TXT’s Soobin Debuts with the Tender Cover “Forest”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s leader released a surprise solo cover of Choi Yuree’s “Forest” that captures his empathy.
My favorite vocalist in K-Pop is TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s leader Soobin, whose airy falsetto is one of the most distinct and calming voices I can think of. Soobin is a gifted singer, to be sure, but it’s the emotion he puts behind each line that always draws me in. On “Goodbye Now”, a little heard b-side, he sounds as if he is emphasizing each word of comfort for listeners, or on “Ring”, a single in TXT’s Japanese discography, his voice climbs up to the stratosphere in the bridge. He’s a compassionate vocalist who can project empathy and consolation to listenrs.
Today Soobin made what could be considered a “soft” solo debut with a cover of Choi Yuree’s “Forest”. The song, which is only available on YouTube, is an unexpected debut from the singer and signifies perhaps a new phase of TXT’s career. The singer’s label Big Hit, which also manages BTS, has historically emphasized the power of a group over solo projects, something that BTS has alluded to pushing against, and the quiet drop of a Soobin solo track could hint towards a future of official TXT solo releases.
Something I’ve always loved about Soobin is his absolute passion for female vocalists and girl groups. When he was the MC of Music Bank with Oh My Girl’s Arin, Soobin’s falsetto sounded the most interesting covering songs like “Dolphin”, which went viral. But I was most taken by his performance of “Secret Garden”, where he didn’t change one note of the song, and created one of the most enchanting performances of his career.
Soobin is obsessed with KARA, a second generation girl group whose choreography he knows by heart, and he’s known for playing female vocalists like IU or STAYC on his Weverse Lives. His voice often sounds made for these songs. So, the selection of a song by Choi Yuree is not surprising. The lyrics, which compares the safety of a forest to the kind of protection he wants to offer to a lover, are intrinsically linked to the warm hearted person Soobin portrays on social media. (This is the same idol whose username is “Your Home Soobin” on Weverse)
“I’ll show you the way/ You can cut me down,” Soobin sings in the second verse, as translated by TXT Translations on X. “Don’t push me away/ Let me be with you." Listening to the track, I was most struck that in an era when male idols are expected to be more masculine than ever, Soobin has never wavered on being tender-hearted.
