Of The Moment: Of The Music

March ‘25 in Music

Evi — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:10:54 GMT

Artists:

Tennis

For as long as I’ve known of Tennis’ music, it’s occupied the summer part of my brain. I’m certain this association crystallized around summer 2019 when I discovered (gorgeous, perfect) “Ladies Don’t Play Guitar” and ran it to the absolute ground. Coincidentally, that might’ve been the worst summer of my life — accident or design, at least I had beautiful, melancholic music to romanticize my way through it to. I’ve been running that song to the ground again, courtesy of the temperature rising by approximately three degrees and the springtime sun finally being out — either that or trying to will it into emergence through groovy basslines and whimsical vocals on the odd rainy day.

The wife-and-husband indie pop duo have what’s apparently going to be their last record as a band coming out on April 25, which is a decision I can both respect and sulk over. The singles from this rollout have been delightful thus far, but during this fit of once again craving the sound that represents the definition of comfort to me, I’ve also gone back to some of their recent projects I’d missed at the time of release (2020’s Swimmer, 2023’s Pollen) and revisited Yours Conditionally (2017) which remains breezy, heartfelt, timeless and flawless.

Françoise Hardy

Between coming across (mother) POiSON GiRL FRiEND’s rehashing of an old Twitter post featuring a selection of formative albums and being unable to get that one scene from Attenberg (2010) out of my head after recently seeing it, Françoise entered my rotation seamlessly, and along with her, several french pop discoveries and rediscoveries. Perhaps a result of spring springing, some form of feminine energy has re-entered the chat and nothing quite embraces and channels it like the French songstresses and their quaint melodies. Besides your guitar-led Jane Birkins and Carla Brunis, though, I personally urge you to give a new and improved generation the time of day — Lou-Adriane Cassidy, who experiments with orchestral production and nostalgic sensibilities turned on their heads, has delivered one of the most engaging pop records of the year thus far.

The beginning of this blurb specifically refers to Hardy’s La question (1971) and, of course, the classic “Tous les garçons et les filles” from the same-titled 1962 record — one of those every hot girl has a listening history with. I specifically can’t get enough of “Viens” or “Ça a Raté” these days — opposite moods on the surface yet both songs that will make you walk along streets you’ve walked a thousand times before differently.

Songs:

Elias Rønnenfelt, FAUZIA – “Close” (The Dare Remix)

I myself don’t even understand why I’ve latched onto this track in the way I have, specifically the remix which trades off the original version’s lethargic guitars for a sleek house beat. Frankly, that doesn't make a lot of sense — the downbeat recording on Rønnenfelt’s solo debut Heavy Glory does the song’s concept (which I find so darling) a lot of justice, really bringing out the emotionality in “Anybody not close to you is no friend of mine.” For better or worse, a breezier production might’ve been just what “Close” needed to Trojan horse itself into my spring playlists.

Heavy Glory, too, is a record I enjoyed, though I’m in no position to declare whether the Iceage frontman is our generation’s Bob Dylan like the tapped-in online crowds like to joke. In spite of the album’s main sonic throughline of folksy indie rock, I’m more of a fan of the moments where Rønnenfelt’s Dean Blunt influence comes through crystal clear and “Close” is definitely one of them, if not the main highlight. If the fact the two’s joint project lucre hasn’t left my rotation since February (with track “5” already occupying a spot in the year’s “Best Of” list) means anything, it’s that I want more of that in my life.

For as little as I enjoy The Dare’s own catalog, his occasional production contributions to other artists’ work seem to have things to offer. Was also put onto FAUZIA via this and currently fiercely replaying “it’s ok.”

Quadeca – “GODSTAINED”

The official first taste of Ben Lasky’s upcoming album Vanisher is here and it’s feeling like the LA-bred songwriter knows he’s got something momentous up his sleeve. If you tuned into Of The Moment’s Best Songs of 2024, you may recall that SCRAPYARD’s “GUIDE DOG” was featured in my Top 10. I remain convinced we should be talking about Lasky all the damn time, especially in regards to his singular production skills.

No release from the last couple of years I can think of (besides, perhaps, Quadeca’s own “EASIER”) sounds like “GODSTAINED,” a piece that channels Lasky’s ridiculously successful genre-blending sensibility at a transcendental frequency, fusing rap and Beach Boys-esque harmonies into a hypnotic bossa nova framework with a palpable emotional core. This guy has a gift of making his recordings sound both experimental and well-structured, scrapped together yet deeply intentional. His is a trajectory I’m particularly curious to see unfold. Do watch this space.

Now that I’ve gotten my in-the-know picks out of the way and you trust my opinion enough — March, at its heart, was pop girl month. What follows is a selection of the pop singles I couldn’t let rest throughout:

Lexie Liu – “POP GIRL”

Ahem. Well. I’ve enjoyed Lexie Liu’s darker, more imaginative and high-concept productions in the past which I’d normally argue in favor of, however… I can’t describe to you how glad I am to know she “covers magazines after nine hours of sleep.” Like, say that. Apologies for repeating my figure of speech, but as far as Trojan horse releases go — and if this is Lexie’s intention — this may be as good as it gets. “POP GIRL” is silly, straightforward, catchy, holding me hostage, and should be taking off.

LE SSERAFIM – “Come Over”

Things were so simple a few years ago when if you heard an overtly familiar sound in a K-pop song everyone would silently acknowledge the rip-off and move on. Nowadays, you check the song credits and oh, what do you mean this wasn’t concocted bar for bar in the Hybe basements with a hyper-specific moodboard and they paid legit, actual Jungle’s producer instead?

Plenty of summers have shown that Northern hemisphere temperature and K-pop’s quality levels are proportional variables which goes to say K-pop is kind of pretty good right now. Besides LE SSERAFIM’s funky, retro-tinged dance pop credited to genre connoisseurs, SM’s newest girl group Hearts2Hearts had an outstanding debut single written by the FLO girls and NMIXX are finding their footing in lustrous, sophisticated R&B — all releases that have secured permanent spots in my spring rotation.

Sabrina Carpenter – “Busy Woman”

Like I said, I’m feeling lighter, the sun is shining, I’m running around having fun and finally clicking with Sabrina Carpenter’s twangy, saccharine pop. This is for sure laced with something (FUN) — I can’t even remember when was the last time I heard chorus harmonies this euphoric, or a line as cheekily hilarious as “My openings are super tight.”

Tate McRae – “Dear god”

Speaking of girls I’m beginning to click with, what do you know about Tate MacRae’s best song to date? If the Canadian performer whose grip on the dance community I’m already growing jaded with is to stay, let it be with more of this lush, spunky R&B pop.

Kilo Kish – “reprogram”

It’s always a good time when Kilo goes pop princess. Her upcoming EP has a Miguel collaboration on the way and if this single as well as “digital emotional” are any indication, it is shaping up to be one of the most creatively rich pop projects of the year. I’ll try to refrain from saying you’ll like this if you enjoyed Eusexua. This is me refraining. Give this a couple of good listens and catch your face light up every subsequent time it comes on shuffle.

Playlist (Themed):

And because I run this business and nothing can stop me, I’m gonna share another playlist with you besides the regular monthly one (linked at the bottom of the piece). There was a window around late February/early March where I got to revisit my roots of creating conceptual playlists again. Seriously need to brush up on those skills, as I find myself getting lazy with monthly roundup lists lately — nevertheless, it’s become a yearly habit to welcome spring with a curated mix.

This is music that will make you feel cool while walking around with a matcha now that the weather’s getting warmer. Shuffle and enjoy:

Playlist (Monthly):

February '25 in Music

Evi — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 11:24:00 GMT

Artists:

Bob Dylan & Joan Baez

So, as I explained in the previous installment, these posts are meant to coordinate with a little culture series I’m doing in Greek these days which includes film reviews and okay, listen. I don’t know what they laced A Complete Unknown (the new Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold, starring Timothée Chalamet) with that’s rendering me incapable of shutting up about it, but somehow this is what I’m dealing with in the year of our Lord 2025. Never before have I been such a perfect target audience for something! I’m the Gen Z youngin finding an entry point into Dylan and the gang through a Hollywood movie, half-motivated by a fantasy of queening out with Chalamet over ‘60s folk records.

While, in spite of my newfound fascination with his myth, the Dylan discography quest remains challenging, I’ve found myself enamored with the Newport era recordings split between his and Joan Baez’s catalog. It’s hard to understate the connection I’ve struck with the latter’s work — I’ve spent February unwinding to Baez’s ethereal songbird sensibilities evening after evening, marveling at the crystal clear precision of her voice and the warmth it radiates besides it, whether on folk standards or original material.

When it comes to the reason I’ve coupled the two here, my feelings can be condensed into “It Ain’t Me Babe,” a prominent feature in Mangold’s film and probably my most listened to song of the month. I remember coming across a clip of them singing the duet on stage long before seeing A Complete Unknown or acquiring any familiarity with the lore of it all and wondering if they had something going behind the scenes simply based on the chemistry emanating from the screen. Well.

Jeff Buckley

I’m convinced I could make a really strong case about “Everybody Here Wants You” being the best song of all time. It’s not only the unabashedly romantic sensibility of Jeff Buckley’s lyricism that makes so many of his recordings worthy of projecting the most fanciful of ideations onto, however, but the, perhaps, unsung quality of his voice: sensual beyond belief, tender even as it sweeps through peaks and valleys with astonishing gusto. On this more focused excursion into his short but mighty discography (in part, in preparation for the upcoming documentary by Amy J. Berg), I was most drawn to tracks like “Corpus Christi Carol,” “Nightmares By The Sea” and “New Year’s Prayer.” (The latter, for some reason, I heavily associate with Guadagnino’s Queer, whose soundtrack, composed of Sinéad O'Connor, Prince and New Order among others, echoes an analogous essence.)

Albums:

Oklou — choke enough

#My YouTube music review goat, Professor Skye, has officially coined the term which I will be referring to Oklou’s sound with from now on: “hypo-pop” may read absolutely ridiculous, yet I find it pretty encompassing as a reaction to hyperpop which maintains association to the artificial elements that define the existing subgenre, while aligning itself more with ambient spaces rather than EDM. The French singer-songwriter’s highly anticipated debut, choke enough, nevertheless, feels more grounded and punchy both sonically and in regards to subject matter than previous endeavors such as 2020’s mixtape Galore which brought together Oklou’s classical training and internet aesthetic with a glittery softness, here contained to interludes and sporadic flourishes.

Featuring production by PC Music’s A.G. Cook and Danny L Harle and inspired features from Bladee and underscores (both render “take me by the hand” and “harvest sky” two of the most arresting moments of the tracklist), the record is tethered to real life, weighted by reflections and unanswered questions about humanity and relationships, but still light on its feet as every Oklou project: graceful, fragile, and prismatic.

Songs:

The Weather Station – “Mirror”

I listened to this song for the first time at the top of the month and it was all it took for me to start drafting my “Best of 2025” playlist. The rich sound of Canadian folk songwriter Tamara Lindeman’s seventh studio album Humanhood was born out of improvisational band sessions that produced recordings then overdubbed with additional instrumental flourishes. The result is kind of like witnessing a miracle. On “Mirror,” which reflects upon the transience and holism of life and the world, and which Lindeman wanted to feel like “being bathed in light,” there is realization such as that which occurs when extraordinary events unsettle the self. Something of the George Saunders quote “Everything has always been falling down around us, only we were too alive to notice” — “All light passes, it falls straight down / You don’t know you receive it like the grass on the ground.”

Σtella – “Omorfo Mou”

The first Greek-language release from synth pop darling Stella Chronopoulou arrived in the lead-up to her upcoming album Adagio: a meditation on love, desire, time, and rest. “Omorfo Mou,” playful and understated like most of Σtella’s catalog, is an ode “to anything precious to us and how that’s worth giving it all we got” that weaves traditional Greek musical elements into her globally accessible, lush, contemporary pop sound.

Addison Rae – “High Fashion”

The latest offering from Addison Rae takes me one step further into “she is happening, I fear” territory. Last year’s “Diet Pepsi” marked the start of a sonic trajectory that’s proving fruitful for the rising popstar, who finally seems to be finding her footing in the industry. Out of the three singles mapping out this next career step of Rae’s thus far — two of which have leaned more heavily into influences such as Lana Del Rey and Madonna — “High Fashion” appears to be, perhaps, the most original endeavor, lacing sultry bedroom R&B with some eerie, left-of-center dissonance.

[ BLACKPINK Solo Single Corner ]

These were shooting off from every direction in February so I feel obliged to take a moment to touch on them. The BLACKPINK members’ respective solo eras have kept my curiosity entertained thus far, regardless of whether the output ends up making my rotation or not. With the exception of ROSÉ, who rounded out her project’s cycle at the end of last year (to no success on my personal charts), last month saw consecutive releases from LISA, JISOO, and JENNIE.

LISA – “Born Again” (feat. Doja Cat & RAYE)

We all know this is a RAYE song, was always meant to be a RAYE song, would be much better off as a RAYE song. It’s a RAYE song even when it’s not simply a RAYE song, meaning the British singer is quite literally the track’s only source of life. I’m definitely one to defend LISA’s singing when appropriate, but her voice doesn’t work for me here, especially when it’s inevitably rendered the least charismatic of the three — even when this chorus melody is pretty engaging for another disco resurgence track (it’s 2025, mind you). Doja Cat sounds exactly like someone who’s done this type of verse on this type of beat another 10 times in the past: faultless and bored.

(As I’m typing this paragraph, I can feel a creeping urge to make a sidenote about that Oscars performance. Actively deciding against it.)

JISOO – “earthquake”

How to save K-pop in the middle of your acting career? As far as I’m concerned, this came out of nowhere. A pleasant surprise nonetheless. The subtleness and minimalism of JISOO’s musical endeavors (mostly pertaining to singles) is an approach I quite frankly enjoy and find flattering on her. There is no need for the extra mile — she knows it, we know it, everyone’s having a good time. It only helps that this is one of the best straightforward pop songs to come out of the scene this year and somehow manages to not sound noticeably derivative.

JENNIE – “ExtraL” (feat. Doechii)

I’m sure I’m not the only one they had at “Incominggggg” ~ The concept of JENNIE featuring Doechii on a Dem Jointz beat would’ve sounded surreal a handful of years ago, but it’s 2025 and nothing has ever made more sense. This is JENNIE’s big one in my book, the most well-executed, impactful and current of Ruby’s singles so far, as well as the collaboration that houses the most natural chemistry. A song that feels like the peak of what this project is aiming to achieve and, dare I say, has some of that classic BLACKPINK essence to it.

Playlist:

January '25 in Music

Evi — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:55:03 GMT

So I’ve been completely out of my mind and writing in Greek these days. Having decided to enter my culture blogger era and do this little series listing things I’m doing/seeing/trying in Athens over the course of each month, I realized I couldn’t not reserve a spot for monthly listens. However. I’ve always been shit at talking about music in Greek. I find that it’s perhaps to do with a certain malleability of language needed to convey sound and atmosphere effectively which is the great privilege that English affords a writer. Maybe I’m just terrible at my native language and music, by nature being one of the most complicated arts to put into words, simply reveals that upfront.

Those posts can get away with a cute playlist linked at the end, but since I feel like my international readership cares more about my silly music takes, I’ll try to coordinate them with posts in English, reviewing music that piqued my interest within the month. These will be as short and sweet as a Sabrina Carpenter song and will possibly be going through new and older releases alike. It’s literally whatever’s been on rotation. Without further ado, let’s get into January.

ICYMI: My “Best Songs of 2024” post went up at the very beginning of the year. Check it out to find out all about last year’s favorites!

Albums:

Mary Margaret O’Hara – Miss America

This reached my ears through culture reporter and Popcast co-host Joe Coscarelli who profiled Mk.gee (Michael Gordon) back in September. Allegedly, while spending time together in-person in service of the piece, Gordon played third track “Body’s In Trouble” in the car which I can see how Coscarelli found totally revelatory. The guitar tone, emotional resonance, room for error — all speak to what the world has come to know as a signature Mk.gee sensibility post the release of the singer-songwriter’s breakout 2024 album Two Star & The Dream Police.

Suitably, this is a late ‘80s artefact. Suitably, fairly obscure (with Mary Margaret O’Hara’s strongest connection to pop culture being her sister Catherine O’Hara of Home Alone fame). Nonetheless, a perfect record. O’Hara sounds ethereal, at once brittle and soothing, leaping over these (mostly) guitar-led songs with non-committal attitude towards genre, as she flirts with country, pop and jazz. Give this a listen if you like Mk.gee. Give it two if you don’t.

Nala Sinephro – Endlessness

Listened to this for the first time sitting at a coffee shop with a book, and read for the precise duration of the record. Can’t recommend it enough for that exact activity — the cozy ambience of Nala Sinephro’s soundscapes articulates one of my favorite forms jazz can take. While cuts like “Continuum 1” deal in propulsive free jazz, ones like “5” or “6” swirl around in your head practically begging to be put on a five-hour loop. I have a soft spot for “9” and its entrancing, blippy arpeggios as it brings to mind an Astrid Sonne favorite — “Staying here.”

Four Tet – Pause

Four Tet makes electronic music sound so warm, engaging and unpretentious. I love the organic, earthy quality to 2001’s Pause, an album which sounds like not even a day has washed over it. This is lustrous and vibrant ambient music to walk around to rather than read or write — a body of work that feels diaristic and intimate like lived-in leather despite its delicate presence on the ears.

Quiet Light – Pure Hearts

As it seems, I got really into ambient last month. If you know me, you know Quiet Light has been one of the indie artists on my radar I’ve been most excited to see thrive. While Riya Mahesh’s electronic folk project took significant leaps through songwriting-forward work like recent EPs Contact and Going Nowhere, the Texas musician revisits the flavor of her earlier productions on her latest endeavor, Pure Hearts: a seven-track collection of ultra-romantic, mellowed out electronica adorned with sparse lyricism and the occasional sample. Lovely music that will make you dissociate at the supermarket.

FKA twigs – Eusexua

I did say this was one of my most anticipated projects of 2025 and that’s true. Neutral statement. Good, well-produced music — another neutral statement. Were my expectations lived up to? I hate to be the person who casts an album into the “its best songs are still the singles” category, but the cases are unfortunately too many. The gift has already given most of what it had to give — this is especially highlighted by the absolutely excellent opening three-track run being followed by songs noticeably below its caliber.

There are moments I love on here and one of them, as implied, is “Girl Feels Good” which, besides sounding like the essence of London melted into soundwaves, features a lyrical concept I find really charming and refreshing. Another one is “Striptease” which, out of all the songs on the project, harkens back to earlier (I’m talking LP1) twigs the most. Still, I’m particularly aware of the fact the latter is not exactly what I tuned in for.

I appreciate that I’m hearing twigs’ voice in ways I never have from her. The problem is whom I have heard those placements from: Björk, Madonna, the Spice Girls, The Cranberries’ Dolores O'Riordan, countless ‘90s house records with faceless vocals. Pastiche isn’t unpleasurable, but it is pastiche. And neither “Eusexua” nor “Drums of Death” prepared me for it?

Songs:

Fousheé – “still around”

I finally got the chance to check out Fousheé’s Pointy Heights and its penultimate cut has proven addictive. An immaculate percussion and guitar loop with the singer-songwriter’s vocals lounging over the track’s intricate rhythm. I would like to live in this song.

Fabiana Palladino – “In The Fire”

One of the least dance-ready moments on a self-titled debut full of groove and ‘80s pop influence, Fabiana Palladino’s “In The Fire” leans into an R&B sensibility with its minimal drum pattern and tender, falsetto-laced melody. Breezy flute notes juxtaposed against somber synths accentuate Jai Paul’s versatile production with Palladino herself sounding icy and fragile at once.

Cameron Winter – “Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)”

People seem to be just now acknowledging this early December-released solo project from Geese’s frontman, Cameron Winter. Although I wasn’t particularly fond of the record in its entirety (a mixed bag, at times weaving jarring avant-garde elements into its bedroom folk framework), this song has been stuck in my rotation and won’t leave my mind. Your easy morning playlist standard; yet something about Winter’s slack, husky voice turning more croonery with each verse, combined with wind instrument touches renders it so alluring. I also find it particularly amusing how his pronunciation of “Nausicaä” approaches the correct Greek one.

Playlist:

“Of The Moment”’s Best Songs of 2024

Evi — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 20:01:33 GMT

Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance”

How crazy is it that I’ve never done a full-on end-of-year round-up on here? Thinking again, actually not that crazy — this is a lot for a less-than-regular poster who once (two-three years ago) famously scrambled her way through quarterly album reviews. To further excuse the gap in my resume, 2023, despite its impressively wide variety, ultimately didn’t hold a candle to either 2022 or 2024 album-wise. Yet with a so-called “album year” arrives a certain uniformity across industry publication lists come December. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit catching up these days is turning into the “Is it BRAT?” game, in which I mostly disagree with either outcome (kind of basic to, kind of contrived not to?).

Besides Charli, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to come across a top 10 that doesn’t pay respect to the unanimously acclaimed endeavors of the year: Tyler, Beyoncé, Kendrick’s last-minute drop, revelations like Doechii and Mk.gee. More frequently than in any recent year, it feels like full-length projects held their own conversations in 2024 (Take THAT YouTube essayists, the art of the album will never die!) and with so much music under the spotlight, the competition for Album of the Year tightened.

Let me just go ahead and declare that it IS BRAT for me, however, not only because I love to fit in but because sad party girl music is my sustenance which I’ve been wishing for a mainstream moment for ever since discovering Robyn rocked my world as a teen. Still, the contradiction 2024 had in store for me was that dance music and all its co-optations would verge on growing tiresome by the end. This was a year of drum and bass remixes, raving, underground DJ clout, Bushwick fashion, ballroom culture seeping even deeper into pop — which itself not only turned to the club and to fun in general, but further crystallized into a space where anything can happen as hits arrived from everywhere but household names (few cases aside) and breakout acts became the talk of the town one after the other.

Chart coexistence remains, to me, the most fascinating aspect of the contemporary music landscape, where monocultural moments are hard to come by but events in the pop sphere are more widely discussed than ever. Alternative culture is always waiting around to get sucked into the mainstream (if that exists nowadays), or at least, have its affair with the industry powers that be for a time, and if business exec jargon contaminating modern fandom is any indicator, it isn’t the ‘90s anymore: “selling out” is not only not a problem, but the goal itself. Additionally, the TikTok kids want in. The millennial pop stars coming out of the woodwork want in. The record holders want to make it difficult for everybody.

So we’re here to talk songs for the sake of… novelty? Convenience, even? An excuse to resist regurgitating album-focused commentary as seen everywhere, perhaps, or an attempt at curation and making sense of a year which so often provided me with the riveting experience of scrolling through New Music Friday playlists not having a clue who all these people are. In any case, I’ve been honing this selection since the summer and it’s nicely rounded out at a little over 100 without many regrets. I’ll be selective and quick with my words as to avoid taking up too much of both of our time. Some categories, some standalones, some album chat when necessary. One track per act rule always applies and the playlist is linked at the bottom of the piece. Enjoy.

K-pop & Beyond

Getting what’s already been dealt with out of the way first. Pretty much everything I’ve had to say about K-pop in 2024 you can find in my “What You Missed in K-pop 2024” series (first installment here). As I mentioned in the latest piece, this list contains only the top 5 of my K-pop end-of-year one (playlist here). For those interested in where those songs land here, placements are as follows:

12. aespa – “Supernova”

17. Red Velvet – “Cosmic”

20. IVE – “Accendio”

54. ARTMS – “Virtual Angel”

80. NCT 127 – “Walk”

Allow me another chance to reiterate how aespa indisputably owned the year and how the crown was already theirs before “Whiplash” was even out. “Supernova” rightfully takes a Best K-Pop placement for its masterful homage to quintessential SM futurism through an inspired sample, packaged into relentlessly catchy bubblegum pop. Miles ahead of everything else this space had to offer this year in terms of creativity and spunk, this track is K-pop’s most memorable 2024 event and an indicator that the genre’s spark can survive industry mutations.

As this was my top pick in my first half coverage, you can read my extensive review of the comeback including musings on aespa’s sonic trajectory and much, much more here.

Between Best K-pop and the top 10 which we’ll be discussing more in depth later, there is #11 which belongs to Japanese girl group ME:Ι’s ethereal drum and bass tune “Sugar Bomb” — my favorite non-English-language release of the year.

In the final installment of the K-pop series last week (linked above), while spoiling the inclusion of NCT member JAEHYUN’s “Can’t Get You” in the all-encompassing list, I referred to other Best of 2024 placements that could easily be shoehorned under the K-pop category but, because I care about silly stuff like target audiences, language, status and my own elimination process getting faster, I decided against that. I wanted to shout out the “K-pop outskirts” here: tracks by artists who have crossed over yet are still acknowledged as part of the K-pop sphere (whether Korean, Japanese or English-language), songs that would stick out like a sore thumb if they came up on your K-pop-themed Spotify radio, K-R&B, K-indie, some J-pop, that one babyMINT release, so-called global groups and the like.

TLDR; additional placements you may be interested in if you’re a K-pop fan:

11. ME:Ι – “Sugar Bomb” [PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS churned out this group to an excellently-produced debut, after which their output has more prominently adopted a nostalgic K-pop flair. This track remains the standout of their discography so far, with something at once GWSN and Perfume running through its gentle, celestial drum and bass framework. (Ex-Cherry Bullet member Cocoro is in there by the way.)]

51. LISA – “New Woman” (feat. ROSALÍA) [Of the post-BLACKPINK releases thus far, this doesn’t veer the furthest away from what we’ve known of the group and of the K-pop pocket they’ve operated in for years, yet the sheer character in how it chooses to subvert expectations puts a release like “Moonlit Floor” to shame.]

57. NewJeans – “Right Now”

59. youra, Mandong – “Moshi feels”

70. JAEHYUN – “Can’t Get You” [The standout track from JAEHYUN’s debut solo album, “Can’t Get You” is not only adorned by credits from a line-up of hitmakers including lauded American R&B producer Babyface of all people, but boasts a remarkably refined, timeless jazz soundscape that harkens back to jazz/soul classics with authenticity that’s unparalleled in the idol sphere.]

72. HYUKOH, Sunset Rollercoaster – “Y”

81. f5ve – “Underground” [Heavily debated between this and wittiest fitness bro diss “Lettuce” for f5ve’s entry; “Underground” earned the rising Japanese girl group some online traction upon its July release with its sleek stylistic approach and nods to cookie cutter J-pop through a fresh, globally accessible lens. With production helmed by BloodPop and a social media presence that knows how to turn heads, f5ve are boldly marching towards establishing themselves at an interesting crossover position in the industry, underlined by the track securing a remix by Doss and a savvy A.G. Cook credit on their latest release, “UFO.”]

82. RM – “Domodachi” (feat. Little Simz)

84. Park Hye Jin – “7years Ago”

105. Balming Tiger – “Big Butt”

108. babyMINT – “BB Gals of the Galaxy” [Being weird means something to this girl group from Taiwan who didn’t get crowned on formative survival show NEXTGIRLZ, but won international X’s heart and (yes) ex-Cherry Bullet member Lin as their Beyoncé instead. Their convention-defying yet craft-honoring pop is simply exhilarating.]

109. Megan Thee Stallion – “Mamushi” (feat. Yuki Chiba) [Because I’m funny. Okane kasegu.]

112. SUMIN, SLOM – “STOPLIGHT”

Previously on “Of The Moment”

These are some songs and artists I’ve happened to mention in various pieces throughout the year, that you might recall if you’re a regular here!

13. Marina Satti – “MIXTAPE” [I come to this blurb after hearing what Fantano had to say about P.O.P. in his best 2024 EPs video, the snippet from which Satti shared on her Instagram. As I expanded upon in my Lycabettus concert review back in September, the only way is up for the rising star who has breathed new life into the Greek pop scene, with this unhinged, 10-minute-long posse cut being her most forward-thinking experiment to date.]

27. Smerz – “My Producer” [A product of fashion studio ALL-IN’s collaboration with Smerz for the soundtrack of their SS24 collection built around fictional pop star Allina and one of the year’s elite pop songs, “My Producer” sees the Norwegian electronic duo mash Britney Spears and PJ Harvey influences into an intoxicating, gritty electro-clash banger that should’ve flown way over the radar. ICYMI, Smerz were featured in the Industry soundtrack piece from November with their cover of “Girls just wanna have fun.”]

28. FKA twigs – “Eusexua” [“Perfect Stranger”’s unapologetic pop flair and the enigmatic interlude “Drums of Death” (“Serve cunt, serve violence”) have divided opinion and expectation; but, as far as I’m concerned, the lead and titular single from one of the most anticipated concept albums of 2025 is nothing short of gripping. There’s a pulsating electricity in everything twigs does and “Eusexua” bursts with both it and the singer’s signature disarming vulnerability, immersing us into the dark, the primitive and, most of all, the erotic. ICYMI, “Eusexua” was featured in the Industry soundtrack piece.]

50. Kelly Lee Owens – “Time To” [Kelly Lee Owens was featured in the Industry soundtrack piece with “Dark Angel,” the opener to her album Dreamstate which perfectly emulates the show’s original score. The seductive and atmospheric “Time To,” however, offers a compelling moment of introspection as the progressive house record’s penultimate track, soaring through propulsive drums and its sensual, reverbed-out vocals à la ‘90s Madonna.]

52. Deb Fan – “Lady” [As I mentioned in this short announcement post for my interview, Deb Fan’s “Lady” had already been decidedly added to this list since the start of the summer. It’s safe to say that no other song here comes quite close in transmitting the same feeling; “Lady”’s unassuming neo soul clad in lethargic harmonies both lulls and haunts, its highlights simultaneously eerie and transfixing. You can check out my feature on the Hong Kong-raised, LA-based singer/producer for Joysauce here, to learn more about the inspirations behind her EP Kowloon Demos and the cultural duality that informs her artistry.]

66. NewDad – “Angel” [A brief mention of this band appeared in my album cover piece from October, but the Galway indie rock outfit’s music deserves its own shoutout beyond the striking visuals. If album openers had their own list, MADRA’s “Angel” would be way up there; a stunning introduction to NewDad’s brooding yet delicate musical sensibility with shoegaze undertones and a breakdown that pierces through the speakers.]

117. Nova – “Go Back to Sleep” [On the other side of the coin, one of the most noteworthy closers of the year belongs to Texas folk ensemble Nova, whose deeply melancholic, gothic-leaning moments are some of their catalog’s most compelling. “Go Back to Sleep” wraps up NovApocalypse with a bang, the record’s anguish culminating in its (hidden) outro. Check out my Q&A with singer/songwriter Nova for “Artists Recommend” to learn more about how NovApocalypse embodies catastrophic loneliness and get a peek into the album’s inspirations.]

Sprinkle of Greece

Most Googled person of 2024 Marina Satti may have rightfully secured the highest position (#13) when it comes to domestic output but if that, plus the mere fact I’m specifically touching on domestic releases for something like this, means anything is that the Greek space has new and inspiring things to offer at last. 2024 has seen exciting experiments in pop and the continuation of a thriving indie scene alike. Among my personal favorites:

29. Nalyssa Green, Penny – “Fidia Sta Mallia Mou”

68. Tamta – “GAZI” [I’d like to linger on this pick, if only to provide my non-Greek readers with a taste of some of the most flavorful Greek-language alt-pop of the moment. Less of a rebrand and more of a career culmination, Tamta’s embracement of the avant-garde in music — beyond style — terms has, as of recently, not only earned the Georgian-born Greek singer her “anti-boredom pill” reputation, but first-hand credit in the cultural driving force that is the LGBT club scene. Pre-release single “GAZI” received far less attention than her November EP THE VILLAIN and standout “ANAKATA,” but its atmospheric melancholy and chic minimalism dirtied by gritty production details and esoteric rage make for a tight combination equivalent to a discography best.]

94. Veslemes, Δεσποινίς Τρίχρωμη – “ΜΕΛΟΝΤΡΑΜ”

97. Coti K. – “Theros”

113. Aki Rei – “Vain Poetry”

121. Billie Kark – “Anarotiemai”

Under the Radar

I legitimately can’t take it upon myself to decide whether you’ve heard of an artist before or not, I’m aware. However, I don’t have an explanation for this section other than “Hey, let me put you onto some stuff I vaguely and possibly wrongly presume you’re not familiar with.” This year has taken me down some enticing paths of music discovery and these are some names that stuck, ones that entered my rotation earlier on and I was happy to see take off, or ones that I generally believe deserve more spotlight. I wanted to shout them out before getting into the more expected placements.

24. Cassandra Jenkins – “Delphinium Blue” [Cassandra Jenkins’ immersive, lyrical pop is equal amounts sophisticated and alluring. The New York songwriter’s album My Light, My Destroyer covers a wide sonic palette — from guitar-led indie with nods to Mitski, to jazz and ambient interspersed by field recordings — but the third track is straight out of a Badalamenti score: eerie, romantic, and transfixingly cinematic. With Jenkins’ vocals somewhat invoking Julee Cruise, the song feels like something from another era, intangible and trancelike, as it echoes the haze of repetition at a new job where the narrator is tortured by the ghost of a loved one.]

33. Pink Siifu, Stas THEE Boss, Bobbyy – “Thence I Arrived On A Foreign Shore” [Pink Siifu’s biggest charm might be that nobody knows what to expect from him at any time. The prolific Cincinnati rapper who dropped four Bandcamp-exclusive projects this year has dabbled in noise-punk and jazz, but his most noteworthy collaborative single from 2024 draws from ‘90s Chicago house with charismatic confidence and endless replay value.]

35. Saya Gray – “H.B.W”

36. Kiss Facility – “plasma”

58. Bassvictim – “Alice” [Hard to say if any other track on this list managed to transmit this level of energy to me throughout the year. Bassvictim’s electrodance is bombastic, hilarious and full of character. If Snow Strippers (at #25 with the fantastic “So What If I’m A Freak”) is your kind of thing, get on this immediately.]

83. Quiet Light – “Luckiest Girl” [It greatly surprises me that I haven’t talked about Quiet Light on the blog until now (though I did for EnVi back in February), as I’ve been in love with this music for a year — it was quite literally last November when “Keira Knightley” entered my rotation by chance and rocked my world. Bridging Phoebe Bridgers and Dean Blunt (at #118 with “repeat offenders”), pop and ambient, Texan singer/songwriter Riya Mahesh’s electronic folk project is the gift that keeps on giving. October release Going Nowhere tugs at heartstrings as much as it defies any resolution; a collection of songs suspended mid-air, yet in their liminality, overcome with elusive yearning.]

85. Fine – “A Star” [The Danish girl wave is upon us; if you’re a devoted music fan in any capacity, you certainly didn’t miss ML Buch’s lauded Suntub last year or Erika de Casier’s (at #49 with “Lucky”) more gradual international rise which has cemented the Scandinavian country on the indie/bedroom pop map. The latter’s talent even reached across the globe through her work on K-pop group NewJeans’ debut EP alongside singer/songwriter Fine Glindvad, which earned both a Danish Music Award in 2023. “A Star” is the closer to Fine’s record Rocky Top Ballads, a tranquil, guitar-led project which equally recalls Mazzy Star and experimental ambient peers Astrid Sonne (at #41 with “Staying Here”) and Molina (at #62 with “I am your house”).]

87. Cosha – “Fire Me Up”

88. Cecile Believe – “Blink Twice”

90. yunè pinku – “Half Alive”

93. BAMBII – “SHH”

98. Nourished by Time – “Poison-Soaked”

General Standouts & Honorable Mentions

What it says on the tin!

14. Clairo – “Sexy to Someone”

18. Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance” [“Image” rightfully may have done it for most — it was a close call — but the sheer vigour and larger-than-life-ness of Imaginal Disk’s euphoric lead single still has my heart firmly captive. Might be my growing affinity for the gothic. “Nothing is fair in death and romance.”]

21. Caroline Polachek – “Starburned & Unkissed” [No praise for I Saw the TV Glow’s meticulously curated soundtrack is praise enough and this celestial rock ballad seeped in mysterious, anguished distortion happens to underscore one of the film’s most electrifying montages. It’s also the most eligible out of Polachek’s releases this year, two of which were phenomenal covers, yet covers nonetheless.]

23. Nilüfer Yanya – “Method Actor” [Yanya’s well-deserved big one, My Method Actor is establishing the UK musician as a name to watch in indie rock. There is a hypnotizing quality to the way she constructs melodies, a liminal nature to her fluctuations and repetitions which keeps one coming back for more even when it pertains to tracks over the five-minute mark. In the titular cut, some of the record’s most detailed percussion flows like water alongside Yanya’s airy delivery, interjected by dynamic electric riffs in enthralling intervals. Bossa nova rhythm and Deftones guitars — what’s better than this?]

30. Doechii – “DENIAL IS A RIVER”

34. Mach-Hommy, KAYTRANADA, 03 Greedo – “#RICHAXXHAITIAN”

38. JPEGMAFIA – “don’t rely on other men” [“I pray to Allah / EXO / I let that K-pop, put that on my soul.” Over a Succession sample. Okay.]

39. SZA – “30 For 30 (with Kendrick Lamar)” [It’s been a hell of a year for these two and their separate as well as joint endeavors. “Luther” isn’t here due to the one track per act rule and an indisputable Kendrick placement in the top 10, yet even in the penultimate week of 2024, the duo served up a top 40 tune spanning almost five minutes of artistic chemistry that doesn’t let up for a second. “Featuring” can come before any name on the tracklist, but “with” is reserved for few.]

40. ScHoolboy Q – “Foux” (feat. Ab-Soul)

44. Mustafa – “SNL”

45. Tyler, The Creator – “Noid” [This single had the experimental note I hoped to see expanded upon throughout CHROMAKOPIA. Though not the heart of the record, its rhythmical complexity and unpredictability render it the most interesting track for me. Bonus points for Ayo Edebiri’s cameo in this absolutely bonkers video. One thing about Tyler.]

47. Tyla – “Safer”

69. JADE – “Fantasy” [Unlikely, perhaps, that this track is by far my favorite of the Little Mix member’s 2024 solo single triplet given its overworn nu disco soundscape; but, evidently from her previous two releases, JADE knows how to bring some unconventional edge into a Donna Summer homage. Accompanied by a David LaChappelle-directed music video with a hilarious reference to Carrie (1976), “Fantasy” is a club-ready kink anthem (I swear the placement number wasn’t intentional) clad in lush synths, wherein JADE alternates between flirtatious purrs and spunky talk-singing sections with delightful gusto.]

76. Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

77. Beyoncé – “BODYGUARD”

The Top 10

10. Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!” [In the Best non-BRAT Pop placement, we have 2024’s most unfairly discoursed-over personality Chappell Roan with post-Midwest Princess single “Good Luck, Babe!” — a Kate Bush homage addressing a love interest who wishes to remain closeted. The kids yearn for real chest voices and stage theatrics, and Roan’s star shines brighter with every eccentric drag outfit she manages to pull off.]

9. Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It” [When people ask me how my summer went, I show them this. Not much to add other than country, as expected, was so back in 2024 and this track is flawless in a way that transcends taste no matter how you look at it. Songwriting to delivery to structure to harmonies; if you like music at all, there simply isn’t a way out of having a blast when this song is on. Quaintness and all.]

8. Quadeca – “GUIDE DOG” [For those wondering what a YouTuber’s music is doing in my top 8, I understand this is a bold statement. But if you were tuned into Jane Remover (at #100 with “Magic I Want U”) and quannnic labelmate Quadeca’s (Ben Lasky) stray single drops at the end of last year, the information that February-released SCRAPYARD (the follow-up to 2022’s I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You) is a near-perfect project even in its patchy compilation format probably comes as no surprise. Borrowing predominantly from underground hip-hop and shoegaze, Lasky flexes stellar production skills all throughout the record, yet the penultimate cut strips everything back into acoustic guitar, raw singing and nothing short of gut-wrenching songwriting à la Conor Oberst. “GUIDE DOG” is SCRAPYARD’s shaky exhale and a piercing ray of light against the narrator’s ghastly self-portraiture.]

7. Chanel Beads – “Embarrassed Dog” [I’m not sure I can say much about the “alternative kind of New York cool” characterizations ascribed to this outfit, but I can offer that their debut album Your Day Will Come stirred feelings in me its understated exterior would never hint at the depth of. The project of producer Shane Lavers — with contributions from singer-songwriter Maya McGrory (Colle) and experimental instrumentalist Zachary Paul — treads the line between earnest pop sentimentality and scruffy, digital disaffection; where the comforting melodic structures of a cherished yesteryear are woven into off-kilter experimentation that paints the record’s lens a youthful, futuristic silver. Eighties sophistication gives way to impassioned cries in standout “Embarrassed Dog”’s chorus: “Want to see myself unafraid.”]

6. Vince Staples – “Étouffée” [I wish I’d come across Vince Staples’ name in more end-of-year lists. Sonically and thematically, Dark Times feels like a logical continuation of his ongoing introspective, downtempo streak since 2021’s self-titled, and while these projects can often demand multiple revisits until you’re able to fully sink your teeth into them as bodies of work, sometimes the odd infectious hook will jump out at you out of nowhere. “Étouffée” is Dark Times’ beating heart, an ode to “finding beauty in the darkness” wherein Staples’ flow is at once potent and effortless, drawing you back in with each revelatory listen.]

5. Charli xcx – “Everything is romantic” [Alright, you can put away your drums — this is my BRAT pick for the Best Songs list which lands at #5 and is here because this is the boldest I’ve heard Charli’s sound get since “Vroom Vroom.” Oddly enough, the cinematic, techno-infused “Everything is romantic” is kind of an outlier on the BRAT tracklist: a song that escapes the strobelit interiors and isolated corners Charli seems to frequent in the album’s world to invoke a carefree Italian summer where even the most mundane of vignettes speak to some palpable, transcendental sense of living, becoming, “fall[ing] in love again and again,” “fall[ing] in love again and again,” “fall[ing] in love again and again.”]

4. Mk.gee – “Alesis” [One of the most unanimously revered breakthroughs of the year, Two Star & The Dream Police unveiled Mk.gee’s exceptional prowess as a songwriter, instrumentalist, and worldbuilder. Harkening back to a distinctly stylish ‘80s Phil Collins sensibility and dialing up his unique guitar tone and vocal color to maximum capacity, the New Jersey musician not only crafted one of the most breathtakingly atmospheric records of the year, but an enigmatic myth around himself — it’s not everyday that a backlit, misty figure with a mop of hair and the uncanny confidence of an ‘80s rockstar shows up to sweep critical acclaim. “Alesis,” one of the album’s more tightly structured cuts, encapsulates its at once gloomy and playful spirit, exploring a theme of duality in identity with striking lyricism. “Are you holding on? / Don’t you wanna get a move on?” are lines to scream from a rooftop.]

3. Adrianne Lenker – “Sadness As A Gift” [Adrianne Lenker possesses the type of writing skill that to non-writers and poets seems to be a gift from nature: a way of articulating ineffably intricate ideas about love, relationships and the human condition in such concise, poetic manner it feels like getting a glimpse of the bottled truth of the universe only few chosen ones are privy to. When “Sadness As A Gift” came out last January, it felt like the Big Thief lead vocalist’s possibly best solo track to date. This is a thought that holds up for me an album and almost a year later, alongside the hunch that it might take a lot longer than that to uncover the full emotional extent of this song, which captures something so delicate, vulnerable yet fleeting about heartbreak and loss. Poignant metaphors married to mesmerizing composition and masterful mixing make up the timeless tapestry of Bright Future’s star.]

2. Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster” [A music outlet I can’t currently recall described this song as something along the lines of Fontaines D.C. — the Irish post-punk band who have scarcely not sounded post-punk in their career — forcing their way into the future. Clearly, the future is soaked in technicolor for these guys whom I fell for head over heels this year, leaving me with a bitter taste in the mouth when confessing that their stuff had never quite clicked for me until this release and a festival ticket for June purchased in November. Adrenaline pumps through the aptly titled “Starburster,” acclaimed Romance’s erratic lead single which shares hip-hop’s sense of urgency for most of its length, but subverts its momentum with dramatic piano and fuzzy strings straight out of a film score. It’s been a year of plenty “[hitting the] business [for] momentary blissness,” but Fontaines D.C.’s stay on the map has the potential to become the most rewarding of all.]

1. Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” [All five of this placement’s nominations had his name attached, though astounding late November surprise-release GNX was only the cherry on the cake to a year in which this guy dominated music conversation at large. So what is left to contribute to it? Kendrick Lamar continues his generational run and if 2024 proved anything is that the peak can always rise. “Not Like Us” may have been the final champion of the rap beef that left most of us with a case of secondhand embarrassment whenever a Drake song comes on, but its reign over the summer rendered this banger’s reputation far more expansive that its initial purpose. A track so packed with wit, charisma, and energy, it became impossible to put down and impossible to forget.]

Thank you soooooo much for reading and apologies for the delay! If you made it to the end, I hope you had fun going through this list and perhaps picking up some recommendations along the way. As always, I would love to know your personal favorites from the year whether it’s songs, albums, or artists that stood out to you. Feel free to agree, disagree, or propose your own additions in the comments — they’re always welcome!

If you stuck around for my posts in 2024, I truly, infinitely appreciate your presence here. It means the world to me to have people to address as I continue to grow as a writer.

I wish everyone reading this the happiest new year ever!!! May 2025 be peaceful, enriching, and joyous. x

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What You Missed in K-pop 2024: Second Half

Evi — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:08:33 GMT

Loossemble – “TTYL” | Credit: CTDENM

I had to go through with the final installment of this series if only to respond to myself from five months ago that yes, Red Velvet actually did drop the best song of all time on June 24 — right after I’d locked down my first-half favorites and sent the round-up on its way.

Here’s the thing: “Cosmic” (spoiler), along with another second-half pick you’ll obviously need to read on to find out, I decided, both deserve a spot in my all-encompassing end-of-year list of Best Songs of 2024. This is tricky business so please bear with me. The big list will be posted too, around Christmas time, probably with selective commentary because I can’t let K-pop be the only genre I’ve extensively talked about on this section in a year full of gorgeous, gorgeous music. However, as that one’s shaping up, it will solely feature my top *5* *K-pop* songs of 2024 which can be broken down to: the first-half top 3 (see here and here) + “Cosmic” + the mystery pick I mentioned. I hope this is making sense.

As per industry publication tradition, this second half round-up will cover (late) June to November and there better not be any noteworthy releases in December or else.1 After wondering what the best way to structure this would be, given the big end-of-year ordeal and what not, I figured I’d just stick to what I did for the first half by going through the top selection of this half of the year alone, in typical ranking order. If you wish to know how the FINAL K-pop end-of-year (including all first and second half picks in combined order, among others) has formed, you can check out the playlist linked at the bottom of this piece. Nonetheless, do make sure to also tune into Of The Moment’s Best Songs of 2024 in later December to see where the aforementioned top 5 has landed.

Now.

We have a few less picks for this half contrary to the first’s top 10 and that’s a result of a BRICK WALL between #7 and what was supposed to be #8. Let us agree that 2024’s second half was a little less exciting than the first — I will not be taking questions at this time. The one track per artist rule applies, and this means I ought to briefly touch on the second-half trajectory of the acts featured in the first half, all of whom that came back did so (luckily, for the logistics of this) with less interesting releases than the ones I had already listed, even if just by a hair. Really quickly:

BADVILLAIN (pick: “YAH-HO (BADTITUDE)”) — Came out with “ZOOM” which is more of the same as their first, self-titled single though thankfully stickier.
tripleS (pick: “Girls Never Die”) — Of course released a bajillion different things following which include an album I didn’t particularly care for and a Japanese single which might be the best song in their discography but understandably doesn’t have a place here.
ITZY (pick: “Mr. Vampire”) — Recruited most employed American producer in K-pop Dem Jointz for obnoxious genre-clash “GOLD” which (all due respect) could be his worst work in the scene yet, and tapped into the meta-parasocial trend for “Imaginary Friend” which doesn’t hold a candle to exemplary iterations from the likes of NewJeans and ARTMS.
NMIXX (pick: “BOOM”) — Returned with a slightly darker (and “weirder”) version of “DASH” in “See that?” Though a pleasurable EP, none of the B-sides have the cheeky spark or musical prowess of “BOOM” off their previous project.
YOUNG POSSE (pick: “Scars”) — “ATE THAT” is… fun for the most part. But nothing that can make me abandon this outrageous girliepopified rage track as my YOUNG POSSE pick of the year.
KISS OF LIFE (pick: “Midas Touch”) — After summer fling “Sticky” and its seductive B-side “Te Quiero” released on July 1st, they came out with forgettable title “Get Loud” and its show-stealer, mandatory K-pop discography Tinashe reject “Igloo.” All fine, none a Moment. I like the track “Chemistry” off their new EP.
IVE (pick: “Accendio”) — We’ll pretend they dropped nothing because if I have to discuss this god-awful, Ryuichi Sakamoto-sampling David Guetta collab, I might be sick and wouldn’t wish to make the poor, horribly disrespected, perfect, genius composer turn in his grave.
aespa (pick: “Supernova”) — Well, I won’t try to convince anyone that “Whiplash” doesn’t belong to the 2024 hall of fame. If only this group would stop serving momentous title after momentous title and making things difficult for me, I am but a humble ranker. I’d probably be talking about this techno-infused banger more at length if “Supernova” hadn’t already been declared indisputable Song of the Year as far as K-pop is concerned (a consensus I expect to see validated in many end-of-year lists), but even with the one track per act rule in place, it’s undeniable that aespa have single-handedly owned 2024 with the “Supernova”-”Armageddon”-”Whiplash” trifecta. Talk about impact. Well-deserved Artist of the Year, if I may. Of course, there’s still some struggle on the EP front, despite the couple of charming offerings on this latest one. Shoutout to the SYNK: PARALLEL LINE special release, however, and melodic rave princess WINTER whose solo career will save us all.

That said, ARTMS still firmly own the Album of the Year title, only with TAEMIN and NCT 127 having joined the nominees. Speaking of the latter, I feel like I have to issue a disclaimer here for the real ones who will take notice of JAEHYUN’s beautiful, Babyface-assisted “Can’t Get You” in the upcoming Best of 2024 list; one of the most inspired tracks to come out of the scene at large this year, yet too much of a crossover to feel at peace in a K-pop category. No? Just me? Okay. Anyway, that’s the same nonsense reason you’re not seeing (or haven’t seen) RM, LISA or JENNIE, or perhaps more expectedly, people like youra and Balming Tiger here, but may come across some of them in the all-encompassing list.

There’s another trivial item to be brought up in regards to this which pertains to the growing trend of an approximately 70% English - 30% Hangul language division within songs, as an outcome of K-pop’s predicted, gradual assimilation into the western market for the time being. The margins can’t help but be a little arbitrary, as one can understand — I don’t want to re-awaken the eternal “what do we talk about when we talk about K-pop as a genre?” debate (if you fancy some musings on that, I direct you to this piece from a year ago which has somehow managed to age horribly in the meantime but let’s ignore that). So I’m not sure what to tell you, it’s all vibes. But as an independent blog with a plugged-in following, the goal certainly isn’t to paint a surface-level portrait of how things… are… in the industry right now.

K-pop is mutating and redefining itself like all scenes do with time and that’s a statement as neutral as it gets. I simply try to look for what, in this current landscape of attempts at branching out that either work or don’t, happens to look me in the eye and remind me of the corner of the music industry I’ve known to be capable of excellence.

#7 PRIMROSE – “Trick or Trigg”

I wish I knew more about PRIMROSE other than the fact they’re nugu promoter frequenters and two of their members come from groups which didn’t outlast one comeback — namely, HOT ISSUE and bugAboo, whose respective “ICONS” and self-titled debut could honestly knock a lot of 2024 “Big 4” K-pop right out.

The four-piece has the type of nugu (meaning “lesser known,” for the unfamiliar) group discography that makes one marvel at the world. Take this excerpt from their Spotify bio:

PRIMROSE symbolizes the flower of the Nordic Goddess, Freyja. They launched their stage debut in 2023 with their mini album “RED MOON.” In August 2023, the group released their second mini album “Laffy Taffy.”

How can you not wonder who these divas are? Especially when “LAFFY TAFFY” — a bonafide summer K-pop release complete with a music video filmed in front of the infamous Paradise Diner which mashes together a worn-out school concept and saccharine retro aesthetics under warm, low-contrast filter — is actually incredibly well-produced R&B pop.

A Nordic mythology-themed comeback in single “Freyja” (yes, actually) later, PRIMROSE are enjoying a bit of a breakout moment which they’ve bet on EP Steal Heart to prolong. While the eponymous title track dabbles in Lee Hyori-esque Y2K tropes and G-funk whistles, the big band instrumental-preceded “Trick or Trigg” calls back to a fairly recent era in the scene when jazzy, synth-soaked R&B B-sides were EP staples. Clean-structured and toeing the line between sultry and lighthearted, the track paints a smoky atmosphere through delicate piano touches and takes off with bold, propulsive synths, particularly prominent during its outstanding bridge.

Above-league moments from so-called nugu groups aren’t rare but they’re never not exciting to talk about either. In 2024, the argument could be made that the spirit of K-pop at its most idealistic is preserved through acts that don’t typically aim as high as their more well-off peers and can therefore afford either novelty or wholehearted adherence to nostalgic molds without wider industry pressures. I’m positive that many Best of K-pop 2024 lists will be featuring groups like RESCENE, who have already been dubbed Red Velvet daughters for building on the senior act’s 2018 synthy, R&B-indebted sound, or MADEIN whose debut EP lays down some pretty wild production ideas.2

#6 YENA – “NEMONEMO”

It’s like nobody wants to do aegyo music anymore. Whatever happened to the lost art that used to bring people together? Truth is, J-pop has been keeping it alive and well for decades — and it’s the reason that whenever K-pop ventures into the territory of hyper-cute dance music, J-pop mentions always flood comments. Comparatively to other endeavors, nonetheless, YENA’s “NEMONEMO” does have something of the special sauce that declares tracks of its caliber great anime openings or endings.

Packed to the brim with high-pitched call-and-responses, vibrant percussion embellished with 8-bit elements, and supersonic synths, “NEMONEMO” revives a particular kind of high-stim dance pop that seems to have taken a backseat amid the sleek, global-oriented landscape of contemporary K-pop.

To be fair, it’s not like acknowledgement from Western listenerships and outlets has fared well for YENA in the recent past. This has little to do, however, with the steadfastness of her solo trajectory post IZ*ONE (a group with significant Japanese following) and her commitment to aegyo-tinged pop rock which, in this release, is refined and taken a step further into unapologetic kitsch. On rare occasions this type of fearlessly campy and loud pop still gets made, it tends to fly under the radar. YENA may not be a total A-lister, but the joy of having this sound back in the ballpark is just priceless.

#5 BABYMONSTER - “FOREVER”

Listen. Okay, this may be the hardest case for a song I’ve had to make on here. And still, I took the decision sober.

I keep going on about the state of K-pop for the last couple years; assimilation, branching out, abandoning traditional molds with new audiences in mind; a lot of this stuff often suggests a certain mellowing out of the genre in oxymoronic service of the attempt to punch above its weight. It’s terribly boring to keep bringing this up instead of talking about actual music, but the more boring thing is that there isn’t much worth analysing in relation to TikTok and radio bait, generic lyricism and soulless trend following.

It’s why the scene isn’t keeping my interest like it used to, and in some twisted way, also why I’m sat here doing this series. Sometimes, having less to babble about gives you one thing to truly speak on — just like an indifference to trends means less fumbling about with what you know how to do. And who knows? If you’re lucky, inadaptability might even come across as authenticity.

YG seems to either be aware of this, or not care at all. Regardless, the lie is working on me. Like I implied at the end of the PRIMROSE blurb, at a time when everyone’s onto the same new thing, sticking to the outdated formulas can at least be… kind of a moment? No? “FOREVER” is a 2NE1 song and the reason it succeeds in my heart is that we are living in increasingly un-set-the-roof-on-fire-baby times. All jokes aside, though, when was the last time after 2020 you heard a melody that takes itself this seriously in an EDM song? When was the last time you heard EDM K-pop that doesn’t derive from deep house, nu disco, or ballroom culture in one sense or another? Whatever happened to Eurodance and rappers that are given verses and 3:33 Pop songs with a capital P?

Somewhere at the bottom of this list, you may also notice MEOVV’s “MEOW,” the debut of the new girl group under YG subsidiary THE BLACK LABEL, run by X nemesis producer Teddy Park whose work (BIGBANG, 2NE2, BLACKPINK) has received countless accusations of staleness by fans over the years. Despite my good conscience siding with the critical approach by default, I’m somehow not convinced that this is more of the same from this guy. His and YG’s trademark, style-first presence is very much there, yet toned down and noticeably updated. But if you don’t hear that, at least you can hear some spark — right?

#4 Yves – “Viola”

Burst out laughing when I saw this tweet, I had to spread the joy. Let’s ignore that there seems to be some kind of consensus that claims BRAT’s sound has already begun filtering through K-pop — I see nothing of the sort around, that can’t be explained away as simply the archetypal K-pop electro-pop thing or the 2023-ongoing club genre trend at least.

Nevertheless, honoring her indie transition by making sure she doesn’t fit in, Yves did go looking for her first solo comeback in the late 2000s bloghouse/hyperpop sphere and returned with “Viola” which undeniably carries a lot of the left-of-center popstar flair associated with Charli’s earlier presence in the scene. Autotune, sharp 808s and abrasive synths juxtaposed against short-lived, harmonious sections, a repetitive hook, and its inspired concept about “just need[ing] some space” lace “Viola” with a similar Trojan Horse charm: what happens when digital flavor and a DIY feel infiltrate the main stage.

It’s not like K-pop hasn’t already seen its SoundCloud moments, particularly this year — if only for HYBE’s touting of ILLIT’s “Magnetic” as pluggnb-infused house and rage-inspired cuts from the likes of TXT, SEVENTEEN and YOUNG POSSE. “Viola” thankfully falls in with the better-executed lot, sweet sincerity shining at its core, in spite of the slightly generic nature of its English lyrics. Yves is taking her time to bloom and her vision of the future looks promising — there will be work to get there, but what’s that to a LOONA girl?

#3 Loossemble – “TTYL”

So, production has just informed me that this is a DISBANDMENT song? If so, the category hasn’t seen much better. Loossemble wrapped things up with a title track which finally nailed down the LOONA essence that was missing from their previous releases, and the tightest yet most potent mini-album of their short run.

It’s always a funny moment when the credits tell you that is indeed the touch of the person you thought you recognized; this project shimmers all over with the telltale production of Ryan S. Jhun, shepherd of IVE and known for his versatile, glossy pop soundscapes specifically across girl group discographies. “TTYL” has something of IVE’s “ELEVEN” in its propulsive yet elegant percussions and bursts with arresting vibrancy even in its quieter moments, a quality reminiscent of Jhun catalog pieces such as OH MY GIRL’s “Dolphin” and fromis_9’s “Talk & Talk.”

While the post-LOONA unit had adopted safer approaches with previous singles (the accurately demure “Sensitive” and bubbly “Girls’ Night”), this track employs the group’s wide range of vocal tones at their brattiest, alongside veering into playfully risqué territory in choreography. Bouncy, breezy, and technicolored, “TTYL” embodies an end-of-summer boost like a late-afternoon matcha latte.

P.S. Whoever said “You BADDIE, RIZZ me tonight” is not in the Bible?

#2 NCT 127 – “Walk”

It has taken 16 blurbs about women to get to the first and last boy group feature of this list. As expected, the disruption to my thesis comes in the form of NCT 127 — the one all-male unit I seem to find irresistible amid a sea of hit-or-miss products from that corner of the industry, if only for their remarkable musical consistency over the years.

To start by addressing the elephant in the room; it’s been a rough year for 127, who have officially entered the nebulous era of military enlistments and sparse solo endeavors, with the cherry-on-top addition of a sex crime scandal involving now ex-member Taeil breaking out around the end of the summer. Yet the music somehow perseveres. July-released sixth LP WALK marks exactly eight years since the group’s debut and while, contrary to popular opinion, the project doesn’t come close to the peak of their discography, it rounds out 2024’s album elite deservedly.

Straightforward and effortlessly catchy, “Walk” (the single) might be the best thing the unit could’ve come out with at this time. Quite unlike 127’s penchant for experimenting with genre-defying structures and biting off the maximum of their chewing capacity3, “Walk”’s strength lies in not shooting for the stars. The track is contained to the ground level of 127’s sonic skyscraper, concentrating on the very framework of their discography by flowing on a tight hip-hop groove packed with braggadocious rhymes as laidback as can be.

At their most minimal is perhaps where NCT 127’s proficiency as a team shines best and this laces “Walk” with an undeniability that makes it impossible to rule out from the general Best Songs of 2024 list. If “locked-in” could sound like anything other than Kendrick Lamar dissing Drake, it’s probably this.

#1 Red Velvet – “Cosmic”

What praise is there to sing about Red Velvet that hasn’t already been sung throughout their decade-long career? Rhetorical question, yet in light of their 10-year anniversary, my thoughts want to underline resilience. Since the mid-’10s, the five-piece has been gracing the K-pop space with their unique approach to an artistic identity, to both critical acclaim and chart-topping hits. Reinvention, in true K-pop fashion, is a lot of acts’ bread and butter, but extremely few have been more daring and thorough with it than the group who, by definition, operates on two sides of the same coin.

After what felt like a discography valley the ensemble had nonetheless earned with eras like Birthday and Chill Kill which seeked to expand the Red Velvet palette to no substantial point, the essential 3rd gen girl group bounced back stronger than ever with a return to form. “Cosmic” — conceptualized after Ari Aster’s Scandinavian folk horror Midsommar (2019) wherein a summer festival transforms into a disturbing experience — is a celebration, though naturally one not devoid of shadows. It’s a very Red Velvet thing, after all; the flower not devoid of its thorns, the major not devoid of the minor and here, with a sharp added next to C, not quite “right” in its blissful orthodoxy either.

There is intriguing emotional energy to this track which is driven by funky ‘80s bass and featherlight synths only to explode in its euphoric, celestial chorus. Disco pop has been a K-pop go-to since forever and even more so post-Covid (perhaps “Cosmic”’s most apt reference would be none other than Jung Kook’s “Standing Next to You”), however an unapologetically elaborate, melodic chorus as the centerpiece remains a refreshing touch in the era of the afterthought hook, similarly to how a masterfully composed progression challenges samples and gimmicks even unintentionally.

Alongside longtime company talent Kenzie, “Cosmic” employs a songwriting dream team of some of SM’s most adept international collaborators (Mckinnon, Berg, Moonshine) and while a move like that doesn’t ultimately guarantee the desired excellence, here the result is a testament to studio magic. Quite literally, the song’s final minute might be the sonic equivalent to an otherworldly realm’s portal opening up.

As promised,

FINAL BEST K-POP SONGS OF 2024 LIST:

Thank you so much for reading!

As always let me know your thoughts and your personal favorites from this year.

Big, red, buzzing note about the latter, however.

You can check out all previous installments of this series, here.

You can also find all mentioned songs in the Of The Moment playlist:

I never came close to covering 2023 in music but — anyone else remember what a disaster 2022 was in regards to that all because of this little song?

After all, leader Taeyong who usually does the heavy lifting in carrying those tracks and pushing for their seriousness was the first person to enlist.

What You Missed in K-pop 2024: First Half Pt. 3

Evi — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:08:10 GMT

aespa - “Supernova” | Credit: SM Entertainment

It’s the same as the previous two parts, but it’s also an over 2K word essay on aespa’s career trajectory, the current pop landscape, and whether it’s K-pop’s time to break, so it’s not.

Pt. 1, featuring the longer prologue and placements #10 to #7, plus an honorable mention, can be found here.
Pt. 2, featuring placements #6 to #2, can be found here.

#1 aespa - “Supernova”

The ongoing, collective critical reception of aespa’s career suffered its biggest blow, in K-pop terms, when this group was no more than a year old: the perfect debut project. Savage, the SM Entertainment quartet’s very first extended play which established their extraterrestrial, hyperpop-indebted sound backed by unhinged sci-fi lore, converted doubters to believers upon its later 2021 drop. Across six tracks, the mini album managed to strike a golden ratio between the enigmatic, “Frankenstein” novelty of its hit predecessor “Next Level” and familiar, girl group K-pop tropes, resulting in the stimulating listenability of its ultra-poppy yet futuristic and just-a-little-left-field production which came without a hair out of place. Aespa were there; they were new and different; they were hot. They would struggle to recreate that magic for years to come.

To paraphrase the “big fish, small pond” analogy, the blessing and curse, here, lies in nailing an art hardly anyone else is practicing. Behold, the concept album. “Gifted kid syndrome” or whatever you want to call it — come out of the womb doing one thing flawlessly and you will be held to that standard for the rest of time, whether you like it or not. Every subsequent effort that doesn’t match the excellence of the first will be called lackluster, inadequate, disappointing. In aespa’s case, it’s been called “incohesive” a total of 3.5 times post debut1, a jab at the evident-to-the-naked-ear lack of artistic vision behind tracklists, but also SM’s unspoken aim at the group’s sustainability within the music industry through the increasing employment of “easier,” playlist-optimized tracks (plus contractually obligatory ballads) that don’t recall the compelling complexity of Savage in the slightest.

The latter case (and its leading example, English-language, US-promoted, acoustic pop single “Life’s Too Short”), to the degree that it concerns the global general public, suggests that aespa’s renowned, experimental pop sound, which still rules over Korean title tracks, is internationally inaccessible. Which could’ve been correct in 2016, under the circumstances that rendered Charli XCX’s PC Music pivot with Vroom Vroom EP “pointedly uncommercial.” Thankfully, it is 2024 and the lime green, everydance-everypop-everysynth-fusion chaos of BRAT has earned the UK singer her biggest Billboard opening to date at No. 3 — which also happens to be aespa’s peak with pseudo-LP Girls (2022) — alongside boasting a Metacritic 95.

A question that’s been going around online spaces and, by extension, my head as of late: Does keeping up any sort of creative integrity have merit beyond recognizability for musicians, in an age where fans themselves criticize like industry insiders and strategize like board executives?

If the whispers of Chappell Roan’s name I hear coming from the back are anything to go by, then maybe… yes. It’s the year of pop girls being rewarded for following their unique vision, when that not only looks — aesthetically, stylistically — but feels — lyrically, relatably — authentic (alongside being well-produced). When talking about K-pop, this singularity aspect, usually encompassed in the phrase “meta-narrative,” is, in its scarcity, a glass ceiling of sorts. An often overlooked factor in conversations about the genre’s ever-speculated US break, the meta-narrative, as a device that drives public interest in pop acts, illustrates the story behind the person and the meaning within the vessel.

The harsher way to put it would be that, in K-pop, most authentic meta-narratives look roughly the same across the board: Ambitious teens with dreams to stand on a stage in front of their own fans work very hard under a universal system to eventually achieve their goals. Indeed, who doesn’t love a “dreams come true” story, especially when the successful person shares various traits with you? Who isn’t moved seeing their successful person who shares various traits with them tear up when reminiscing about obscene amounts of mental and physical effort that paid off and actually got them somewhere?

However, as much as a K-pop act’s come-up struggles wrapped in other empathetic parallels might mean to their devotees who, initially, likely gravitated towards them for aesthetic reasons, for the general public, a glimpse into that particular type of emotional weight can be an ultimately unpleasant reminder of the entertainment industry’s capitalistic nature, even as collective opinion shifts in favor of artistic development over finessed virality. There is relatability, and even some sense of aspiration which happens to correspond to what Meaghan Garvey describes as today’s pop stars being “as unlucky and confused as you and I,” but still “doing the work.” You’ll see K-pop intentionally amplify those themes via any means possible — variety and reality shows, customized, in-company interviews, tracks dipped in Disney-like, inspirational sentimentality like “Live My Life” off aespa’s latest album. Yet, what isn’t usually palpable in these displays of hustle and achievement is a distinctive point of view; a collection of personal brand elements that would transcend the idea of mere employment under entertainment.

The nuance comes in the veneer. Manufactured narrative, or concept, remains K-pop’s unrivaled strength, with heaps of creativity involved in its development. SM has been well-versed in this process, historically known for ushering forward-thinking ideas in the K-pop space even when a little outlandish, or idiosyncratic. In this context, aespa can be seen as the last bastion of the company’s futuristic branding and visual identity as envisioned by founder Lee Soo-man (before his official departure from it in early 2023), whose “delusions of grandeur” often reserved room for marketing plans that read convoluted or, in some cases, simply audacious.

Avatars, supervillains, and interlinked dimensions like the infamous “Kwangya” weave together aespa’s fictional, sci-fi universe; an accompaniment to the group’s Spotify presence that more than provides a lens through which their music can be perceived and analyzed, as story terms are frequently incorporated in song lyrics, rendering basic lore knowledge a prerequisite to understanding what the girls are talking about half the time. Besides being a fun sidequest for fans, though, the narrative framing informs the totality of aespa through sonically making its way into their discography. It became the very premise for their explorations of avant-garde, hyperpop-inspired sounds that immediately set the act apart from peers upon Savage’s release.

For the past year or so, notably after the ambitious 2022 single “Girls” which marked a sort of closure to the first hypothetical chapter of aespa’s storyline set in their interdimensional universe, it seems like SM has been cooling it on… all that. 2023’s MY WORLD EP saw the girl group’s adventure get transferred to the “real world,” where the members put on their Y2K-style miniskirts and crop tops and hit an American high school party as they sang about being “too spicy” in the same-named title track. It was a blast; a summer pop song for the ages, with all the light-hearted, coquettish attitude necessary to be touted as “a breath of fresh air” in aespa’s discography, and simultaneously the right amount of grimy bass, dissonance, and eccentric structure to still comfortably announce itself in it. The EP’s most popular B-side, Ariana Grande-emulating, trappy R&B tune “Thirsty,” could’ve belonged on any other girl group project of the same period and up to about five years prior. The music video, drawing stylistic inspiration from Friends and other classic, 2000s American TV programs, showcased a side of aespa stripped of “Black Mamba”’s, “Flat”’s, and “Synk”’s. It did great — and thus, the door to the real world was open. Interestingly, it was decided that it also had to stay that way for as long as possible.

It begs a question of why. Moreso when SM 3.0’s (the company’s new direction according to a post-Lee Soo-man, reassembled board) idea of realizing that aspect of aespa’s concept seems to have been less about a smooth transition from the undebatably flagship aespa song “Next Level” that would’ve maintained threads to what makes aespa… aespa, and more about progressively eroding the experimental elements that rendered the group’s music engaging in the first place. Let’s be fair, though. If the show-stopping because expertly pulled off, 3-in-1 song structure of “Next Level” that catapulted the act onto the main stage in 2021 sits at the wildest end of the spectrum of all aespa title tracks up to this moment, “Spicy” probably marks the tamest end.

Last November’s “Drama” — a smash in its own right, partly thanks to its viral choreo — was nothing short of bombastic; an endeavor into dynamic, operatic melodies underlined by spirited, discordant rap sections and femme fatale imagery that treaded new ground in a remarkably accessible manner. Today, the song finds itself at over 200 million Spotify streams higher than every other track on its mini album with the exception of “Better Things,” the (much) better English-language single of the group’s, released three months prior as a summer drop. Amusingly, the Drama mini is a summer project released in November, featuring half-hearted B-sides, whether mid or uptempo, that read like SM vault tracks repurposed with the scrapped prospect of filling out that May’s MY WORLD; toplines that don’t go anywhere, redundant instrumentals, shallow, bubbly cuts devoid of any signature aespa charm.

Armageddon marks aespa’s very first full-length album at the fourth year of their career, and we are gathered here today to talk about “Supernova,” the pre-release single on everyone’s mouth that has already entered the competition for Song of the Year 2024. We are also here to talk about the slightly less impactful but equally imaginative, high-concept, and electrifying titular track “Armageddon.” And lastly, why the album as a whole falls flat. ICYMI, the pattern here: aespa keep delivering singles against all odds. The odds in question? The gradual watering down of their longer projects by album B-sides sprinkled in like trinkets around the main order.

“Supernova” is an event. Arson, superstrength, dancing and floating amid hurricanes, are just some of the things our girls get up to throughout the song’s action-filled music video which, in its lively yet muted color palette, encompasses aespa’s glitzy, futuristic idea of the perfect summer appetizer. With production helmed by none other than Dem Jointz, “Supernova”’s “sampleception” involves Afrika Bambaataa’s iconic “Planet Rock” (1982) and, hence, Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” (1977), weaved into an electro-house extravaganza that gives the impression of modernized 2010s SM girl group flair along the lines of Girls’ Generation and f(x). Its main body consists of four-on-the-floor pulses, and an abundance of diverse, technicolored synths, while the track breathes through stripped, gliding bass and slices of isolated vocals. And of course, the great highlight can be found in the Miami bass break on its backhalf, overlaid with an addictive, cheerleader-esque chant that gets its moment to shine there, before the song explodes into its grand final chorus. Full of contagious energy, icy attitude, and a generous coat of sugar, “Supernova” practically asks to be looped into oblivion; in itself, a necessary ingredient to the Song of the Summer cocktail.

Aptly to do with discovering alter egos, “Supernova”’s moody, apocalyptic, analog horror-inspired, and Rick Owens-wearing sister “Armageddon” presents the other side of the coin. “Armageddon” — a wordplay on the repeated hook phrase “Imma get ‘em” — adopts heavy, old school hip-hop rhythm for its skeleton, which it occasionally lets blossom into synthy, harmonic sections only to drop back into the grimy, dark ground, trapped in claustrophobic, tension-filled toplines. On first listen, this is a release of aespa’s whose eerie tone and swag-driven aura uncannily resembles the trademark style of labelmates NCT 127. On second, its subtle, feminine details, largely underlined by solo artist and co-producer SUMIN whose gentle, experimental R&B color is very much present here, carry the track over to aespa’s S tier. Understandably, it makes sense for this to be the moment in aespa’s career where listeners start raising a few complaints about formulaic song structures — a concern which I am personally inclined to overlook due to my fondness for stimulating pop music. Aespa’s unpredictability may be bordering on predictability at this stage, but its meticulous execution leaves very little room for criticism when it comes to pulling off multiple musical ideas around the three minute mark, and that is, perhaps, “Armageddon”’s biggest strength. When bridges are going extinct industry-wide, you just have to respect the hustle that is that and a dance break.

So we have two singles, one just that bit more brilliant than the other, both getting the full promo cycle treatment on Korean music shows and both taking TikTok by storm. The pre-release phenomenon has been the talk of K-pop town in fan circles for quite some time now, seeing as the industry seems to be increasingly adopting a model of putting the effort equivalent to piecing together two title tracks into a single comeback, to more effectively build anticipation and amp up streams and visibility upon LP releases. It’s not that the art of the album (especially the concept album) has ever been one of K-pop’s priorities in its less-than-30-year-old existence — universally acclaimed LP endeavors in the industry can maybe be counted on one hand, with the vast majority pulled from roughly the last decade. Still, the question on the minds of many is whether this new approach could be negatively impacting the quality of extended records through the disproportionate division of attention.

Looking to Armageddon for answers, it’s difficult to deny the concern’s validity. On the surface, out of eight additional tracks, only three could be considered to occupy the same aesthetic space as “Supernova” and “Armageddon.” Sensibly placed back to back on the fronthalf, yet unreasonably only after the two singles, “Set The Tone,” “Mine,” and “Licorice” all pertain to “Supernova” and “Armageddon”’s vitality and underlying grit, nevertheless in far more straightforward fashion. The latter two provide satisfactory album moments through Savage-adjacent, dramatic R&B and catchy electro-pop, while the should’ve-been-tone-setter’s prolonged atonal sections and redundant instrumentals render the song mostly forgettable. Armageddon’s second half gives way to the light-hearted disco-pop of “BAHAMA,” a cut that could belong on an imaginary B-side of last year’s “Better Things” as much as it could on Girls’ Generation’s August 2022 sugary anniversary release FOREVER 1, which featured songs like “Lucky Like That” and “Closer.” Follow-up “Long Chat (#♥)” is bouncy and melodic, yet mechanically so, as well as slightly clunky, while “Prologue” sounds like a track made around a decade ago; which could definitely also be the case for orchestral ballad closer “Melody,” placed just after Disney channel anthem “Live My Life” — aespa’s second YOLO-themed song in less than a year.

Perhaps the proto-aespa vision can survive through persistently immaculately-produced singles. Perhaps the issue has solely revolved around label finances all along, Savage was a lightning-in-a-bottle happenstance, critique is useless, and dressing room music is the future. An entertainment executive in New York could be losing their mind at the sound of “Long Chat (#♥)” in an H&M as we speak. Yet amid this talk about the mainstream rise of unapologetically eccentric pop, and the modern “YMCA,” I can’t help but wonder whether a loophole for K-pop’s organic break could be open. Personality undoubtedly is and will remain a hard thing to translate over to the West, let alone the unpacking of the nature of K-pop’s parasocial relationships and notoriously politically incorrect, behind the scenes shenanigans. But is there another form of authenticity to be found in that space? What is K-pop’s “truth” if not the collective efforts of multicultural groups of creatives working together in production studios and video sets to realize ambitious concepts through attention to craft and detail? What is aespa, with their international make-up, niche yet majorly current musical direction, and ingenuity-requiring concept, if not the perfect vessel for that truth? If there is any merit to this theory, I would like to believe they haven’t missed their chance.

Thank you for reading! This series consumed my entire month, but it was such a pleasure writing about music for you all. Always something to talk about in K-pop…

You can find all songs mentioned in the ranking in the Of The Moment playlist:

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

If we’re being sensible, MY WORLD deserves to be cut some slack thanks to the best possible selection of scratched LP tracks landing on it, as well as its conceptual loophole.

What You Missed in K-pop 2024: First Half Pt. 2

Evi — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 16:00:00 GMT

IVE - “Accendio” | Credit: Starship Entertainment

It’s what it says on the tin. You can find Pt. 1, featuring the longer prologue, here.

#6 NMIXX - “BOOM”

I closed last week’s piece talking about ITZY’s “lost plot” and their most engaging musical moment since, probably, 2020. It’s no secret that JYP’s girl groups haven’t been in the best place from an artistic standpoint recently — ITZY’s lack of conceptual direction aside, even TWICE, the company’s backbone since 2015, are currently facing the challenges of maintaining a presence outside of the domestic market with noticeable impact on the quality of their latest recordings.

NMIXX, the youngest of the lot, have been seemingly building their career towards wherever the wind blows. Straight out of the gate with one of the most universally hated debuts of 2022, the group attempted to introduce the idea of “MIXX POP” in the polarizing title track “O.O,” a back and forth between baile funk and pop-rock so audibly influenced by the “Frankenstein” model of aespa’s 2021 hit “Next Level,” yet missing the conceptual groundwork and self-awareness that made the latter transcend the camp realm into pop juggernaut. MIXX POP, then, was a frilly term for packaging JYP’s aim to capitalize on the appeal of overstimulating music, which had been the go-to for 4th gen’s entry period and which, by that point, ITZY were beginning to leave behind in favor of redefining their audience. That summer, however, saw K-pop’s turning point into its least flamboyant era to date, where relatable narratives, reimagined Y2K nostalgia, and easy listening ruled over concept boards and tracklists.

For a powerhouse group like NMIXX, skillfully trained on all things traditional pop such as vocal and breathing technique, energetic dancing, and an entertaining stage presence, the balancing act among the initial promise of an experimental sound, shifting trends that encouraged whisper-singing and TikTok-optimized choreo, and a natural talent at pulling off… Beyoncé, would become a challenge. Like ITZY with the late producer SOPHIE, NMIXX saw their “24HRS” in “O.O”’s B-side “TANK,” a collaboration with NCT 127 godfather Dem Jointz which, itself, more than hinted at JYP’s SM-related aspirations at the time. A discography standout, “TANK” was mysterious, eccentric, and sticky; wilder than your typical K-pop song yet distinguishably tamer than the patchwork frame of MIXX POP’s proto-definition. Complete with a performance packed with dynamic moments that didn’t stretch the group thin at all, “TANK” may have been just the path to follow for the effective realization of an ambitious pop concept. Still, NMIXX eventually found their footing by pulling back, two singles later, with 2023’s “Love Me Like This” and its bouncy, 2010s pop sensibility.

2023 was the reset year for the act, where radio-friendly singles like “Roller Coaster,” and “Party O’Clock” (both dabbling in the UK garage trend of the season without getting snoozy) covered NMIXX’s bases, allowing them to start reintroducing MIXX POP with a vision much clearer than before. This January’s “DASH” may be the highlight of this new era; its jazzy hip-hop fusion ebbs and flows between tight grooves and theatrical deliveries structured as far more welcoming to the ear than previous efforts, while utilizing the girls’ prowess in all aspects of performance. Nonetheless, the most exciting album cut comes in the form of “BOOM,” a spirited and gritty, experimental pop banger. Throughout the song, snappy beats and resolute, rhythmic verses sometimes blossom into melodic sections echoing Disney princess charm, and others, descend into dark, trappy bass fit for the club. “BOOM”’s structure play is unprecedented even for NMIXX, its several transitions almost seamless, with the cherry on the cake appearing right at the end, where the track bursts into a half minute of breezy, uplifting UK garage.

#5 YOUNG POSSE - “Scars”

I told you I was going to reveal it. The 11th spot on this list technically belongs to a little song called “Magnetic” by HYBE’s newest prodigies ILLIT. No. 12 would be another song called “Deja Vu” by TOMORROW X TOGETHER — BTS’ little brothers whose spectacular run in their first three years was followed by a sluggish walk for another three, until said release. The latter, blending rage beats with a dramatic pop topline, coincidentally arrived just as I was beginning to wonder what it would take for rage music to eventually get on K-pop’s radar. Borrowing from Western music trends, aesthetics, and subcultures is an idea that’s been embedded in K-pop’s DNA since the scene’s inception. But besides HYBE who, as the company with arguably the strongest grip on the US climate in the K-pop sphere1, has recently churned out tracks inspired by the likes of PinkPantheress and Tyla and tapped into SoundCloud microgenres with “Deja Vu” and “Magnetic” (touted as pluggnb-infused house, debatably), other corners of the industry are showing know-how in adopting internet-pervasive sounds.

What I hadn’t caught wind of earlier was that 10 days prior to the TXT release, DSP Media x Beats Entertainment’s YOUNG POSSE had dropped their second EP XXL, featuring opener “Scars” which operates on robust rage production and package-deal, autotuned raps combined with true-to-K-pop, girly flair. This thing is undeniably catchy, a mark YOUNG POSSE proved they can hit both in title track “XXL,” which draws from Seo Taiji and Boys’ 1996 classic “Come Back Home,” and last year’s debut song “MACARONI CHEESE” — most known for coming under fire due to suggestive lyrical and visual cues that embroiled the then mostly underage five-piece in a public dispute similar to NewJeans’ “Cookie” controversy in 2022.

Hardly any of the latter is present in this XXL B-side, a piece about overcoming growing pains that employs old school hip-hop grooves and aegyo-sprinkled stage presence for its performance, with the group’s baggy, tomboy-ish styling reflecting a certain anti-polish sentiment, 5th gen to the core. It’s an essence that is personified in 20-year-old leader Sunhye, who cites 21 Savage and Travis Scott as go-tos, and whose deep, nasal timbre and laidback delivery evoke a style favored by various Korean female rappers outside of the more clean cut frames of K-pop.

YOUNG POSSE, after all, despite their young age, seem to be cultivating an affiliation to the K-hip-hop scene. At the start of this year, the group released a remix of drill/jersey club-fusion debut EP track “POSSE UP!” renamed “YOUNG POSSE UP” in which they collaborated with Korean rappers Verbal Jint and NSW yoon, alongside American rapper Token. When held next to their latest project’s explorations of ‘90s hip-hop, rage, afrobeats, boom bap, and drum and bass, as well as the members’ writing contributions, this is credit not to go unnoticed. I’ll get a bit bold here and say that last time I saw this film, I believe it had BTS as protagonists. Speaking of HYBE, one could argue that YOUNG POSSE bridges the gap between a BTS and a NewJeans — whether DSP has all the aces necessary for a similar amount of domestic or international reach up their sleeve remains to be seen.

#4 KISS OF LIFE - “Midas Touch”

Has KISS OF LIFE reinvigorated K-pop? One perspective would allude to the timeframe for which nostalgia waves are allowed to pose as novelty. Of course, for the last few years, the ubiquity of nostalgic concepts in popular culture worldwide has led to quick redundancy for every decade-aesthetic that has graced charts, magazines, and all kinds of digital media. After deciding its season of moodboarding Dua Lipa’s 2020-defining, ‘80s-inspired synthpop and disco visuals was over somewhere in 2022 (here), K-pop started taking Y2K revisionism very seriously. Among a plethora of ramblings that played dress-up with the Y2K “vibes” of check print miniskirts and pink flip phones, the era’s standout products became ones that managed to convey nostalgia’s universality, either by leaning into constructing its true narrative essence, or drawing directly from the early 2000s for their sound. In 2024, younger generations still love reminiscing about the near past — regardless of whether they’ve actually lived it or not. And thus, acts who aspire to refresh should know when a smart pivot within the main structure is due.

S2 Entertainment four-piece KISS OF LIFE tried a bit of everything on their 2023 debut project. The results of what ended up sticking with the audience would come in swiftly: at the moment I’m writing this, among alt-rock sensibility, sparse-beat, poppy rap, and dated K-pop productions, the group’s debut single “Shhh” and member Natty’s solo “Sugarcoat” boast a gap of around 50 million streams higher than every other song on the self-titled EP. The latter — the first KISS OF LIFE song to be released — wears its ‘90s R&B influences on its sleeve, emulating Brandy and Toni Braxton almost as much as it does Lee Hyori and BoA, both South Korean divas who dabbled in the genre in their early ‘00s beginnings and contributed to shaping the fabric of K-pop as we know it.

Title track “Shhh,” stands at an interesting intersection between ‘90s hip-hop and 2010s pop, combining the familiar, sky-high belts of Ariana Grande’s My Everything era and later Pharell-inspired production with a break straight out of a Missy Elliott record on its backhalf. The streak was continued in the quartet’s first comeback with the single “Bad News”; heavy-handed in its country stomp and power vocals which recall trademark Carrie Underwood and Christina Aguilera, and complete with “misunderstood villain” branding that added dimension to feminine rage tropes by commenting on the scrutinous ways in which media targets famous women’s “wrongdoings.” The storyline, there, was enhanced by noteworthy B-side “Nobody Knows” which echoes “Sugarcoat” from more of a SWV point of view, adjacent to the updated take on ‘00s-style R&B that UK unit FLO is bringing to the current mainstream.

What was missing from KISS OF LIFE’s pastiche-adoring catalog of predominantly American pop references was a nod to none other than thee American pop star in Y2K enthusiasts’ minds. “Midas Touch” is Britney to a T; though, ditches the scene’s opted-for “...Baby One More Time” R&B pop and schoolgirl aesthetics for the unadulterated sultriness of “Toxic” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” While legibly given away in the song by unmistakeable, high-pitched, nasal phonetic placement and a telltale “Baby, I’m so toxic” line delivered by Natty speeding through a dark tunnel on a motorcycle with the music video’s male vixen attached to her back, the Britney-ness KISS OF LIFE are tapping into, here, possibly extends to reflecting something more about the group. Similar to Spears, three out of these four idols had been years in the making, training under some of the biggest K-pop agencies and working behind the scenes of the industry. Particularly notable is the amount of experience under Thai main dancer Natty’s belt, undebatably the star of the ensemble, who had previously participated in the survival shows behind TWICE and fromis_9, moving in and out of the industry since 2015 with another miniature solo career in 2020, and whose 180 transformation into a fierce, sensual performer immediately caught eyes. KISS OF LIFE didn’t have to graduate from rookie status to make headlines, going from a “...Baby One More Time” to an “Oops!...I Did It Again” in less than a year. Perhaps everything they touch does turn to gold.

If you’re even slightly familiar with noughties commercial pop, there is no doubt that “Midas Touch”’s prominent synths, playful whistles, and punchy percussions will take you back in seconds. The track is packed to the brim with sparkle, moxie, and diva-isms, clocking in at 2:43 having not once loosened its commitment to the bit even when it comes to choreography. Its biggest highlight? The girls referencing their debut EP solos over campy, backing chants of “Bridge! Bridge!” And while on the topic of “YtrueK” K-pop in sonic terms, as well as taking into account KISS OF LIFE’s almost uncensored, mature presentation as a group, “Midas Touch”’s specific brand of blast from the past perfectly parallels Nayeon’s freshly unveiled “ABCD” (honorable mention, see here), stirring the ‘00s trend onto a more hopeful trajectory2. Debut ages might be decreasing in this industry, but a new era for the more seasoned women of K-pop seems to be afoot. The girls are shockingly sexy and stepping on men again3. It’s about to be a blast.

#3 ARTMS - “Virtual Angel”

You may have noticed that the title of the music video linked above hilariously reads “Human Eye Ver.” and that’s because I would like to avoid giving my readers seizures if it’s within my power. However, if you’d like a peek into the fascinatingly ambitious music video concept that was chosen for the official version, you can find that here. At your own risk.

Do we think someone at MODHAUS had the chance to attend an early screening of I Saw the TV Glow (2024) before coming up with ARTMS’ debut concept? In Jane Schoenbrun’s entrancing film, suburban teens Owen and Maddy become enthralled by fictional fantasy TV show The Pink Opaque which, at times, feels like it borders on reality, within far closer reach than a screen should allow. Through the two main characters of the show, the two leads are able to identify selfhood, struggles, and wishes on the television’s elevated plane, to a point of intensity which causes their sense of reality to warp. TV Glow illustrates its allegory for transness by acknowledging parasocial identification and projection as a vessel for inner self-discovery. It’s a kind of quasi-supernatural power that K-pop fans are all too familiar with, and that the industry itself deeply understands and cherishes — despite often not in the most reverent of ways.

The post-LOONA unit’s first endeavor as a quintet, “Virtual Angel,” wears this knowledge proudly on its wings. Transcending realities is as easy as blinking to the tempo of a song that assures you of the unwavering, protective presence of your object of affection or admiration, the official music video says, through fleeting, interspersed clips of ARTMS performing in the cosmic realm and a group of their doubles navigating a romanticized version of the real world — doubles who pose as none other than you and me. These guardian forces, or “virtual angels” are pop stars, friends, idols — projections on screens that shouldn’t feel as tangible as they do. They are The Pink Opaque, where the idealized version of life and selfhood is realized; a hyperreality where everything is tinted pink and neon, enveloped in a bright, bewitching glow.

The meta interrogation of the nature of fan-idol relationships has been entering the conversation more and more when it comes to themes embedded in modern K-pop. NewJeans’ floor-sweeping sensation from the tail end of 2022, the single “Ditto” whose echoes are still reverberating left and right in the industry, is the most noteworthy example in recent years that casts its familiar shadow here. Camcorders and screens serve as mediating devices between the confines of the real world and romantic, parasocial ideation, underlining certain hints of sadness trapped within that elusive, liminal space. Melancholy is palpable in the stimulating, technicolored maximalism and glamorous yet emotional synthpop of “Virtual Angel” as much as it is in “Ditto”’s hazy sepia tones and wistful vocals over heartbeat-drum Baltimore club beats. But while the latter is a reminder of these relationships’ ephemerality and their tendency to dissolve into thin air with age, the former lets us take in the transformative power of the fantasy for just a little bit longer; feel seen from the other side, and — why not? — even loved.

ARTMS’ debut album is triumphant, a stunning kick-start to the five-piece’s journey and a more than adequate follow-up to the 2023 top spot of ODD EYE CIRCLE’s reboot EP, . With MODHAUS CEO Jaden Jeong having been significantly involved in the production of LOONA’s earlier discography — held on a pedestal by fans to this day — the group’s new material harkens back to the beloved sounds of [++] and [XX], as well as ODD EYE CIRCLE’s debut project, where synthy R&B, hyperpop, dream pop, and delicate electronic weaved together the tapestry of LOONA’s musical character. All of these elements are aptly updated, here, meeting the club genre trends of the current K-pop landscape in the middle with UK garage and drum and bass touches, while B-sides “Flower Rhythm,” “Candy Crush,” and “Air” interestingly sample some of the members’ 2023 releases under MODHAUS.

#2 IVE - “Accendio”

I hope we can all agree that a song whose first line is “Dear priest,” is rendered instantly iconic right then and there.

IVE barely need introductions at this point. Arguably the post-IZ*ONE unit attracting the most pairs of eyes at the moment, the six-piece that became a new home of members Yujin and Wonyoung after the Produce 48 group’s disbandment in early 2021 has been taking K-pop by storm for the past couple of years. Much of the intrigue, I am inclined to guess, relates to quite a special, refreshing facet of their conceptual identity: as mentioned above, with relatable meta-narratives and anti-polish sentiment permeating the 5th gen, who was left to fill in the gap BLACKPINK would leave behind in the scene on their way to indefinite hiatus? Not being afraid to look and act expensive, flawless, and untouchable could be seen as a badge of honor in the climate of “idols are just like you,” almost as much as singing predominantly in Korean resists the “removing the ‘K’ from K-pop” movement. As audiences’ increasing demands for authenticity in pop stars clash with the era of “coquette” fashion and pre-teens raiding Sephoras, the room for Wonyoungism still seems plenty — and charts say the same.

IVE left Starship Entertainment’s womb with a “chaebol” image — old money, “you can’t sit with us” attitude, blasé stares, siren-like allure, and playing God’s favorite. The star power of Jang Wonyoung, who placed No. 1 on Produce 48 at the age of 14 and proceeded to become a poster child for borderline humanly unattainable perfection as far as looks and a public persona go, is, of course, at the center of it. Yet, however bright the singular star of Wonyoung shines, IVE’s synergy works, and the ensemble keeps proving it with hit after hit.

IVE SWITCH, funnily enough, comes after the actual switch-up in the group’s trajectory, which took place in the I’VE MINE EP last October. IVE, who up until that point had spoiled their audience with glitzy, bonafide pop bangers like “LOVE DIVE” and “I AM,” pointed the spotlight to the struggles of being an idol and a public figure in lead single “Either Way” and adopted definitive girl crush elements for main title track “Baddie,” a release which, although divisive, opened their discography up to wider accessibility through its effortlessly catchy hook and healthy dose of danceability. In the latest EP, the sextet continues experimenting, yet re-emphasizes the trademark IVE charm people have come to know them by. Opener “HEYA” (which in Korean stands for the sun IVE threaten to… eat?) notably employs in-demand producer Dem Jointz for strong 808s, grandiose, brassy synths, and quirky piano hooks, featuring one of the most intricate toplines in the group’s catalog — all packaged with a neat bow in a pastel-hued music video straight out of a fairytale. Among highlights such as the Wonyoung-penned “Blue Heart” where the girls’ robotic, autotuned delivery of lines about giving away “frozen smiles” reflects the doll-like behavior the idol industry often requires from female celebrities, and “Ice Queen” which combines hip-hop-indebted bass and whispered hooks with dreamy, stacked harmonies, second single “Accendio” undoubtedly takes the cake.

It’s true that IVE’s elegance isn’t missing from this record in the slightest, though what truly amps up the appeal, here, is their ability to fully lean into eccentricity this time around. “Accendio”’s immaculately staged music video tells the story of IVE meeting their evil witch doppelgangers after member Gaeul, having run into the coven on a bike ride, steals a magic wand which transforms the group themselves into the “good witch” troupe. When the coven comes knocking at IVE’s door to acquire the wand back, the final showdown recalls equal amounts Sailor Moon and the dance battle scene from White Chicks (2004), eventually resulting in a hilarious turn of events where the item ends up transported to a beach across the ocean and randomly picked up by a little kid.

The song itself emulates the plot’s sequences by utilizing playful 8-bit sounds, action-signaling drum and bass, rhythmic hooks, and choral sections, where the girls take turns tapping into their characters’ duality, sometimes through icy talk-raps and others through theatrical crescendos. IVE’s “Accendio” is a sonic adventure of stakes thus far unprecedented in the 5th generation that somehow manages to pull itself into an ultra-poppy pocket, offering saccharine, punch, and epicness all at once.

Thank you for reading!

Check out Pt. 3, featuring placement #1, here.

You can find all mentioned songs in the Of The Moment playlist:

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

Note that the recent announcement of Scooter Braun's official transition into his role as CEO of HYBE America comes in the midst of online fan protests against HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's decision to partner up with the openly pro-Israel ex-music manager.

Coincidentally, you'll also find KISS OF LIFE's Julie featured on Nayeon's new album.

KISS OF LIFE "Sixth Sense" by Brown Eyed Girls cover, anyone?

What You Missed in K-pop 2024: First Half Pt. 1

Evi — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 15:50:51 GMT

NAYEON - “ABCD” | Credit: JYP Entertainment

I keep wanting to write about K-pop. At this point, I’m sure it has to do with familiarity. Where the music industry at large — as well as its publication sphere — looms colossal, self-important, and borderline impenetrable at times, my relationship to the K-pop scene resembles that to my lived-in apartment. I am far too god-fearing and insecure in my writing ability to ever refer to myself as “big fish.” Nonetheless, this is sort of like my small pond; for a few years now, I’ve been swimming around its crevices, observing its patterns, learning from its ups and downs, getting the hang of how to navigate its ecosystem to maximum joy.

Things are easy over here, if you go with the flow. Everything has structure and some linearity to it. All events take place under a centralized system. If something happens in the neighbor’s house, you will know. In fact, everyone’s peeping into their neighbor’s house at all times — unprovoked, unbothered. Everyone is judgemental. Treat this like one of our little gossip sessions at the town square. This is Stars Hollow and we are the Gilmore girls at Luke’s.

On the practical side, 2024 K-pop has kind of attacked me. It was less than a year ago when I mused on the state of the scene post the introduction of “easy listening” and the crystallization of the industry’s intentions to operate as a global entity, at least for a while. It’s fair to say that the last couple of years weren’t the most sonically ambitious for the genre, their most outstanding products being ones that adhere to solid, undeniable pop craftsmanship and engineering (see here, here, and here). As it seems, not much has changed. Girl groups still rule the world and the GP still loves a catchy, little tune. However, where ‘22 and ‘23 rollouts had their severely redundant moments — seen in the Y2K-inspired styling epidemic, incessant sampling with little to no added value, and TikTok-optimized choreography — the past five months have shown 2024 to be drastically more open to branching out of trendy pockets and into fully realized, higher-concept ideas.

With time, I’m starting to look at rankings more and more as thesis vehicles, when serving their ideal purpose. Often, the straightforward format simply works. If you know me and my taste, you know I’m speaking my truth here. We’re doing what it says on the tin. I’ve written entirely too much for each placement. Enjoy.

Honorable Mention: NAYEON - “ABCD”

NAYEON takes her job more seriously than many would. When the main vocalist of iconic 3rd gen girl group TWICE came out with her debut solo single in summer 2022, we sure made it “POP!,” we tweeted about it being the “most K-pop-y song to ever K-pop,” and boy *nostalgic chuckle* did we write terrible essays about how much we needed unapologetically bubblegum music back in the game. The aptly titled “POP!,” as suggested, harkened back to a retro-tinted, bouncy, feminine, and majorly cutesy pop sound, emblematic of the JYP Entertainment aesthetic and most notably popularized by the Wonder Girls, a generation before TWICE’s arrival and rise to stardom. Pop (or K-pop), in all its lab-engineered, satin-finish glory, as would be echoed in a highlight reel of TWICE title tracks over the years, is NAYEON’s bread and butter — she has been the face and embodiment of it, the parasocial relationship darling, the X-factor possessor whose magnetic stage presence can draw a smile out of anyone and everyone. On “ABCD,” she is claiming her diva status.

References abound. You’d be hard-pressed to find one listener who isn’t reminded of the fire-eyed momentum in Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love” when hearing the wind instruments layered atop “ABCD”’s post-chorus among repetitions of “in love, in love,” or doesn’t sense the household name’s influence in the dance break attire of white tank–denim shorts. The dance break itself (sadly only part of the music video mix, because God forbid pop songs’ durations surpass the three minute mark on streaming services nowadays), a mostly stripped-back, percussive section, features discreet interpolations of Amerie’s “1 Thing” for some sparse vocal moments. From classic visual cues for the ages such as a Britney schoolgirl fit revisited through a modern “library siren” lens, to free, make-of-it-what-you-will associations like the “Nah 1 to the ah to the, no, no, no” cadence on the hook line, and spectacular, choreographed crotch grab, “ABCD” renders its goal evident from the get-go and has undebatably achieved it by the end. There is dancing in alleyways and disrupting traffic, black and white frames of singing in the rain, reimagined flamenco ensembles to match Latin guitars; pop in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Understandably, in the case applying for a diva card via extensive referencing sounds contrived, just remember, again, that this is K-pop. If “POP!” was about making that part clear and adhering to a popular, public perception of the genre, NAYEON’s level two looks to explore its fabric of reinterpreting all that graces US charts. “ABCD” might be just the song to show someone who asks you what K-pop is; a plethoric acknowledgement of its roots and charms, delivered by “a girl named NAYEON” who is “crossing the cosmos” and becoming a star. In Madonna’s words, it’s a celebration.

This takes the honorable mention spot because it released two days before my publishing goal, which was the latest I was willing to go, here. If Red Velvet drop the best song of all time on the 24th, you will be hearing about it in the second half round-up (hopefully). Noting that honorable mention means placement #0 and not #11. (I reveal that one in the next part. Stay tuned.)

#10 SEOLA - “Let’s Talk (Loneliness)”

It was around this time last year when “I Just Wanna Dance” by TIFFANY clicked for me out of nowhere. Released in May, 2016, the Girls’ Generation member’s “housetronica” solo debut carries the scent of summertime, clad in hazy pinks and blues, and filmed across the pastel-hued landscapes of Sun Valley, LA. The few English phrases sprinkled across the track speak to this perceived carefreeness; “I feel good,” “It’s alright,” “I just wanna dance the night away,” TIFFANY sings, yet underneath it all, lies a yearning for something deeper. Catharsis is the heroine’s secret wish, the dancing she talks of an alternative to getting “immersed in a very sad movie,” an act of reclaiming the real self she has been hiding “behind masks.” This, of course, is not about TIFFANY, but it is about the magic of breezy melancholy.

SEOLA, eldest and lead vocalist of girl group WJSN, made her official solo debut at the start of 2024. Clocking in at just eight and a half minutes, INSIDE OUT comprises three tracks, the least interesting of which happens to be the single. “Without U” builds on a pop-rock structure with synthpop elements, yet never makes it somewhere truly meaningful, with its forgettable topline marking its main weakness. The chorus gives SEOLA two seconds to prove she can belt, a likely welcome novelty for WJSN fans not used to punchier qualities in her voice; however, the idol associated with poised, girl crush charm sounds most at home when adhering to the delicate aspects of her persona.

“Let’s Talk (Loneliness),” unlike “Without U” which also features the longtime WJSN collaborators’ credits, has production team Full8loom at what they do best: EDM made ultra-feminine and vivid as technicolor. Guitar plucks turn into pulsating, 2-step club beats in the pre-chorus, to bloom into a melodic house chorus decorated with lush synths and harmonies. SEOLA is conversational across the song; narrating enveloping feelings of loneliness that follow her like a blue aura, “sometimes gentle, and sometimes heartless.” Even when lacking the jaunty hook ornamentations that TIFFANY employs (the English phrases here are fully-fledged and utterly confessional), this is music for the sad party girl, for feeling alone in a crowd. Propulsive and danceable, gloomy yet somehow sexy when backed by the underlying sensuality in SEOLA’s soft adlibs, “Let’s Talk” both wallows in its blueness and hints at the possibility of something new. After all, in the singer’s own words, “[Loneliness] can serve as a catalyst for people to move towards others and seek love.”

As of later 2022, WJSN are in their sunset era. A few months after a vaguely controversial win of Mnet’s Queendom 2 on the cusp of the “seven-year curse” and subsequent comeback “Last Sequence,” early 2023 saw the contract renewal of only eight out of 10 members, with STARSHIP Entertainment having evidently shifted focus to golden child IVE. As the group scatters around different paths of the entertainment industry, it will certainly be of interest to witness how upcoming solo efforts will pan out for the members still willing to pursue music — and whether any will be laying claim to a place on a branch of WJSN’s so carefully curated “Cosmic Girl” discography tree.

#9 BADVILLAIN - “YAH-HO (BADTITUDE)”

You’ve heard of VIVIZ, now get ready for “BV’s” — yes, as confused as I was pressing play on BADVILLAIN’s self-titled debut single for the first time, these two simply sound alike, though the subjective nod could be kind of cute. BADVILLAIN is VIVIZ and Taemin home BPM Entertainment’s newest girl group, comprising seven members, two of which of MBC’s My Teenage Girl and one of Mnet’s Street Woman Fighter 1 fame. You may know of BPM as the joint venture of South Korean rapper MC Mong and lyricist Park Jang-geun of Duble Sidekick, the duo whose production credits have graced numerous 2nd and early 3rd gen works (MBLAQ, Apink, Girl’s Day), often mentioned alongside Shinsadong Tiger and Brave Brothers. While Duble Sidekick’s other half, composer Chancellor, has recently been helping craft the spunky trap sound of all-Japanese, global ensemble XG, Park was, in part, cooking up a dance and rap-focused, teeth-gritting and street style-wearing girl group on his own turf.

“BADVILLAIN” by BADVILLAIN is just that: braggadocious lines about feeling no pain and cheating the “system,” brass and MIDI strings interrupted by Afrobeats-inspired breaks, “Mobbin’ with the bad girls, you ain’t even gang” — we’ve all seen this film before, a thousand times at that. It’s the whole reason my attention quickly shifted to another track from the septet’s debut triplet. And ended up held hostage. “YAH-HO (BADTITUDE)” is the most hypnotic caffeine pill you’ve ever tried. While matching the frontrunner in, well, “badtitude,” this aptly bite-sized tune is drastically less redundant, tighter, and infinitely more fun, trading spiky headpieces and vinyl for bright red jerseys, and apocalyptic sets for the greenest of grass. A snappy, minimal hip-hop beat underlines light-hearted, catchy bars that leave no space for the usual clunkiness of K-pop raps, and melodic sections that dissolve into dizzying, metallic sirens overlaid with the tongue-in-cheek chant of “Yah-ho.” (Onomatopeia or not, the interpretation is up to you.)

Instead of attacking the viewer with dramatic expressions, the girls opt for letting their natural coolness shine and their performance come off effortless. Their biggest asset, full-out, synchronized dancing whose synergy resembles that of dance crews’, is packed into accessible grooves and twerks which highlight the production, amplified by the presence of backup dancers. With K-pop’s Y2K revival era still going strong, there is no doubt that “YAH-HO” will bring to listeners’ minds echoes of Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani — and for those who follow the scene more closely, you might hear a bit of Lil Cherry or XG’s Harvey in Korean-Canadian Chloe Young’s ultra-nasal rap, if you squint.

#8 tripleS - “Girls Never Die”

Jaden Jeong’s latest passion project has just begun taking flight. In an endeavor that closely rivals LOONA’s extensive, lore-heavy debut rollout in both novelty and controversy, the ex-group’s former creative director and LOONAVERSE conceptor turned MODHAUS CEO is currently overseeing the production of 24-membered girl group tripleS, touted as the world’s first decentralized K-pop idol group.

The vision here can be summarized as SM’s NCT project — an ultimately failed attempt at importing Japan’s AKB48 philosophy for the creation of an initially conceptualized as “limitless,” “K-pop & beyond” type of boy group — meeting the actual AKB48 model: an idol factory churning out girl group albums and performances through different member combinations, complete with an insular voting system that gives fans the ability to decide aspects of the act’s future activities, such as subunit lineups or title tracks. For tripleS, the latter is implemented through MODHAUS’ own Cosmo app and the digital purchase of in-app NFTs (known in this context as “objekts”), a fan-participatory as well as lucrative marketing method also adopted by post-LOONA unit and labelmate ARTMS, which has nonetheless come with its fair share of backlash due to the involvement of blockchain technology.

Late 2022 through early 2024 saw introductory releases from multiple subunits under the tripleS umbrella, leading up to the official debut of all 24 members with album ASSEMBLE24, helmed by the single (and 24-piece performance number) “Girls Never Die.” When it comes to producer duty, Jeong seems to have cracked a code by infusing into tripleS’ discography some of the special elixir that made LOONA’s sound stand out in the K-pop “underground” back in their humble beginnings: a viewpoint that maintains reach among the industry’s current musical trends where soundscapes once considered too lowkey for the main stage are continuously being revitalized. It’s a balance that works in favor of the group however: repackaging classic pop structures with fresh, customized conceptual spins to avoid falling into redundant pockets. The eyebrow-raising title of “Girls’ Capitalism” is but a slightly ostentatious wrapper for a tried and true ode to millennial-coded self-love and good ol’ girlbossing. “Generation” boasts retro instrumental touches and TikTok-originated dance moves to simultaneously comment on and successfully participate in “frowned-upon” Gen Z culture.

As of now, tripleS’ music gives the impression of being just a little too indie to conquer charts and a little too poppy to have a cult following; a little too serious to be classified as cute despite its bubbliness, and a little too personable for “girl crush” characterizations despite its aspirational themes. “Girls Never Die” — the undeniable centerpiece of an overall easygoing pop album — embodies all of the above, between signature, earworm “La la la”’s that secure its spot in your playlist, and its anthemic mood, reflective of a girl pack finally coming together.

#7 ITZY - “Mr. Vampire”

The main conversation around ITZY among the K-pop community hasn’t changed in a couple of years now. The JYP quintet born under BLACKPINK’s reign in 2019 first crystallized the “teen crush” concept among girl groups of their generation, then went on to suffer an identity crisis that would prove detrimental to their discography and permanently blur the waters of their stylistic perception.

Despite feeling the need to, I’m not really here to reiterate how JYP had the chance to stir ITZY into a truly of-the-times direction while they were still fresh off a SOPHIE collab and the release of 4th gen classic IT’z ME back in 2020. In the rough span of three years, the group has tried light and dark, soft and hard, Western and domestic approaches; pivoted aesthetics altogether, gone back to their roots and conformed to newer musical trends in quick succession — all while sonically outsmarting their Korean releases with Japanese singles that kept falling under fans’ radar.2 The linear approach has long been thrown out the window. But plain good music will never not be plain good music.

Full-length album BORN TO BE made its dramatic entrance in early January, led by a bombastic titular track dipped in 2018 girl crush militancy, and peaking with “UNTOUCHABLE”: a bouncy, future house cut, fit to breathe some fresh air into the group’s main single catalog with its tight, upbeat groove. Sandwiched between the two on the release timeline, “Mr. Vampire” steals the show, though not despite, but most definitely because of its refined subtlety.

Explicit sensual themes are a first for ITZY, yet the four members handling this comeback (given Lia’s health concern-induced hiatus) carry them with poise that can only come from years of performing and recording experience. From its hypnotic verses featuring sprinkled-in, arpeggiated piano and blossoming synths, to the catchy drop of a talk-rap chorus delivered with charismatic moxie by maknae Yuna, to Chaeryeong’s unexpected and equally unresolved bridge belts, “Mr. Vampire” illustrates the space from seduction to bite. “My blood becomes sweeter and sweeter / My heartbeat beats like a bird / Bite me,” the pre-chorus writes — and, yes, this would’ve been easy to read as a delayed Halloween comeback shoved into an LP release, hadn’t it been for ENHYPEN’s hit “Bite Me” from last May. As things are, vampires are literally so back.

The girls also have their first try at solo songs in this album: a couple of clunky takes on pop-rock, some run-of-the-mill synthpop, and two tracks cut from different eras’ backlogs in the TWICE vault. Yuna’s aegyo-tinged “Yet, but” recalls early TWICE hyper-cheer, while outstanding “Blossom” by Lia evokes the sunbae group’s mature side explored in more recent projects. “Mr. Vampire,” or BORN TO BE for that matter, by no means resumes ITZY’s “lost plot.” Nonetheless, it marks an overdue satisfactory moment in their new season.

Thank you for reading!

Check out Pt. 2, featuring placements #6 to #2, here.

You can find all mentioned songs in the Of The Moment playlist:

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful week!

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

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As recently as last month, ITZY dropped two of the best tracks in their Japanese discography, "No Biggie" and "Algorhythm." Both could've topped this list if Japanese releases were included.

Of The Music: Ranking NCT's Top 20 Title Tracks - Pt.2 (#10 - #1)

Evi — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 19:03:41 GMT

‘Of The Music’ is a segment on ‘Of The Moment’ where I talk about music releases that pique my interest every few months, offering context, thoughts, critique- and mostly gushing! Feel free to reach out to me if there is an album/single/discography you’d like me to check out and write about next (for anonymous messages, you can head on over to Retrospring). Don’t forget to subscribe in order to receive new posts in your email and support my work! If you wish to, you can subscribe to this segment separately. Thank you for being here.

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There’s something about K-pop discographies that makes them so tempting to analyze. The common threads of parallel trajectories between groups in the industry? The timely consistency of comebacks? The expectation of conceptual reinvention? An anticipation of skill improvement from the idols? The- most of the time- expected production names associated with different soundscapes and the nuances of their work depending on aesthetics? Catnip to a nitpicky person like me. One that fairly recently- and unsurprisingly- found herself quite at home in arguably the most nitpicky fandom of them all.

NCT (standing for Neo Culture Technology), as I mentioned in another ‘Of The Music’ post earlier in February where I reviewed 127’s 2 Baddies among others, is the name for the over 20-member collective that embodies SM Entertainment’s ambitious, futuristic vision of a limitless idol group, where new faces steadily get introduced as the act keeps expanding globally. The plan NCT is most known for to the general public would be the idea of never running out of members, however, due to recent events, it needs to be stated that the characterization of “limitless” should here on out be disregarded in its literal definition, as the company’s co-CEOs have announced that the anticipated 2023 debut of new unit NCT Tokyo will conclude said expansion, with the agency shifting its focus to supporting the current members. Those, as implied, are already split into established subunits, each with its own unique conceptual direction and solid, standalone discography (NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV), often getting arranged into various combinations under a flexible-lineup, rotational unit (NCT U) depending on the needs of occasional projects and, once in a year or two, coming together to craft collective albums, showcasing the colors of all different teams and then some.

Given the sheer variety displayed in a discography which jumps across genres and moods, loves to mix and match inspirations from seemingly irrelevant sources and isn’t afraid to get a little wild and unpredictable when it feels like it, fans find themselves never running out of things to both agree on and argue about when it comes to NCT’s music, turning online spaces into roundtable discussion rooms every so often. So, as I’ve unapologetically fallen back into full fandom mode in my own definition (never underestimate how healing that can be) I took some inspiration and decided to rank my top 20 title tracks (singles) across all NCT units in this, admittedly, very self-indulgent post. Disclaimer though: “Ranking” is to be taken with a grain of salt, in the sense that different songs serve different purposes, therefore placements are mostly symbolic and aim to paint a representative picture of the way I personally look at the group’s discography, as well as what I deem worthy of sharing with you. That said, I hope the newbies get to discover some music they like and the fans enjoy this enough as not to attack me over my choices if they don’t *cough cough* resonate (seriously though- come at me, I will fight).

You can check out pt.1 (#20 - #11) here.

Let’s get into the top 10!

#10 NCT U – Baby Don’t Stop (2018)

The third and highest-ranking EMPATHY entry in this top 20 comes from the smallest unit on the roster, “NCT U” simply standing for members TAEYONG and TEN: one rapper, one singer, two main dancers and all-around performers blessed with disarming charm and charisma. Perhaps Baby Don’t Stop wouldn’t have worked as well with anything more than a duo, and that’s to emphasize just how key the give-and-take is to this song; the members exchange lines back and forth like dialogue, harmonies, adlibs and unisons overlapping as choreography switches between synchronized and interactive sequences, all throughout which it becomes easy for a listener to distinguish the particular vocal tone of each performer at a time- the analogy to angel and devil that many would think of when talking about the track in that regard is certainly justified, along with likening the two colors to the components of bass and melody. Entirely based on a single, catchy, distorted bass loop (very much reminiscent of the foundation of Usher’s Good Kisser- also a good reference point for the whole track) and far from the polished, high-concept, maximal ear candy aesthetics NCT is mostly associated with nowadays, Baby Don’t Stop is a masterclass in effective hooks, the lack of instrumental embellishments urging melodic ideas to constantly reinvent themselves within the song, the voice being its driving force. As it makes sense, one word lies at the very core of most structural and sonic choices here, and that is sensuality. From TEN’s “cool” adlib mixed extremely close to the ear and the addition of finger snaps to the chorus, to the considerable amount of multi-layered whispering, purposely left-in exhales in TAEYONG’s first rap verse and him- expanding on one of its elements (“stay clay sketch dirt dough”)- laying out a series of words in the song’s bridge, calculated to act like film stills evoking those seductive moments and details in an interaction with a love interest, Baby Don’t Stop pulsates with a borderline ASMR physicality; sounds targeting the senses which render the performance all the more enticing. Another highlight to be noted is that excellent melodic phrasing in the introductory vocal verse, the art of mixing Korean and English in one of my personal favorite executions.

#9 NCT 127 – Kick It (2020)

It’s finally time to get into NCT 127 quintessentials and there is no better place to start than a career landmark and arguably the group’s most influential release to date. Anyone with an eye on the K-pop scene, even if unfamiliar with the NCT brand, could recognize an aspect of the title track to the central unit’s second full-length album, Neo Zone, after March 2020, whether it be its viral choreography, “Let me introduce you to some new things” catchphrase, or strong visual identity. Kick It (Korean: 영웅; Hanja: 英雄; lit. Hero) had the 9 members of NCT 127 transforming into action movie protagonists with its heavy martial arts film influence across themes, music videos, styling, and- immaculate- choreography; a Wu-Tang Clan-inspired concept (according to contributor Ryan S. Jhun), perhaps a little too generous with the lyrical references to its source material- you could definitely make a drinking game out of the amount of times Bruce Lee is namedropped throughout the track, alongside mentions of Jeet Kune Do and his film Enter The Dragon (1973).

The song is built on the infamous, introductory “puku-puku paw-paw” loop conceived by none other than American producer Dem Jointz (Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Rihanna) on his second career-defining contribution to NCT 127’s discography and sound curation journey, providing one of the two main elements of catchiness that intersperse the track, along with a signature 127 “nanana” motif- heard clearly during the breakdown-, both cleverly interacting with each other to cement stickiness among a piece that mostly operates on show-stealing, unison chanting and delicate, short-lived melodies during its RnB sections. Kick It, of course, couldn’t be missing the marching drums accompanied by anthemic, consonant adlibs in its pre-chorus, or what sounds like martial artist shout samples during its chaotic dance break, ushered in by the song’s apex with member TAEIL’s “After the darkness, I’m born again” resulting in an epic pitch-bend high note, in a sequence complete with a final chorus clad in elevating, higher harmonies. A personal favorite detail here would be the way subtle lyrical changes and structural quirks are used to render choruses more impactful, keeping up the energy despite the track’s choice to kick off on its hook; from the English attention-grabbers of the first half of the intro, to their Korean replacements during the second chorus, holding onto that same first line before the third chorus cuts off into the bridge, and dropping “shimmy shimmy shimmy” back into the finale, only for it to rewind-transition into the Korean counterpart again in an unexpected production decision. Delicious.

#8 WayV – Love Talk (2019)

Before everything, I need you to look up the Mandarin lyrics to this song. Did that? Now put on the English version. Exactly. For turning a line about “recording things so they’ll never be forgotten” into “I just want you to make it clap”, the latter takes the cake (literally, or metaphorically), undoubtedly my Love Talk of choice and the one I’m talking about here. There isn’t very much an immaculately produced RnB club banger needs to fulfil its humble purpose, and in that regard, romance and poetry certainly become superfluous. The straightforwardness of “I just want you to come on over where I’m staying”, however? Required. Released as a single following the inclusion of its Chinese version on WayV’s second mini album Take Over The Moon (2019), Love Talk – English Version remains the group’s biggest hit to date, by successfully tapping into an aspect of their concept oftentimes obscured by the larger-than-life musicality- and partial inaccessibility- of most of their title tracks. There are two sides to the action figure coin, and just as the dramatic, elaborate, cinematic moments of WayV help paint the unit’s picture, so do the sonically and thematically stripped back, borderline sleazy ones, where coolness and rizz are emphasized to the max. Sometimes you simply need to do one thing, and do it flawlessly. Love Talk achieves exactly that, leaning into a nostalgic ‘90s boyband sound of get-down bass and clean chords, complete with alluring, shiny falsettos and harmonies where the members’ vocal colors move between ethereal and commercial, and the fun addition of a shattering glass sample akin to that of Michael Jackson’s 1991 Jam or In the Closet, a little campy and kitschy, perhaps inadvertently alluding to something old-school (I personally also like to think of it as a detail that ties in with the idea of resonance- see #11- teased prior to the concept’s realization). This song is very high on my list, yes; I can never get enough of it. Love Talk is one of the most accessible, global-wired and replayable tracks in the entirety of NCT’s discography, one a DJ could sneak into any club mix without anyone being able to tell it belongs to a C-pop boyband. It’s dirty, it’s polished, it never loses its groove, tension or charm. Importantly, its existence and status also justifies the choice of Regular as WayV’s debut single, as well as all the Bad Alives and Action Figures that ended up gracing the unit’s catalog after it (fan of both).

#7 NCT DREAM – Hello Future (2021)

In pt.1 we talked about Candy and also about GO, so what do you actually think of when bringing NCT DREAM to mind? For many, the answer would be Hello Future, the single to the unit’s first album repackage that perfectly captures the DREAM essence by leading with core hopefulness and optimism as its literal, central theme, yet containing all the nuances of the group’s past experimentations and history towards maturing and diversifying their catalog. Those very combinations constitute what shaped Hello Future into an ode to the magical effects of modal mixture (the harmonic technique of mixing the notes from the parallel major and natural-minor modes), by turning the darker-toned, initial track idea into a more uplifting and colorful counterpart that still doesn’t lose its grit or slight tinge of unease- in a way, an expansion on the musical subtext of We Go Up (see #20), also lyrically referenced here. When beginning to craft what can arguably be considered NCT DREAM’s magnum opus today, Swedish production duo Moonshine knew they wanted to create something great, anthemic and Star Wars movie-like, inserting that signature- very NCT- wobbly synth as the song’s driving foundation, and sonically setting up the sci-fi realm which inspired songwriter Adrian McKinnon’s peace and unity-themed lyrics- you might remember the pair from their collaboration on 2020’s Turn Back Time (see #14). However, Hello Future has SM Ent.’s in-house songwriter and producer Kenzie to thank for its majestic chorus, and the concept of a first phrase going up in a major and a second one coming down in a minor; not exactly unison-sounding but certainly adhering to a hopeful choral feel through its fullness and inventive stacked harmonies. Other highlights include the incredibly precise head to chest voice intervals in the verses, member RENJUN’s sensitive vibrato showcased during the bridge’s quietest part, as well as the sharp rap phrasing and clever use of silence moments after, ushering in the grand final chorus which itself concludes on a gorgeously adlibbed outro. Hello Future, in its multi-dimensional glory, paints its vibrant picture of overcoming adversity without sacrificing ground for clouds, yet utilizing the fantastical element to infuse dream into a life that is in dire need of it.

#6 NCT 127 – LIMITLESS (2017)

On January 5 2017, NCT 127 showcased their latest single on M!Countdown among four of their boy group peers'1 who all shared a proximity to the energetic, upbeat, glossy and charismatic EDM-infused pop performances adhering to the popular wave in K-pop at the time. LIMITLESS stuck out from the bunch like a sore thumb then, and continues to claim a particularly unique spot among 127 title tracks today, its sturdy foundation operating not simply at ground-level but under, and conceptual execution more independent in its grainy edge than anything else the group has ever put out. There is a certain importance to a first comeback that can make or break a K-pop act; we chronically see groups going from 100 to 0 in just the span of a few months, depending on decisions to either maintain the characteristic quality of a debut or shoot for different stars. From the mainframe, minimal, rap-focused EDM of 2016’s mischievous, punchy, new-kid-in-town debut of Fire Truck, LIMITLESS carries over a trademark deep, slippery bass into explosive, intricate melody, drawing its inspiration from hip-hop’s early commercial days of perfecting the art of balancing pop accessibility with a gritty, hardcore base in a largely unprocessed approach, combining harmonic string arrangements as airy and lyrical as they come with threatening percussion, Hadean vocal fries and the occasional eerie emptiness. This, of course, is hip-hop embellished with classic boyband vocals- it wouldn’t be a claim too far to assume SM Ent. was looking to recreate TVXQ!’s Keep Your Head Down in a more somber, less theatrical manner- that offer the aggressive sound the catchiness and familiarity demanded to successfully climb a music chart.

The theme is kept within the blurry lines of romance and fan-address- as per common K-pop practice-, a declaration of a transcendental love akin to light taking over the darkness, where NCT 127 and their significant other through their connection become limitless “like finding a big ocean at the end of a desert” (most definitely a reference to concept introduction film “The origin”), lyrics courtesy of- previously mentioned- Kenzie. That apocalyptic tone seems to have mostly influenced one of the song’s three official music videos, literally named “Rough Ver.” likely due to its low quality handycam filming, which features the members lounging about in a warehouse, engaging in contrived, vaguely delinquent behavior that almost comes off as endearing, save for the appropriative styling (once again, the trenches that adopting hip-hop “aesthetics” without a regard for cultural significance can land you in ask to be underlined). The importance to this mention comes from the video’s inability to capture the track’s space (which the Japanese music video does a much better job at), the inherent grandiosity and glorious range that shapes it into an overwhelming sonic experience, focusing on the small aspect of conceptual “toughness” instead of highlighting the musical craftsmanship already at the hands of a rookie group that was about to launch the next big trend on the scene. But hey, maybe the unawareness is kind of the charm.

#5 NCT 127 – Cherry Bomb (2017)

Fresh off a remarkable 2016 credit on ScHoolboy Q’s dark outlier Blank Face LP (Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane), Dem Jointz carried some of the coldblooded spirit of those ominous sirens and 808s over to a collaboration that was going to mark the start of a fruitful partnership over the years to come. Cherry Bomb- or the first time the now widely recognizable “and now, the breakdown” tag graced the scene- can perhaps be considered as the 127 single whose code is the toughest to crack. Left of center but direct, monotone but sticky, sinister but buoyant, the braggadocious track makes its ambition known in every possible way; complex, syncopated bass, industrial clatter, sharp, punchy raps, a nonchalant yet stupidly catchy chorus that keeps disguising itself as a mere transition, and the incorporation of multiple little hooks and motifs to keep both toned down, spoken word sections and belted melody lines bound together. Let it be clear though: we are hands down talking about the performance version. The sole difference here is a dance break, separating one of member MARK’s best verses from the next chorus, which wouldn’t be of much significance if it didn’t provide Cherry Bomb with exactly the third dimension the song needs to establish its conviction on what it wants to be and get its full message across instrumentally. The heavy drop acts like the explosion itself, building on the production’s villainous essence, and parallel to emphasizing how much of a “stage” affair Cherry Bomb is, makes room for arguably the most absurdly cool choreography of the unit’s to be expanded upon, the moment member JAEHYUN stomps his foot to the ground in the center, an outright statement of determination mirroring the beat’s unapologetic way of making its presence known. Just like the choreography’s highlighting of different rhythmic accents throughout the track, Cherry Bomb doesn’t easily commit to repetitive structural elements; where the second verse’s vocal couplet enters quietly- member DOYOUNG literally shushing the crowd-, the bridge’s opening soars as high as it can go over layered harmonies and prominent chords, before clearing out to offer MARK the spotlight. Classic, well-timed use of silence and panning enhances the listening experience away from the stage, most notably around the final minute where the song moves through its last chorus to a chanty outro- another 127 “nanana” entering the chat here- of a hard groove that up until that point was the only puzzle piece missing to conclude one of the group’s most trademark releases to date; one that successfully encompasses everything the fans keep coming back for.

#4 NCT 127 – Chain (2018)

The thing about K-pop as an industry which extends to its modus operandi’s products that could also be meant for any other destination is that, within its highly competitive environment, it seeks to constantly reinvent nuance, while simultaneously unable to escape the margins of pop consensus. Whereas for some, the sticking to typical pop tricks and outlines even in cases such as the industrial chaos of Chain could read as experimental potential not getting fully realized, for others it’s what makes sounds otherwise unfriendly to the ears, digestible and legitimized. You might recognize 250’s name from the credits to NewJeans’ laidback brand of Y2K-infused, girly RnB pop that has recently taken the world by storm. The title track to NCT 127’s debut Japanese EP, however, is not exactly an easy deal. Built on rattling percussion, clashing metal true to its name, pitched chainsaw sound samples and what seems to be a short manipulated vocal whining and panning all throughout, Chain is the NCT single that comes closest to the label of “noise” or “construction” music relentlessly thrown at the group, sometimes even aimed at their most harmonically rich work (see #16 for a tiny bit more context on “NCT noise”- I do understand why Simon Says checks a high level of emotional significance for a lot of fans, as a declaration of staying true to the unit’s identity, thus picking up again from Chain, after endeavors such as TOUCH and Regular). And the only reason this song is not higher on this list is that the ground isn’t trembling with bass when it comes on like it practically should.

Despite holding back when it comes to physically shaking up the world, Chain paints its text to the max; literal drill samples where the members sing “Drill drill / That obstacle of a wall, let's break it down”, onomatopoeia corresponding to something purposeful where it’s used, highlighting the series of same notes which renders that post-chorus so deliciously propulsive, exactly like a “chain reaction”. That and the bridge here make up two of my absolute favorite moments in the entirety of NCT’s discography; a bridge which proves that, with the rest of the track’s harmony kept calculatedly minimal- at various points, the only hint of it comes from members’ chopped, isolated, stacked vocals, acapella style- the melody is indeed “effective” where it is inserted, soundscape changing almost completely- although not in stark contrast since a clue to the turn of events was given just a chorus ago, in a pre-chorus arrangement featuring gentle chords instead of hard-hitting percussion like its first time- to build up from a synthy break into anthemic, choral-sounding even though it is only member WINWIN at the mic, and handclap-feel drum-driven accompaniment to member TAEIL’s way towards a harmonized triple high note, then the drop into a chorus more amped up than ever, launching into another glorious post-chorus, complete with the outro the song deserves. This is where, along with “Make a wish”, the concept of resonance actually saw one of its first mentions (“The hearts resonating in symphony are a medium”), and that epicness and ambition to the lyrics speaks to the kind of fantastical universality that lets you see the emotive side to NCT 127 once you let space for it into your heart- “From Seoul, to the world”.

#3 NCT 127 – Superhuman (2019)

The “T” in NCT shines in Superhuman more than it ever has. My guess, possibly what sets the end result apart from its counterpart in the unrealized scenario of the song having not gone to 127 instead of the other SM Ent. group it was originally meant for, as the master behind its renowned harmonies, Adrian McKinnon revealed. Many, myself included, read Superhuman’s aura as hinting towards SHINee, one of the company’s most successful and long-lasting acts that, having debuted in 2008, earned the title of “Princes of K-pop” by experimenting with a variety of styles and genres, while holding onto the sophisticated, pop-oriented quality characteristic of their recognizable soundscapes, throughout their career. SHINee’s signature electronic and synth-heavy endeavors exist somewhere at the heart of Superhuman, although taking on a new edge tailored to NCT, or turning “neo-fied” as fans would describe. Right off the bat, chopped up synths suggest the ‘80s influence associated with the senior group, whose musical direction has oftentimes been compared to the likes of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, which also permeates the song in ways not that evident; McKinnon also cites Chaka Khan’s rendition of I Feel for You (1984) as the inspiration behind the iconic “If you wanna feel it say yeah” catchphrase that came about absentmindedly, part of it eventually utilized for the, as later proven, infinitely quotable acapella intro. Familiar hints of funky guitar and arbitrary piano touches are juxtaposed here, with heavy, dubstep-adjacent transitions and warped bass, leading into glitchy electronic and RnB halftime sections alike (that second verse is a masterclass in its kind, particularly as it transitions back to the mainframe by teasing the disco four-on-the-floor beat after the halftime, to then explode into the beautifully layered pre-chorus again), that, however- and in sort of a magical fashion-, are never isolated from the rest of the track.

This is Superhuman’s way of living up to its title; inserting the human into technology and the other way around. It’s music with a motivational message and emotional core done NCT 127 flagship-style, touching heartfelt territory while holding onto an otherworldly edge, by taking the slightest detour sound-wise; a chance encounter that would open up a portal for the unit to discover some untapped potential in regards to a more vocal approach to their singles, as well as the outcome of embracing unapologetic pop sensibilities on their own terms. The part of the track that earns the crown is hands down its last minute and a half, with the ambient slowing-down into the bridge, array of different time signatures and drum transitions into the final chorus, which embellishes its previously heard self with the introduction of a brand new chiptune synth motif in its outro. Superhuman boasts one of 127’s most accessible moments while announcing itself in their eccentric discography with zero hesitation; a flawlessly crafted, technicolor, futuristic electropop story, laced with flamboyant flair and simultaneously pulsating with deep, unbeatable groove holding all of its chapters together.

#2 NCT 127 – Punch (2020)

Intro of all intros, the uncontained chiptune synth marking the grand entrance of Punch would’ve done a casual listener no favors in May 2020. The title track to NCT 127’s second album repackage, Neo Zone: The Final Round, concludes the combative adventure fronted by Kick It with an exceptionally futuristic twist, boasting main production credits by Dem Jointz, assisted by plenty of previously mentioned names here, such as Kenzie, KC and Alawn (see #17)- in a way, speaking to the magic of songwriting camps, as the latter puts it. If a single word could provide the best descriptor for this song as an experience, that would be space. In order to live up to its name and do it with as much impact as possible, Punch has to set up the perfect stage for its strikes. The track calculates its quiet moments to cultivate tension and suspense, first verse going off on crescendo-ing whisper-raps and second opting for gentle, melodic spoken word lines. Even then, whereas one would expect that chorus to go straight for the jugular- as would make sense based on other indicators among the group’s catalog, or even the intro here-, it insists on commanding attention via a borderline lethargic quality. This is the trance-like effect of Punch, another reality imagined, painted and made accessible by sonic transformation, a thought process akin to videogame building and soundtracking.

A fighting game, at that. The phrasing of the unison “team anthem” introductory verse is sharp, clean, provocative and determined, no gaps or doubts in its path, underlined by eerie, reverbed howling and interspersed vocal samples. The opening synth, a little muted, supports the entirety of the track, as verses fill up with panning echoes and- in some cases almost inaudible- doubling to the members’ words. From whispering, to falsettos, to short belts, harmonies are scattered throughout the vocal parts almost in an arbitrary fashion, as well as trappy drums against lush piano motifs, with even distant, epic gong and sword slice effects gracing the soundscape. Could the chorus be anything other than a larger-than-life battle chant then? The answer is no, yet the nine members’ choral “Ayy, we ballin’ / We fight together” doesn’t throw the listener off from the established realm, acting more as a climax to the skeleton by soaring with big chords, courtesy of Alawn, and well-placed interjections playing between solo and team- leader and crew. An unannounced bridge makes its appearance, after the second chorus, stripped of chords, abruptly cuts off at around 1/4 of its length as if the song changes its mind; a recurrent trick found in NCT and other SM Ent. artists’ archives of “a twist after a glitch” in member TAEYONG’s words, which he also describes as “so Kenzie”- talking about the unit’s latest repackage single Ay-Yo, believed by many fans to be slightly reminiscent of Punch. A moment of live electric guitar becomes the track’s cherry on top, where the bridge thrives on its jazzy chords and main vocalist sequence. Punch’s real hit, however, comes up next; a bombastic, military band-style dance break, layered with marching drums, triumphant trumpet, wobble bass and thrumming sirens, showdown finally fully realized and epilogued by a smooth transition into an amped up final chorus that proves its function as the portal between the song’s different dimensions, its melody lines there more euphoric than ever. “Styles” really do “make a fight”, and with a single that exists on a plane entirely its own, the battle was definitely won by 127.

#1 NCT U – The 7th Sense (2016)

On January 1, 2023 SM Ent. held its online live concert “SMTOWN LIVE 2023: SMCU PALACE @ KWANGYA”, where the reunion of the very first NCT unit to be officially formed took place, with members TAEYONG, TEN, DOYOUNG, JAEHYUN and MARK performing the collective’s debut song for the first time in years. The 7th sense saw the light of day in April, 2016, yet for an unfamiliar viewer, its sound wouldn’t feel jarring in the slightest when placed among a series of 2022 releases. Taking a largely innovative direction for the K-pop scene at the time- especially in terms of promotional singles, moreso when the subject in question is a newly debuted group looking to make a name for themselves in the industry2- but likely to have gotten overshadowed had it attempted to make rounds in the U.S in a similar fashion, The 7th sense adheres to the specific brand of dark, smokey, processed alternative hip-hop and RnB popularized in the West circa 2014-15 by the likes of A$AP Rocky, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Jeremih, down to the centering of melodic rap directly associated with Drake and Bryson Tiller.

N-City’s opening act sculpts its universe; With all arrows pointing towards explicit referencing of NCT’s concept introduction film “The origin”, the song’s instrumental progresses by slowly revealing its hints of lore in a manner that laces it with an almost programmatic quality. The stark sound of knocking, a door opening, delicate chimes, tick-tocks where member JAEHYUN mentions a clock, white noise that resembles distant ocean waves or even desert wind, hourglass sand, whistles both from a human mouth and a literal object, an unsettling yawn during TAEYONG’s “I have been awakened from a long sleep”. The 7th sense offers its secrets up to be discovered, much like the “hidden story” it wishes to communicate, one that the five members, projected onto one individual speaking in first person, have uncovered and are now urging the listener to. This is what the ostinato of “Open your eyes” refers to, the potential realization of a sense of feeling and understanding each other's dreams through music, the essential core of NCT’s concept which drives the connection between the numerous members and fans alike. The lyrical framing of this discovery as an oasis to “this cold world”’s “darkness” and “hatred” validates the opinions analogizing the song’s descriptions to the lonely headspace of depression, perhaps crystalized by DOYOUNG’s “I'm not alone” adlib right as the track starts fading out.

Verse and chorus blend together, flows effortless and effective in driving things forward, vocals sometimes clear and at the front, others slightly manipulated, doubled or echoed, and faraway. The craft here, can be defined by the act of simply putting one piece next to another, a process which works out without much poking and prodding, and maybe that is why there isn’t much to say about The 7th sense’s tangible aspects. What stands out is its haunting, emotional edge; the very aura filling the screen during that reunion performance and lighting up that mental space where the story can be felt like another presence in the room.

Thanks for tuning in to pt.2 of this ranking! I’m so glad to have you here and I hope this was an enjoyable read. Once again, you can check out pt.1 here.

Listen to all 20 songs ranked on Spotify, here:

You could also try my “NEO” playlist which will take you on a journey through NCT's discography and the SMCU, featuring influences, references, samples, associations and soundscapes adjacent to NCT’s, here (contains songs that I mentioned as confirmed or speculated inspirations/points of reference throughout the post among many others):

Some of my other NCT-inspired playlists you might enjoy:

neo seoul nights (dj johnny's neo seoul club official set, this is 100% confirmed by him // inspired by visuals for nct 127's '2 baddies')
CHILD (soundscape and themes adjacent to mark’s 2022 solo song, ‘child’)
GENERATION 404 (stuck between an alternate reality and your backyard; glitchcore/dnb vs (mostly) 2010s indie (+ more) — playlist inspired by nct dream’s 'glitch mode')
7th sense (dark, smokey alternative rap and r&b from around 2014/2015 that i believe inspired nct u's debut with 'the 7th sense' in 2016 or matches that soundscape)
sugar pop (playlist inspired by nct dream’s 'beatbox')

Check out NCT’s latest release, NCT DREAM’s Best Friend Ever, here.

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful week!

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

Beatwin - Rising Sun

Pentagon - Can You Feel It

Seventeen - Boom Boom

Up10tion - White Night

A hypothesis, however, to perhaps be taken with a grain of salt if we’re looking to be completely fair, since debuting groups from big, established companies like SM Ent. tend to be eligible for an option sometimes unavailable to their peers operating on a smaller budget, to take conceptual risks for the sake of differentiating themselves and gathering attention without the looming possibility of tangible damage to their future career plans.

Of The Music: Ranking NCT's Top 20 Title Tracks - Pt.1 (#20 - #11)

Evi — Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:00:41 GMT

‘Of The Music’ is a segment on ‘Of The Moment’ where I talk about music releases that pique my interest every few months, offering context, thoughts, critique- and mostly gushing! Feel free to reach out to me if there is an album/single/discography you’d like me to check out and write about next (for anonymous messages, you can head on over to Retrospring). Don’t forget to subscribe in order to receive new posts in your email and support my work! If you wish to, you can subscribe to this segment separately. Thank you for being here.

Subscribe now

Time to change things up on ‘Of The Music’!

NCT (standing for Neo Culture Technology), as I mentioned in my previous ‘Of The Music’ post earlier this month where I reviewed 127’s 2 Baddies among others, is the name for the over 20-member collective that embodies SM Entertainment’s ambitious, futuristic vision of a limitless idol group, where new faces steadily get introduced as the act keeps expanding globally. The plan NCT is most known for to the general public would be the idea of never running out of members, however, due to recent events, it needs to be stated that the characterization of “limitless” should here on out be disregarded in its literal definition, as the company’s co-CEOs have announced that the anticipated 2023 debut of new unit NCT Tokyo will conclude said expansion, with the agency shifting its focus to supporting the current members. Those, as implied, are already split into established subunits, each with its own unique conceptual direction and solid, standalone discography (NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV), often getting arranged into various combinations under a flexible-lineup, rotational unit (NCT U) depending on the needs of occasional projects and, once in a year or two, coming together to craft collective albums, showcasing the colors of all different teams and then some.

Staring off with our honorable mention:

NCT DREAM – Candy (2022)

I deliberated over whether to count this as a title track or not, since it is one in practice- NCT DREAM’s as of today most recent single and already owner of many record-breaking achievements and milestones- but not in theory; Candy is an H.O.T original and a K-pop classic, released in 1996 by what is generally considered the first idol group to ever be created, slightly rearranged to suit NCT DREAM’s more polished although just as youthful style, and given a festive twist, allowing it to announce itself as a December release that doesn’t massively stand out against the Christmas song parade of the period with its hilariously odd happy-go-lucky breakup theme. This isn’t the first time SM Ent. assigns a- promotional- remake of one of their earlier artists’ songs to a company junior tasked with breathing new life into it, or the first time the result is this good; aespa’s 2021 BoA-assisted rendition of Dreams Come True by S.E.S was certainly more dramatic in alteration but just as much of a pleasant surprise. Honorable mention because of all that. Here nonetheless because it was all I listened to for a month straight. Playful in the verses, pretty and legato in the chorus and all sparkled up, DREAM’s Candy is addictive like a sugar rush, finding the members completely at home in its catchy, bubblegum sound.

#20 NCT DREAM – We Go Up (2018)

As suggested, we’re only going up from here so NCT DREAM’s last fixed lineup title track “pre-reassembly” takes the spot at no20. A song that is such a visceral experience in itself, the music video falls into a supporting role of all its details and quirks; right off the bat, a fishbowl for bubbly water sounds and the comeback’s signature symbol of a flag with a drawn-on coyote to match the wild animal growl sampled just 3 seconds into the instrumental. The thing about coyotes is they live in family groups. So when SM Ent. was still set on proceeding with the initial plan for NCT DREAM’s graduation system, supposed to be put in place on the premise that the unit remained a space for only the youngest members of the collective, and thus announcing eldest member and leader MARK’s departure from the lineup upon turning a legal adult in South Korea, what was meant to be their last era together was bound to be tinged with some bittersweet emotion. The decision was eventually unmade and the system abolished, with MARK returning to the now fixed 7-membered group that would go on to explore more diverse concepts with each release, in 2020. Yet, We Go Up will always be associated with an underlying unease despite its optimistic tone, reflected in the paradox of descending instead of- initially presumable- ascending notes in its chorus (although beautifully contrasted by the “and we go!” phrases towards the end). The playful production holds room for ceaseless adlibs, and as a result MARK’s presence is felt all throughout the track, emphasizing the rest of the members’ lines, as well as the importance this release places on being a family affair. He calls the members “his babies” to this day.

#19 NCT U – Make A Wish (Birthday Song) (2020)

What is arguably the catchiest whistle riff you’ve ever heard ushered in the RESONANCE era in late 2020; NCT’s second collective album was a big event, split into two parts, the first of which assigned its main single to a selection of members from all different units. This is a song that not unlike plenty of others in K-pop, especially considering the huge trend of edgier concepts in recent years, makes use of the Phrygian dominant scale- referred to by many as the Middle Eastern or snake charmer scale- a mode with an “exotic” color that, when applied to your standard pop, EDM or hip-hop based music, produces a unique, alluring effect that instantly makes a track stand out. It should be noted that, as the style tends to be associated with culture, the use of it alongside very particular conceptual undertones comes with controversial implications of its own. Make A Wish certainly echoes the western hip-hop/RnB sentiment of the ‘90s and early ‘00s in its own way, an era notorious for its Bollywood and Middle Eastern sampling, for which a good reference point would be Justin Timberlake’s Timbaland-produced (Oh No) What You Got; reminiscent of JT’s smooth quality down to the vocal technique of the higher, breathy sections- cleverly juxtaposed by raps so low and growly, a middle register is pretty much nonexistent in the song. This might’ve been higher in this ranking if instead of a second chorus, it took a direction frequently favored in other NCT singles of cutting off the pre-chorus to let the bridge in early, and only brought back the gripping hook line of “I can do this all dayyyy” in the middle 8, so it doesn’t get too repetitive too fast. Other than that, a beautifully three-dimensional banger; the minimal hip-hop beat supports remarkably inventive verses and breaks, and the main vocalists’ call-and-response during that reverie-inducing bridge makes for the biggest highlight.

#18 NCT 2018 – Black on Black (2018)

A bit of a meta pick here, so let me explain myself. It’s interesting to look back on the negative reviews at the time of this release, mostly because they aren’t unreasonable at all. Black on Black, the- supposed- centerpiece of the first NCT collective album, NCT 2018 EMPATHY, set expectations high with its announcement as the first song to feature all active members at the time in its performance. “18 guys on a track” could stand for endless possibilities, thus the concept carried an air of novelty for a second that, however, got quickly grounded when the final outcome happened to be a very slightly reworked version of a largely instrumental track previously performed at MAMA 2016 by the members who then had already debuted. Black on Black is designed to suit a dance stage more than anyplace else, featuring hard-hitting beats reminiscent of the solid dubstep foundation of 2012’s MAXSTEP, a previous occasion of SM Ent. bringing together some of its best dancers for a performance of similar nature, although leaning a bit more into electro-house and allowing the mic to only 3 members, rappers TAEYONG, MARK and LUCAS- the latter’s verse relatively lackluster next to the other two, truth be told. The answer to what makes this song worthy of its position is hindsight, as well as an active choice to look past its function as a dance piece and more towards its intention to establish NCT as a collective nothing short of beastly- if the positively disturbing animalistic growling and roaring in it is anything to go by. Black on Black withholds much of the members’ individual charm, but carries the pack energy of a thousand wolves, emphasizing the uniting force- the uniform, if you will- and assigning the bravado to just a couple of leaders. Taking into consideration the knack for pushing boundaries displayed across NCT’s discography to this day, for such an unorthodox release to have stood- clumsily, but still- as a single only two years into their career makes for a daring moment of foreshadowed audacity not to be overlooked.

#17 WayV – Kick Back (2021)

If WayV were to be encapsulated in one word it would be “cinema”. Yet, NCT’s C-pop subunit and first attempt at the brand’s localization (meaning the members sing in Mandarin and mostly promote in China) sheds just a bit of the high glamor that is typically characteristic of their concept in this 2021 release which comes as the fourth and final installment to an unofficial series of more-or-less formulated singles. The minimal bass and snap intro echoes classic NCT grit and grime, followed by rap flows that work well in the first verse and simply hold the second up, to give way to arguably the most anthemic pre-chorus of NCT’s discography with a melody that soars and soars until it’s harshly pulled back down and into the sickeningly catchy (positive), low-key hook of “We got that kick kick kick kick kick kick back”. Kick Back’s cleverest trick lies in its delayed hook by two excess beats that perfectly set up that unpredictable anticipation- the “tick-tock, tick” which reads as a reference to the group’s previous single, 2020’s Turn Back Time although, as clarified by writers KC and Alawn who didn’t know the track was going to be assigned to WayV when coming up with the concept, that parallel is, surprisingly, purely coincidental. The signature dance break enters disguised as an outro in this song, completing it in a far more interesting way than if it didn’t exist, yet lacking some of the impact of its other counterparts. WayV’s melodic string and brass sections are always a delight, occasionally accentuated here by rhythm inflections that very satisfyingly give off the epicness of an action movie soundtrack.

#16 NCT 127 – Simon Says (2018)

NCT 127’s first entry at no16. Named after the longitude coordinate number of Seoul and representing a goal of bringing K-pop to the rest of the world, the collective’s face and first fixed subunit has become synonymous with K-pop’s musical boundary-pushing quality by sporting an affinity for the experimental, the out-of-the-box and the unabashedly weird. Still, the core is never sacrificed. Harmonies are peppered all throughout the genre-agnostic Simon Says, an equally confident and dismissive of bullshit amalgamation of glitched-out, bassy hip-hop- the song starts off on a guttural scream straight out of a Death Grips track- and almost classical touches- in its power vocal-lead and string-adorned bridge. The chorus, bossy and lethargic- perhaps a little too much to be heard three times- is the kind you can imagine singing, or rather chanting, with friends in the car on a night out, or at a concert; there’s truly nothing quite like screaming “real vibe killaaaaaa” at the top of your lungs. And remember the Phrygian dominant scale from earlier? In another of its applications, it laces Simon Says with an underlying sinisterness, perfectly highlighted in the moderately minimal music video where the members are shown wearing customized masks that eerily cover their faces. A little detail I personally love here is the mention of “NCT noise” in the lyrics, a term that seems to be held up as a badge of honor by the group, encompassing the loudness and grit of their sound and brand which, although tends to earn 127 odd looks, remains a vital part of their identity and charm at all times.

#15 NCT DREAM – BOOM (2019)

“The dancing child with an innocent face now smiles and sets this track on fire” sing NCT DREAM in their first official 6-member lineup title track, explicitly setting the stage for a career pivot, arguably more sonic than conceptual. Released smack dab in the middle of summer 2019, and although an elaborate declaration of arrival at maturity lyrically- or maybe exactly because of that premise- BOOM doesn’t try to be anything more than the perfect pop song to get down to- and that it achieves. Kicking off on a skeleton of stripped percussion, each verse gets more melodic than the last, to explode in a minimal, earworm hook. The members’ lines are always accompanied by background vocals in all the right places, voices clear, confident and at the very front. I could talk about the beauty of that twinkly pre-chorus all day; how rich and shiny it sounds- on par with the boys’ prince-next-door attire in the music video- how spot on are its harmonies and prominent bass, how it ushers in a second dimension to the song that takes it straight to the next level. It’s so good the choice to bring it back at the bridge strikes more as necessary than uninspired, especially when- just like the second time- it is complete with a slight lyrical change that offers just the right nuance of texture for the ear. BOOM combines youthful and sophisticated, as well as it does groovy and laidback; smooth on the dancefloor and assertive in pulse.

#14 WayV – Turn Back Time (2020)

With its modern hip-hop base, dramatic pre-chorus, effective hook and zero hesitance to go places, many could say that Turn Back Time embodies the culmination of WayV’s sound as we know it that came fairly early in their career, and I wouldn’t argue. The group’s busiest and darkest-coated title track holds space for a lot of things; from confidently announcing itself in NCT’s discography with a distorted bass loop, to being comfortable in the WayV niche of film soundtrack with both unabashedly lyrical and delicate vocal intervals, and going out of its way- masterfully accomplished by producer duo Moonshine- to give the dance break a metal twist with aggressive guitars and complex rhythms (which may or may not have served as inspiration for the middle 8 in aespa’s most recent 2022 Girls; I can go on and on about the parallels between aespa and NCT’s discographies as conceptual sibling groups- it’s no secret that The Matrix and its sound design has done a number on both, just take a look at the on the nose outro of Turn Back Time’s music video), reminiscent of a Hysteria by Muse. In true action figure fashion, chaos doesn’t disturb WayV or stop them from delivering a relaxed, swaggy head groove as they chant “Stop, rewind, turn back time” in a killing part that flawlessly rounds up the song’s energy. The show-stopper though is a moment towards the end, where member TEN interjects with a “take it away” adlib which, literally, takes the instrumental away for a second, utilizing the brief silence to prolong the last chorus by dropping the glorious stacked harmonies back in with maximized impact, resulting in an undoubtedly memorable grand finale. Turn Back Time is aggressive, haunting at times, elegantly eccentric and most definitely the track I would show somebody if they asked me who WayV are.

#13 WayV – Take Off (2019)

Nothing. Beats. The groove. WayV’s first comeback launched the formula, though without shooting for the stars just yet. Slightly contrasting debut Regular- nothing more than the Mandarin version of 127’s Latin pop-influenced single released a few months prior- Take Off is the song that most explicitly introduces the slick, smooth operator concept of the unit by counting down to ignition (Turn Back Time’s chorus-integrated “5, 4, 3, 2” provides an obvious callback here, as confirmed by songwriter Adrian McKinnon) as neon green plane graphics and the signature “V” for “vision”- also a repeated adlib in the actual track- make their appearances first in the music video. Built on a relatively simple hip-hop beat carried by catchy flows that keep the energy consistently palpable all throughout, Take Off’s structure is not afraid to get adventurous, whether that means skipping a pre-chorus here, trading a post-chorus for a dance break there, or introducing an entirely new element right before the end. This is a track quite unlike WayV’s follow-up singles in the formula realm, more low-key in its cinematic influence and committing to a much subtler ebb and flow as opposed to aforementioned examples of drama and grandiosity, yet somehow… goes harder. Every little addition and switch-up has its place here, working holistically and calculatedly, leaving no clunky bits or saggy spaces behind whatsoever- a remarkable thing, really, when you know how reckless songs that emerge from the K-pop machine can get with their phrasing when sacrificing verse for chorus and substance for catchiness. Harmony minimal and melody significantly less ambitious, Take Off takes your standard trap snare and hi-hat and fledges it out into pop excellence by messing with structure in all the right places.

#12 NCT DREAM – GO (2018)

Youth doesn’t only comprise hope, rainbows and candy, but also the rebel spirit, anger, defiance. In an endeavor to unleash a different side of themselves, teen-aged NCT DREAM partook in a sound exchange of sorts between the, then, two fixed NCT units as part of the NCT 2018 EMPATHY album, taking on the left-field, heavy beats typically associated with NCT 127 in a song that introduces itself with the spoken phrase of “Change your ways”. Full to the brim with a sense of urgency and the obvious desire to carry its turbulent energy across to the listener, exhorting them to speak out against an imposed oppressive fate on youth- of course while having to stick to keeping things as vague as possible thematically, as is common with a lot of K-pop’s highly stylized efforts at political messaging- GO sports adventurous production by The Stereotypes (Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, more recently TWICE and B.I), complete with abrasive, glitchy electronic notes, motorcycle engine-resembling synth and aggressive, distorted adlibs. This is also a pleasant occasion of visuals and sound being each other’s tells, with the music video featuring camcorder clips, clad in neon lights and late night mischief. The collective spirit purposely emphasized by strong, choral choruses and unisons all throughout EMPATHY, given that the album symbolizes the first time all NCT members came together, is perhaps the most prominent here, with the hook taking the form of a big, almost atonal chant and the somehow flawlessly ironic lines of “We're so young, we're so freaky / We're trapped inside a box, losing our real selves”. GO plays with rhythm and switches between belted musical phrases to low-key, fast raps where flows are perfectly enhanced by the instrumental, but my personal favorite moment lies where the essence of the unit shines through in this otherwise atypical for them concept at the time; member HAECHAN’s delivery of the most melodic and, similarly, optimistic part of the track during the bridge (“Without even knowing where I’m going / I won't live inside this chaos”), embodying the voice of a dreamer, accompanied by the only reappearance of the song’s intro chords in all of its duration.

#11 NCT 2020 – RESONANCE (2020)

One of the reasons I love NCT’s music is that only in one of their songs would you hear the phrase “We gon’ resonate” followed by the most obnoxious, distorted- borderline demonic- effect in repetition of the latter word. Yes, RESONANCE is no11, which to many may seem as baffling as the very nature of the track; a collage of different parts extracted from some of the era’s singles and B-sides, among which also the chorus that ties everything together in what predominantly functions as a bombastic performance piece for all 23 members that constitute NCT 2020. We have a lot to talk about. RESONANCE combines four NCT U songs- each member included in at least one of the lineups, resulting in the majority of them having substantial lines here, contrary to predecessor Black on Black- slightly altering their mixes to suit the amped up energy desired, the job, however made easier by the tempo proximity of three of the tracks, ranging from 101-110 BPM; the aforementioned Make A Wish’s first verse is the slightest bit sped and glitched up, its bridge completely stripped of bass when attached to the latter section of the song, while percussion remains in place all throughout the second verse of 90’s Love here, both linked by the two-part chorus taken from the album’s Pt. 2 B-side Raise The Roof, significantly more impactful in this context than that of its original studio version. The biggest deviance in tempo, though still very manageable in this case, lies in the use of Work It’s wisely chosen bridge section, ushered in by a “drop the bass” adlib and faded out with a slow-motion transition leading into- of course- a dance break. It is odd. Perhaps outrageous. And kind of awesome.

The very first time the chorus enters it’s with none other than the iconic “ooh wee” interjection reminiscent of the one in Ciara’s 1,2 Step (very similar to what also occurs in possibly SM Ent.’s most successful experimental endeavor to date, yes I’m about to mention aespa again, talking about none other than their 2021 smash hit Next Level). Whether the reference was intentional is unknown, but maybe a reason why this song works has, in fact, to do with something about merging past, present and future- like those album interludes suggest. The SM Ent. music-making brand is often associated with nostalgia-induced futurism, drawing familiarity from earlier music eras to glue together structures and sounds largely unprecedented in pop music. I mean you do have a New Jack Swing song called 90’s Love placed amidst a chaos of sirens, noisy dubstep and electronic transitions, in a sequence that could read as nothing more than a medley but is actually one of the most avant-garde musical propositions in the industry. The company is no stranger to 2-in-1 singles given the likes of SHINee’s 2012 classic Sherlock (Clue + Note) and SuperM’s earlier 2020 One (Monster & Infinity), but RESONANCE is SM Ent.’s thesis and most definitely NCT’s as well; with a central theme across all songs involved that can be encompassed in Make A Wish’s “I can take you anywhere” and a braggadocious, combative hook that recruits the listener into the group’s mission to change the game, RESONANCE unabashedly states that whatever you are looking for here, you are sure to find.

Thanks for tuning in to pt.1 of this ranking! I’m so glad to have you here and I hope this was an enjoyable read. Pt.2 is coming next week with the top 10 and even more passionate rambling, so make sure to check back here or subscribe to receive new posts in your email.

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful week!

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

Of The Music: July-December of 2022 round-up

Evi — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 17:00:08 GMT

‘Of The Music’ is a segment on ‘Of The Moment’ where I talk about music releases that pique my interest every few months, offering context, thoughts, critique- and mostly gushing! Feel free to reach out to me if there is an album/single/discography you’d like me to check out and write about next (for anonymous messages, you can head on over to Retrospring). Don’t forget to subscribe in order to receive new posts in your email and support my work! If you wish to, you can subscribe to this segment separately. Thank you for being here.

Subscribe now

When I tried to write a prologue to this post, it ended up turning into this. So we’re cutting to the chase. These are the 12 albums that made my second half of 2022 a time to remember.

P.S. Sorry, August.

(Note: in no particular order.)

Still from Beyoncé - I’M THAT GIRL (Official Teaser)

Beyoncé – RENAISSANCE

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room first, shall we? Yes, RENAISSANCE was my favorite album of the year. And what am I even supposed to say about- with emphasis- Beyoncé, and her best album to date or the best release of 2022 according to everyone and their mom and their dog (everyone except the Grammys, of course, which we will not get into here for obvious reasons)? It’s difficult to treat music as “simply” music, meaning the soundtrack to the diverse rotations of our everyday lives, when it succeeds at its most artistic purpose of transcending its medium to be transmuted into an experience so wholly and conscientiously. “Sound” in the case of RENAISSANCE (the first part of a three act project) holds an inextricable bond with space, in Beyoncé’s words “a safe place, a place without judgement. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom”; It doesn’t get realer than the dancefloor. The space associated with the LGBT+ community and radical joy like no other, where struggles became briefly forgotten and culture was forged. Beyoncé dedicated this album to her queer fans and “the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long”. Among them, her beloved Uncle Jonny- referenced in HEATED- who introduced her to house music, and passed away during the AIDS crisis.

Besides the tracklist flowing like a DJ set, true to its premise, RENAISSANCE is a masterclass on creative, holistic sampling, with pieces ranging from Teena Marie to Big Freedia and Kevin Aviance to Donna Summer- of course along with the rebuilding of Robin S’s 1993 dance hit Show Me Love for the record’s first single BREAK MY SOUL and not ignoring that Grace Jones feature on MOVE- providing the means to Beyoncé’s memory-triggering and emotion-evoking, rather than solely nostalgia-inducing, end of paying tribute to cultural visionaries. The album unfolds in a maximalist, masterful exploration of house, dance, disco and RnB with visits from funk- the pure sparkly delight that is VIRGO’S GROOVE- afrobeats and dancehall- HEATED also sports an unmistakable Drake writing credit- as well as featuring the inputs of PC pop pioneer and close Charli XCX collaborator A.G. Cook- on the hyperpop-infused ALL UP IN YOUR MIND- and nightclub sensation Honey Dijon- the DJ who helped craft love letters to the Black, queer community with COZY and ALIEN SUPERSTAR. The personal favorite is PURE/HONEY, a quintessential ballroom track that blossoms into groovy, disco-leaning rhythm and harmonies. RENAISSANCE has Beyoncé’s delivery ultra-sensual, tongue-in-cheek at times, and simultaneously commanding and empowering as ever, as it takes the listener on a journey of much needed escapism without sacrificing substance for a split second.

Tracks not to miss: ALIEN SUPERSTAR, VIRGO’S GROOVE, PURE/HONEY

Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loneliest Time

Carly Rae Jepsen is a writer blessed with pure pop talent, meaning the ability to craft songs meant to be bouncing off every radio station in the world, every car, every mall, that if you’d just take one more second to pay closer attention to could also somehow move you to tears. While reaching over the cult status of her 2015 record, Emotion- regarded as a masterclass in mainstream pop- is a task that will most likely continue to be challenging for any of the artist’s following bodies of work, The Loneliest Time is another stone in cementing Jepsen’s name as a contemporary pop princess and her pen as one of the most capable in the genre.

Writing shifted back to its therapeutic origin for the artist when the pandemic hit, which becomes clear through this project’s more intimate tone. The album gracefully makes its way through personal stories marked equally by loss and love, sometimes tinged with disarming vulnerability (Surrender My Heart, Bends, Western Wind), sometimes with tongue-in-cheek humor (Beach House), and others with unapologetic joy (Joshua Tree, So Nice), always accompanied by layered, clean-cut production and Jepsen’s trademark candy-sweet vocal color that renders her sound addictive. “I’m coming back for you, baby!” is what I said to this album just after completing my first listen.

PS. Don’t skip the bonus tracks! Some of the record’s best.

Tracks not to miss: Surrender My Heart, Bends, Western Wind, Keep Away

Arctic Monkeys – The Car

Over the course of 16 years and 7 albums, the Sheffield-formed band have managed to become receivers of extensive critical acclaim and the world’s lasting attention, by holding their sound’s hand from the punk rock tunes drenched in dance sweat and late night Northern England teen mischief of 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, through the weighed down, broody guitars and Nick Cave-ian eeriness of Humbug, to the crowd-pleasing hip-hop and RnB-inspired grooves of breakout record AM, and the pivot to mellowed out, loungey glam rock in Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. However, the steady shift of Alex Turner’s initially timid, boyish stage persona to that of an enticing, larger-than-life rockstar and his song-conception method moving from the guitar to the piano have left the vividness, viscerality and theatricality of his pen intact; if anything, The Car is where it gets fully realized.

Although cinematic influences have existed in the band’s catalog for a long time and most notably helped shape the direct predecessor, concept-heavy TBH&C, this time around the Arctic Monkeys dive deeper into film soundtrack territory, imagery and pace lucid as Turner fully leans into his crooner self on tracks laced with the usual romantic and longful sentiment of his storytelling, albeit more self-referential than ever. Strings soar, play and coexist alongside a guitar solo in Big Ideas, where Turner sings “I had big ideas, the band were so excited […] But now the orchestra’s got us all surrounded” while looking back on the thrills of the band’s earlier days. The violins are a main character in Body Paint, as much as the spacey percussions in the title song, and almost programmatic, startling beats set the stage in opener There’d Better Be A Mirrorball. The Car is rich, atmospheric, somewhat melancholic but mostly enigmatic, laced with the air of a farewell- or a “good night” as proposed in closer Perfect Sense- that curiously leaves one wondering where Turner and the Monkeys are headed next, if anywhere at all.

Tracks not to miss: There’d Better Be A Mirrorball, Sculptures Of Anything Goes, Big Ideas

ATEEZ – THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT

Imagine being one of the fans attending the recording of ATEEZ's special performance on The Show on June 28, and suddenly receiving an audio file named "PROPAGANDA" from "ATEEZ" through AirDrop. The title refers to none other than the ominous, techno-rock fusion intro to the South Korean boy group’s futuristic dystopia-themed ninth EP, released a month later on July 29. Revolution concepts, social outcast lore, and all-things-apocalyptic have been around in K-pop for years now and, although in the context of the otherworldly fantasy that the industry is set on selling those messages hardly ever reach tangible substance, they provide good ground for sonic explorations outside of standard pop structures and tropes. ATEEZ may rightfully be considered the leaders of this niche, coming out of the gate swinging in 2018 with Pirate King, a collage of hip-hop, EDM and a bit of movie soundtrack, somewhat novel at the time though those types of beats ended up dominating the scene later on.

The experimentations throughout the group’s discography that followed Pirate King are culminated in this EP’s main single, the blustery, nu metal-inspired Guerilla, which despite its multitudes (the track features some industrial heaviness, EDM drops, has its gentler vocal moments and even flirts with screamo) knows exactly what it wants to be, and that is an outright battle cry. Similar bravado can be found in the noisy, bass-heavy chorus- contrasting the pretty RnB sections- of Sector 1, as well as the standout 4^th generation sibling of EXO’s 2019 Jekyll, trappy, lethargic and harmony-rich The Ring. Cyberpunk expands on the synthy notes of 2021’s Take Me Home with a psychedelic trance twist and chromatic chorus, wet, dark, intoxicated and dazzled by neon lights, while WDIG offers an electro-industrial, autotune-heavy moment and New World is the perfect, epic action film ending credits song. This is ATEEZ’s production team- most notably including LEEZ and Ollounder, the duo also largely behind rock-focused girl group Dreamcatcher’s discography- at their absolute best; work that is maximal, yet clean and shines in all the right places. My favorite K-pop release of the year alongside the NCT 127 album we’ll be talking about in a bit- and (sidenote) despite several publications labeling RM’s Indigo a K-pop album which any avid K-pop listener would confirm doesn’t add up.

Tracks not to miss: Cyberpunk, Guerilla, The Ring

Nosaj Thing – Continua

Atmospheric, moody and electric are words that could describe Los Angeles born DJ and producer Jason W. Chung aka Nosaj Thing’s body of work. On his fifth and most collaborative as well as vocal-driven album to date, Chung blends his electronic roots with shades of jazz, trip hop and RnB, always coexisting alongside the ever-present hip-hop influence in his sound. Time slows down and emotions run heavy in this project just like in film. These are emotions, however, not so much fueled by storytelling- the lyrical content is kept fairly vague here, among ideas on connection and its loss- as they are by the immersive, cinematic experience that Chung crafts with even the subtlest additions to his productions.

Continua opens with an intro featuring a piano composition by multidisciplinary artist and longtime Kendrick Lamar collaborator Duval Timothy, while KAZU of indie rock band Blonde Redhead lends dreamy vocals to the minimal UK garage beats of My Soul or Something, ambient RnB crooner serpentwithfeet shines on the tender Woodland and the ever-so-unique Toro y Moi turns Condition into a standout track with his signature delivery. However, the highlight of the record for me has to be We Are, featuring Korean indie act HYUKOH; melodic, melancholic and adorned with reverbed harmonies and prominent percussion, the track makes for a collaboration that made me wish to hear singer OHHYUK on more electronic projects.

Tracks not to miss: My Soul or Something, Blue Hour, Grasp, We Are

Little Simz – NO THANK YOU

Coming right off a project as grand as the career landmark- and my personal favorite release of 2021- that Sometimes I Might Be Introvert foreshadowed itself to be from the very first single, one would more than recognize in Little Simz the right to let up a little bit. S.I.M.B.I’s Mercury prize win was secured last October and added to the Brit award the 28-year-old rapper took home earlier in the year. Only the latter was for best newcomer despite the fact her debut album was released seven years ago. In the stunning epilogue to 2022 that is NO THANK YOU- released with disproportionately minimal promo, albeit accompanied by a breathtaking short film- Simz further cements herself as a standout talent among her peers and a player not to be played with, drawing attention where it’s due- “This ain’t music one overlooks,” she pointedly notes in Sideways.

Although mental health and the dehumanizing forces of the music industry are themes the artist has tackled before, this time they take up the record’s center stage, where Simz’s simmering anger is palpable and poignant as she mercilessly lays out the costs of painfully acquired success. However, NO THANK YOU doesn’t reveal its cards all at once. Opener Angel, assisted by none other than longtime collaborator Cleo Sol on the hook- a recurrence throughout the album- hints at the project’s more subdued idiosyncrasy from the get-go, asserting a disinterest in epicness and bravado as a focal point, yet moments that feel overwhelmingly historic and humbling don’t fail to be achieved, through Simz’s naturally commanding presence as a skilled storyteller, as well as the gospel elements peppered throughout Inflo’s productions that- as shown time and time again- know just how to work with her cadence to turn narrative into magic. “Like DeNiro with Scorsese”, the duo once again proves that when the right person with a voice meets the right person with an ear, they become unbeatable together.

Tracks not to miss: Angel, Silhouette, Heart on Fire, Broken

SAULT – 11

Now, many would agree on Pitchfork’s take of NO THANK YOU having the essence of a SAULT record fronted by Simz. The mysterious, industry rule-defying U.K-based collective with Inflo at the reins of the production and a lineup arguably consisting of names such as RnB and soul songstress Cleo Sol and rapper Chronixx among others- also affiliated with singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and Little Simz herself- dropped five albums on the same day (November 11) with a limited five-day span of available preorder from their website. This isn’t the first time the act has rejected release standards- 2021’s Nine was only available on streaming services and as a digital download for 99 days, despite its critical acclaim announcing it as one of their strongest projects to date- but it is certainly striking as to its generosity and level of unorthodoxy. Out of the latest collection, 11 takes the crown for its solid songwriting, accessibility and seamless integration into the group’s catalog.

The number 11 is said to be potent with manifestation powers, hence 11/11’s reputation as a day associated with thinking positive thoughts only. This optimism is indeed reflected here as the collective eschews elaborate storytelling, opting for simplistic, mantra-like hooks and chants that underline the spiritual, meditative essence of the album with transcendental repetition. As with every SAULT record, the collaborative spirit takes center stage. Polyphonic chords accompany the spoken word raps in the funky-basslined Glory, unison delivery enhances the message of psychedelic-leaning Together and tender River slowly ascends into rich harmonies. The guitar is at the forefront, whether it is the solo on Together or the pretty lines of Fight for Love and Envious, while SAULT’s signature percussive power accentuates the groovier instrumentals. The stellar vocal performance on Higher and jazzy hints in romantic closer The Circle are highlights not to be missed.

Tracks not to miss: Glory, Higher, River, The Circle

Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl

“Pop therapist” reads Rina Sawayama’s resume just above “winner of Best Live Act at the 2022 NME awards” held at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, where I had the privilege to witness the magic for myself a few months later, on the hometown date of her Hold The Girl tour. After offering background on her healing journey in therapy that gave birth to the new record, Sawayama dedicates part of the first talking segment of the concert to listing off the different directions the show is about to take; from the land of ‘00s pop-rock through darker industrial electronic and punk, all the way to emotional country ballads and, finally, an upbeat dance party. Everything has its place in the album, experimentation held together by the unapologetically pop sentiment in her writing that has turned Sawayama into a name frequently mentioned among discussions about the future of pop ever since the release of her outstanding 2020 debut LP.

One thing clear as day about Sawayama is that she refuses to pigeonhole herself. In this single rollout, the predecessor’s metal curveball gives way to a Shania Twain-inspired country pop track turned gay anthem (This Hell) that probably makes for the singer’s most radio friendly piece to date, the understated house club bop to a spacious ‘00s rock ode to her single mother (Catch Me In The Air), and the rock-infused RnB highlight to the UK garage-fusion title song, the centerpiece touching on the theme at the heart of the record, of protecting the inner child against everything that can hinder joy and living true to yourself, whether that comes from societal norms, a specific cultural or religious upbringing, or toxic connections. Among the album’s stunners is Holy (Til You Let Me Go), a song Sawayama wanted to sound like a rave in a reverby, abandoned church- which she very successfully achieved- about finding peace after breaking free from religious confines, the chaotic UK garage number, Imagining, about being a victim to gaslighting, complete with the singer’s vocals pitched higher for the entirety of the track- a common practice in the genre- true to the feeling of struggling to recognize yourself, and the collection’s tearjerker; acoustic ballad Send My Love To John, inspired by a friend’s story and written from the perspective of a regretful mother accepting her son’s queerness after years of denial, dedicated to members of the community who never got the apology they deserved to hear by their loved ones. “The idea of, where do I start and where [other people] begin is something that I’ve only really truly learned recently,” Sawayama told them. “I think this record overall is about finding out what those boundaries are.”

Tracks not to miss: Hold The Girl, Holy (Til You Let Me Go), Your Age, Imagining

NCT 127 – 2 Baddies – The 4th Album

As the first fixed- take that with a grain of salt- subunit to debut under the name of the NCT collective which as of today counts over 20 members under its umbrella, and the face of SM Entertainment’s futuristic, limitless idol group-constructing endeavor, 9-membered NCT 127 has always stood for ambition, experimentation and pushing musical boundaries. With 2 Baddies, the 6-year old act that has left an undeniable mark on the typical boy group sound of K-pop’s 4^th generation, sets out to create their most trademark title track to date. Featuring a signature nasty bassline, shouted hook, and a shift to the rap focus of their earlier days after a recent streak of vocal-heavy singles- although it has to be said that the rap quality has paradoxically declined here rather than improved- 2 Baddies oozes fervent charisma and masculinity, alongside its vibrant sports car and neon paint visuals.

However, as it is usually said about the group’s versatile discography, if you don’t let the “noisy” single fool you, you can always find a true goldmine of harmony in their B-side collection. Courtesy of a frequent collaborator, producer Dem Jointz (Kanye West, Rihanna, Anderson .Paak), and co-penned by members MARK and TAEYONG, the dreamy Time Lapse and groovy Designer make the most standout tracks of the record, showcasing adventurous colors of RnB fusion. Other highlights include Crash Landing, a drill-inspired cut featuring vocals upon vocals and a luscious bridge, as well as the genre-bending, menacing intro of Faster. SME has historically had a knack for its artists’ 4^th full-length albums and 2 Baddies by NCT 127 more than deserves its place in the hall of fame as a satisfactory sampler of all the best aces under the group’s sleeve.

(A top 20 NCT title track ranking is coming on this Substack next, so stay tuned if you’re interested!)

Tracks not to miss: Time Lapse, Crash Landing, Designer

SZA – SOS

On her sophomore LP, SZA gets curiously adventurous and brutally raw. With a bloodstain on her Shirt, a phenomenal earworm of a single- I honestly don’t know if any other song occupied the no1 spot on my Spotify “On Repeat” as much as this throughout 2022, although just out of time for Wrapped- accompanied by violent, Tarantino-adjacent imagery in its music video and a largely unsettling dance visual, the contemporary RnB star kicked off the era signaling danger; The record goes off on a gunshot, and introduces itself with a run of some of its strongest cards, including morbid lullaby and TikTok hit Kill Bill, personal favorite, gritty Low, featuring Travis Scott… on the adlibs, and breathtaking Blind, a track that, in its gorgeous nakedness, stands out as already a career classic, featuring SZA delivering with focus sharp as a knife over delicate guitars.

SOS sags a little somewhere after its middle- offering a couple of unmemorable cuts and SZA’s take on the pop punk resurgence (F2F), which I personally could’ve done without- which, beyond giving the album a little too long of a runtime, proves to be a flaw that predictably lands it below the modern classic status of 2017’s all-hit, no-miss Ctrl. Yet, this project bounces back with the songwriter’s pen skillful as ever and its strong conceptual agenda: comprising of horror elements peppered all-throughout, as well as calculated vocal doubling and distortion that consistently hints at the eerie presence of another self of SZA’s, lurking beneath the water’s surface. One that unapologetically lusts, but mostly for blood.

Tracks not to miss: Low, Blind, Ghost in the Machine (feat. Phoebe Bridgers), Shirt

john eun – Suna

Mostly known to the public through his friendship and close collaboration with BTS’s RM- and maintaining a very minimal online presence- John Eun is a South Korean singer-songwriter and guitarist who made his debut with his Groove Merchant EP in 2019. The artist’s first full length, Suna, finds itself far from the bright yellows and neo soul-adjacent conventions of that project, adhering more to the moody aesthetic of its following singles, most notably the folky, atmospheric Hope- that features background vocals from RM himself. Although released right in the middle of the summer, Suna hides from the sun, reveling in its own inner warmth; multi-layered soundscapes and familiar, ingenuous melodies accompanied by prominent guitar work, reminiscent of John Mayer essentials, the broody moments and instrumental build-ups of Mumford & Sons and even Bon Iver’s haunting stacked harmonies as well as use of space at times- like on my personal favorite Doppelganger. Occasional piano details that could almost go unnoticed, intros and outros bordering on ambient, and mixing choices- Eyes as the highlight here- that feel purposefully precise yet holistically natural, Suna could very well pass as a live album, its core strength lying in its thoroughly organic approach, with Eun even stating that no pitch correction was used on any of the tracks, which of course is a vital part of its experience.

I don’t gravitate towards projects of indie sensibility easily nowadays- be it I had my fair share of time with the genre in high school and in some ways grew out of it, or that me and its stillness and quietness don’t mesh well anymore for unknown reasons- yet there was something gripping, and perhaps refreshing, about the rawness of Suna that kept me returning to it. Probably something to do with Eun’s relationship to language that permeates the songs, all written in English except the one- Cry Not Cry- in Korean, and the payoff of not being forced to choose between the two languages while writing. The simultaneous effortlessness and punch to the gut of “Loneliness is something that cannot be tamed” and “There’s a limit to the love that you’ve been searching for”.

Tracks not to miss: Doppelganger, Vagabond, Shape Of Rain

RM – Indigo

“[…] I was focusing on expanding my personal thoughts to something universal, so people can approach it and think it could be their own stories, too.” RM told Variety ahead of his album release- mirroring the sentiment discussed above in regards to Rina Sawayama- which would make Indigo the rapper’s solo project that embraces pop outlines like no other (referring to the gritty, self-titled RM and the deeply introspective mono., both mixtapes released for free in 2015 and 2018 respectively, with no promotional expectations). As a leader and main songwriter for BTS, RM has played a crucial role in shaping the group’s lyrical identity for 9 years. After the announcement of the members’ plans to take a temporary break from team promotions along with their intentions of completing their military service in South Korea and venturing off into solo endeavors took place last June, we saw the drop of fellow rapper j-hope’s dark-hearted Jack In The Box in July (unfortunately didn’t make it into this list) which Indigo joined at the start of December. However, one couldn’t say the albums’ company is all that harmonious, whether in mood or visual approach, though with the most striking difference having to do with the people involved.

Contrasting JITB’s evidently decisive lack of features and commitment to being a thoroughly solo effort, for Indigo, RM recruits heroes, friends and peers to craft an album he describes as an archive of his- slowly coming to an end- twenties, that carries its influences and inspirations on its sleeve. From “queen of neo soul” Erykah Badu’s wisdom channeled in jazzy, Robert Glasper soundscape-adjacent Yun, the album’s revelatory opener where RM iterates “I wanna be a human, ‘fore I do some art” recounting the legacy of beloved South Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, to Korean cultural landmark Coming of age ceremony’s Park Jiyoon’s friendly accompaniment in mellow closer No.2 and “don’t look back no more”, referring to older moments in his journey with a defiance for regret, RM swims freely through various genres and moods- including hip-hop, stripped-down folk and lively city pop among others- while safely held by their connoisseurs all throughout. The record’s biggest highlight is its rather unorthodox for industry standards choice of main single, the- placed second to last- 4 and a half-minute anthemic rock ballad Wild Flower featuring Cherry Filter’s vocalist and South Korean rock icon Cho Youjeen, where the rapper discusses the internal struggle between fame and self-preservation. Indigo is a product of apt collaboration and still, a collage of self-narrated stories; held together into one body by RM’s grounded subject matter and delivery, and laced with the comfort of worn out jeans- “the colors of nature, human, etc.”

(Here is a playlist I made, showcasing Indigo’s influences and the relevant work of its collaborators.)

Tracks not to miss: Yun (with Erykah Badu), Still Life (with Anderson .Paak), Forg_tful (with Kim Sawol), Wild Flower (with youjeen)

Thank you so much for caring to check my words out. I’m so glad to have you here.

I hope this was an enjoyable read, and if you decide to give any of these releases a listen, I hope the music resonates with you.

My favorite track from each of the albums above has been added to the ‘Of The Moment’ playlist, where you can find most of the songs mentioned on this Substack.

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me in any way you prefer. I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful week.

Feel free to share this post or Substack with anyone who might want to know about it!

Of The Music: April, May & June of 2022 round-up

Evi — Sun, 21 Aug 2022 16:01:29 GMT

If older generations are critiquing music around the axis of nostalgia and younger ones only for an audience of their peers and largely prioritizing a superficial sense of identity/aesthetic over the actual content, then who is driving this plane?

I’ve delayed this post partly because of a busy month, partly because I feel like I’ve been struggling to really connect with the pieces of work I’ve listened to as of recently. What’s more, a few questions that have been brewing at the back of my mind for a while are coming forth. I’m lucky to exist in circles- both online and off- of like-minded people who care about music a lot, or enough to pay attention, listen wholly, go out of their way to explore and share their findings. I’ve decided to use this space to share my point of view because I care about something. Caring about music brings me joy. But is that caring useful to someone other than myself to take joy in- and perhaps a few like-minded friends? Generally, who needs music critique nowadays and what should a music critic’s job- or the agenda of a person like any other who happens to put some more time, effort and thought into reviewing music and share the outcome in public spheres- entail in the current climate of music as background sound, financial disengagement and heavy time constraints on staying informed?

Between waiting for music to progress according to one’s taste vs tastes progressing according to the music that’s being made/pushed, can we say one is better than the other? Just as favorite doesn’t equal best, I think a focus on the individual approach might prove more useful than any other viewpoint.

The era of mere people being able to shape music tastes by opinion alone is long gone and social media is oversaturated with words like “good”, “terrible”, “masterpiece”, “trash”, “mid”, when it comes to spaces where music is a main topic. It’s clear to see how social media and music, two concepts that are formed, lead and propelled forward by identity, can be detrimental ingredients to a cocktail that causes endless discourse, as soon as people from different echo chambers happen to cross algorithm-generated paths. Discourse of apparently no real impact, since albums and shows seem to sell out for the audiences they’re meant to please anyways, despite any potential grudge the anonymous mass of “the internet” might be holding against them or the artist in each case.

I really do believe critique is- or should be, first and foremost- an act of love. While that means taking on the political responsibility of pointing out wrongdoing where it’s present, I feel as though, when it comes to music, empty negative takes have become the first example associated with criticism. Which is no surprise when it’s obvious that, aside from older generations simply being too set on what they see as good based on the consequences of the inaccessibility of their times, years of exposure to the trendy angry, quick-witted, shallow, and very often sexist outsmarting of pieces of media and their fans labeled as “criticism” has morphed its actual definition into a tool used to solely tear down a work for Twitter and Youtube-raised generations, urging consumers to look for flaws before anything else.

The widely agreed upon as cataclysmically intelligent, online argument go-to, end-all, mic drop phrase of “it’s not that deep” is echoing in my head as I’m typing this, which I will pointedly choose to ignore. Of course, everybody is allowed to dislike things, even wihout fully understanding why or feeling the need to share that reason. I want to believe people who clicked on this music review post collectively agree on the need for more fruitful discussions about music to some degree. So I would like to emphasize that this is an effort at, first and foremost, highlighting the love; saying “this is how this made me feel, thus I hope it can be an addition to your life that leads to interesting emotions or discoveries”. A move to bring something worthy of attention in my eyes to someone else’s rotation. What should come from a place of curiosity, honest engagement and appreciation instead of entitlement. A low place, rather than a high one.

I know that what I don’t want to do here is maintain a space to act as a calendar of releases. No judgement whatsoever if first impression reviews work for you. To me, it’s too much of a hustle, a sentiment I wish to never associate with my music listening if I’m able to. As I said, I happened to not feel significantly moved by a lot of recent releases this time around, so I didn’t want to half-blindly pick a few apples that seemed nice to have a “decent-sized” list to present. It’s hard to get a good taste of something when you’re somebody who likes to try a bit of everything. I don’t know how to work around that yet- my interest in all different kinds of music and desire to keep up is not diminishing any time soon- but I feel that time is necessary, at least in terms of having an opinion to offer. Let music settle, age, try and try again in a different context, explore, see what works for me overall; those are the things I’m trying to keep in mind.

Today I’m sharing with you the 3 albums released during the second quarter of 2022 that- like, really- struck a chord with me. Brought to you by the brilliance of Ursula K. Le Guin (apparently).

P.S. Sorry, April.

(Note: in no particular order.)

MARINA SATTI - YENNA

This is going to be quite lengthy because, given that prologue, you can imagine the state of excitement I was in when eventually something of resonance this striking knocked on my door. Though Greek, I must admit I don’t listen to Greek music all that much- for my own enjoyment, at least. That’s not to say I’m not familiar with whatever’s popular: the classics, the songs spanning generations, the hits hailing from each genre, or the party songs, what you’ll typically hear on a night out or the radio. More like I can’t help but notice a large gap of substance as far as current top hits in Greece go- a list oversaturated by standard, overdone catchy-formula pop, the trap wave, and occasions of both worlds coming together in club hits aiming at ephemeral virality- or, I guess, a type of substance that speaks to me enough to pay attention.

Enter Marina Satti, the 35 year-old singer and songwriter of half-Greek, half-Sudanese descent who gained international attention with her 2017 single, Mantissa (: fortune teller), a standout internet and radio hit, rich in harmonies and optimism and trading the mainstream sound of the time for prominent bagpipe and handclap percussion, manifesting the artist’s clear traditional music influences- her debut and only other single at the time being a cover of traditional song Κούπες (: cups)- into something completely new and exciting.

YENNA (: birth) came an entirety of five years later, after a spaced out run of singles, such as the intro to the record, YIATI POULI M' (DEN KELAIDIS) (: why my bird, don’t you sing)- a haunting rendition of yet another traditional song, this time a lament from the region of Thrace referring to the fall of Constantinople (now Istanbul) through a metaphor of a bird having its wings cut off and therefore not being able to sing like it used to- melismatic and menacing, ending on the abrupt sound of a closing door, then followed by an instant mood change in PALI (: again), a danceable, radio-friendly record with its lively rhythm and gentle vocal delivery over layers of backing harmonies reminiscent of the sensibility of Rosalía’s El Mal Querer, about a one-step-forward-two steps-back relationship. PONOS KRIFOS (: secret pain) later echoes the same sentiment, leaving however no room for questioning the thematic repetition in such a short runtime (half of the album’s tracks don’t surpass the three-minute mark), by featuring the singer at her most ethereal and alluring vocal performance.

YENNA is a tasteful and visionary amalgamation of Satti’s Greek, Arabic and Balkan influences conversing and exploding next to each other into polyphonic shapes never quite seen before in the Greek scene, able to summon collective memory through the traditional elements, while the record feels like a litany of sorts; PROSEFHI (: prayer) is one of the most intimate moments, where Satti equates a lover to a holy figure and ASE ME NA FIGO (: let me go), following the atmospheric INTERLUDE, draws the listener in with a quiet, almost threatening repeated chant. KRITIKO (: Cretan) tells a chilling and cinematic story from the perspective of a bride-to-be anticipating her violent death over a slow-brewing beat, evoking the intensity of a traditional Cretan wedding with interjections from gunshot sounds, yet autotune-heavy and featuring a trap-inspired drop in its second half. ADII DROMI (: empty streets) is my personal favorite on the record, mixing moody nighttime electronic production with sudden handclaps and a piercing clarinet leading into sections that, for just a few seconds, manage to recreate the drunk atmosphere at the peak of a Greek glénti (: festivity/party in the traditional sense).

SPIRTO KE VENZINI (: match and fire) borrows lyrics from the famous laïkó (: song of the people/popular song)/tsifteteli (: a loose Greek variation of belly dancing) Rixe Sto Kormi Mou Spirto, offering the most sensual moment of the album- also the track that, shortly after the release of the record, infiltrated the Greek top hits playlists. The tender NANI (: lullaby- or the typical word used in song to lull babies to sleep), penned by Sokratis Malamas, a household name among Greek musicians in the genre of contemporary éntekhno (: art song- a genre characterized by its poetic lyricism and folk instrumentation), precedes the album’s, one could say, surprising closer, given the title: MIROLOI (: lament), a track treading the lines of traditional Greek funeral songs combining elements from the regions of Roumeli and Macedonia- a passionate expression of grief through a repeated choral chant and lingering, accelerating percussion up until the record cuts off, leaving the exhale to the listener.

Death and birth (or rebirth), therefore, become one in YENNA, under a dark veil of multicultural sound, deeply rooted in the pain of tradition yet emerging forth carrying an air of novelty and freshness. In Satti’s words (by POPAGANDA), the album “tells the story of its own creation”, encompassing all the emotions felt and lessons learned throughout the painful process of giving birth to something new. “Polyphony is not just meant in the literal way that there are a lot of voices. It also has a metaphorical aspect, the exchange and communication with others. Music is the thing that brings us together.”, she tells NBHAP and I feel like that is true of all the intersecting elements of this record; coexisting and interacting with one another, perhaps not with a goal of creating harmony despite their differences, but instead merging into a triumphant, beautiful chaos where individuality and collectiveness are celebrated for what they both bring to the table.

The thing about how listening to this album made me feel is it reached almost too deep to be put into words simply and coherently. Similar to how our roots are always there even if we can’t see them from a sky-high point of view, having mightily grown far up above everything on the ground. Are there aspects of your culture you’ve tried to escape, mocked, found cringeworthy, kitsch, a little ugly, yet on occasion have found their way into your heart through a cellular type of consciousness you forgot could exist? That hit of realization was perhaps the strongest emotion I experienced with YENNA and its accompanying visuals.

Ursula K. Le Guin says in her speech at Mills College in 1983 titled ‘A Left-Handed Commencement Address’:

Why did we look up for blessing — instead of around, and down? What hope we have lies there. Not in the sky full of orbiting spy-eyes and weaponry, but in the earth we have looked down upon. Not from above, but from below. Not in the light that blinds, but in the dark that nourishes, where human beings grow human souls.

I had the chance to see Marina perform the entire thing twice and both times the audience was left asking for more. Check this release out even if you don’t speak Greek (“please signify by nodding”!). It illustrates one of the most unique soundscapes I have ever found myself immersed in.

Perfume Genius – Ugly Season

Continuing with, coincidentally, another artist of Greek descent; Through much less melody, even sparser singing and moving away from previous indie rock sensibilities into fully avant-pop- à la Björk and Arca- territory, Mike Hadreas draws on earlier work to present the most experimental side of Perfume Genius to date, in a record that holds space for expansive, creative feelings, “filled with fantasy and drama” as he tells iNews. Ugly Season comprises of songs written for The Sun Still Burns Here, a dance piece Hadreas worked on with choreographer Kate Wallich in 2019. It was a process that took place before 2020’s Set My Heart On Fire Immediately, which Ocean Vuong described as “music to both fight and make love to”. Τhough Ugly Season takes a slightly different approach sonically, the truth of the songs being “made resonant through the body’s triumph” is still here, blending in with other defining elements of Perfume Genius’s musical identity, such as grey expressions of the queer reality, a distinct, unapologetic rawness-or nakedness- and always, a cinematic touch.

From “Pygmalion’s Ugly Season” – A film by Jacolby Satterwhite featuring Perfume Genius

Just a Room, the otherwise symphonic opening is juxtaposed by a descriptive stanza whispered right in your ear (No pattern, no bloom / Where I’m taking you / Flat and static / Just a room, just a room), cutting off on timid, isolated glockenspiel notes and strings that rise along a big inhale. The space is set, the atmosphere heavy, the body electrified.

via iNews:

Hadreas says that “Herem” was inspired by research he was doing into Sparagmos, a Dionysian ritual that appears in Euripides’s The Bacchae where women pulled apart a bull with their bare hands.

The song- which Hadreas describes as an introduction to a utopian place- moves around interlaced wind instruments and lyrically features an array of (mostly) ancient male Greek names that tie into mythological figures at times, unfolding in a haunting, indeed ritual-like manner. Voice during the first half, instrumental crescendo in the second appears to be a formula that repeats throughout the record, contrary to the opener’s insinuation, since most of these tracks do seem to bloom in their own curious ways. Pop Song, unsurprisingly my personal favorite- I love a good twist of pop music on its head- offers the album’s first inorganic moment sonically, opening with a sprinkle of gentle, Prince-like synths, and progressively filling out with playful percussions, chimes and polyphony. Somebody in the song’s Youtube comments said it makes you feel like a woodland creature in a strangely visceral way. I honestly couldn’t have put it more accurately.

Ugly Season to Hellbent is a terrific run. The titular song sports a reggae rhythm Hadreas’s voice hides underneath- twisted, muted, possessed, at times crying out in pain (I turn from God / Slick with rot / Thick as Vaseline / I turn from love). “Bitch, it’s ugly season” takes me back to the majestic Queen off 2014’s Too Bright and “No family is safe, when I sashay”. Provocative and triumphant in their vulnerability, declarations of what Ursula K. Le Guin writes of in ‘The Dispossessed’: “to make a virtue of your peculiarities” or, in the words of Hadreas, to reimagine dysmorphia and ugliness as “a source of power instead of things that cannibalise you.” The body- Hadreas’s fascination with it carrying on strong from his previous work- is the centerpiece of this record, its exploration and transformation palpable throughout- almost like the songs come together by a shapeshifting, skin-pulling force melting through them and deciding their direction.

Psychedelic, 9-minute-long Eye in the Wall features the euphoric chant of “Give it up”, its second half feeling like the sighting of blinding white light at the end of a film, before bass and percussion take over, raising tension into jazzy Photograph, which builds with soaring wind instruments mixing with their own distortion, then quieting off behind airy choral melismas. Hellbent- seemingly a callback to Set My Heart On Fire Immediately’s character-inspired Jason, though apparently the repetition of the name is simply a coincidence- is a chilling track, setting the tone with a helicopter drone and heavy distortion of what seems to be an electric guitar, underlining the storytelling with a meticulousness reminiscent of programmatic music; a peak cinematic moment that works best in the album’s context.

Operatic, atmospheric and rich in tension, Ugly Season in its entirety possesses the intimacy and vulnerability of every other Perfume Genius project to date, while offering a variation in style that is more than able to proudly hold its own among the artist’s catalog. A bit of a left turn that feels undoubtedly right, down to its chaotic core.

Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever

From Queen to King and more reveling in the power of dance; Fresh off the High As Hope (2018) tour and in a heady rush of inspiration, in early 2020 Florence Welch set off to New York City to prepare for the next Florence + The Machine project with acclaimed producer and songwriter- among other things- Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey). It was going to be a concept album, recorded at Electric Lady Studios and based on Welch’s newfound at the time fascination with the phenomenon of choreomania, the medieval European “dancing plague” that involved groups of people dancing erratically until they collapsed from exhaustion or injury, leading some to death and others to a state of ecstasy. Today, Dance Fever is the band’s pandemic album, which Welch describes as a mature twin to debut, Lungs (2009) or, in other words, a horrific fairytale.

The plot twist enters the scene as soon as mellow, melancholic Back In Town- referring to none other than New York City- wraps up, both in terms of its recording and place on the record. Welch’s stay in New York barely lasted a week after the outbreak of the virus and having to return home to multiple sick family members, resulting in an on-and-off creative process spanning two years, the album being split between two producers- Antonoff and Dave Bayley of Glass Animals- and it morphing into an amalgamation of analog and digital moments as, in Welch’s words, the songs recorded during lockdown refused to be “tamed” via re-recording with Antonoff- an inconvenience that ultimately proved reflective of the times, as she quickly realized “there’s no smoothing this out”.

Welch has always rhetorically capitalized the “s” in Song, has treated music as somewhat of a god, a divine presence or power that exists above her and what may even be her personal wishes at times, that she is a servant to and a vessel for. Gigs are a church, a place where she’s been able to find spirituality and a special kind of absolution during the roughest days of struggling with addiction while touring. Dance Fever is a sober album. And thus, one where the mythology is antagonized and prodded at like never before. Dreamy harmonies turn into ragged breaths, as “cathedrals flatten” in Cassandra, loud thumps and battle cries echo throughout Heaven Is Here, a feral number which has the band at their most stripped instrumentally, yet pulsates with concentrated rage. The lilting, Maggie Rogers-assisted Girls Against God is where the humor in that self-awareness kicks in: “crying into cereal at midnight”, while waving an aggressive fist at the sky in the same breath. “When I decided to wage Holy War / It looked very much like staring at my bedroom floor” may pose the record’s most revealing line, an artist’s statement telling of the silent doom in balancing between those different worlds: the mundane and the divine, the girl and the myth. “A golden heart or a golden voice”.

“This is the treason of the artist: a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain.” Ursula K. Le Guin writes in ‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’ and indeed, at the very center of this disturbance around self-perception lies the idea that perhaps the Song itself has always been a beast, instead of angel. “The deal you make being a songwriter is that […] you have to feed the monster all the time. […] No one has been spared in my life.” Welch tells Zane Lowe.

The questions, therefore, arising at the time-sensitive prospect of settling down with someone certainly aren’t easy to answer. Grand opener King- the world’s very first taste of the record and still, my favorite track- despite its assertive hook (I am no mother / I am no bride / I am king) and Welch snapping the neck of- and eating? - a lover in the music video, is not a rejection of motherhood, but rather a vulnerable scream of agony at the seemingly futile attempt to reconcile the contrasting feelings of a softening towards the concept of domesticity and the desire to preserve the rockstar. Crescendoing across invisible stadiums- you can so easily imagine thousands of women singing along at the top of their lungs- and exploding into one of the most excruciating cries in her vocal catalog, “King” is for confidence, for the humor in irony, for Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Iggy Pop; all the male icons Welch has followed in the steps of her entire career, only to realize she eventually has to make choices they didn’t need to.

Morning Elvis closes the album in an echo of King, with Welch reminiscing on past breaking points during her early days, perhaps taking the crown for the saddest song to ever make a Florence + The Machine record, as well as most outright self-aware. Featuring the gut-wrenching line of “If I make it to the stage, I’ll show you what it means / To be spared” and the audio of a cheering crowd in its outro (this reminded me of another closer I loved recently, Rosalía’s SAKURA, which I talked about here), the epilogue is an ode to performers turning their pain into something beautiful, as well as a product of Welch’s gratitude towards the impersonal thing- power, Song- that always seemed to care more about her than she cared about herself, even if surviving meant being propelled further into destruction at times; the double-edged realization of “I could always do the show”.

I tend to come to works that explicitly reference the pandemic, or any real-life event for that matter, with a sort of reluctance I can’t put a clear name to. I guess it has something to do with my inclination to using music as escapism- I’m a true pop lover after all, can’t help but feel safe in the open space pop music holds and the power it renders the listener. In Dance Fever, the disruptive occurrence of lockdown and its consequences hangs heavy as Welch sings about friends getting ill and being sent home packing. However, there’s room. It is a record that came to life on the brink of many things- Covid, the Russian invasion in Ukraine just a couple of months after music video shootings wrapped up in Kyiv, Welch’s potential withdrawal from the music scene to fulfil her wish for stability. Really, perhaps it’s how it’s always been. “To exist in the face of suffering and death / And somehow still keep singing” seems to me as universal and timeless as it gets, though its weight feels more current than ever. It certainly takes a special persona to deliver such a lyric in a way that doesn’t reduce it to its surface. Whether Welch achieves the purpose is up to each listener to personally decide. All I know is that much gets me through.

It so happened that this album got released around the time I was attempting to get back into contemporary dance after years of having quit and just as I was starting to doubt myself, Choreomania and its tense buildup of layered percussions rekindled the spark in an instant. Admittedly, this is not my favorite Florence + The Machine record, neither the most cohesive or evocative one, as the rest of the more optimistic or optimistic-sounding tracks like Free and disco- yes!- number My Love- I love this song as a stand-alone, but not necessarily in the context of the album- aren’t thematically on par with the much stronger ideas on its darker side, or in the case of the latter, sonically stray a bit too far from the whole body. At times the record feels sparse, which makes me think I wouldn’t mind if the shortest in length cuts weren’t there at all. Nevertheless, Dance Fever doesn’t aspire to do much for the listener in the first place. The catharsis, it achieves. But its strength is in Welch’s gaze inwards. It is not an experience that calls for self-insertion as much as quiet voyeurism, a peek into the artist- Florence without The Machine. If the project had one piece of advice to offer, it would be that sometimes you simply have to let the helpless optimism of spring seep in. And that- perhaps- could be enough.

Thank you so much for caring to check my words out! I’m so glad to have you here!

I hope this was an enjoyable read, and if you decide to give any of these releases a listen, I hope the music resonates with you.

My favorite track from each album I mentioned has been added to the ‘Of The Moment’ playlist, where you can find most of the songs mentioned on the newsletter.

Comments are always appreciated! Feel free to reach out to me via email for literally anything, as well. I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful rest of the summer.

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