Oh Hayoung of Apink makes her solo professional debut as a singer in her first mini-album, the lovingly-titled 'OH!', which is cutely her surname. I was super excited to hear that she was making a solo album as I am a huge fan of Hayoung, she's my second favorite member of Apink, closely behind Jeong Eunji, South Korea's #1 vocalist and absolute fluffball of cuteness.

I find Hayoung's voice unique with its misty, pillowy soft natural tone and ability to effortlessly reach highs. She blends well with her group Apink with her unique voice and you can definitely tell when it's her that's singing a particular part of an Apink song.

 

Her solo is her opportunity to show her voice on her own and allow her to stand on her own feet outside of Apink. With her title track, Don't Make Me Laugh, I anticipate a bubbly, fun, outgoing side of Hayoung, as I find her voice suits the soothing serenity of relaxing Summer songs. I can't wait to listen to the entire album, it will be an absolute treat to my ears.

 

For this particular listening session, I have acquired the FLAC versions of all songs on this album and will be listening to the 1411Kbps FLAC versions using my FiiO FH5 IEMs.

 

 

0:01 - The gentle 'Don't make me laugh' notes from Hayoung are so very pleasant to listen to especially with the slight echo reverb behind her vocals to give the vocals more soul and body. Additionally, the background instruments are also nice and calm to give a gentle backdrop to her vocals.

0:10 - The introduction of the guitar gives almost a ballad feel to the song when combined with Hayoung's tender vocals. The claps give a nice rhythmic tone, and everything marries together so nicely. Hayoung's vocals are so far forward and they're lovingly displayed. The guitar is nice and vibrant which goes perfectly with the highs of Hayoung's misty vocals.

0:30 - I absolutely love how well the beat goes with her singing, it has a slow rise and we really get a sense of rhythmical pacing from the lyrical speed as well as the accompanying instrumentals. Hayoung excellently displays her vocal ability here, effortlessly reaching the high notes.

0:39 - I love the rise in guitar pacing and the slight piano chime to create a fresh, inviting tone to perfectly match Hayoung's beautiful vocals. Hayoung's vocals barely need any echo or reverb to stand out in front of the rest of the instrumentals.

1:12 - The second verse follows the same styling as the first verse but this time with a much more upbeat and sparkly instrumental, despite the more prominent instrumentals, Hayoung's vocals stil take center-stage, and I love this composition.

1:24 - This pre-chorus also follows the same stylign as the first pre-chorus which implies a steady buildup when we recall the second verse also had a more bubbly, sparkly instrumental. This time around, there are subvocals from Hayoung with the "Ahhh~" and "Wow~" which gives her main vocals some company and soul. I love the addition of the subvocals as it doesn't make the pre-chorus too repetitive and keeps the high energy and tempo going to keep the song at a consistently happy atmosphere.

1:36 - The second chorus is identical to the first chorus in every way and I love that despite the previous buildups, we as the listener are bedded back into the comfort of the first, minty fresh chorus. We get to hear Hayoung's vocals front and center once again and I absolutely adore her misty, whispery voice.

1:54 - This bridge puts the piano beside Hayoung's vocals to emphasise the ballady nature and also reinforces the gentle and calm atmosphere that the song began with. Hayoung's whispery-soft vocals are amazingly crisp and she effortlessly pulls off her high notes as well as her gentle whisper vocals. I love that this bridge has a very subdued instrumental to allow Hayoung's vocals to be unapologetically the center and in your face.

2:12 - This is the climax of the song where all the build-up has been leading to, Hayoung has these whispery "oooohh~" subvocals to accentuate her vocal performance in this song and I am absolutely in love with the song for how amazing her vocals are, and it shows in this final chorus.

 

 

0:12 - Babylon's husky, masculine vocals are a welcome addition to Hayoung's album, it's a nice contrast to Hayoung's otherwise misty vocals. The background instrumentals have this R&B style feel to them, it's a chill start to the song and I'm a fan.

0:36 - Hayoung's vocals enter the song effortlessly, her high tones perfectly blend with the background instrumentals to create a soothing harmony with the instrumentals but also a stark contrast to Babylon's vocals.

0:46 - The R&B feel definitely comes through here with the house/EDM-style light tempo and Babylon's raised tone.

1:01 - I love that when Hayoung re-enters, the instrumentals become softer and quieter, this is in contrast to Babylon's high-tempo, upbeat lines. A very nice back-and-forth duet.

1:21 - This unity of both of their vocals is an amazing harmony and completion of the seperation of both of their vocals from before where they were both disconnected. Both of their vocals compliment each other so well and they gave each other's vocals body and soul.

1:45 - This second chorus is a lot more energetic with the subvocals, and also once again has the contrast between the two, very interesting composition.

2:09 - This calm harmony is another treat for the ears and succeeds the first harmony in such a great way.

 

 

0:12 - There's certainly a Hawaiin/Latin vibe with the mix of the the instrumental and Hayoung's soft vocals.

0:41 - I am definitely getting a really relaxed, beach-oriented song from this opening and chorus, Hayoung's soft vocals really suit the light instrumental composition in the background.

0:52 - Hayoung's voice moulds gracefully with the instrumental, this is a song which utilises highs so well and Hayoung's vocals really pop here.

1:20 - Kanto's heavy, deep, bassy voice is a fantastic contrast to the soothing nature of Hayoung's voice and the instrumental.

1:50 - The reggae style really picks up here and introduces a lot more volume to the instrumentals as well as Hayoung raising her voice slightly to a higher register. This build up is nice and comfortable.

2:00 - This chorus also follows the same relaxed vibe and I love how warm and inviting the whole composition is.

2:31 - Hayoung's high notes explode so nicely, the instrumentals also pick up far higher and I love how gradual of a buildup it has been up until now.

 

 

0:12 - This simple instrumental really allows Hayoung's vocals to stand out front and center.

0:38 - The warm roomy lows compliment the highs of Hayoung's vocals so nicely.

0:50 - This song has a lot of resemblance to the previous two in that they have really relaxed instrumentals and give plenty of room for Hayoung's vocals.

1:47 - More or less the same as the first pre-chorus with a lot more energy and kicks here which makes for a nice build-up and still keeps Hayoung's vocals in the front.

2:25 - I love how whispery and echoey Hayoung's vocals here are combined with the simple composition in the background.

3:00 - Hayoung's subvocals give some body and soul to this final chorus, overall I love how simple the composition is and letting Hayoung's vocals do the work to showcase her amazing vocals.

 

 

0:12 - This opening sounds so soulful with Hayoung's soft, ballad vocals accompanied only by short piano hits and a small kickdrum. There's a ballad feel about this one so far.

1:02 - Oh yeah, ballad Hayoung vocals explode here. Her soft "You ain't gotta worry about nothing" is so soothing to hear. Her vocals combined with the still relaxed but slightly volumised instrumentals make an amazing theatre atmosphere.

1:28 - This second verse shares the same characteristics as the first verse in that her vocals remain this calm, wispy tone yet the background instrumental is taken up a notch. The piano appears to be louder which gives her vocals some more body and enhances the ballad vibe of the song.

2:20 - This second chorus is absolutely gorgeous to listen to. Hayoung's vocals are so so beautiful especially when accompanied by the warm instrumentals and in particular that simple yet effective piano melody.

2:42 - This bridge is a true display of Hayoung's vocal ability, there's a soft subvocal undertone which emphasies her vocals so much, and the instrumentals also appear to have risen a bit. This has been a steady and consistent buildup.

3:10 - This choir feeling with Hayoung's vocals being the only presence along with the soft undertone truely emphasises her vocal performance, this ballad is absolutely phenomenal.

 

 

Listening to her debut album in FLAC format was a feast for my ears. In every single song, her vocal performance had me so comfortable. The whole album greatly showcased her vocal performance and how well she could sing on her own without her peers. Hayoung's graceful, beautiful, and dreamy voice was absolutely the front and center of all her songs, with the instrumentals perfectly complimenting her vocals.

 

Don't Make Me Laugh was absolutely my favorite from the album, it is such an upbeat and energetic song which I think goes perfectly with Hayoung's unique vocal tone. Her voice is really infatuating and the amazing instrumentals of the song further compliment them.

I also particularly like Worry About Nothing, it was so interesting to see a ballad in there, and she proved in the song she can sing in all the ranges and do it beautifully. The simple composition with the pianos is a perfect accompaniment for Hayoung's vocals to take the front of the stage and show us all what she's capable of.

As a whole, the rest of the songs in the album had a quite reggae/R&B vibe to them, the instrumentals were always simple compositions that complimented Hayoung's vocals every time. The duets in particular, the male vocals were a neat contrast to Hayoung's extremely feminine tone. They were beautifully constructed songs.

 

Hayoung's first mini album 'OH!' has been an amazing listen and I see myself looping Don't Make Me Laugh for years to come, her vocal ability is amazingly refined and her unique tone is adorable to listen to.