[SM Station Review] Suho x Jane Jang – ‘Dinner’

Release Date: March 10th, 2018

Tracklist:

• ‘Dinner’

Total Runtime: 00:03:35

Recommended for: Anyone who wants to enjoy a stripped-down, vocal-oriented track

NOT Recommended for: Those who don’t like ballads and ‘boring coffee-shop’ tracks; people who haven’t been too impressed by the SM Station Project (though you should seriously give this one a try!)

I am not the biggest fan of SM Station and skipped a good majority of the tracks from the first two seasons. However, I am glad that I chose to check this one out. “Dinner” is a really great, mellow song that introduced me to Jane Jang. She shines the most in this song, and her indie-inspired singing style works really well here. Suho sounds good too, even if he is overshadowed. Still, EXO is a group with three of the best male vocalists in the industry, making it hard for him to stand out as a singer. By contrast, he gets to sing in a comfortable range that showcases his ability to harmonize as well as switch between his mixed and lower registers in “Dinner”. Although Jane’s voice is more memorable, he does well to support her.

Suho and Jane co-wrote “Dinner” and did a good job of it. Its lyrics convey the story of two people meeting up for dinner, but their experience is undercut by a lack of understanding between them. In particular, the catchiness of the line “You make me alone-lo-lo-lone” adds an extra punch to the chorus.

I also like the dark tone throughout the MV. The song is about a dark cloud that has settled in their relationship and it is evident in its cinematography. Every single scene is expertly set to convey the feeling of loneliness. There is also enough distance between Jane and Suho at the dining table to showcase that they are at opposite ends of the road, even when they are together.

“Dinner” was a pleasant surprise. I hope we continue to get songs similar to this one. Jane and Suho make a wonderful couple — SM should allow them to collaborate again in future.