The drums and bass stay for just 76 seconds: Jeon Woo Sung (Noel)'s 'Let's Stay Like This'

Today's NONOL PICK is '이대로만 있자', a single released October 6 by Jeon Woo Sung of the vocal group Noel. Its English title is 'Let's Stay Like This'. The introduction is short: nothing special needs to happen, it's simply the whole-hearted wish to be together. TEAM8 wrote the lyrics and music, and arranger Yoo Jung-hyun played everything alone: piano, bass, drums and strings. The music video was shot vertically, like a phone screen, and its sound is identical to the audio track, so times follow the music video.

0:01 · No intro

The song begins right away at 0:01 with '하려던 일이 뭐든 / 얼마나 중요하든' ("whatever you were about to do / however important it is"). The next line is '우리 같이 있을까 / 날이 참 좋잖아' ("shall we stay together / the weather's so nice"). Split the sound by instrument, and the first verse is only gentle backing and the voice, with no drums or bass. On screen, Jeon Woo Sung walks along a road with the word 'BOLD' painted in large letters.

0:49 · 'Let's stay like this'

The first chorus goes '이대로만 있자 / 서로를 지켜주자 / 아껴준다는 것이 / 이런 거구나 싶게' ("let's just stay like this / let's look after each other / so that we feel / this is what cherishing means"). From 1:04, a bass shows up low for about 6 seconds, then disappears again.

1:28 · Where the band comes in

After '어떤 문장 하나에 / 담을 수가 있을까' ("could it fit into a single sentence?") at 1:13, the voice rests for 6 seconds. In the meantime, at 1:22, Jeon Woo Sung stands in front of a brick wall with the number '5514' painted large on it. Then at 1:28, the drums and bass come in together for the first time. The lyric that follows is '지금 표현한다면 / 시간 속에 바래진 / 사진 같아' ("if I put it into words now / it's like a photo / faded with time").

2:27 · Let's meet again

The lead photo is the scene of Jeon Woo Sung standing by the Han River at dusk. Over it comes '그 품에 안긴 채 / 눈감을 그날에 / 다시 만나자고 / 말해 줄 수 있는 / 사랑' ("a love that can say / let's meet again / on the day we close our eyes / held in each other's arms"). It's the part of the song that looks farthest into the future.

2:44 · Four times after the band leaves

At 2:44, the drums and bass drop out together. They play together only for 76 seconds, from 1:28 to 2:44. In the remaining 30 seconds, '이대로만 있자' ("let's just stay like this") repeats four times, and the screen returns to the road from the beginning. This time, the road reads 'OWN YOUR MOMENT'. Apple Music

The Bugs credits show the mix by Lim Hong-jin of JYP Studio. The single also includes an instrumental version.