I’ll admit that it’s completely unfair, but whenever we get a solo project from the rapper of an idol group, I instantly compare it to G-Dragon. In many ways, GD invented this particular role, and popularized it internationally by way of his immense charisma and genre-blurring execution. Perhaps BTOB’s Jung Ilhoon has noted this as well. After all, GD also released a song called “She’s Gone,” and the bluesy guitar that bolster’s Ilhoon’s new single mirrors that track’s emotionally charged tone.

That’s about where the comparisons end, as Ilhoon is a performer with his own style and charm. With She’s Gone, he takes the role of both rapper and vocalist, though the latter is in the form of shout-along bluster rather than a polished croon. This suits him just fine, because like G-Dragon he’s got the charisma to carry him. The same could be said about the song as a whole. There’s not much heft to Gone‘s catchy hook, but it’s delivered with enough confidence to stick.

This is primarily thanks to the song’s excellent instrumental, which grows more dynamic as She’s Gone reaches its conclusion. The track has a nice rootsy stomp from the beginning, but it truly explodes when the guitar is allowed to become more than just ornamentation. From the second chorus on, the production really becomes the star of the show, matching Ilhoon’s swagger with an equally arresting sense of release. We can never have too much electric guitar in k-pop, and its blistering presence easily elevates this song above similar efforts.

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