Song Review:: Kim Jaehwan (Wanna One): I'll Be There

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  • Release date: 2026 April 22
  • Album tracklist: I'll Be There, I'll Be There (Instrumental)
  • Album runtime: 6 minutes

 So funny thing. I've been sitting here, going "Why is his name familiar?" So, naturally, I looked him up and immediately recognized his face. He was the Wanna One boy that was the other judge on Build Up with my boys Baekho and Eunkwang, and Solar my queen. I'm looking forward to this because he's supposed to have a stunning voice, and, as we know, I love stunning voices. 

The instrumental on its own is provided, which makes me a happy camper, and what an instrumental this is. Guitar? Check. Piano? Check. Drums? Check. Strings? Gloriously check. We have the cinematic swelling that I love to see. Well, hear. But generally speaking, the amount of movement in the instrumental directly tied to the amount of dramatic turning points glows so brilliantly that he's got to have a voice to match it. I'm a little bit more excited, tentatively, for his vocals, but the expectations have risen. I'm simply in love with this instrumental.

He has met expectations. This man deserved to be on that judge list. He's got fantastic control over his vibrato, though I wish we'd gotten more of it. I couldn't be happier about the fact that the last thing we hear of this song is in fact his vibrato. We've got a wide range of tones and textures, from the soft and breathier to the big, expressive notes. This is beautiful. 

Okay. Let's see how sad this is. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love a man who pines. Also, am I wrong, or is the entire thing in Korean? Anyway, like the instrumental and the vocals before it, this is a beautiful music video.



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