Forever Only

"Forever Only" is a song recorded by South Korean singer Jaehyun. It was released on August 18, 2022, alongside an accompanying music video, as the fourth single of the NCT Lab project. The song was written by Jaehyun, Dewain Whitmore Jr., Ellie Suh, Micah Premnath, and producer Tido Nguyen. It is described as a guitar-driven R&B and pop track reminiscent of the 2000s. Inspired by the time Jaehyun spent in Milan, the lyrics express one's yearning for the person they love. It charted at number 120 on the Circle Digital Chart in South Korea, and at number 14 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in the United States. The song received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its composition and Jaehyun's vocal performance.

"Forever Only"
Single by Jaehyun
Language
  • Korean
  • English
ReleasedAugust 18, 2022 (2022-08-18)
Genre
Length3:16
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Jaehyun
  • Ellie Suh
Producer(s)Tido Nguyen
Jaehyun singles chronology
"Try Again"
(2017)		 "Forever Only"
(2022)		 "Horizon"
(2023)
Music video
"Forever Only" on YouTube

Background and release

On August 12, 2022, SM Entertainment announced that Jaehyun would release his first single on August 18. It would also be the fourth single featured on NCT Lab, a special season of the digital music project SM Station.[1] Teaser images were revealed on NCT's social medias and a teaser for the music video was released on August 17.[2] "Forever Only" and its accompanying music video were released on August 18.[3] Its official remix by Shindrum was released on January 6, 2023, alongside a 3D music video.[4]

Composition

"Forever Only" was written by Jaehyun, Dewain Whitmore Jr., Ellie Suh, Micah Premnath, and Tido Nguyen, who also produced the song.[5] It is an "acoustic-leaning" R&B and pop track driven by recurring guitar riffs and featuring a percussion arrangement.[5][6][7] The track is written in the key of E minor and has a medium tempo of 90 beats per minute.[8][6] Lucy Ford of British GQ noted that the song "holds the kind of early-2000's boy band key changes".[9] Adrianne Reece of Elite Daily said the instrumentation reminds her of the 2000s and compared it to "7 Days" by Craig David.[10] Jaehyun's vocal performance was described as "alluring", "deep" and "lush" by Divyansha Dongre of Rolling Stone India.[5] The lyrics express the desire to find permanent companionship in a fickle world.[11] Jaehyun said that after hearing the "bright" melody of the song for the first time he "felt lonely inside of that kind of mood", so he decided to counter the "positive" sound with lyrics centered around the theme of loneliness.[7] The lyrics were also inspired by the time he spent in Milan.[12]

Chart performance

In South Korea, "Forever Only" debuted at number 120 on the Circle Digital Chart in the issue dated August 14–20, 2022.[13] It also debuted at number nine and 29 on its component charts, the Circle Download Chart and the Circle BGM Chart, respectively.[14][15] In the United States, the song debuted at number 14 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in the issue dated September 3, 2022.[16]

Critical reception

Kim Soo-yeong of the Hankyung praised Jaehyun's vocals, saying that "you can fully feel the potential of Jaehyun, the emotional vocalist, beyond Jaehyun, the performer".[17] Divyansha Dongre of Rolling Stone India highlighted the "wealth of ad-libs" and "dreamy falsetto performance", saying it ties "the sonic elements together [of the song] beautifully whilst simultaneously adding depth and dimension to the track".[5] Praising the track, Dongre said: "Soothing, comforting and easy to listen to, "Forever Only" is a single that grows on you almost instantaneously".[5] Jeff Benjamin of Billboard highlighted Jaehyun's "fondness for simplicity", saying that the single's cover is "a far cry from his album covers with NCT 127", and noted that the song puts Jaehyun's "silvery tenor at the forefront".[7] Lucy Ford and Jessie Atkinson of British GQ named "Forever Only" as one of the 22 best songs of 2022, noting the song's 2000s-inspired R&B composition, which they say is the "natural home" for Jaehyun's "distinctive earthy and oaky quality" vocals.[18] The song was selected by Ashlee Mitchell to be featured on Teen Vogue's list of the 79 best K-pop songs of 2022. She said the song is "easy listening, melodic, and soundtracks a warm winter night just as well as a summer outside".[19] Writing for Rolling Stone India, Amit Vaidya placed it at number 66 on her list of the 100 best international songs of 2022, stating that "Forever Only" is "a slice of R&B-pop that would have fit in perfectly sandwiched between hits by Ashanti, Craig David and Usher", but "still fits the pop landscape" thanks to the modern production.[20]

Year-end lists
Critic/Publication List Rank Ref
Atwood Magazine Best Songs of 2022 Placed [21]
British GQ The 22 Best Songs of 2022 Placed [18]
Rolling Stone India The 100 Best International Songs of 2022 66 [20]
Teen Vogue The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022 Placed [19]

Music video and live performance

Shot in just one day,[5] the music video expresses the feeling of loneliness and emptiness caused by parting from your lover.[22] It features Jaehyun singing and playing the guitar, lounging in a room surrounded by photographs, and riding a motorcycle, all in the span of a day.[5] Jaehyun participated in the conception of the music video.[7] Dongre said the music video employs "a somber color palette and hazy filters [that create] a gloomy atmosphere".[5] Mary Siroky of Consequence also likened the shots to an A24 film, "all golden-hued, nostalgic and romantic footage".[12]

Jaehyun performed "Forever Only" for the first time on a music-dedicated segment of The NCT Show, a web series featuring NCT members released on YouTube.[23]

Track listing
  • Digital download and streaming
  1. "Forever Only" – 3:16
  2. "Forever Only" (Instrumental) – 3:16

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Melon.[24][25]

Studio

  • Recorded at Doobdoob Studio
  • Engineered for mix at SM Starlight Studio
  • Mixed at Sound Pool Studios
  • Mastered at 821 Sound Mastering

Personnel

  • Jaehyun – vocals, lyrics
  • Ellie Suh – lyrics
  • Dewain Whitmore Jr. – composition
  • Micah Premnath – composition, background vocals
  • Tido Nguyen – composition, producer, instruments
  • Yoo Young-jin – music and sound supervisor
  • Ju Chang-yang – vocal directing, background vocals
  • Ani Nnebedum – background vocals
  • Eugene Kwon – recording
  • Woo Min-jeong – digital editing
  • Jeong Yu-ra – engineered for mix
  • Kim Han-goo – mixing
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts
Weekly chart performance for "Forever Only"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
South Korea (Circle)[13] 120
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] 14

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Forever Only"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various August 18, 2022
[24]

References
  1. Jang, In-young (August 12, 2022). NCT 재현, 첫 솔로곡 '포에버 온리' 18일 발매…작사 참여 [NCT's Jaehyun releases his first solo song 'Forever Only' on the 18th... Participate in songwriting]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022 – via Naver.
  2. Kim, Noeul (August 17, 2022). NCT 재현, 감성적인 분위기…솔로곡 티저 포토 공개 [NCT Jaehyun, emotional atmosphere... Solo song teaser photo released]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  3. Lee, Gyu-lee (August 18, 2022). "NCT Jaehyun drops first solo single 'Forever Only'". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  4. Jeong, Jin-ah (January 5, 2022). NCT 재현 '포에버 온리' 리믹스 발매…어쿠스틱 소울 장르 재해석 [NCT Jaehyun 'Forever Only' remix release... A reinterpretation of the acoustic soul genre]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023 – via Naver.
  5. Dongre, Divyansha (August 18, 2022). "Watch NCT's Jaehyun Yearn for Eternal Love in 'Forever Only'". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  6. Tan, Derrick (August 18, 2022). "NCT's Jaehyun releases dreamy music video for first official solo song, 'Forever Only'". NME. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  7. Benjamin, Jeff (August 26, 2022). "Jaehyun of NCT Talks 'Sharing My Side as a Human' for Solo Single 'Forever Only'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  8. "Key and BPM of Forever Only by Jaehyun". TuneBat. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  9. "NCT's Jaehyun on dialling up the 'sexy lonely' vibe in new single "Forever Only". British GQ. August 18, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  10. Reece, Adrianne (August 18, 2022). "NCT's Jaehyun's "Forever Only" solo debut is an emotional R&B bop". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  11. Dongre, Divyansha (August 12, 2022). "NCT's Jaehyun To Release 'Forever Only' on August 18th". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  12. Sirosky, Mary (August 18, 2022). "NCT's Jaehyun on Sharing "New Sides" of Himself on Solo Debut Single "Forever Only": Exclusive". Consequence. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  13. "Circle Digital Chart – Week 34 of 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). August 14–20, 2022. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  14. "Circle Download Chart – Week 34 of 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). August 14–20, 2022. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  15. "Circle BGM Chart – Week 34 of 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). August 14–20, 2022. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  16. "World Digital Song Sales – Week of September 3, 2022". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  17. Kim, Soo-yeong (August 18, 2022). NCT 재현, 이별이 이렇게 감미로울 수가…'포에버 온리' [신곡in가요] [NCT Jaehyun, how sweet a breakup can be... 'Forever Only' [New song]]. Hankyung (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via Naver.
  18. "The 22 best songs of 2022". British GQ. November 29, 2022. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  19. "The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022". Teen Vogue. December 15, 2022. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  20. Vaidya, Amit (December 26, 2022). "The 100 Best International Songs of 2022". Rolling Stone India. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  21. "The Best Songs of 2022". Atwood Magazine. December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  22. Park, Seo-hyun (August 18, 2022). [팝's신곡]"비 마이 '포에버 온리'"‥NCT 재현, 첫 솔로곡에 쏟은 쓸쓸 감성 [[Pop's new song] "Be My 'Forever Only'" ‥ NCT Jaehyun's lonely feelings poured into his first solo song]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022 – via Naver.
  23. Jang, In-young (August 19, 2022). NCT 재현, 솔로곡 '포에버 온리' 아이튠즈 13개국 1위 [NCT's Jaehyun, solo song 'Forever Only' tops iTunes charts in 13 countries]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022 – via Naver.
  24. 곡 정보 - Forever Only [Song Information - Forever Only]. Melon (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  25. 앨범 정보 - Forever Only [Album Information - Forever Only]. Melon (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
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