After making his solo debut in 2025, Xnghan&Xoul has returned with their first mini-album “Glow,” a compilation of songs aiming to cement XngHan’s identity as a soloist. Xnghan&Xoul sees XngHan with an ensemble of talented dancers, &Xoul, coming together to take the next step to make a new identity and start.

Ahead of the release, XngHan released concept photos to tease the release, with images that had a laid-back and monochromatic feel.

The title track “Glow” matches the album’s name and is a great way for XngHan to prove his artistic status. The song starts with the singer’s falsetto and has a great impact as it continues into an EDM beat. Interestingly, it doesn’t stay at one tone: the pre-chorus has a strong “pop” feel combined with his voice, and it then builds with the beat, making the chorus even more powerful with the addition of a rap. By then moving back to the softer falsetto, it’s a song of so many layers.

Combining the song with the video and narrative, it perfectly matches the idea of “Glow,” giving off a very youthful feel. The colors work together perfectly, matching the mood and even the outfits to the aesthetic of each scene, whether it is a white look for a scene in a wider space or darker tones for a more rustic set. The club scenes showcase a different side to idols, but mixing it with the choreography, combining street, modern, and contemporary, continues to cement XngHan’s versatility as an artist.

The rest of the album also follows an EDM theme, but in different ways.

“Dancing Anyway” starts off with a very summery feel and an R&B vibe, with a slow, sexy intro, but as the song progresses and synth and other layers of production are added, it shifts into a more EDM-based track. In particular, the pre-chorus adds a techno beat that contrasts with XngHan’s falsetto, and as the bass kicks in for the empty chorus, it balances with the vocals returning. “Wishlist” also uses transitioning genres.

While it has a synth opening, XngHan’s rich vocals start and are more similar to amapiano tracks, with the same summery feeling as “Dancing Anyway,” then add synth to create a cohesive sound. Yet the effects take away from the song’s impact, along with the low rap, which could have stayed as a summer track. Yet, it can be forgiven as XngHan seems to want to keep a cohesive message and flow throughout the album.

The track “Light The Fire” also makes heavy use of production to create a more techno sound. It’s a very easy-to-listen-to song, with the effects giving it a more techno feel that runs throughout the album. In this song, the impact comes from the vocal layering in the chorus, with XngHan using both falsetto and bass voice. It creates complexity and adds texture, which is not often heard from a soloist. The chorus’s repetition is also catchy and fits well with the arrangement of the verses, giving it a refreshing, 2000s boyband vibe.

The last song, “Lovin’ On Me,” changes direction momentarily, in a track that feels magical and could almost fit in with the J-Pop genre, especially as it starts with XngHan’s falsetto. The pop-ballad feel is more soulful, and the addition of the rap doesn’t feel out of place, but flows well by being wrapped around the pure vocals. As the song and beat changes, the increase of tempo is kept light by XngHan’s voice texture. Of all the songs, this one is most negatively affected by the sound effects. The track had the potential to be a great power ballad, but it was pushed aside for the sake of the EDM genre. However, it still ended the album on a high.

Xnghan&Xoul’s “Glow” is a perfect showcase of the artist’s sound, straying away from the idol image to create his own identity in an album perfect for the summer. While all the songs are catchy, the addition of sound effects and mixing within the songs has hindered the album’s flow, taking away from the genre and feel of the songs. Although it could be to create a sense of cohesion, it would have been better to allow Xnghan’s versatility to shine.

Xnghan is on X. You can listen to “Glow” here.