Juniel is growing up. On her new single “I Think I’m in Love,” the K-pop star is trying out new sounds, trying out her hand at a relationship while maintaining her adorable, quirky side.
While the 21-year-old is known for her guitar playing and rock-pop sound, “I Think I’m in Love” sees the star diving deep into full-on pop. The new single is noticeably missing any strong guitar presence, previously heard on Juneil’s K-Pop Hot 100 Top 10 hits like “A Cute Guy.” Now, Juniel’s coos are backed by lush synthesizers, light percussion and soft guitar strumming. The sonic shift is a bit reminiscent to Taylor Swift‘s recent pop embrace, but Juniel doesn’t seem to have totally abandoned her roots keeping a rock presence, albeit much lighter.
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The single’s accompanying video also shows the singer in a new light. While “A Cute Guy” showed Juniel bashful around boys, she’s now on a date in her latest visual. But she hasn’t grown up behind our back: Juniel’s still got some growing to do with the video showing her making all the rookie dating mistakes like getting coffee foam on her nose, not realizing her eye makeup is dripping and getting dirt on her face.
Juniel’s first K-pop single in a year in a half, “I Think I’m in Love” shows the star embracing new subject matter and sounds while still maintaining the charm that made fans originally fall for her. All in all, it’s smart to let Juniel show the first signs of growth through her music and videos, keeping the maturation in the hands of the artist.