A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

One of the composers I miss most in K-pop is B1A4’s Jung Jinyoung. He’s no longer with the group, which is where the bulk of his songwriting attention went in the past. And although he was a mentor on MBC’s survival series Fantasy Boys, he doesn’t have any musical credits on the upcoming debut album of the group spawned from the show. So, we’re going to have to take new Jinyoung music where we can get it. In this case, that means a CF for DB Insurance. A bit random, right?

But fear not! From the moment Together Promise starts and Jinyoung’s rich, textured voice kicks off verse one, it feels like we’re back in classic B1A4 territory. This isn’t his best song by a mile. If it were part of an album, it would be a decent b-side. However, its nostalgia hits hard. Jinyoung has an incredible way with melody and his production style matches my taste to a tee. The track’s dramatic pre-chorus soars in the best way, segueing into a layered chorus that manages to have me embracing the kind of plonky mid-tempo beat I usually hate. I’m not sure if Jinyoung has more solo music planned, but if not I’d like to see him use his considerable skills to produce new idol group music. Just imagine a rookie group steered by his sound!

Grade: B