☆ Rankers// Special Mentions December & January

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`·.   :¨·.·¨:   .·` ꜜ   ꜜ ʬʬ⇄𝙴𝙻𝙲♡𝙼𝙴 𝚃♡ ┈┈╯

`·. .·` ⇌the rankers 02.21.23

❛ special mentions ◠ . ◠   . ◠ . #rankers  ☽

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considering releases from : -

[ 26 Nov ❜ 22 - 25 Jan ❜ 23 ]

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❝ database

︿︿︿︿︿︿featuring ︿︿︿︿︿︿

Miri

Steph

୨୧ .  .  .  T O C .  .  . ୨୧

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OO1 ───────── attention catchers

       OO2 ──────── bsides

       OO3 ─────── non-korean releases

NI by kursor

This song is a true hidden gem. I’ve never heard of kursor before and information about him is very scarce. I was only able to find his instagram, there isn’t even a kprofile page about him, which is pretty sad. What I can say for sure is that he debuted in 2019 and has 7 single albums, with NI being the latest.

NI is an incredible R&B song with such a chill vibe, I cannot express how much I love the whole atmosphere this song creates, it is lightly melancholic but also calm and slow. The acoustic guitar catches your attention immediately, and it is then ed by a piano, creating a truly beautiful instrumental with a note of sorrow. As kursor starts singing, his voice is so soothing and honestly very enjoyable to listen to. It fits the instrumental so well, and the slightly higher notes at the end of some lines create a nice change of pace which gives this song even more variety and unique colors. I’m pretty sure the verses of this song are my favorite part of it, they’re just so good, I can’t get enough of them! The short adlibs in the prechorus give the song a bit of an ethereal vibe before the amazing chorus, in which the instrumental picks up but still remains very collected and doesn’t distract from kursor’s voice. It’s not easy to describe this song with words, but it is the perfect song to listen to while driving at night, or while relaxing in your room alone with the lights off or just minimal lighting. It’s an incredible experience and I really cannot recommend this song enough.

Two words about the MV, it is very simple but charming. It is all in black and white, which further accentuates that feeling of sadness that pervades the song. I wish there were English subs to understand what the song is about. Most of the scenes in the MV have very scarce lighting, giving it a sense of mystery. We can barely make out the people in the scenes, but we can clearly see there are alternating scenes of a woman and then of kursor himself. This MV is very modest but works perfectly with the song.

In short, I highly recommend this song to anyone who loves chill R&B songs. Please show this artist some , this MV has barely over 2k views on Youtube, and it deserves so much more!

                 – by kevin

Pricey Hangover by Lee Seung Yoon

lee seung yoon!! the man that he is. i don't know much about him, but his artistry?! he's so outstanding. i love his musicality and expressiveness. he's such an unique artist. i first found him, because he won on some show, i think. i literally don't , but he released 'unspoken' which caught my attention. aftwr that, it went downhill. him being a lead vocalist of a band and now solo is powerful. he's such an mesmerising artist. anyway, he released 'pricey hangover'!! that song sounds so fascinating, i don't even know what to say.

maybe, i should start with that this screams rock. the rock vibes of this are breathtaking. i'm so in love. plus the energy in this song?? i love it. the energy is so intense while it screams fun. listening to this immediately makes you have a good time. he immerses you into this crazy intense energy while you can't help, but smile. i love how powerful and exciting this song sounds. them all playing the guitar or also the drum is insane. it's so unique and creative. the whole song is a masterpiece, there aren't even enough words to describe this. listening to this leaves me speechless every single time. i can't get enough of this song. no matter how often i listen to this i get so hyped. it's unbelievable. i simply love the way how they're all playing with such charisma while the ad-libs are so fun. knowing that they all have a good time performing this is thrilling. plus his vocals?? he's one of the best vocalists out there. i love his control and stability. he sounds so clear and stable. he has such an unique voice tone while i love the raspy undertone at times. he definitely stands out a lot with his vocal colour and skills. i love the screaming type of expression, it's fun plus the part near the end which gets more intense with every line he delivers?? absolutely yes. the way how that turns into the chorus once again is insane. i just love this song so so much.

you all definitely have to check this song out. it's such a work of art. it doesn't fail to leave me speechless. just like his other songs. he's such an unique and impressive artist who can do it all. no matter the genre, he just does it and shows how ionate he is about music. that's so irable.

                 – by miri

Nobody is perfect by Mckdaddy

mckdaddy came back with an ost. don't ask me how or when i found him, but he makes amazing music while he's an incredible rapper. i like his style a lot while he's so versatile. this time he gave us an ost. i don't know the drama that it's for, but i always said that osts done by rappers hit different. something about osts being given to us including rap parts is so powerful. 'unlock my boss' as the drama seems dark and mysterious which is exactly how the song sounds like.

the song literally sounds haunting. it screams crime, mystery and unsolved missions. i love how intense and powerful it sounds. it's almost trapping in the most amazing way. this instrumental is insane. song yoodam created a masterpiece with this. when i checked this out, i couldn't believe my ears. i didn't know before that he would release something new, but this?? words can't describe the impact and artistry of this song. i'm so in love with everything about this song. the concept and sound are mind-blowing. the intensity of this song is unmatched, especially considering the structure of this song. i love the transitions and how the song goes on while beautifully capturing the essence of this drama. plus if you watch the mv you have a story being told which includes sound effects or like background sounds which add much more impact to this song. for example the siren or the thunder. but even without the story being told, they perfectly delivered this. the song itself has almost like an orchestra in the background. it at least feels big and expressive while it's also somehow rock inspired. i mean the guitar and drums, especially in the ending hit different. the snares and bass are just wow. this ost deserves way more recognition and praise. it sounds extremely addictive and powerful. plus his rapping?? he didn't come to play. he sounds so strong and clear. he has so much control over his flow while his voice tone is so stunning. he suits this fierce song so amazingly. his confidence is insane. i also love his vocals in between, he sounds so charming. his charisma is so irable. he's made to give us osts like this. that's literally his music style while he shines.

he's such an unique and impressive artist. i wish that he could get more attention for that. he absolutely deserves it. please make sure to check this ost out. he won't disappoint you. also make sure to check out his other songs and collabs. he's such a skilled and hardworking artist.

                 – by miri

Wildflower by RM

I’m so excited to be able to talk about this song in this special mentions blog. RM released “Indigo” on December 2nd, 2022, with “Wild Flower” as its title track. I had such high expectations for “Indigo” since I loved “mono”, but I think I hoped too much that it was a disappointment. So, among the ten songs the album has, the only one I added to my playlist was “Wild Flower”. Let me give you a small insight into my thoughts about it!

Being the album’s title track, “Wild Flower” had to give the first impression of the style the album followed, and I’ve to say it did an amazing job. Most of the songs in the album followed the calm vibe this song introduced to us. The slow-tempo instruments calmly fill the space, creating a smooth wave for RM to rap at a slower pace, and for Youjeen (the singer featured in the song) to give it life with her powerful vocals during the chorus and bridge. Mentioning the bridge, it’s probably my favorite part of the song due to RM’s rap with ad-libs (we can call it that) by Youjeen, but it’s not only that because if it was so, we have a perfectly similar part, the outro, but we have to look at the lyrics and its dept. I interpret this as RM expressing how all this fame was not something expected, all he wanted and still want is to share his love for music with others, and that he will continue to do so.

With this album RM created tracks that reflected his late twenties. So, in “Wild Flower”, RM expresses how he wants to live like a wild flower instead of something grandiose that quickly ceases to exist. I think he tried to express how he desires to rediscover his sound. This poetic journey is accompanied by a mv that could be more like a movie, full of nature shots that are colored accordingly with the feeling of the song, experiencing a struggling journey that leads him to happiness.

This song makes me feel another set of feelings, a mix of hope, despair, sadness, happiness, and tranquility. In an uncertain world, we need songs to lean on and that keep our feet on the ground, and I think that “Wild Flower” is one of those songs to me! :two_hearts:

                 – by soo

Cotton Candy by Jinyoung

Having the opportunity to write about this release means so much to me since GOT7 was the second group I listened to when I got into kpop, and getting to know them better was all thanks to Jinyoung and his acting role in “He Is Psychometric”. Now, five and half years later, here I am reviewing the title track of his first solo album, "Chapter 0: With".

The title track, “Cotton Candy” can be classified as a soft pop song. It starts with a soft melody but soon we are immersed in a groovy state due to the heavy bass and drums that accompany it. Later on in the song, we also get some clap sound that increases the energy of the song. Impossible not to vibe along! :heart_eyes: Honestly, these are the type of songs that I really enjoy!

The song has a cute meaning. The lyrics portray a love story where its main character is full of wonder and happiness, but not common ones, that wonder and happiness are those found in a child (pure and innocent). The use of the word “cotton candy” to describe his love interest is quite funny because instead of saying “a cloud”, he chose “cotton candy” that visually looks like a cloud, saying “Feel so high like the sky. It feels like I am flying in the sky, I can fly.” because of how light, and cloud-like it looks; but at the same time the other person has a nice personality, described as “sweet” as cotton candy is, “Like cotton candy. Sweet cotton candy.”. Here we have another love song, but it feels fresh due to the way he portrays it, which is kinda lovely! :two_hearts:

I just wanted to mention the mv since Jinyoung is an actor and it surely helped in its recording. Like the song, the mv is a light journey that features simple scenes where its colors were either decreased in saturation and contrast, or maintained the same low saturation but increased the contrast (in the last chorus). We get a good amount of dance scenes, which made me understand how cutely it matches the song, a very light choreo full of fun steps that are impossible to not enjoy watching or even learning!

In these special mentions blogs, I always love to include a bit of every aspect of the song I choose, so those reading can have a general aspect of the song as a whole. I always say for people to give it a chance to the song because even if it’s not my cup of tea, it can fit others' liking, but in this case, I’m in love with the song! The best first solo album I could wish for! Go listen, like, now!!!

                 – by soo

Ponytail by Yugyeom ft. Sik-k

My kings Got7 have been bles the world with more of their talents and charms through their solo music and I love it. I absolutely adore every single thing they bring to the table, they only bring bops and I’m so here for it. If I were to pick faves amongst their solo songs, I think many of Yugyeom’s songs will be making it to the list cuz this man just knows how to make someone go absolutely bonkers for him. When I tell you, I have been replaying “Ponytail” every single day, at least 10 times each day, I’m not even exaggerating. I swear it is laced with some sort of addictive juice that I just can’t get enough of. So I thought it was important to talk about it today, it was a necessity considering the fact people have been sleeping on it (from what I’ve perceived at least sksks). I’m using this time to promote the ponytail supremacy :)

The way this song has been stucked in my head since it came out and there is nothing that could move it from the number 1 spot in my heart at the moment. It is the Yuggy magic, frfr! He never fails to hook me right in. With this very sexy and enticing melody that will be stuck in your head for days.. “Love your ponytail, you’re so fine my bae”. I can’t get over how beautifully he sings and the way he just travels effortlessly with this gorgeous voice of his. This song is about the vibes, more than anything else. You can listen to this anytime, anywhere and it will have you smiling. It is easy and pleasant and those are great characteristics to have in any song. I love that the vocals are complimented perfectly with this brass-y instrument, those trumpets and those jazz feels are just MUAH! And let me not forget to mention how amazingly Sik-k fits right into this song. I actually used to be a huge fan of Sik-k back in the day but that love kinda started decaying as the years went on and more and more autone was added into his voice. I didn’t know what to expect from him on this track but I was really pleasently surprised by how much I loved his verse. He definitely brought a more aggressive approach onto this song, in contrast to Yuggy’s very sweet tone and lyricsim, but I think it was totally needed. It gave it that spice that took this song from great to INCREDIBLE!

The visuals are really fitting with the sounds. The dancers are truly slaying and that red ponytail on all of them is definitely a highlight. Yugyeom looks soo handsome and seeing him smile while singing each of his lines out a smile on my face. Sik-k’s look aligned well with his verse as well, it exude confidence and royal-behavior hehe.

As a whole, this song is the type you could sit back to and enjoy! I love it so much and I would love for others to appreciate the awesomeness it provides uwu.

                 – by steph

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Bye Bye by Red Velvet

Honestly Red Velvet comes through with the greatness ever single time! Queens are really out there dropping masterpiece after masterpiece and I am soo proud of them for that. No one can do it like them and they proof that with all their comebacks. It is a well-known fact that they are considered masters when it comes to perfect bsides and that is further emphasize with every album release, “The Reve Festival 2022 - Birthday” being one of many. I truly adore every single track on this EP, they combined a variety of exciting elements making this one, a pleasant listening journey and for that I truly appreciate it. Though I’m a huge fan of every single song on the project, “Bye Bye” truly captivated me from the beginning til the end and til this day I find myself replaying it like a man and for that it shall be talked about today…

Bye Bye is the 2nd track on this album and the fact that they are starting with sort of a farewell song is kinda weird but I love it lol. The girls starts us off with a haunting melody in pairs. One sings in a very heavenly manner, while the other one quickly contrasts it with a lower tone. Right off the bat, I felt a very dark and creepy atmosphere from this song. It sort of took me back to Halloween, which I know Red Velvet is great at pulling off this type of vibes. The way they incorporated “Für Eilise” in the development of this track is so clever, it’s the way you can sense the familiarity but it is also different enough to be its own entity.  I really love that this contrast between the high and the lows in vocal tonalities is something that is kept throughout the entire track and it is honestly marvelous. I adore the instrumental of this track, the string instruments that make a big part of the entire production of this song are done soo well. I really love the use of pauses as a way to emphasize certain lines/words. That bass be going hard as well but not as much as to feel this is hype song, because I still sense emotions of regret and revenge? And the chorus is freaking amazing, the way the come in unison and sing that “bye bye byeee” seriously takes me cloud 9 slowly. There is this playfulness in the way the lines are being sang and the way the sounds are structured as well, which can be a way to show that the protagonist reconigzes the times they were being ‘a fool’ in love. I really like that addition into the mix. The bridge really feels like you enter a magical place and it is awesome.

Bye Bye to me represents the celebration of getting over a painful relationship, with a touch of sinister feels. It is sort of like “I got you but you can’t get me” vibe and I love it. It feels badass and emotional at the same time. Through the verses you can hear this undertone of angerness of having given your everything to someone, for it to come to end.. And at the same time it allows for these feelings of relief, the thought of finally being free of the chains of someone and finally saying “BYE” for good!

I honestly believe this is one of Red Velvet’s best bsides, and that is saying a lot keeping into the amount of masterpieces they have in their discography. I find myself going back to this song a lot because IT IS THAT GOOD! It is catchy and it is strategically structured to make you understand the protagonists emotions through the sounds very well. The lyrics are also masterfully put together. I really can’t get over the greatness.

                 – by steph

Love Colour by Sf9

Sf9 is one of the groups that bring something spicy to the table with every single one of their releases. I honestly think that they are not appreciated enough and that should truly be a crime! I have been following their artistry since very early into their career and with every single comeback, my love for them just becomes stronger. I have noticed that with every album of theirs, I tend to obsessed over a certain bside. There is always that one that song that I can’t quite shake off, this time around with their brand new album “The Piece of OF9”, Love Colour seems to be the one with that title. The moment this song started playing, I was fully taken by it. Gosh, the sounds, the vocals, the aesthetic of it all, fully encomed what I love so much about this group. I shall break it down for you…

Love Colour is the 2nd track on the album – apparently I got a thing for 2nd songs skskks – and it is a mix of this pop and r&b genres. As soon as it started, I got excited af, I knew it was going to be high up on my favorites from the album and honestly it was all I could think about after I finish listening to the whole thing. The way it sort of has this fast-paced feel combined with this latin, exotic vibe is amazing. The first verse is actually a total contrast of this loud atmosphere they established in the first few second of the song. Jaeyoon is the one that starts the song off with this breathy vocal tone, right there and then I understood that this song was going to bring something a bit sultry to the table and I was definitely here for it. Vocal line really stood out throughout the entirety of this song. They very much understood the assignment. The prechorus is probably one of my favorite parts of this song, the way they go into this full on falsetto, OMG, I feel like I am in heaven! The chorus might seem simple but it honestly hits so freaking hard, I be getting ready to get up and dance every time it comes in. That “love colour, love colour~’ is freaking catchy. I really love the way the rap comes in the second verse, the way they are delivering those lines on a silver platter should be freaking illegal. The confidence they are exuding, the way it is layered with the vocals as well?! Truly chef’s kiss. I really like that they kinda showed different sides to them through their verses and that closely aligned to the meaning behind the song that is pretty much an exploration through different atmosphere to finally find the relationship’s love color.. LOVE THAT!

This song is pretty much a smooth jam that should be listen to by the masses because it is too good to ignore. It really shows you how good these kings at what they do. And if you favor vocals over anything else, this is definitely the one for you because THEY SHINED!! A song that is easy to vibe with is a song that is easy to love so I 100% recommend y’all to add this bop to your playlist.

                 – by steph

No.2 by RM and parkjiyoon

No.2 is definitely my favorite song on RM’s Indigo. This song’s calm vibes are just incredible and make me feel so good. Indigo as a whole is a very good album with a great variety and it is clearly the result of a lot of thought and ion, as expected from BTS’ leader Namjoon.

The concept of pouring his whole soul into his projects is nothing new to Namjoon, and Indigo especially seems to be a very important album for him. Even though I haven’t watched any interviews about it, it is something you can perceive just from listening to it. It is also an album full of great features. No.2 has a feature too, with the female singer and actress Park Jiyoon. I was very pleasantly surprised when I first heard her voice in this song. She has an absolutely beautiful voice and such a pleasant warmth to it that makes you want to listen to this song over and over. She is the first one to sing, and the choice to make her sign first was perfect in my opinion, as we get a calmer introduction to the song before Namjoon’s more hip-hop oriented lines. At first, he repeats the same verse as Park Jiyoon by singing in a low voice, and later on he starts rapping, his flow is incredible (as expected) and fits so well with the calm and ethereal instrumental. The piano in the instrumental is absolutely incredible and so relaxing. Later in the song, we also get Park Jiyoon and Namjoon singing together, and their voices fit together so well despite there being an abysmal difference in colors and tones.

This bside, like every song from indigo, has a visualizer. It is very simple and in it, we can see footage of a camera, with a vintage/noise filter applied to it which makes it look pretty nostalgic. We see very straightforward footage, most likely taken by Namjoon himself, of him waking up and then going out. The landscapes he shows us are very stunning and there are a lot of small stylistic choices that add personality to the visualizer, like the footage stopping as Namjoon says “Stop” and “No looking back, no”.

One last bit about the lyrics of this song, as I highly recommend reading them. They are incredible and have great meaning, as they tell us that no matter what choice we made in the past, they shaped who we really are today and created a true, authentic version of ourselves.

This song’s incredible charm can most likely be appreciated by everyone, so please check it out, along with the whole Indigo album, if you haven’t yet!

                 – by kevin

New world by Sf9

SF9!! S-F-9!! AAAAHH!! sorry. i had to scream. they came back with a masterpiece. this whole album is insane. every song is a work of art. these songs have been on repeat since the album came out in early january. the title track is so mesmerising, but the bsides?! they didn't come to play. they're more than insane for this. i still my reactions when i first checked out the album and i still feel that way. these songs literally have me in a chokehold. also imagine going from 'love colour' to this?? i had to repeat the beginning and other parts before i could finish my first listen to this. after having finished listening to the rest of the album, i had to come back to this song. let me talk a bit more about this song.

the main reason why this stood out might be zuho's many lines?? he literally owns this song. his amount of lines and the fact how dominant his deep voice is, is insane. he sounds so powerful and charismatic. his voice tone and rapping stype perfectly suits this intense sound of the song. talking about that. this song sounds extremely empowering. i love the power that this song holds. it sounds intense and fierce in the most motivational way possible. plus the energy of this song is breathtaking. it's unmatched. i love how loud this actually sounds. it gives the whole song with its message a whole different meaning. having mentioned that, the lyrics of this song are so so beautiful. i'm in love with what they're telling us through this song. it's so meaningful while the message is so beautiful. they definitely did amazingly in conveying their message to the listener. also besides zuho they all shine so much in this song. i can't get over hwiyoung's rapping and his unique voice tone. plus chani?? these three are such amazing rappers while they came through. plus the others with their vocals have me speechless. they all sound so stable and ionate. i love taeyang's clear vocals, jaeyoon's vocal colour, rowoon's soothing vocals and dawon's power. all of them went all out. their voices coming together like this is powerful. they harmonise so beautifully together. i also really like the transitions in this song. they're so smooth while the different layers to this instrumental are one of a kind. this instrumental deserves way more praise. it's so mesmerising and expressive. it's in general a very addictive song, especially considering the amount of english in this song. it's usually only english or a part starts in korean, but continues in english which makes it easy to sing along.

i just truly recommend checking out this song and the rest of the album. the whole album is simply so well done. i feel so proud of them. they once again didn't disappoint while they definitely didn't come to play. each song points out their artistry and ion for music. i can't help, but listen to these songs on repeat.

                 – by miri

Letter by Jinyoung

Jinyoung released a wonderful first solo album back in January. This song is one of its bsides, but it even had its own mv released sometime after. Different from the title track of the album, "Letter" is a ballad song where Jinyoung shows off his vocals to the sound of a classic guitar, piano, and violins. Again, this song contrasts the title track that portrays a happy love story, meanwhile “Letter” is kind of the after song, where the singer expresses his worries about the relationship because, in this uncertain path that is life, he worries that their paths get separated. The lyrics transmit a feeling of strangeness between the couple, maybe due to an argument, so they are separated in the meanwhile, so he expresses his concernings (a sign of a mature relationship in contrast with the child-like love in the title track), “Even when enduring like a grown-up. There must be times when it will be hard.”

As expected from a ballad, the music video is the simplest we can get. We see Jinyoung sitting in his room with a pensive look during half of the music video, then his gaze changes and he no longer seems to be reflecting on what is going on inside him but around him, so at that moment he gets up and the walls of the room fall, just to reveal a train track with two benches, one at each side of the track. He sits in one and looks at the empty one, I think it reflects his wonder about the past, present, and future of his relationship, where the beginning of the track represents the beginning of his life, and ing by the benches that are when they met until it ends at the room that it’s the present. It’s kind of him going back to his past memories and wondering how things ended up that way. A good reflecting song and video 🤔

As a ballad lover, I simply loved this song. The feelings are all there, we feel the sadness in his voice, the missing feeling his tone has, and his loneliness in the video. It’s really emotional when you give a deeper thought to it. I recommend (of course I recommend hihi) to listen to the song, just sit somewhere comfortable and listen to it while having your eyes closed or even with them open without focusing on anything, and let the song immerse you!

                 – by soo

Daydream by Monsta X

I think we can all agree that Monsta X makes some of the best b-sides to have ever existed. Daydream follows this trend perfectly. I love this song with all my whole being, it is just a masterpiece of a song and I don’t think I will ever get enough of it. It’s a gorgeous song, short but straight to the point. The lyrics are so beautiful to listen to along with the song itself.

The vocals in this song are something that I find quite enjoyable to listen to. They have really good vocalists that have a wide range and are greatly enjoyable to listen to. The post-chorus to Daydream is so interesting, it really hooks you into the rest of the song and makes it even more inviting. It’s unusual for artists to add a post-chorus to their songs, but Monsta X makes it fit in very well with the rest of the song. It has a mysterious vibe that leans heavily on the background music during the post-chorus, the verses make chills go through your spine because of how drawn out and utterly beautiful they are to listen to. Each of them have their own vocal style that makes everything about it interesting to listen to. I promise you won’t be bored listening to Daydream.

The lyrics to Daydream are so interesting. They are telling a story of this character who is having trouble deciding between reality and fantasy. They can only distinguish real life from their dreams to some extent, which is unknown. In the first verse this character quotes others that have said, “”He’s really crazy” blah blah blah.” This is interesting because they know that they are what everyone thinks they are, but there is something else in their mind that is trying to convince them otherwise. “Perhaps those words maybe are the truth, after all, I don’t know (lie lie lie lie)” This is also in the first verse that I find very intriguing, because it again shows that this character knows that this is true, but this other part of them doesn’t want them to believe it. It is also hinted at that this other person in their dreams has left them, but in the chorus it is very obvious that this character does not want this person in their dreams to leave them, which makes me think that this person is gone, but they can’t believe it because of how much this other part of then has convinced them otherwise. The second verse talks about the Great Gatsby and how it’s either fantasy or they’re a lunatic. This is interesting, especially if you know the story of the Great Gatsby. Basically, the overall struggle of the Great Gatsby is one’s struggle with time and fate. This was very clever for Monsta X to use in this song because of the meaning of the lyrics and how this person is having trouble separating the real life to their own daydreams.

                 – by lix

BFF by P1Harmony

Ever since BFF’s release, I’ve seen a lot of people bash on the song, far more than those who seem to genuinely enjoy it. Which is honestly kind of.. Sad. I think that while the song can come across as cringey, (which is what those who are against it use as leverage towards its downfall,) it really isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be, and it’s insanely catchy, which helps to make up for it. Actually, there are a lot of things that make up for the cliche factor of the song, which is why I chose to talk about it here.

The song starts with a strong beat that fades in, one that sounds punchy and powerful from the get-go. It has verses filled with lines that lay on the verge between rapping and singing, because the group's vocalists sing with a sort of style that gives them an edge, while the rappers have verses that are more on the melodic side of things, making the two of them blend seamlessly with each other. They create verses that carry weight, and don’t fall flat in comparison to the chorus.

The prechorus shows off incredible vocals, with a slight change in pace and energy from the verses that precede it. Slower and calmer, they show a different color to the song, while simultaneously building for the chorus that’s about to come.

While the verses and prechorus are certainly great, BFF shines through its chorus, something that is nothing if not catchy. If you can finish listening to the song without immediately chanting “put up your hands if you’re my BFF!” I honestly applaud you.. Anyways, the chorus makes use of a unique and playful melody bound to get stuck in your head, implementing short catchphrases that make for perfect killing parts. It’s split into two distinct sections- first with powerful vocals, and then with equally powerful rap. The second chorus in particular, between Keeho’s gorgeously smooth voice and Jongseob’s lazy, almost talk-like rapping, is out of this world incredible, and definitely my favorite part of the song.

And with a bridge and final chorus that wraps things up with an even higher energy than before, as well as a perfect build to the song’s conclusion, what’s not to love about the track? It’s insanely fun, it’s cute, the beat is polished and works amazingly with the rest of the song itself. BFF is a song made to be played over and over again, and I really think that the concept was blown out of the park.

                 – by squirrel

Fighter by Sf9

i'm back. i have to appreciate two other bsides from this mind-blowing album that i love so much. as mentioned the album has been on repeat and this has been another which i had to listen to again as soon as i finished my first listen to the album. this is such a fun and powerful bside. i couldn't comprehend anything by the first listen, so i had to come back to it again and again.

i don't even really know what to say, but this song is so addictive. it's actually easy to sing along which makes it so much more exciting. i mean the amount of english words or lines in this song. but also for example the repeated 'fighter' and 'burn, burn'?? absolutely yes. it's a cheerful song with an instrumental that will quickly get stuck in your mind. it's upbeat and collected. it's a bit more intense, yet not loud or chaotic. it's definitely a confidence-boosting and powerful song. it's simply a song which i feel so proud of. it has a smooth structure to it while it flows so amazingly. the transitions are almost not noticeable. this feels like one big harmony. honestly, it's such a beautiful song simply because of the way how it's produced in such a clean way. besides the structure and instrumental, i love every part of this song. i mean their vocals are one of a kind. they all have incredible singing styles while the control over their voices and charisma is insane. they all sound so stable and clear. i love their vocal colours and ranges. plus the rap parts of course are just breathtaking. they never come to play. they're perfectly incorporated into this song while zuho's, chani's and hwiyoung's voice tones as well as rapping styles stand out so much. it adds so much impact to this song. i in general love the genre of this song. it's a beautiful and memorable song. i also find the lyrics so well written. they're so meaningful, but what else to expect from a song called 'fighter'. i love the message of this song and how they share it with us. the honesty and ion is one of a kind.

please, i can't say it often enough. but make sure to check out this album. sf9 didn't come to play. it got released in early january, but it's literally aoty material. it's just such a stunning album. i feel so so proud of them.

                 – by miri

Tight by Sf9

i promise, it's the last bside that i'll mention in this blog. but i have to shine some light on my boys. i already mentioned how i feel about this comeback and album, but i could repeat it all day long. this is yet another bside which i had to come back to so quickly.

i noticed a big amount of english in these bsides and i love it. it makes listening to them so much more addictive. this as well has a lot of english words or lines in it. but even most korean lines are easy to follow, even though the pronunciation might not be correct. however, that doesn't stop anyone from having a lot of fun listening to this song. it's in general an upbeat and exciting song. it sounds fun, yet i love the more intense beats in between, like that breakdown near the end or the verses in general?? i like the contrast. it adds power to this song. i in general love the structure and instrumental of this song. i mean especially the whistling during the chorus as an instrumental part sounds so interesting. i love the concept and genre so much. the energy is incredible. everything about this song is so well done. plus once again their vocals and rapping?? they never come to play. they have such charming voice tones while they're so ionate. listening to them sing or rap is so intriguing. they know what they're doing and they're delivering it with such confidence. i can't help, but feel so proud of them. i also appreciate the variety in their discography. it's fun and mesmerising to listen to. honestly, words can't explain how much i enjoy listening to this song. i do know that i love the upbeat and light undertone to this. i mean the positive touch to this is extremely exciting, especially considering the pre-chorus and the chorus itself. i just enjoy listening to this song a whole lot.

these boys deserve all the recognition and praise. they've been working so hard since forever and they keep giving us such amazing music. they literally never disappoint. i hope that you'll give them a chance if you haven't yet. otherwise keep showering them in if possible.

                 – by miri

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Left Right by XG

Since the moment XG debuted, I have been convinced that they were going to change the world. Their concept relies on doing a lot with little things and I love that. They have managed to consistently tell the world how iconic they are, making their power shine, through every single released of their. And it is funny because, there has been only 3 official releases of theirs and they already feel like they have been in the industry for decades. Just like a line in their most recent title track, Shooting Star, everything they do they “do it A1, flawless!”. They didn’t lie for sure. This time around they brought us a lot more than just a single, they gave us a double feature. With both of these songs, they showed the world how versatile they can be. I love both of the songs but personally, I have been replaying “Left Right” a lot more, hence why I decided to give it a little shout out today :)

The moment this song started playing my heart did a lil jump swirl. It has such a nostalgic feel to it, with the 2000s R&B but at the same time it allows for a bunch of nuances to shine through. The girls got the feels to a T. This song is such a perfect companion to the extravagant and loud “Shooting Star” because both of this song have this older-sound-style to it but they are found on polar sides of the spectrum. This song is laidback but really catchy. Truly pleasant on the ear. I find myself singing it over and over without realizing sometimes. The 808 bass is the backbone of the instrumental and it is such a great feature to have in a song that is meant for the vocals to shine. Their tonalities are soft and elegant. Every single one of the of this group have such different colors in their voices, which kinda allows you to go on a little ride with them… from the left to the ride. Even the rap portions aren’t super in your face, they are actually very chill but still have a strong impression the listeners. The adlibs are so cool to me as well because theygive off such a contrasting feel in comparison to the rest of the song, the voice is low-toned robotic one and it catches your attention every single time it comes in. I really enjoyed Maya’s and Chisa’s voice in this the most, every time they came in I was literally melting on the floor, GOSH!! However, all of them, totally did their thing.

I like the fact that this song has so many videos to it. It allows you to see it from different perspectives in a way. The live stage really shows their charisma and slayage when it comes to this song. Their movements are sharp and truly in accordance to the sounds. They come together gorgeously. And the music video, which actually came out quite recently, really brings different aesthetics to the table. The colors are just popping and it connects so well to the sounds in my opinion.

As a whole, this song is just pleasant to hear. If you are looking for a nice fun ride, this one is the one.

                 – by steph

Utopia by Forestella

Utopia. This song, no, this absolute MASTERPIECE is something I could talk about for hours on end. Forestella, the vocal quartet under Beat Interactive, did it again and released not only one of the most incredible songs I’ve ever heard but also an incredible cinematic masterpiece. If I had to compare its structure and overall beauty to another song I would probably mention Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Upon starting the MV for Utopia, we are greeted with an incredible piano intro, as various scenes of hope and then despair show before us, and just with a few words we know the main concept of the song and MV: a utopia turned into a dystopia. The song starts half a minute in, as we see Forestella in a beautiful room. Dancers put on an elegant show before the boys start singing. And this first part got me absolutely reeled in already, Forestella’s vocals are flawless, with incredible high notes, note fluctuations and adlibs, showing us from the start that these guys ain’t here to play.

What I really love about this MV is how it is structured like a play. Each verse is an act, and in each of them, the Forestella find themselves in different scenarios. For example, in the first act, we mainly see the in very ethereal environments with purple lighting. And can I just say: red Hyungho. That’s all I wanted to say thank you. Jokes aside, he opens every verse, which makes me think he might play an important role in the lore of the MV, if there is any (analysis blog maybe…). And his voice… This man is insane… (Yes I might be a bit biased but just… go listen to this song and you’ll see I’m not exaggerating.)

Moving on, throughout the MV we get some scenes in which the environments change drastically, the main color becomes red, and we see scenes related to fire and destruction. In these scenes, the instrumental turns harsher, for example with added electric guitars, while still maintaining an incredible theatrical effect. The lines of the song during these scenes often refer to temptation and dystopia. After each verse, for the chorus we return to the hall shown in the intro, where Forestella’s incredibly potent voices bless our ears with magnificence while also carrying a note of sorrow.

The word limit for this section really isn’t enough to fully express how incredible this song and MV are. They’re far from your classic kpop style songs and videos, the artistry transpires through every single little detail of this stunning masterwork. I cannot recommend it enough. Your life will change for the better after discovering it, trust me. Stan Forestella stan talent.

                 – by kevin

Phantom by WayV

658 days between Kick Back and Phantom.

Wow. It’s hard to imagine how long that actually is when you break it down that far. Can I just say that I am beyond excited that they are back? I’m so grateful for this song. WayV has gone through a lot, and I’m so glad that I have stayed with them for this long. They deserve all of the love in the world and I will stand by that forever. Phantom is such an amazing song. They all have worked so hard and it is shown through this comeback.

The lyrics to Phantom are absolutely stunning. I cannot get enough of them as a poet myself. I love poetry, and Phantom leans very heavily on the poetry side of writing. It is very elusive and leaves you to interpret them in your own ways. “Dream is a trickster hiding what’s real” I love this line because it is something that you wouldn’t automatically think of, but something that we all know is true, just put into words. I love when songs are able to express these complex feelings and ideas in simple . “Look as if there is no mask, the light of truth was never lost” This mask that they speak of is not literal, they mean this as in something that is fake and what they once believed, but now are able to overcome and not recognize as the truth anymore. A mask hides something, but that doesn’t mean that the thing behind the mask doesn’t exist anymore.

The music video is stunning, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of their visuals and outfits. The editing in this music video is amazing. I’m sure they put a ton of work into it and for good reason, it just makes the music video that much better. I love how each member of WayV gets the camera zoomed in on their face to show off their exotic makeup looks that accentuate their features. I feel as if this music video holds a lot more meaning than what originally meets the eyes, especially the beginning. With it starting off with Ten being shown with chains around his wrists, the most obvious explanation would be that he is being held back from something, being kept from doing something that someone else doesn’t want him to do. This directly relates the lyrics of the song to the music video and is done in a way that isn’t obvious. You need to look closer at what is being shown to be able to describe why it is there in the first place.  Like the lyrics suggest, someone is forcing them to think this specific way, this puppeteer that they speak of is the one holding them in these chains and keeping them from the truth.

The song itself has very beautiful vocals and rapping sections that all work so well together. I love the high note and Ten and Xiaojun share. It is stunning and makes me realize how beautiful the two of their voices sound together. The choreography enhances the song in a way that I adore, their movements are so smooth with ion laced between them.

                 – by lix

Moonlight Sunrise by Twice

Twice and legendary should always be in the same sentence because these queens absolutely never miss with none of their releases. I have been going crazy with their recent fully-English track Moonlight Sunrise. The fact that this is just a pre-release for what is soon about to come is actually insane to me. The quality and absolute greatness this song provided needs to be talked about for sure so I am here to do so! Twice really knows how to fully embrace their already established image whilst still evolving and bring something quite spicy to their audiences and I love that. Slowly moving out from the pg agenda but still showing that sweet and charming side of theirs.

The moment I heard the first few seconds of this song I was just ready to dance. The disco pop feel combined with these gorgeous vocals and just stunning asthetics is just hard to not completely be taken by it! This song is very coquettish and actually way more mature than their previous upbeat English release “The Feels”. It really allows for a refreshing side to shine bright. The synths constitute majority of the instrumental of this song but it doesn’t get repetitive as the vocals are doing all the work. The different color of the voices of the are very noticeable on here and I really like that. My favorite performances in of vocals in this song has to be from Chaeyoung and Jihyo. The rap of this song is just so perfect, I really like how it blends into the sounds so harmoniously. Jihyo’s “cards out on the table what you say” is literally the end of me. The maturity and just UGH that her voice shows is just glorious. I love it. Nonetheless, every single one of the brought their own spark to the table and I really appreciate that. How the music video, the choreography and sound come together and create this  amazing track is just a blessing to experience.

I like to call this song “one for the afterhours” because it was delivered that way. The tones not only in of sounds but also visuals are on the darker, sultrier side. Through the lyrics, Twice is explaining the eagerness to be with a loved one, and enjoy the moment, and the sounds really match that. Instrumental is quite easy to follow and so are the lyrics, and I like that in its simplicity there is still greatness.

Twice did it again guys! THEY GOT US, AND IT IS GUARANTEED!

                 – by steph