A New Journey (EP)

Nam crafted A New Journey amid preparations to play the lead roles in the musicals The Days and Mefisto, and in midst of a concert tour throughout Asia.[2] On previous singles "Still I Remember" (Write.., 2016) and "If Only You Are Fine" (Second Write.., 2018), he was noted as the "representative performer of emotional ballads".[3] The title reflects Nam's new musical direction.[4] He sought to showcase musical maturity and explore diverse genres throughout the album tracks.[3] In wanting the lyrics, thoughts, and melodies he identified with to "melt deeply" into the record, Nam prioritized his storytelling.[5] The record was set to be released earlier, but was delayed to "enhance its completeness".[6] The album was recorded in Seoul at Woollim Studio and mixed at W Sound, LAFX, InGrid Studio, and Mapps Studio. It was mastered at 821 Sound Mastering.[7] Unlike his previous solo endeavors, Nam implemented choreography in his songs. He prepared by modifying his diet, doing weight training, exercising, and managing his health.[8]

A dance album, A New Journey integrates EDM and funk into its sound.[9][10] Nam wrote the lyrics to four tracks and contributed to two of the compositions.[11] He penned songs based on his experiences over the past ten years.[12] The record opens with "Intro", an "upbeat" track without lyrics which "gives the impression of leaving somewhere for the first time".[10][13] Nam described as "essential to setting the tone" of the album.[14] It is followed by "Hold on Me", a dance-pop song with elements of house music that incorporates acoustic and electric guitar into the track.[15][16] Nam described it as a "sharp" song with a "strong accent".[17] Rapper Junoflo features on the song.[11] A fan of his work on the rap competition series Show Me the Money and his music, Nam reached out to him for a collaboration.[14][18] While on tour in the United States, Junoflo traveled to South Korea to work on the song.[19] A portion of his rap was done in English due to his comfort with the language.[5] "Rain" was composed by MC the Max member J. Yoon and the lyrics deal with "overcoming pain and hardships".[13] Nam's "wide" vocal range oscillates throughout the dance track, evoking a "dreamy" ambience.[20] He stated that "emotions become moisturized" and "old memories often occur" as a result of rain; the "slightly damp smell" of precipitation led him to conceive the song lyrics.[21]

"Stranger" is a dance-pop song with an emphasis on guitar riffs and bass.[13] Nam described the song as a mixture of urban music and funk, and he stated that it was a candidate as the lead single for A New Journey.[14] The track's melody was crafted and completed during a nine-hour session with HSND, Adrian Mckinnon, and Galaxy.[13] On "Crying Baby", Nam employs his lyrical voice and a "classy sound" with an undercurrent of synthpop.[14] The song serves as an encouraging message to "lonely people under the weight of life".[21] After listening to the demo, he utilized a vocal technique for the track to fit his style.[13] In "Just Look at Me", the narrator tells his girlfriend to "look at me, as I promise to look at you forever".[14] It is described as a "sexy and warm" song.[13] The closing track "Flower" is a medium-tempo confession song on guitar and piano.[22][23] In the lyrics, he conveys his gratitude and love for his fans, likening them to sunflowers.[24]

Tag of Golden Child (left) and Lim Young-min of AB6IX (right) rapped during live performances in Junoflo's absence

Woollim Entertainment announced A New Journey and shared an image teaser via social media on April 29, 2019. It showcased a "mellow" Nam standing on a bridge late at night.[2] A second picture was posted on May 1, presenting Nam in a red-lit setting and "dreamlike" atmosphere.[25] A short version music video teaser for the lead single "Hold on Me" was published the following day.[26] On May 4, a longer version music video teaser was unveiled.[4] A album preview of the mini-album was shared on the subsequent day.[3] A New Journey and the music video for "Hold on Me" were simultaneously released on May 7.[27] Hosted by MC Haru, Nam held a showcase for the mini-album at Ilji Art Hall in the Cheongdam-dong ward of Seoul.[23][28]

Nam began promoting "Hold on Me" on weekly music chart shows two days later.[29] Due to Junoflo's commitments abroad, Tag of idol group Golden Child performed in his place alongside Nam during the promotion cycle.[30][31] In addition to the lead single, Nam also performed "Rain" on Mnet's M Countdown,[32] KBS2's Music Bank,[33] Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) Show! Music Core,[34] Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) Inkigayo,[35] SBS MTV's The Show,[36] and MBC Music's Show Champion.[37] The final music show performance of "Hold on Me" was done with Lim Young-min of AB6IX, and promotions were completed on May 22.[38][39] Nam made an appearance on EBS FM's radio program Midnight Black hosted by DJ and bandmate Sungjong.[40] He also appeared on MBC Standard FM's Idol Radio, where he performed "Hold on Me" and a medley of Infinite songs.[41]

On the chart dated May 5 – 11, 2019, A New Journey debuted at number two on South Korea's national Gaon Album Chart.[42] According to album sales aggregator Hanteo Chart, the mini-album sold 18,488 copies in its first week.[43] It became the 55th best-selling album in the first half of the year, shifting 42,656 units domestically.[44] The single "Hold on Me" under-performed on music charts.[45] It debuted and peaked at number 69 on the Gaon Download Chart.[46]

A New Journey received favorable reviews from all four critics from TV Daily. Kim Ji-ha felt the "care" put into the songwriting, while Kim Han-kil considered Nam's "sexy" voice "memorable". Kim Ye-na complimented the "fresh" musical take, as Oh Ji-won considered the music as "refined" and noted "even the stand-out featuring".[47]

Credits adapted from the mini-album's liner notes.[7]

• A New Journey album preview on YouTube