Of all the previous Wanna One members, Kang Daniel continues to be essentially the most musically prolific. Free to do his personal factor, he reliably releases new albums yearly. Sadly, most of this music hasn’t hit me with a lot pressure, tending to slip in a single ear and out the opposite. New single Episode boasts a barely extra sprightly vitality than typical, harnessing the favored Afrobeats pattern to supply a constant dance sound.
Even so, the manufacturing right here feels fairly muted. Reasonably than paint its personal distinctive musical world, the tone and percussion are boring and purposeful. And since Okay-pop in 2025 has turn out to be allergic to melodies bearing any vary or coloration, Kang Daniel spends the majority of Episode disposing of sing-talk model hooks that evaporate as quickly as they land. When you’re pitching your self as the most recent Okay-pop act to drag from the Afrobeats style and are unwilling to buoy it with compelling songwriting, you will need to put all the pieces you may have into crafting an environment so evocative the listener can’t assist however turn out to be absorbed. Episode doesn’t do that, making it a simple skip.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
Grade: C
