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. Also! Make sure you come back on Wednesday for a cool guest on the podcast!
Let’s not waste any time today! Pull up a chair with your coffee or tea and lets dive in!
Dive Into by Han Seungwoo
Anyone who’s been reading for a minute will know that I love smooth R&B vibes. The way his voice skims the music in the chorus suits the vibe of the song very well. The harmonies and the piano feel like they’re trying to pull him under. While the claps and the hi hats feel almost sticky sometimes. I’m not sure if that makes sense to anyone else listening to it. But that’s the way I hear it. The tactile feel of the song against his vocals matches the lyrics and makes this such a treat to listen to. Already on a playlist.
Kool by Forestella
Forestella is known for their vocals. I saw that this was a reward for fans. And I think everyone should thank their fans because this is retro done exceptionally well. Easily one of my favorite upbeat tracks of the year. The production seems to have a ton of percussion layers to it. And then the synths and bass are just so groovy and retro. But what I love about this is that it has retro sounds without immediately bringing a specific artist or song to mind. It’s fresh while sounding like it shouldn’t be. And their vocals manage to fit this vibe so nicely!
Sage by FTISLAND
This track starts strong with the mixed down chanted woah’s to grab attention. And then they snap into focus before slowing down. It’s everything I love about Rock music. But the way the guitars compete for attention over that wail right after he sings “I can go with you” does so much to emphasis the feeling of the song. It feels like a cross between ONE OK ROCK and All Time Low. Sound-wise, the song has a similar quality as Take What You Want, not the same at all, just the sound feels similar. It’s probably the chanting with the live band, paired with the fact that I love both tracks. But lyrically it reminds me of Weightless. Which is to say, 10/10 track, already on a playlist. I bet it feels larger than life when played live.
Hongdae R&B by BIBI
I know I just talked about BIBI, but I want to highlight the music video here. The entire video is in this one alley. It’s incredibly simple but conveys a lot. The artistic expression of dance, solo and duo, paired with fighting. My interpretation being that both hold each other in terms of emotional expression. Moving your body to expel how you feel can look differently to different people. But when you pair it with the lyrics, this song is melancholic, lamenting on how everyone appears different but is going through the same struggle of life in a broken world. And I think it’s absolutely brilliant to convey that in a seedy alleyway where dance and violence mean the same thing.
(TW: there is some flashing lights in the video)
MMATT by Non Smokers Club
Hip-hop with Spanish guitar is not something I expected to like this much. It feels disjointed in a very sonically interesting way. The hi-hat and bass are doing one thing, and the guitar is doing another. Then his vocals ride the top in such a cool way. Like I feel like I’m listening to two songs at the same time, but I like it better than I expected to. Put headphones on and it gets even cooler the way they mixed this. I wish I could say more about it but it’s such an interesting track that you just need to listen to it.
(TW: the video is glitchy and flashy for those sensitive to that)
Good & Great by Key
The video glitching is cool but it gave me a headache, so I had to listen to the song on its own. Everyone has talked about the uplifting lyrics, but have you listened to the production? The groovy bass and organ give this a subtle disco vibe. Imagine this song playing at a skate rink on a retro night or during a derby. Play this and then Kool, mentioned above for a fun dance session. And Key’s ad libs are fantastic. What’s interesting about the retro vibe on this track is that it feels much more modern than Kool did, but it’s definitely retro inspired.
(TW: as mentioned the video is very glitchy)
Favorite by Pow
I’ve been paying attention to Grid Entertainment because the players involved piqued my interest. So, when I saw they released a pre-release track with their boy group, I was eager to check it out. And Favorite feels like if BigBang debuted today, this is what they’d sound like. If that makes sense. While drawing on BigBang, iKon, maybe a little BlockB; this track feels like summer of 2010 and road trips and first love. But it also feels like summer of 2023 and ice cream and riding a bike as fast as you can to feel some wind in your face. Like BoyNextDoor, you can feel this spirit of the team behind them, but they also feel like something bright and new.
Hit the Floor by Huh
I came across Huh during his time on Show Me the Money, but his voice and his flow always make my ears very happy. His voice almost whines and almost rasps. Somehow it lives in this space between and it’s such a uniquely warm space. Which should be at odds with his flow, but it works super well. Then you pair that with the music production on this track and despite how busy it is, his voice manages to hold its own amid the chaos, while sitting in that pocket of sound when it needs to. It’s often doing much slower tracks with a smooth R&B meets hip-hop feel to them. This was rather dancey, it makes you want to do exactly what the title says, hit the floor. I bet it will get used in battles in the near future. I can see it on Street Fighter or something along those lines.
(TW: also a very flashy and glitchy video)
Thank you for joining me! I hope you leave a little lighter than when you arrived.
