Review: youra – (1)
Review: youra – (1)
A little taste from my Rantipole zine piece and review inquiries.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of youra’s debut LP, (1). This was one of my favorite albums to come out in 2023, especially around the K-indie and wider K-music sphere, yet I felt that it fell criminally under the radar at the time.
I had the wonderful opportunity to write a review of it for Travis Shosa’s Rantipole zine, which you can order here. Having my writing featured in a print publication and sharing space with people like Patrick St. Michel (whose insight has been truly valuable in my J-pop excursions) is so cool.
Here’s a small excerpt from it:
(1)’s intriguing conceptual implications naturally see the quirkiness ever-lurking beneath the surface of youra’s posh, R&B-leaning catalog materialize into a body of its own. For the South Korean musician, who made a name for herself as a playlist darling boasting just the right amount of left-field edge, her debut album marks the start of a new artistic chapter. It is a creative revelation that signals a bold shift from sonic palatability to eccentricity, from metaphorical yet diaristic songwriting to absurdist expression full of purpose and aptitude.
I’ve been thinking about writing more reviews of the ~800 word caliber for the blog — timely or untimely. You know I’m loyal to my pop, but I’d also love to cover projects that aren’t being covered by every major publication. If there is such a release that’s piqued your interest in the last six months or so and you’d like to hear my two cents on it, please do reach out in comments, chat, or socials, and let me know!
ICYMI: My mid-year K-pop ranking series was concluded earlier this week! You can check it out in these links: Pt. 1 / Pt. 2 / Pt. 3
Thank you always for being here.
