Jo Kwon's Comeback: 'Like I Do' Receives Rave Reviews from Fellow Celebrities

Jo Kwon is making a highly anticipated return with his new single 'Like I Do' after eight years, and the enthusiastic reactions from fellow celebrities are creating a buzz.

Archive Morning, Jo Kwon's agency, has been building excitement for the release by sharing pre-listening content featuring top Korean artists on their official SNS and YouTube channels since the 17th. The participation of numerous top stars, who have long-standing relationships with Jo Kwon, is drawing significant attention.

Ga-In & god: The Strong Bond and Reactions of the 'Adam Couple'

Ga-In, who was part of the beloved 'Adam Couple' on 'We Got Married,' shared her amusing review of the new song. After listening to the track, Ga-In remarked, "It doesn't sound like Kwon's voice. The music style has completely changed, and it's amazing." She added, "The first lyric, 'My footsteps are unique,' made me laugh at first, but as the song progressed, it had a hip vibe I hadn't heard before." Ga-In also humorously mentioned, "I put on makeup for this challenge, but I heard Kwon is relaxing while filming a music video overseas. When he returns, he should treat me to something delicious." She affectionately encouraged, "Honey, fighting! This album will be a huge success after eight years." The use of 'honey,' a term often used between couples, caught attention.

Reactions from god and (G)I-DLE's Soyeon were equally enthusiastic. Park Joon-hyung of god expressed his admiration with his signature groovy dance, while Son Ho-young joked, "Is this really Kwon? It's completely pop, and the melody is so catchy and good. I want a song like this too." Soyeon from (G)I-DLE commented, "At first, I thought it was pop. It feels like being on a cloud," and added, "It's so different from what I expected from Jo Kwon sunbaenim. I can't wait for the full song to be released."

What Message and Sound Does 'Like I Do' Convey?

The pre-listening event featured a star-studded lineup celebrating the release. Participants included JYP, Uhm Jung-hwa, god, Ga-In, (G)I-DLE's Soyeon, as well as singers Kim Jae-joong, Lim Hyun-sik, Sunye, Hong Isaac, and HYNN (Park Hye-won). Junior idols like TEMPEST's Hyungseop, New Beat (Minseok & Yeojeong), Kiki (Jiyu & Sui), and WHIB (Jinbeom & Jaeha) also joined in. Musical actors Jung Sun-ah, Choi Jung-won, Kim Soo-ha, Kim Ho-young, and actors Park Joon-myun and Lee Jung-hyun participated in the relay listening.

The agency stated, "More diverse artist listening content will be released in the future." The new song 'Like I Do,' set to be unveiled on the 27th, carries a message of steadfastly walking at one's own pace rather than conforming to others' views. Global K-POP producers Mathilde Nyegaard and Noak Hellsing, who have worked with IVE and NCT DREAM, contributed to creating the sophisticated pop sound.

Having built a solid foundation in ballads, musicals, and variety shows, Jo Kwon is expected to showcase a broader musical spectrum and refined sensibility with this album. Jo Kwon's new chapter begins with the single 'Like I Do,' available on various online music platforms from 6 PM on the 27th.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr