I mentioned last week that I have been trying to catch up on some older releases that I missed, so my Monday posts might have some older tracks for the next few weeks. But this week is mostly the stuff I missed while catching up on older songs. What a vicious cycle! I had so many songs that I wanted to talk about this week, but I don’t want to make these posts too long to read. So, if you see a recent comeback missing that you would like my feedback on, feel free to comment and I’ll try to get it in next week’s post.
Disclaimer: I am studying music production and often talk about the production of songs. I also mention other songs or artists that come to mind. This isn’t to compare talent, but to provide a reference point to what I’m hearing or describing. I will often critique, but please don’t confuse this with being negative or hating on anyone. If I honestly dislike something, it won’t be featured on the site because I’m not in the business of being mean.
With all that said, pull up a chair with your coffee or tea and let’s dive in!
Acid Dream by Kim Boa
Her voice has a smokey quality to it that suits the funky bass in this track really well. But what I find both interesting and pleasant is the way this song blends old school funk sounds with pop and little pockets of rock style electric guitar and pounding drums and it all feels seamlessly smooth and emotive. Kim Boa’s voice just glides through the sounds and feels at home in each melody shift. And the lyrics suit the mood that the music builds so well. Absolutely on a playlist already.
Good Day by Weeekly
I think I mentioned that I enjoy chants in songs last week. The chanted chorus of this track just makes it feel that much more like an uplifting anthem. The drums hit the rhythm of the chant so hard that you can’t help by move and chant with them. They could have easily sung that chorus like any other song and it would have been a great dance track. But the chant elevates it to this anthem that makes you feel good, like Weeekly is shouting affirmations at you while you hype yourself up for the day.
Right Now by Coogie featuring Crush
Speaking of funk, the opening of this song immediately caught my attention. I fully expected a Marvin Gaye vibe and then we got those piano chords and Coogie’s flow and I was mistaken. This is one of those songs that needs to be played on headphones to feel it while you groove with it. The way his “지금 right now” should not be as catchy as it is. Repeating the same thing back to back with this smooth production is weirdly satisfying. But the way Coogie’s bright tone and Crush’s slightly smokey tone add texture to the song and suit the difference in flow very well is probably my favorite part of the song. You know this is already on a playlist.
So I Danced by DPR IAN
This track feels like it belongs in a grand movie. I love how theatrical the music video is, I feel like I watched an entire movie, because anything less would be doing a disservice to the theatrical feel of the song. The music production feels so big and vibrant. It makes the song impossible to listen to at a low volume. It commands attention and rejects the idea of music as background noise (those strings feel so poignant). Even when it is only guitar and rain effects, it somehow feels worth my full attention. The way he plays with his voice and understands that it’s an instrument like any other in the song, really adds to that feeling of importance. It brings Heathens by Twenty One Pilots to mind. I feel like a Twenty One Pilots x DPR IAN collab would be epic. But more than anything, I deeply appreciate the lyrics and the way they feel at once chaotic and poetic. Truly inspiring stuff he’s putting out.
(TW: Flashing lights in the second half of the video)
123 Go! by Park Hyunho
Complete shift in direction, let’s get into some Trot. I love the way Trot feels very similar to Mariachi music at times. And this track is such a clear example of what I mean when I say that. The music production feels very Latin to me. The guitar, the rhythm, it feels like old school Latin Pop, like Selena era. But what feels like Mariachi about Trot is the vocals. The cadence and the variation feel like a tío singing at a quinceañera or the old school tracks my dad plays in the car with the windows down in the spring. So of course, this is on my trot playlist now. It’s just too fun not to listen to repeatedly.
เส้นเรื่องเดิม (RERUN) by PP Krit
The production of this song fits his voice perfectly and I am in awe of how well it both elevates and engulfs him at the same time. The verses feel very simple, allowing him to be the focal point. And then the chorus hits and the music surrounds him but it doesn’t feel chaotic or overwhelming despite being rather busy. It feels perfect. Since I don’t know Thai at all, I have to rely solely on the subtitles, but the production and his vocals match the melancholic but hopeful lyrics as well. This is such a well-rounded and expertly produced song.
Heaven on Earth by HELLO GLOOM
Rather than talk about the production on this one, I want to focus on the lyrics and vocals. The way he sings these lyrics, there is this almost desperate quality to his voice. Befitting of lyrics about an all-consuming love that hurts but you welcome it. The lyrics aren’t revolutionary, you can hear the sentiment that love is pain in a million other songs, spanning multiple genres. But it’s the way he plays with the idea of Heaven, Hell, Earth, and Love that makes me wish I had written these lyrics. “I will dive in even though you’re burning, my heaven in my head, the heaven in my hell” frames love as heaven, and earth as hell in such a subtle way. While the song is mostly in English, he makes the decision to use Korean in one line to keep the flow where the English would have been a bit clunky “Heaven is a place not too far away, and you hold me 숨이 맞 닿을때” translates to “Heaven is a place not too far away, and you hold me when our breath meets” and I think this was a very good decision on his part.
Ruby by Summer Soul
Most of the songs were hopeful or uplifting, and then we have Ruby. Both the song and the music video are delightfully morbid. Her voice is light and airy, the music has this vibey indie feel. If you’re not paying attention, you might think she’s singing about a hopeful love, wistful feelings of the future perhaps. But if you focus on the words, which are in English, you’ll hear that this is a love song in the sense that the “love interest” is quite literally consumed by Summer Soul. Listen to it again, you are in fact hearing her correctly. Absolutely brilliant. I can’t wait to see what Summer Soul does next.
(TW: morbid imagery and themes)
Thank you for joining me! And I hope you leave a little lighter than when you arrived.
