[Review] CRZY – HAECHAN (NCT)

As of yesterday, HAECHAN has become the 6th member of NCT to make his solo debut, following TAEYONG, TEN, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN and MARK. HAECHAN’s solo debut comes in the form of a studio album, TASTE, led by the single CRZY. More recently, HAECHAN has been busy promoting as part of NCT DREAM through their BTTF and CHILLER singles, which form part of NCT DREAM’s 5th studio album, Go Back To The Future.

HAECHAN is most known for being the main vocalist of the NCT subunits he is part of. And so, it should be no surprise that his solo debut title track shows off some of his vocals. His tone is consistently refreshing throughout CRZY, complementing the R&B pop dance genre that CRZY delves into. That being said, I do feel like the material within CRZY could have done more with his vocals, especially on the melodic front, which felt plain in CRZY. I do appreciate the smoothness and sleekness of his vocals and the melodies that we did get. But it wasn’t exactly the amazing material I had expected from a main vocalist. CRZY does give us a different side to HAECHAN that we don’t usually hear much of – some rapping. I appreciate that this is something different for HAECHAN, and it gives us something more to talk about. Instrumentally, I liked how upbeat CRZY got via the rhythmic guitar and percussion. It definitely made CRZY feel cool and suave.

CRZY is about the influence someone you are attracted to can have over you. In the music video, that person is likened to a piece of art that HAECHAN find in an art gallery. At first, we see HAECHAN admire it and then graffiti the art gallery around it, showing the influence the art (or someone) can have on him. By the end of the video, the art piece itself is replaced by another (representing that the someone mentioned earlier has left his life), and leaves HAECHAN wondering what life could have been like had that someone stayed in it. I liked the concept of the art gallery, and it speaks to the fact that art (in whatever form) can be powerful and influential to the point that it can affect people.

I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting on the choreography front for CRZY. So I guess I can say I was genuinely surprised by how good HAECHAN pulled it all off. Though considering that he is part of NCT DREAM and NCT 127, which are known for their dance performances, should this really have been a surprise? Anyhow, I really enjoyed the smooth moves that HAECHAN and the dancers pull off during the chorus, while the term ‘crazy’ was slightly elongated. The MJ influence was also unmissable, and I love how controlled those spins were throughout the routine.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10