Why JaeHan Deserves to Be Heard on “Right For Me”
Long before JaeHan joined OMEGA X, he uploaded covers of his favorite songs to YouTube. The videos were always well-made, and the music often veered closer to indie rock, like that of his sunbaenims DAY6. What was most striking, though, was how JaeHan could convey sadness and hope, often within the span of one song. His covers broke each song down and built them up, freshly woven with new textures. With each video, JaeHan wiped away the shiny veneer of an idol and revealed an artist who was devoted to the adventure of creating music.
On Monday, I was reminded of those covers when a new song titled “Right For Me”, written and performed by JaeHan, dropped, un-announced, on streaming services as part of Studio Black’s ALL DAY project. JaeHan’s contribution to the project recalls some of his best covers, like “Amusement Park” and “힘나쏭”, because of how sincere his delivery is. The song opens with the line,“How was your day?” and the lyrics express the love JaeHan feels for someone who fits perfectly into his life. As the song builds with guitars and bass, JaeHan’s voice conveys the yearning of a new relationship. It’s a comforting track and one that comes at a coincidental – and sad – time for For X, OMEGA X’s fanbase.
Last week, SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) published a video that allegedly captured JaeHan being verbally and physically abused by a Spire Entertainment staff member in Los Angeles on the last stop of their North American tour. In response, Spire claimed the members and the staff member were engaged in a disagreement that had been resolved. But in the week following, OMEGA X has gone silent, and in a follow-up report by SBS, the members allegedly paid for their own flights back to Korea.
JaeHan’s single puts the focus back on his artistry, something that I am eager to write about because it’s what I want to remind others of: He deserves to be heard. “Right For Me” shows an alternate career path, one that began on YouTube, where JaeHan writes and produces his own music, away from the idol system. It’s an idea he’s expressed interest in before: “I’m so into playing guitar these days,” he told KRUSH in 2019 when he was still a member of SPECTRUM. “The band sound [sic] appeals to me a lot.”
“I had wanted to become a singer since the second year at middle school,” JaeHan continued. “Before making my debut in Spectrum, I had wanted to become a singer-songwriter or a band vocalist. Then I fell in love with dancing and performing while singing, so I made my debut as a group member.”
JaeHan debuted, for the first time, with SPECTRUM on May 10, 2018. The group’s best releases, “SHOWTIME” and “AFTER PARTY”, are pure pop and, in the hands of a well-known company, would have probably been smashes. But no matter how solid the group’s releases were, the cards were stacked against them as a group from a tiny label.
SPECTRUM’s failure to succeed reflects something about how challenging K-Pop can be for idols from smaller labels to break through. On a recent episode of “The Zach Sang Show”, DPR Ian spoke about how hierarchical the industry is and used variety shows as an example. “The waiting rooms are divided into a VIP waiting room and all that. And in one of the lower waiting rooms, they have about fifty groups that don’t even get on to the stage,” he explained. They just arrive in the hopes of convincing the PD to let them on just [for the day]. And a lot of them would just go back.”
While JaeHan has never explicitly addressed how punishing the industry can be, there are a few lines in his solo work that feel striking in retrospect. In 2019 he released “The Untold Story”, a ballad about a “painful memory” that was kept secret. “Nobody would have known how hard it was/ Maybe it was just me/ Blowing cold/ In a sad wind,” JaeHan sings quietly. In this rendering, it is likely that the song is about the loss of a relationship, but I hear a more complex story waiting to be told. In this version, the protagonist tackles self-doubt and the inner-belief we hold on to to succeed.
One day, I hope that JaeHan is able to tell his story on his own terms. It feels important, this week, to lift up the work and talent of Kim JaeHan, not just in light of recent events, but also because he deserves his roses. He’s sacrificed years of his life to focus on a dream of becoming an idol. He worked extremely hard to tour North America with OMEGA X and to bring happiness to each For X that he met. His perspective, his voice, and his artistry are all worth us digging into.
When he was asked in 2019 where he sees himself in a decade, JaeHan firmly placed his future with art. “I think I’ll still be singing for people, even after ten years,” he resolved. “I’d like to continue to share a lot of my music. I thank you, our fans, for trusting us and keeping up with us.”
I believe this is possible.
On the warm reworking of the IU song “Celebrity”, JaeHan displayed how he can cover a song and make it his own. “You have no idea above your lowered head/ What the bright lights are shining towards,” he sang tenderly with piano accompaniment. “It’s fine to take your time, but I hope you notice at last/ You’re my celebrity.” As he sang the chorus, JaeHan looked as if he took in every word like water. He slowly rocked back and forth with his eyes closed. By the end, the performance felt less like an ode to a hero and instead, as a remarkable act of self-care. As IU wrote, JaeHan is the star painted with a left hand. For one touching moment, he sounds not like a K-Pop idol – just a dreamer charting his own path to finding himself in music.
