Bold, experimental, and unmistakably his own—Lee Chan Hyuk of AKMU continues to build a distinct solo universe with his second full-length album ‘Eros’, released two years after his solo debut. Once again, every track on ‘Eros’ was written and composed by Lee Chan Hyuk, extending the thematic inquiry he began on his previous album ‘Error’. If ‘Error’ asked about life’s final moments, ‘Eros’ looks outward, contemplating others’ deaths and the complicated emotions they leave behind.
The title track ‘Vividlala Love’ centers the album’s premise by asking whether true, ideal love can exist. The narrative thread widens through ‘SINNY SINNY’, where dystopian tension intersects with hopeful melody, and ‘I Went Crazy’, whose retro late-’80s/’90s synthesizers trace fracture lines through grief. The set rounds out with the TV-show-within-a-song texture of ‘TV Show’, the ’60s–’70s nostalgia of ‘Endangered Love’, New Jack Swing brightness on ‘Eve’, quiet introspection in ‘Andrew’, the dreamlike current of ‘Tail’, and the vocoder-tinged shimmer of ‘Shining World’.
Across ‘Eros’, absence magnifies inner lack, and acceptance becomes a stance. A cool, sometimes cynical gaze gives way to warmth in the final lyric of the closer: “The shining world won’t come, but we who keep wishing for it will shine.” Lyrically, Lee Chan Hyuk’s characteristically even tone anchors the record, while his production crosses genre borders with idiosyncratic confidence.
Performance remains integral to how he finishes the music onstage. With dancers cycling through multiple personas, he fills stages with gestures, gazes, and movements that resist neat “choreography” labels. Since embarking on solo activities, Lee Chan Hyuk has repeatedly tested boundaries—refusing straightforward promo, choosing silence in music-show interviews, even shaving his head mid-performance, and staging a coffin tableau at the ‘Blue Dragon Film Awards’. The choices have sparked debate, but also praise for translating musical ideas into striking visual language.
In a recent behind-the-scenes video for ‘Eros’, Lee Chan Hyuk underscored his approach: “I love being ‘unfriendly’ with my art; I don’t want to deliver things directly or easily. That’s where the value is—words you realize only by looking deeper.” He added, “If I just hand over the answer, it’s not fun. The people who work to find it will love the song more.”
Following ‘Error’, ‘Eros’ further cements Lee Chan Hyuk’s resolve. While he’s long delivered broad-appeal hits with AKMU since their ‘K-pop Star’ origins, his solo work is now drawing sustained critical notice and measurable public response, with the album currently holding strong on major domestic charts. As both critics and listeners lean in, anticipation is building for where his uncompromising path leads next.
SEE ALSO: AKMU's Lee Chanhyuk drops funky title track "Vivid LaLa Love" MV
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