WJSN SeolA's Solo Debut - "Without U" MV Review (+ a short Inside Out review)

SeolA is a member of the Starship girl group WJSN (Cosmic Girls) she debuted solo on January 23, 2024 with the single album Inside Out with "Without U" being the title track and lead single.

"Without U"

I started to like WJSN when I saw Bona in Girls' Generation 1979, but I "discovered" how good WJSN's discography is right before they appeared in Queendom 2 and I became a fan. When I read that SeolA was going to make her solo debut I was very happy and I'm glad to write that the song didn't disappoint me at all. The song reminds me of something SNSD's Taeyeon would release and that's a huge compliment (I love Taeyeon's music). I really love the parts of the song at 0:32 and 1:33 they are very catchy, but to be honest, I found the chorus to be quite monotonous. I understand that narratively it's done this way to show that she is stuck in a routine, but I would have liked that the chorus after she "breaks free" was different (I know the adlibs are different though).

The MV looks very low budget, almost like Starship only had $5 and a dream, but it still looks pretty enough, especially the beginning, which looks really cinematic. I wish starship invested more on WJSN endeavours, but alas.

Style-wise, I liked the outfits that SeolA wears in "Without You," especially the red dress SeolA wears throughout a lot of parts of the MV, which looks really beautiful. I also really like the mesh-like dress at 0:44.

Rating

Song – 9/10

MV – 8/10

Style – 9/10

Overall Rating – 8.5/10

Song Credits

Release Date: January 5, 2024.

Length: 3 min 12 sec.

Lyrics by: Jinri (Full8loom) and SeolA.

Music by: Glory Face (Full8loom), Jinri (Full8loom), and Woojin (Full8loom).

Arrangement by: Glory Face (Full8loom) and Woojin (Full8loom).

"Let's Talk (Loneliness)"

Length: 2:44.

Lyrics: Jinri (Full8loom), SeolA, and Youra (Full8loom).

Music: Gloryface (Full8loom), Jinri (Full8loom), and SeolA.

Arrangement: Gloryface (Full8loom).

At the beginning, I thought this song was a bit dull, but I ended up bopping my head during the chorus and afterward.

The instrumental during the first verse sounds a tiny bit like it could be used in a car commercial. I liked it, though.

Rating – 8/10

"NO GIRL"

Length: 2:34.

Lyrics: SeolA and Brother Su.

Music: SeolA and Brother Su.

Arrangement: Brother Su.

"NO GIRL" is not my type of song. I found it boring through and through. There wasn't a single moment where I at least thought the song was even a bit interesting. It doesn't help much that the song is super short. The only positive thing I have to say is that SeolA sounds amazing.

Rating – 5.5/10

Final Thoughts

Inside Out is a good solo debut for SeolA, "Without U" and "Let's Talk (Loneliness)" are very enjoyable songs. However, I still insist that Starship Ent. should give a slightly bigger budget to WJSN. They are very talented and deserve more!

Overall Inside Out Rating – 7/10

Photo source: Starship Ent.

*The song credits are taken from Kpop Fandom Wiki*