LEE SEUNG GI - "MEET SOMEONE LIKE ME"

The Ballad Prince releases a new song and MV, coinciding with his mandatory military stint that he's currently serving. Lee Seung Gi's good friend Psy even wrote a song for him, "Meet Someone Like Me," which is fitting since Psy also wrote his debut tune. The entertainer is scheduled to serve in the army until October 31, 2017, a total of 21 months.
 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, "Meet Someone Like Me" is a ballad. It kicks off with an acoustic guitar, but soon ends up with a pounding beat and some orchestration. When his voice comes in, it starts off contemplative, but morphs into something more forceful.



His voice has been praised before, and I'll add my own 30 Won (2 cents). I like his vocals; his pipes have a sort of huskiness to them that is a refreshing change from the ballad whisperers. Too, there's some folk overtones injected into his performance that keep it fresh.

In the song, Lee Seung Gi is consoling a female friend after a breakup, saying the one that she should meet is him.  

As I said, I like Lee Seung Gi's style and his vocal range. Psy's skills as a songwriter are again evident, as he turns out something a cut above the typical lovelorn ballad. The two are an unbeatable combo, as Psy provides the words while our MC takes it and makes it his own. A fitting last hurrah as he marches off to serve his country.   

MV REVIEW

The MV is a bittersweet collection of clips leading up to his life in the military. We've got outtakes, home movies, drama sequences, MC shots, and other things in a mishmash of imagery outlining a stellar career. Interspersed are images of him getting his hair chopped and donning a military-grade helmet.

The clips are spot on, designed to give you that wistful feeling that he is definitely to be missed. But there's also a sort of hopeful feeling thrown in the mix, that he will return from military service, perhaps even better than when he went in. We can only hope.



One of the contrasts I like is the contemplative look he sports sometimes, along with the smiles and triumphant poses in other clips. The scene near the end is poignant and symbolic -- the empty barber chair, emblematic of the metaphorical empty spot that was once filled by the performer. The smiles in the MV, though, add a note of hope -- a great gift to fans who will be waiting for his return.  

SEE ALSO: Lee Seung Gi and his former agency Hook Entertainment head toward initial resolution in legal dispute