FOREVER ONLY
BEHIND STORY & LIVE STAGE
MUSIC SPACE : ‘Forever Only’
JAEHYUN takes the stage to sing 'Forever Only' with his sweet, expressive vocals and shares the production stories behind his first-ever solo single
MUSIC VIDEO FILMING
Behind the Scenes
JAEHYUN filmed the MV in one day and was heavily involved in the creative direction
Exclusive Interviews
billboard · british gq · consequence
‘Forever Only’ tops the iTunes Top Songs charts in 13 countries!
Jaehyun received positive responses from global fans with his first solo song since debut. Shortly after its release, it topped iTunes Top Songs Chart in 13 regions around the world!
The 100 Best International Songs of 2022
At a time when we seem to be perpetually stuck in early-2000s nostalgia, it was refreshing to hear JAEHYUN’s Forever Only a slice of R&B-pop that would have fit in perfectly sandwiched between hits by Ashanti, Craig David and Usher. Of course, in 2022, the song still fits the pop landscape thanks to the singer’s dreamy vocals and enough updating in the production to make it ride the wave of nostalgia but stand out on its own. A special shout-out for the key change towards the end of the single, a feature that has all but disappeared from pop music!
—Amit Vaidya
The 22 Best Songs of 2022
Jaehyun has been a member of K-pop behemoth NCT since 2016, but Forever Only marks his first official solo debut, proving great things are worth the wait. The distinctive earthy and oaky quality of his voice has littered countless albums already but really gets a moment to shine in this small, '00s R&B-inspired love song. Complete with a key change and final chorus vocal run for the ages, the genre is a natural home for his voice as it dances above a simple acoustic guitar and drum machine. It took six years to get a first entry into the Jaehyun solo canon, let's hope it won't be six more.
—Lucy Ford
The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022
25-year-old Jaehyun of NCT is no stranger to solo work; his amazing cover of Lauv’s I Like Me Better went viral in 2019, and his 2017 SM Station track Try Again also showcased his angelic vocals. With the launch of NCT Lab, Jaehyun gave his music an even more personal touch. Releasing Forever Only in August, accompanied by a simple yet cozy music video, he leveled up from previous releases. The introspective pop-R&B song suits the star well. It’s easy listening, melodic, and soundtracks a warm winter night just as well as a summer outside.
—Ashlee Mitchell
Shining solo... BTS, TWICE, NCT, 3rd gen idols going solo
Third generation idols, who have been relatively focused on group activities, have begun their solo activities in earnest this year and are also showing off their personal capabilities. As 3rd-gen idols have been leading the mainstream of the K-Pop market in recent years, their solo sides are noteworthy.Jaehyun released his solo song Forever Only on the 18th and is receiving positive response from global fans with his first solo song since debut. Shortly after release, it topped the iTunes Top Songs Chart in 13 regions around the world. Previously, he wrote lyrics in NCT 127's debut song Fire Truck and NCT's second full-length album Dancing In The Rain. He showed off his musical ability through his own solo song Lost at Neo City: The Link. This time, he conveyed his emotions through Forever Only.
—Jeong Bit
Best Songs of 2022
The solo debut of NCT’s dreamy baritone vocalist, JAEHYUN, has been a long time coming. I may be biased as he’s my #1 favourite of the 23-member group, but the TikTok virality of his 2017 single Try Again earlier in the year showed that NCTzens weren’t the only ones who foresaw his success and creative vision as a solo artist. With the release of Forever Only in mid-August, JAEHYUN poignantly rewinds to the early 2000s with sultry R&B beats and hypnotic acoustic guitar riffs.JAEHYUN’s project was certainly a huge breakaway from the hard-hitting beats and electronic mixing signature of the NCT brand, but it has a groovier, more addictive quality that’s impossible to find anywhere else in the group’s discography (or, really, modern K-Pop as a whole). An honest extension of himself beyond his title as “NCT’s JAEHYUN”, the song puts the singer’s affinity for the simple, nostalgic, and introspective on full display. Warm, romantic, and pensive, the soft but ever-alluring production and lyricism of Forever Only makes it worth listening to forever only.
—Isabella Le
How can breakup be so sweet...
The empty space you left behind
Fills mе with deeper longing for you
Bit belated this irony
Hеart is lost and lonely, lonely
Leaving a pain that spreads
The goodbye and a final kiss
Now I see you walking away
Be my forever only, onlyJaehyun wrote the lyrics of Forever Only, his first solo song since his debut. The lyrics contain the hope that the other person will be with you forever, in times of things leaving. You can get a glimpse of Jaehyun's growing musical ability, who has participated in writing lyrics such as NCT 127's debut song Fire Truck and NCT's second full-length album Dancing In The Rain.The gentle R&B rhythm, Jaehyun's heavy with sweet vocals on top, and desperate lyrics are combined to effectively express the image of the lonely man of the song. You can fully feel the potential of Jaehyun, the emotional vocalist, beyond Jaehyun, the performer
—Kim Soo-yeong
iScreaM Vol.20 : Forever Only Remix
JAEHYUN 재현 'Forever Only (SHINDRUM Remix)'
A remix version of his solo track, Forever Only was released through the remix music project iScreaM. For this single, the session drummer SHINDRUM participated in the production. The remix version reinterprets the original R&B style song with an acoustic soul genre, added synthesizer and a drum-centered arrangement.The 3D visualizer is of the evening city skyline, the continuous shot expressing the longing emotions of
looking out at the city through the window.