[TRANS] BEFF Reports: “[Analysis of INFINITE’s Vocals ] L, a vocalist who is perfecting ‘Kim Myungsoo’”
His voice, which encompasses both cold and hot, will be used appropriately at the right times
There was a time when I was surprised by L’s real name. It was refreshing that L, who was already good-looking in ‘You Are My Oppa’, had an unbefitting(?) name like Myungsoo. But that shock was short-lived and I came to appreciate the fact that his name was ‘Myungsoo,’ because his voice was just so “Kim Myungsoo.”
The greatest strength of L’s vocal is its honesty. His tone sounds like that of an innocent young man who cannot lie. In upbeat songs like ‘Nothing’s Over’ or ‘Man in Love’, his voice is openly vivacious. From this soda-like refreshing vocal, in heavy songs like ‘The Chaser’ or ‘Paradise’, his voice shows seriousness that is close to obsession. I think we can define his voice as a voice encompassing both cold and hot.
L has thanked me before, right after I wrote an article called ‘L is at the center of INFINITE’s growth’ over the summer. He thanked me, saying that he was so happy that he jumped for joy, but I sternly shook my head because he ‘himself’ proved his growth. (As in, he did all the work, not that I wrote a good article.) As a visual of an idol group, his efforts to get better at singing - though it is true that a singer should sing well - made me proud of him.
To tell the truth, he was not always stable with his singing. That I acknowledge. There were times when I was worried about his live performances, but he has become one of the vocals whom I can trust now. The L who sang the chorus of ‘Back’ and the L who sang the chorus of ‘Bad’ may be the same person, but they are definitely different. It was in ‘Bad’ that his voice, which had become stable at one point, definitely shined. He naturally raises the note at the end of ‘With no time to touch, I’m captivated’ and it mingles well with Woohyun’s voice, which cries out ‘I’m afraid that you’ll ruin me.’ L’s tone is on the colder side whereas Woohyun’s is on the warmer side; it is probably due to L’s hard work that their voices were able to mingle so well.
When you listen to ‘Love you Like you’, you will be able to hear youth Kim Myungsoo in love. It is a song from a while back so some people might not know about this song, but I recommend them to listen to it. Even in songs like ‘White Confession’ (a song that comes to my mind every winter), ‘Request’ (for which I am sad about the lack of activities), or ‘Feel So Bad’, his vocal always shows off its firmness and honesty. It is also not a bad idea to listen to all the released songs while concentrating on L’s parts. After listening to his increasing number of parts and stability, you will be able to understand this article better.
Even if L steps on the brakes and slows down on his track of growth, I am willing to wait; my hope for ‘Kim Myungsoo’ is that his growth, even if it is slow, will be steady. I look forward to future of L, a vocal with a refreshing voice who sings of honesty.
Translated by: togetherinspirit7