In the context of this article, "Next Rated" doesn't relate to the debut year or how long the artist has been in the industry. It is meant to project artists we believe have the potential and talent that should make them global stars.
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The index above shows a breakdown of the topics we will be covering in this article.
1. Introduction
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Gaho is the talented singer-songwriter whose incredible artistry poses him as one of the best and most exciting soloists in K-Pop today. With lyrics that are so expressive, deep, and thoughtful, a vocal tone that is simply too beautiful, and a technique so well mastered, he makes singing look so easy, Gaho is well and beyond an exciting talent or one to watch, he is an artist whose creativity and brilliance produces an art piece that evokes a powerful range of emotions in his listeners.
Scrolling through the comments of some of his songs and performances, one of the reactions you'd come across the most is the sheer disbelief at how underrated he is, despite being an incredible artist with talents that are truly befitting of the word "Outstanding".
With this article, we aim to spotlight Gaho's impressive talents and further flame the outcry for the recognition of a true artist who makes music that is truly special and deserves to be heard.
2. His original songs and OSTs
Gaho has a discography of songs that you can listen to tirelessly and thoroughly enjoy without having to skip a beat because every note is "the good part".
In 2020, during a year predominantly filled with angst and depressing thoughts following the global pandemic and the lockdown that restricted a lot of activities, many turned to K-Dramas as a means of cheer or pastime. The drama "Itaewon Class" was one of the most popular dramas that served as a source of relief and entertainment to many fans at that time.
With its gripping storyline that explored various hard-hitting topics around racism, sexual identities, power, discrimination, the disparity in social classes as well as love and relationships, it simply had various elements that many viewers could draw a sense of connection with.
Asides from its interesting subplots and incredible cast line, perhaps one of the reasons why many also thoroughly enjoyed or tuned in every week to watch the new episode of the series was to hear its OST. And one of the songs that had a resounding effect in the minds of viewers was Gaho's 'Start Over'. A song that beautifully conveys to story of the series, it expresses a sign of hope and reassured belief in one's ability to overcome struggles, no matter how strong or reoccurring they are.
Even though it is a Korean song, its message is felt and understood. With his incredible melody, instrumentals that almost feel in sync with your heartbeat, and Gaho's incredible vocals, the song, despite being released 2 years ago, still gives goosebumps to its listeners. It reinvigorates you and fills you with a sense of hope and conviction that makes you believe you can overcome anything and the end is never the end as you can always start over.
For many, with this song, Gaho was the voice that seemingly made everything better.
While this song was perhaps the catalyst that launched him to global recognition, Gaho was already on a steady rise as he had already started making music way back since his debut in 2018.
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It is factual that when it comes to K-Pop, idol groups are invariably more popular than soloists. So, with a talent like Gaho, it would rightfully make sense for an agency to snatch him up and make him the main vocalist of a group or band. However, after many auditions, he figured the idol world wasn't for him as with his music, he wants to have creative control and ownership.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he said
A really core part of being a singer-songwriter is that you can literally do this until the day you die. So, I hope I can literally make music up until like the day before I pass away.
Gaho
He made his official debut as part of the 6 member boy group PLT with the release of their first EP "Planetarium Case #1". The group went viral for their fresh sound and unique vibes following the release of the hip-hop song 'IGOHOLIC'. With its success, they went on to tour parts of Europe and the US.
In this video, he tells the story of how he goes from being a budding songwriter to making his debut after his first showcase, his first tour, and how he got to sing the OST for "Itaewon Class".
That same year, he made his solo debut with the R&B song 'Stay Here'. A song he has all the production credits for. This song perhaps served as the right introduction for the artist that Gaho was, is, and eventually become. A vocalist whose refined technique can break every form of barrier and beautifully convey the emotions he strives to make his listener feel with so much ease. While it also continues to set him apart from the vast talents of artists in the industry today.
His range is breathtakingly powerful and his delivery is just as fierce as it is beautiful.
Following his debut, he continued to showcase his impressive range and technique by covering vocally challenging songs like Halsey's 'Without Me' and Jonas Brothers' 'Sucker'.
His brilliant renditions of these songs projected him as one to definitely watch, one thing about Gaho, and something we will definitely mention often in the article and fans would have noticed by now, is, with any song he covers, while he definitely embodies the feel of the original, there is a Gaho effect that he adds to his songs that makes it often times just as enjoyable as the original version or even more. It almost feels like he takes the song and dreams up another way they could sound and then releases it into the world for fans to enjoy.
While his soundtrack for the drama "Itaewon Class" is the one he is more notable for, in his debut year, Gaho had already started gaining prospects as a prime OST king having released 3 OSTs for hit dramas like "The Time", "My Secret Terrius", and "The Last Empress".
And he also notably wrote 'Come To Me', the popular OST sung by Lee JongSuk from the series "While You Were Sleeping".
"Preparation For A Journey"
Perhaps the most befitting title for a debut album, "Preparation For A Journey" is a true masterpiece that projects Gaho in a light that makes many realize that his artistry is truly special.
Every song on the album is a hit, not just with how well it sounds but a hit in the sense that it hits the right emotions. It makes you feel. Feel the lyrics and with an open heart, receive the emotions he sends through his vocals and expressions.
We sort to pick just a couple of songs that were our favorites from this album but it proved too difficult so, here is everything for your listening pleasure.
1. 'Intro : Stay Here'
3. 'Going On'
4. 'Then'
5. 'Heaven'
With his talents, he can 'Fly' high to the sky and also 'Pink Walk' into our hearts.
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In 2019, Gaho continues his steady strides to fame as he released 2 powerful singles 'Fly' and 'Pink Walk'. Two incredible songs that displays his growth as a vocalist.
With 'Fly', he makes the mind of the listener feel stronger. Its thoughtful lyrics feel like a hand outstretched to pick you up and remind you of the potential you hold.
In contrast with 'Fly', 'Pink Walk' makes you want to dance. It has a sexy rhythm which complimented by Gaho's voice makes it so addictive to listen to.
Following his prominent success with 'Start Over' in 2020, there were perhaps the most eyes on Gaho as he had piqued the interest of many fans who were eagerly waiting to see what he does next. And like he's done since his debut, he didn't disappoint.
He sang this song like the rent was due!
With 'A Song For You', Gaho let his vocals soar as high as he could with this song. It is quite impressive how he is able to control his vocals while hitting high notes that would readily leave the rest of us breathless.
While we are not musical experts and know every technical term that relates to music, from a layman's point of view, our thought about this release can be put in phrases like "Perfection" and "Masterpiece".
From his vocalization that showed off his impressive layers and techniques to his incredible control and his ability to switch his tones and registers with ease, and the soft yet powerful feeling of the instrumentals. His creativity and the powerful use of his instruments are clear here. And every bit and piece infused into this song served its purpose. Which was perhaps to birth a true masterpiece.
Here are some reactions to the music by people who are more trained in this field than us.
As the years go by, Gaho also continues his OST journeys with songs like 'Wish' the powerful ballad for "Stranger 2", 'Memories' for "Jirisan", and 'Running' for "Start-Up".
2021: Finally a full-length album and more to come!
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In 2021, Gaho released his first studio album "Fireworks", which comprised of 12 (no skips) songs. One of the notable things we have come to expect from Gaho is regardless of the genre, he always ensures the emotional attachment a listener can have with his songs. He revealed to NME that with this album, he tries to relate a single emotion that you will feel when you are in your youth.
While many can draw different feelings from every song on the album, one of the songs that set the tone for the album is its lead single 'Right Now'.
"Powerful", "Electrifying", "Energising", "Thrilling", and "Challenging". These are some of the adjectives we would affix to the feelings that this song breeds. Gaho's voice yet again pushes through and matches the lyrics and message of the song. Each note and lyric is conveyed in a tone that is in unison, it is delivered in a way that is clear, easily felt, and understandable.
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He also revealed to NME that the song is set to give a sense of hope and reassurance to everyone listening. A motivational feeling that would help anyone having a difficult time. And we must say, this is felt loud and clear.
'Right Now' is not the only song that could be an instant favorite to listeners from the album. Songs like 'Rush Hour', 'Part Time Lover', 'RIDE', and 'Like The Moon' are some of our absolute favorites.
He mentioned in an interview that while this album was predominantly filled with concert-like songs, for his next works, he would love to sing ballads. Songs you can listen to while it rains.
His new digital single 'Only You' would see him fulfilling his promise as this is a ballad for the ages. Clear, warm, emotional, soft, and absolutely beautiful. Simply put, 'Only You' is a work of art that deserves to be praised.
2. Are his amazing covers on par with the originals?
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One of the things that Gaho is very popular for is his amazing covers of hit songs. Regardless of the genre or language, he is not afraid to take on a challenge and deliver a memorable performance. This performance is delivered with a finesse that makes it just as enjoyable as the original version.
Check out some of our favorites below.
Alongside talented vocalist, Kim WooJin, his cover of Olivia Rodrigo's song 'Driver's License' is a favorite to many fans. Both with their own distinct vocal colors and tones, the two verses of the song almost make you feel like you're listening to two different songs till they beautifully merge in harmonies, and it's a whirlwind of blissful sensation and chills coursing through your veins.
Screenshot from Gaho's official YouTube channel
He also seems to enjoy covering BLACKPINK songs a lot as he has added his own unique spins to some of their hit songs like 'Lovesick Girls', 'How You Like That', Rosé's 'On The Ground' and most recently, he thrilled us with a rock and dark version of 'SHUTDOWN'.
With his covers, he gives you a different style to the song. It is almost like he is saying "while the original is a bop and of high replay value, here is how Gaho will sing it, and you can still enjoy this version as well".
3. Future collaborations
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As a singer-songwriter, Gaho has creative freedom over the songs he makes, which means he can possibly collaborate with anyone he wants to. Listening to his sound, there are currently some idols and artists who we feel will deliver an amazing collaboration with. Here are some of them.
KiHyun has an impressive range and even more impressive technique that he readily displays with his songs. With 2 successful solo albums out now, he's been able to show off his own unique individuality and colors without limits as an artist. With similarities in their vocal styles, a collab of their voices would certainly be an amazing listening experience.
Maddox has been making waves as the singer-songwriter with his soft and sweet vocal tone and his ability to hit impressive high notes with ease. His voice is soft and his texture is honey-like. He possesses quite a similar technique as Gaho, in that his sounds are even more refined with each song he performs.
We need a gut-wrenching cry-your-soul-out ballad from these two amazing vocalists. We want beautiful melodies that speak to the soul and make cores shake with how real and powerful the message of the song is. IU is known for her soothing vocals and incredible lyrics, traits that Gaho also possesses as well, so a combination of these two will be a vocal match made in heaven.
From Hip-Hop to Pop, and Ballads, like Gaho, WOODZ has proven he can scale through on any kind of concept or genre and deliver a 100% thrilling performance that would leave the minds of his listeners in a sheer state of awe and marvel. A summer pop song collab with these two will be like the refreshing cool feeling of licking ice cream on a hot day.
Chen is undoubtedly one of the best vocalists in K-Pop today and his music is just as emotional as it is powerful. His vocal technique is simply outstanding. From his wide range to his pitch, his amazing breath control, and his ability to switch registers with such ease, it is not surprising that Chen is often regarded as the "vocalist of K-Pop". A ballad will suit this dream collab as with their ability to transmit their emotions with their sounds and expressions, this genre will be best for them. P.S, we just want a high notes battle.
Here are some more artists fans would love to see him collaborate with.
4. Contents we would love to see from him in the future
1. A variety series
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While variety series are done more by K-Pop idols and groups, many soloists also create contents for this themed series that would project their personalities to viewers and even foster a deeper sense of connection with fans.
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A healing concept by the beach or camping in the woods, where he gets to open up, express his views and concerns about music and life, his struggles, joys, and successes, while also engaging in fun activities with friends, fans, and/or staff would be an interesting option for Gaho.
2. VLOGs
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While he often shares some behind-the-scenes footage from his shoots or recordings with fans, it would also be nice to see a proper VLOG from him. A day/week in his life that captures his routine, creative process, and what he enjoys doing as well.
Do you think Gaho is the next-rated star? Let us know your thoughts about the artist and his songs in the comments section below.
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