs from the BTOB babies together like this on purpose. Not in delaying the other one to put with this one, but it just happened that I decided to do the other one today and couldn't pass up the opportunity to put the two next to each other. So funny story. I have my wall of military enlistment photocards surrounded by some larger posters and things of Sungjae, JR, Jeonghan, SCoups, and all NU'EST from their Nocturne album, right? I actually have an Ilhoon photocard up there too, not with the enlistments exactly because he did his time in the military, but I have it perched right next to Sungjae's poster and above JR's poster. Because I'm sentimental like that. Going back to my dude Sungjae, I've been getting notifications for a teaser on YouTube and was a little confused as to what that was, but then getting on Spotify this morning (which I am not pleased about because most of BTOB's albums are currently not available on Spotify and I'm very deeply unimpressed by this turn of events) alerted me to the fact that yes, Sungjae was putting out a new song and not a cover like I thought it would be. And it's a four minute song at that. Sungjae, I could kiss you (but I would not because even if that wasn't super weird because he's a celebrity and there are boundaries, I don't kiss people I don't know and so am in fact using this instead as a figure of speech, which I'm sure should be obvious but I just wanted to be clear about the fact that I absolutely would never.)

Four minute song with an instrumental. Let's do this.

We're starting off with strings. If I knew Sungjae and we had the kind of friendship where this wouldn't be weird and boundary crossing, I would actually kiss him for this because I could not be happier about what I'm hearing here. Which, if you've ever read any of these, you know that the presence of strings instantly puts a song into the "that'll do" category I've got in my head for songs, but then we've got a dramatic guitar as well, and the cinematic swells of energy has got me so excited for what his voice is going to add that I almost cannot sit still. And the way the strings and the electric guitar kind of trade places for most prominent in the instrumental is so satisfying. The intro teases, and then we get an acoustic guitar, which, hello there friend I rarely get to hear anymore, so the song does have varying levels of energy to it, but then the end of the song is a bookend with the beginning, and we get to settle and be soothed by the strings after that majestic wall of sound through the climax. The instrumental itself has a story to it, which implies that the song has story baked into its very structure. This is what I have been missing. This right here. 

I don't think I'm ready for this but I'm ready.

He's got such a good voice. He needs to get Eunkwang to get the group's crap together because I need him performing with the rest of BTOB, like yesterday. Our maknae sun. I actually started tearing up a little bit from how much I love his voice here, and his voice matches so perfectly with rock ballad that I kind of want to cry a little. His vibrato alone could send me, but the texture and the range he's got to his voice on display in this song makes me want to throw my shoe. We've got the quiet, soothing with the gentle vibrato and then the vibrant belts that show off his power. Look, I love actor Yook Sungjae. He's incredible. But singer Sungjae? He's back, baby. He gets to flex that voice of his. Also, happy birthday, my dude. I know it's a little late, but happy birthday all the same.

His mic is BTOB blue. His mic actually matches their lightstick. Oh, my sentimental BTOB. It's not so much a music video as it is just a boy and a mic, and while he's quite arresting on his own, the live band version is slightly more dynamic. 

I really just need him back with the group, STAT. 

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