RIIZE’s Eunseok faces harsh criticism over vocal tone in FAME; fans rally to defend their star

SM Entertainment boy group RIIZE has made a high-impact return with their new single album FAME, a release designed to highlight each member’s individual vocal strengths. While main vocalist Sohee often steals the spotlight with his soaring high notes and powerful belts, this comeback has unexpectedly placed Eunseok at the center of discussion, however not for positive reasons.

Eunseok opens the title track FAME with a low, raspy vocal tone that immediately stands out from the group’s usual sound palette. The stylistic shift was intended to showcase a different side of him, and many fans applauded the risk-taking, calling the opening one of the most memorable moments of the track.

However, reactions among Korean netizens have been sharply divided. On X (formerly Twitter), Eunseok’s dramatic low-tone delivery sparked a wave of mockery, with some listeners claiming the performance sounded forced, unnatural, or overly theatrical.

A few harsh comments circulated online. “Just burp instead, lol,” joked a listener. “Everyone who went to the pre-recording said he’d make all the girls fall for him with his low notes… but…” remarked another.

“These fangirls pour an insane amount of money into them. You could grab a random person off the street and ask them to make a song, and they’d come up with something better,” wrote a fan. “It sounds like he’s rapping in that super-deep voice Na Jaemin uses, and it’s so funny,” commented another.