#let’s go digipedi | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rukakikuchi · 4 years

Text

My speculation/theories on LOONA’s next comeback.

Oh boy, oh boy… As we’ve been waiting for LOONA’s next comeback, we’ve had plenty of time to speculate on what the concept for what said comeback will be like. And it seems like the girls are just as excited as us, as they seem to be dropping hints as to what it’s going to be.

We’re going to look at some possibilities based on the hints we’ve been given so far, as well as some speculation as to what else we could see coming from LOONA in the near future.

Flowers and nature

As soon as promotions for “So What” ended, LOONA wasted no time dropping subtle references to flowers and nature, leading many fans to believe their next concept could be flowers or nature related.

References made to flowers:

Chuu participating in King of Masked Singer as “Spring Girl”

Using flowers and nature related emojis (i.e. rainbow) in social media posts

Yves and Chuu Frequency of the Moon topic was “spring”

Heejin being called “a goddess among the flowers” in the post promoting her appearance in Ben’s “Bad” MV (Source)

ViVi, Jinsoul, and Chuu Frequency of the Moon topic was “flower”

Gowon, Yves, and Jinsoul took a photo with a tulip in behind the scenes photos of a magazine shoot (Sources: 1, 2, 3)

Yves posting a photo of her with roses (Source)

Mentioning “blooming” and other flower/nature related phrases

In a post celebrating Choerry and Olivia’s coming of age: “Things will get better with that rose” (Source)

Yves mentioning flowers blooming in different seasons in her fancafe letter on her birthday and saying she’ll bloom more vibrantly each year (Source)

Kim Lip saying “keep walking flower paths only with us” in her Orbit 2.0 anniversary fancafe letter (Source)

Gowon saying “photosynthesis time” (Source)

We’ve already had it all but officially confirmed that LOONA’s upcoming comeback is happening in August (Yves told Nature they were planning on an August comeback during filming on Fact in Star back in June.) (Source)

With it being the summer season, I could see them either doing a bright, fun concept with an energetic sound, or they could go for a dreamy concept with beautiful visuals and emotional vocals.

Royalty and elegance

Another concept the group has been dropping hints about is a royal concept.

Firstly, we’ve been seeing several recent instances of the girls wearing these fancy black dresses.

These outfits were first seen during promotion for the group’s premier greeting “Meet & Up” event. Since then, we’ve seen them on the official Japanese fan club website, the post commemorating one million subscribers on Youtube (Source), the celebration of Orbits’ 2nd anniversary (Source), and even during LOONA the TAM Season 2.

There’s also their official light stick, which is designed like a crown.

Not only that, but they come with a golden cape that you can wear. We also got a photo of the girls in these capes and white dresses in what appear to be a palace.

There’s also their cover performance of “Love Battery” on Immortal Songs 2, which took a very jazzy and theatrical spin on the song, adding their own LOONA flair to it. The members have stated in the past (Yves specifically I believe) that their covers were hints to their next comeback, since their boy group dance covers prior to the release of [#] hinted at the style “So What” would be like.

This could just be a general group concept rather than just a comeback concept, but if they do go for a royal or elegant concept, there’s honestly a bunch of possibilities for what it could sound like. It could range from an elegant, ethereal vibe, a fun yet powerful dance number, a big band jazzy style song, or even a pop-ballad.

And speaking of ballad…

Return of LOONA the Ballad?

It has been over half a year since it was announced that LOONA the Ballad, or La Maison LOONA, a ballad album that had been teased since 2018 was cancelled. I only very recently became an Orbit, but was nonetheless disappointed when I heard an entire album they had planned to release had been scrapped for release.

...Or was it? Because recently, the girls have been hinting that maybe LOONA the Ballad isn’t completely gone.

Now I’m not sure whether this is true or not, but supposedly during a fansign event, a fan asked Chuu if there was a possibility that the album could still be released, and she just smiled and said “Soon!”

But then we had the moment during Yves’ birthday VLive where we heard what sounded like a snippet of “Stay with me babe (aka “Hyper Ballad”)” playing. (Source)

If BBC didn’t have backup files for the original planned album, there’s probably a chance they had to re-record the album altogether. It might even be possible they’re going to repurpose the songs they planned to release on LOONA the Ballad for something entirely new.

Japanese debut?

LOONA’s Japanese debut was another delayed project I learned about after becoming a fan. And since we recently got the launch of their official Japanese fan club, I think they have had plans on releasing their Japanese debut soon.

Now, these plans might have changed with what’s going on in the world right now, but I think it’s possible that we will get more news regarding this some time this year.

The only question is, what would they do? Would the royalty concept be utilized here while the Korean comeback focuses on the floral/nature concept? Could it be possible that the tracks that were meant to be for LOONA the Ballad were repurposed to become a Japanese release? Will the Japanese debut be a new song or just a translated version of a song they already released like “Hi High” or “Butterfly”?

Again, there’s several possibilities and until we hear more from the staff or the girls themselves, we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Day and Night” official release?

This is something I’ve been curious about for a while. We’ve gotten hints that we’re going to get something related to “Day and Night”, the hidden track released on the CD only version of [#].

Digipedi posted a video on their Instagram of them listening to “Day and Night” in the car. Now, this can simply be that they really like the song and nothing more. But what if it means there’s a music video for “Day and Night”?

Also, in a LOONA Kick where Olivia was filming herself with a moon face filter, we hear the girls singing “Day and Night” in the background. (Source)

Personally, I thought this meant they would be performing “Day and Night” at KCON:TACT 2020, but that ended up not being the case. Still, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll actually get to see a performance of it in the future, or at least a dance practice video.

I also wonder if they would do an official release of the song, either as a digital single or have it included as an official track if they decide to do a repackage of [#] for the next comeback. Whatever the case, it feels like the girls are planning something related to it.

What will the album be called?

Aside from the concept and sound of the comeback, one of the big things fans have speculated on is what the name of the album is going to be. The album names for the OT12 releases have had significant meanings; [+ +] is about how the girls and units combine into the full group (addition), [X X] is about that power being amplified (multiplication), and [#] is about realizing their strengths and what they can accomplish when they are together.

The most common guesses I’ve seen for the album title are [*] and [O]. Before I give my thoughts on which one it could be, let’s look at what each of the symbols could mean if used.

First, we have the asterisk symbol (*). This symbol is used to call attention to a footnote, indicate an omission, point to disclaimers, and dress up company logos. Basically, it’s meant to draw attention to an otherwise minor detail.

This seems to match up with LOONA as a group, as the girls always work their hardest to perfect even the slightest details of their dancing or singing in order to put out a quality performance for their fans. And in the context of the LOONAverse, it could mean that even the smallest detail can become significant.

The symbol has also been pointed out to resemble a star or flower. If they really are going with a flower concept, it would be a clever choice if they went with this.

Now for the “O”. This isn’t really a symbol; it’s a letter. But there are quite a few reasons why it can become a meaningful symbol should they name the album [O].

Firstly, most frankly, the letter “O” resembles a full moon, and we know LOONA is all about the moon.

Secondly, in “So What” there’s a line that references the “O or X” in tic-tac-toe. One way fans have interpreted that line is that it’s them talking about how most girl groups in K-pop fall into either a cute concept or a girl crush concept, and the song as a whole is about not being restricted by anyone or anything.

We’ve already had the “X” in [X X], so it would make sense if they did “O” next.

Also, if you replace the “#” in “B#RN” with an “O”, it becomes “BORN”, which plays into the idea that the next concept could be about rebirth. Again, this would fit into the flower concept as flowers always bloom again as the seasons come and go.

I already theorized that [#] and “So What” would be about the destruction and rebirth of LOONA and the LOONAverse, so maybe the next comeback will continue from that.

“So What” was specifically about the “destruction” part of this; the girls are breaking out from their old image and everything that held them back. Olivia quite literally sets the moon on fire to symbolize this action. And at the end, we see the bird feathers being revived after being burnt.

So this next comeback could possibly focus on the “rebirth” part, showing just how much stronger LOONA have become as a whole.

As for which one I think the title of the album would be, I’m leaning more towards the asterisk symbol, since it lines itself up with the potential flower/nature concept and the meaning and usage of the symbol can become significant to LOONA when put in the right context.

My thoughts

As of right now, it feels like a flower/nature concept focused on rebirth is most likely what we’re going to get. Sound-wise, if their cover of “Love Battery” really is a hint for what the song will be like, I could totally see it working with LOONA.

However, if they are in fact repurposing the LOONA the Ballad tracks for a new comeback, I could see them actually using both the flower and royal concepts. In my mind, “Daydream” would be the flower/nature concept with an ethereal dreamlike look and feel, while “Stay with me babe” would be the royal/elegant concept and be more mature. Not straight up sexy, but more like an alluring feel.

I also think it’s possible that they would use the royal concept for their Japanese debut, with a new style that’s not something we’ve seen in their previous releases but also feels familiar to LOONA’s overall concept and style.

Also, while I don’t think they plan on doing this for their next comeback, I think it would be nice to see the group do solos and units again. Not just for pre-existing units, but new units as well. The members have talked about the possibility of them doing new units in the past, and fans have speculated on things such as the “day and night” units (which are basically the tall line and short line lol), but we don’t know if those plans were also postponed or cancelled.

With everything that’s going on in the world, we may not know just yet, so for now it’s all a matter of if and when. Regardless, I’m so excited for what this next concept will be like.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this discussion! Feel free to share your own thoughts on what you think the comeback will be like!

Until then... Stan LOONA! 🌙💖

#LOONA #KPop #Music #Theory

1 note · View note

wickymicky · 4 years

Text

all the questions in @ohsua‘s ask thing! this was really hard and i put more effort into some questions than others, but it was fun! putting it under a Read More cause it got reaaaaally long

What's your favourite title track?

piri! probably anyway. possibly what?

Sleep-walking or Silent Night?

sleepwalking personally, though i like both

Favourite teaser image for The Tree Of Language so far?

uhhhhhhh hmmm. im not sure, maybe dami? or siyeon? from the first round?

Favourite choreography? If you can, explain why

i dont really have an easy answer cause i’d have to watch them all again but the first one that comes to mind is piri. i cant really explain why though lol, i just think its cool to watch

Favourite cover?

tbh i havent heard a lot of their covers, oops

Favourite album?

hmmmmmmm. maybe prequel? or raid of dream? prequel has wake up and sleepwalking though... hmm

Who's your bias?

it was dami forever, and then now it’s jiu, though dami might be bias wrecking me lmao. bias unwrecking? rebiasing?

What's your favourite mv?

oh hmmmm... you know i love piri but honestly that music video is not one of my favorites. i think i’m leaning towards you and i or good night here. i love the scene where the ghost hunter dude’s room is exploding cause i guess the members are messing with shit on the other side of the mirror or whatever, but there’s just a shot of the dude and it’s slowly zooming out as stacks of paper and books and stuff go flying, it’s great. digipedi always makes fantastic videos

What concept would you like to see?

i have so many answers to this that idk if i can choose lol. anything lol, anything. they could do anything. i dont want them to lose the spirit of their concept and sound, but there are infinite directions they could take their concept without losing that spirit.

Mayday or Wake Up?

wake up dude are you kidding me? i also just um... dont really remember mayday. i’ve heard it but i dont remember right now... wake up is great though

Deja Vu or Piri?

piri! i love deja vu though. piri was the song that got me into them and deja vu was my first comeback with them, so i have an attachment to both, but i would have to say piri, yeah

Who's your favourite vocalist? Rank the members from favourite to least favourite

oh shit really? uhh idk if i can do that but... i mean i gotta say siyeon right? her voice *is* dreamcatcher to me. her voice defines their sound more than anything else, even more than their rock concept. like for real, her voice is more integral to the feel of a dreamcatcher song than the guitars or sort of dark vibe. well, her voice brings the dark vibe a lot of the time, honestly. after that i’d say jiu cause her voice is the total opposite, she has the voice you would least associate with a concept like this, but that serves to add a lot of range to their sound too. her voice is so vividly bright and cheerful... so, dreamcatcher’s dark concepts are defined by siyeon for me, and dreamcatcher’s lively personality and energy onstage and offstage are defined by jiu for me. those first lines of “wake up”? iconic, full of energy, aaaaaa i love her. after that i guess i’d say yoohyeon cause she’s the lead vocalist lol. and then... about the same for the rest. i dont have an order from then on. they’re one of the groups where i think it’s the easiest to tell which member is singing just from audio alone, all seven of them have distinct vocal characters. the only two that i sometimes mix up (again, just based on audio only) are sua and gahyeon. or dami when she sings lol

Did you get to see them live? If yes what's your favourite memory & is there a song you enjoyed on the concert way more than you expected?

noooo i didnt get to :( if they ever come back around though i will move heaven and earth to get there

Dreamcatcher Notes or Vlogs

i tend to watch dreamcatcher notes more because there’s more going on a lot of the time, cause they’re like behind the scenes stuff. also.... there are some members whose vlogs im more likely to watch right away than others lol... though im working my way through all of them little by little so i’ll see all of them eventually. if jiu posts a vlog it’s immediate haha i’m on it immediately

What’s your favourite era of each member?

oh wow okay this is a hard one... here goes!

jiu - already we’ve hit a really difficult one lmao. does blue/purple Jiu count since it was technically post-deja vu? i guess purple is now gonna be immortalized in their new comeback huh? i think actually i’ll say fly high. i think that’s the obvious choice but... idk, she doesnt have a bad era lol

sua - hmmm.... im having trouble remembering which eras were which for certain members... i know she had reddish purplish hair for piri right? i cant remember some of them though... like she didnt have as many drastically different looks as someone like siyeon or dami. maybe i’ll say good night though, purely because of her rap haha. EDIT: oh shit i looked at photos from the eras after all, and oh my god i forgot about you and i... nevermind lol scratch that, it’s you and i. those designs she had in her hair were super cool

siyeon - deja vu, specifically the part where she had short blue hair. amazing. flawless. legendary. stories will be told of those days

handong - her ‘what’ era is probably her most popular, but actually im gonna say deja vu. i liked her short blonde hair, it looks really good on her. the first thing that came to mind is her with that hair and those purple/black deja vu outfits... im thinking of some photos from some fansigns... yeah.

yoohyeon - deja vu again lol, sorry about the recency bias haha. this is the era she viciously and savagely bias wrecked me. especially during those fanmeetings where she had a ponytail and was wearing a suit... oh my god lol she knew exactly what she was doing. they all know exactly how good they look in suits and they subject us to it as often as they can lol. her grey hair during you and i is iconic too, and the red she had during good night... but i think im gonna stick with my answer

dami - piri!!!!!!! oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god??? oh my god!!!! especially post-piri with her black hair??? fucuuucuckckckckckkckkkkkk dude she’s so handsome i could CRY. this current era we’re about to get is looking like a gamechanger too though... her hair’s kinda wavy and that look on her face in that first teaser... and her floral shirt... damn dude. honorable mention to you and i cause of the baton trick she’s famous for lol

gahyeon - now with gahyeon its actually pretty hard for me to say, she has had the same or similar hair in every comeback pretty much, right? hmmm. the things that immediately come to mind are good night and piri and i’m not sure why. actually i might be thinking of chase me? OH NEVERMIND okay i caved and i looked at photos from different eras and i forgot that she had green in her hair during fly high, okay yeah nevermind lol it’s fly high

What do you hope to see on their albums in the future?

what do you mean? like in terms of types of songs? uhhh.. idk.. most of the stuff i would say to this is stuff that i have no doubt will actually come. i want more bangers like piri and what, i want more edm stuff like sleepwalking and silent night, but yeah i’m sure we’ll get that. i guess what i’ll say is... more songs with involvement from the members. either in terms of composition or even just lyrics. though i like the composers and lyricists they have a lot! i’ll also say if nothing else, then a song choreographed at least in part by the members would be amazing. idk if it’ll happen for a title track, but if sua choreographs one of their edm bsides or something, and they perform it live on music shows, fuck...

What would you say to each member if you didn't have to worry about a time limit?

each member individually??? that’s too time consuming woirjgeoiwrgew but i do have individual answers for all of them probably lol. especially yoohyeon, i wanna talk to her about languages. i’ll just say to all of them how much i appreciate them and how they arent boxed in by typical idol conventions, but they also arent boxed in as outside them either. like, they’re not an anti-kpop-group, they’re not the complete antithesis, they like being a kpop group and they like other kpop groups so they would never want to be that. i like how much fun they have, i like how close they are, i like how they treat their fans, i think if the fandom did something really awful or went too far i like to think they would feel comfortable letting us know. hopefully, anyway. more than most other kpop groups i’m aware of, it’s easy to find them in videos and vlives and stuff not being totally in idol-mode and just being people, and friends with their members. im not criticizing other groups, cause if i was in their position, i think i would have a hard time not being “on” when on camera, even if it’s just a vlive. maybe it’s because they’ve known each other for a lot longer than a lot of other current-gen groups, and they’re older than many of their current-gen peers too. they feel very earnest, they’re not trying to hide. im sure there are aspects to them that we dont know about and will never know about, and i hope that’s the case cause i hope they’re able to maintain some privacy in this job, but it’s not hard to tell when someone is being genuine and when someone isn’t, and i get a very genuine vibe from them a lot of the time. i’m glad they are who they are, they’re really influential and inspirational to me. i.... also might wanna mention their support for lgbt people, though i would want to talk to them about that in private because it’s personal for me and risky for them and i know how shitty that situation is, especially since i know that they care and would be a lot more vocal if they could be. and they’re one of the most vocal groups about it already! i just want to thank them.

Is there a song you think is underappreciated?

hmmm. i’m not really sure which are and which arent, i actually think insomnias do a good job appreciating everything haha.

Rank Breaking Out, You and I, Fly High, What and Deja Vu from favourite to least favourite

oof okay, i guess this is the Controversial Opinion Time huh?

What (i guess this is a controversial song? is it? it’s one of my favorites, number 1 or number 2, so idk lol)

Fly High

Deja Vu

You and I

Breaking Out

Let's say you are forced to choose a title track that gets erased from existence so that the rest can stay, which one do you pick? i'm sorry

does this count jp ones? cause.... im not into breaking out... sorry... i think i would say.... idk.... my least favorite main title track was still a big moment for them and had great moments in the choreo.... i dont know if i would want to erase it fully.... iojdoikoldofbm i feel like the one you could erase the easiest, and that wouldnt change their history all that much, would be What... but i love What... lmao idk... at one point i would have said Fly High but it grew on me a lot and i think it was necessary for them at that point. i also love it for the lore haha. so im sorry i dont have an answer.... unless breaking out counts oijwefmgodlr,rfl;kfd

Full Moon or Over The Sky?

i only got into both songs fairly recently, for whatever reason i hadnt heard full moon for a long time, and when the over the sky special clip came out i decided that i didnt like the song at all but i just listened to it not that long ago and was surprised at how much i liked it, so actually i dont hate either song lol. still, i’ll say full moon

Choose between their Taemin covers: Move or Sayonara Hitori

oh uh i havent heard/watched these ioerokgopdrgkdh. i hadnt even heard Move until like two weeks ago. oops. i guess i should watch their cover huh? tbh i didnt even know they did that lol im bad at this

Who do you wish they could collab with?

lol i would love to say loona because theyre my other ult but actually im gonna say ateez. they have so much in common! they have the same producers for all their title tracks, theyre both very choreo-focused, they both are very concept-heavy... i would love some sort of crossover thing. imagine a 15 member crossover EP or something... the pirates meeting the nightmares... or whatever each of their new concepts are gonna be... damn. again this would go over extremely well musically too, cause Ollounder could just try to combine his styles for his two groups lol

Who first caught your eyes and why?

dami obviously, i’m only human

Trap or Diamond?

diamond i guess, i dont really listen to either of these that often

Pick 3 members for your zombie apocalypse squad

sua cause she could beat people up, siyeon cause she could beat people up, yoohyeon cause she’s a clumsy mess and we would need a challenge

Blonde Siyeon or Blue haired Siyeon

blue!!!! but only by a bit

Favourite dancer?

theyre all so good, they all could be the main dancer for any other group. sua is considered their main dancer, but idk, any of them could be. maybe i’ll say jiu?

If the next album features lyrics by one (or more) of the members, who do you hope it is this time?

only one??? can i say all of them?

Do you hope for more vocalist Dami or would you rather see her rap?

both! idk lol. i want to see more rapping from sua and possibly siyeon too, so more vocalist dami could allow for that? but rapper dami is obviously more iconic

Sua's choreography for Copycat or Taki Taki?

taki taki i guess?

Favourite lyrics?

hmmmm..... i’d have to look deeply into this and i dont feel like doing that right now... i’ll just say that “pirireul bureora” is so catchy so in terms of catchiness of the lyric i’ll say that lol. i know that’s not what this question was asking though, i just dont have an answer

Are there any songs you hope one or more of the members cover?

oh wow uh... hmm. shine by pentagon lol

Favourite intro?

end of nightmare maybe? i like that it has the piri melody in it, and i like how the edm part melts your fucking face off. is that the most abrasive moment of any dc song? maybe?

Version E, V, I or L of The Tree Of Language?

oh idk, i dont really have a preference, sorry

Wonderland or And there was no one left?

er9iokgbiktwikpbherohtbkret i actually listen to these all the time and my answer goes back and forth. i’m gonna say wonderland right now

Favourite instrumental?

sleepwalking?

Vocalist Jiu or dancer Jiu?

haha idk, both? i mean i mostly listen to music and watch music videos, i dont watch as many performances, so i guess i’ll say vocalist?

Do you have a favourite ballad?

uhhhhh not really, im sorry

What are your 5 favourite pictures of your bias?

ah fuck, this question would be easy to do if i was answering this just based on someone sending them in... um... i’ll just reblog five real good ones in a row after this post... sorry lol....

What was the first song you heard?

piri! it came out a bit before i got into kpop, so it was still fairly new at the time anyway

How did you find out about them?

to be honest i dont even remember. did i just click on a thumbnail for piri that was in the related videos to some other kpop song? i dont remember... i might have heard that there was a rock based kpop group even before listening to it? i forget but i didnt like it at first lol. i thought it clashed really badly and it didnt appeal to my metal sensibilities. some parts stuck in my head though and i kept coming back and it was a guilty pleasure at first and then oops i fell in love and then oops it appeals to every sensibility i have now lol. though mostly i still like them more for their pop aspects than their rock/metal aspects. but anyway still, i dont remember how i first heard about them, i just remember the first time i listened to piri

What do you think about Handong being on Idol Producer and missing all of their activities? Do you think it's worth it?

sigh.... i mean, time will tell, right? i hope she does well enough that it gets them a lot of exposure, but... selfishly, i guess... i hope she doesnt become part of the final group because i want to see her back in dreamcatcher lol. we’ll see, and hopefully this is a good experience for her! i know things are weird right now cause of the virus outbreak... i havent been following the news but is it postponed or something? i think i heard that somewhere? or maybe i just saw speculation, idk

Vocalist Gahyeon or rapper Gahyeon?

either! she has a lot of potential with both

Yoohyeon's cover of Secret Love Song or 2002?

um.... okay..... this is me again being a bad insomnia, i dont think ive watched either of those iokgopprlgwephk

The no budget July 7th mv or the Curse of the Spider mv from the fanmeeting?

i havent seen the curse of the spider one woah, i didnt know that existed! and is the no budget july 7th mv different than the special clip one? i dont really like that song much so i wouldnt know geijrgpokprgwoephk

Chase Me or Good Night?

good night till the day i die lol. chase me is a phenomenal debut though and works better for that purpose than good night, and i love that the lyrics are about all the ways they haunt your dreams, but i love good night so much

Favourite Siyeon cover?

im not super knowledgeable again here im sorry :( is it cheating if i say overdose, mostly just by default?

Handong's pre chorus in Deja Vu or the bridge in Piri?

piri lol

What's your favourite bside from each album?

oh fuck okay hold on

uhhh i dont have one for Nightmare, it was just chase me, an intro, and one other song. is it cheating if i say the intro lol

same for Fall Asleep in the Mirror, i guess the intro

Prequel okay now we’re getting somewhere.... Wake Up or Sleepwalking.... fuck.... Sleepwalking is actually probably the song that really converted me into a fan cause its the first time i really heard their range. after listening to Piri and You and I and maybe Chase Me, i decided to just watch all their music videos in order, and the playlist i used included the special clip mvs too, so hearing Sleepwalking for the first time right after Fly High was wild, it blew me away and i listened to it like 8 times in a row haha. Wake Up has been rising up my rankings a ton recently but i think i still have to go with Sleepwalking

Escape the ERA.. hmm... Mayday? earlier i said ive only heard this song a bit and that’s true, i’m listening to it right now though. wow i dont remember this song at all haha, this is good what the fuck, how did i forget this? oops what the hell

Alone in the City FUCK this intro is so GOOD god DAMN. its short, it doesnt go that hard, but it makes you so tense and suspenseful. but my answer is Wonderland lol

for End of Nightmare it’s And There Was No One Left

for Raid of Dream it’s hard to choose again... Silent Night is probably by far the most popular pick for this, and i think Curse of the Spider is a little bit underrated, so my instinct to pick the unconventional pick makes me wanna choose it, but i just dont know if that’s true lol. i think i have to go with Silent Night

#long post #writing

2 notes · View notes

boratanical · 5 years

Note

Could u post a list about what u wish for Loona or like an opinion list about them (yk what u write in your tags n all), bc I think u have ya shit toegther about them and yeah it's interesting

ooohhh anon u rlly an intellectual

so basically since they are a big group i think it would be best for loona to function in a similar way to seventeen and wjsn

lowkey ban the whole subunit thing now kajflsdkfj subunits are part of their predebut era and i think they should stay there since they are making subunits seem more significant in loona without bringing the backstory thats suppose to come along with it (seventeen and wjsn have units but they dont rlly push it like how bbc has done with loona)

get rid of the assigned posing (even tho its kinda smart at some points) i think its stupid and awkward that the girls always have to be in that position and it seems more of an inconvenience

also like way back i made a post abt this but idk if its still on this blog but for the assigned posing spots i concluded that basically heejin is always in the middle bc shes center, kim lip acts more of a leader so shes in the middle, and yyxy are also in the middle since they are considered the most popular subunit

the whole script/uniform thing with loona needs to go i h9 it so much its so unnatural - which includes having the same uniform but diff colors for performances (its so cute but for like only a week tho) , letting the girls wear more casual clothes when they do variety shows, radio shows, otw to music shows, etc instead of the obvious coordinated outfits (which also make them look like they wear the same thing to every event), letting the girls post whenever they want on ig (like how red velvet do) and not have their captions look obviously edited by staff, and more that i cant think of all the top of my head

!!!!! i want bbc !!! to not be afraid !!! to break routine/consistency/uniformity !!! they are a company that should always be finding what is in best interest of the group !!! and they should try to work with other ppl !!!! outside of their already established bubble !!!

even tho i love loona’s relationship with their choreographer (they gave him notes and a cake on teacher’s day uwu) he rlly aint giving them the best choreo and it just stunts loona’s dancing potential. i rlly want them to work with wjsn’s choreographer bc they know how to do good choreo for a big group!!

when loona did seventeen’s choreo they seemed more in sync and more composed compared to when they do hi high and it just suited them more so yah!! diff choreographer pls !!!

i know as of now they are still developing the whole loonaverse and i rlly enjoy it but i hope they can stray away from it in the future for a bit and not force the whole concept of loona on just that cause then it wount let them try new things (like how exo and the whole superpowers/exo planet thing took a break in 2014/2015)

i rlly want them to work with other mv production companies!! ofc i love digipedi and digipedi has done justice for loona but i wanna see a loona mv by vm or shin heewon!!

when they release a whole album i want them to have like solos or duets or unit songs in them but instead of like our usual duets and units its different (so like instead of a 2jin duet we would get jinsoul and yves duet song and instead of a yyxy song it would be yeojin, gowon, and chuu in a song together - similar to how seventeen and exid do in their albums)

give more content!!! loona tv is nice but its only a minute long and we dont even get it everyday akdfjalsdkf so maybe a reality show or letting the girls do vlives whenever (like how fromis_9 are doing) would be rlly fun for the girls and the fans!!

better line distribution!! im pretty sure bbc kinda undervalues like half og the group’s vocals and ends up pushing a lot of it to the stronger ones which fucking sucks cause it looks like bbc doesnt have faith in them :(

favoritsm !!! needs to stop!!! just bc heejin is the first girl!!! doesnt mean she needs to be !! in the center for everything!!! they have given her the most lines, the most center spots, and the most screen time without being able to adjust its effects on the other girls!! i dont mind her having the center position i just think bbc hasnt done a very good job with how they handle it !!!

h9 to say this but even mnet shows are doing better with this then bbc!!! even tho they have centers who are entitled to their earned center position, they do not shove it down our throats!!! just bc they are centers doesnt mean they need the most of everything!!

ioi, wanna one, fromis_9, and izone have pretty decent distributions that fit with their roles (main vocalists have the most lines, rappers have their fair part, dancers get a focus part, etc) - bbc literally could care less !!

im just mad that 1/3 got shit alkdfjalksf

also its obvi that bbc likes heejin, kim lip, jinsoul, yves, and chuu more than the other girls they know that those girls are the favs within orbits and its also a coincidence that those girls also are the the stronger vocalists :/

better teaser pics plS if we get more bleached mugshots immA screAM

i want more galaxy and more floral fantasy !!! dats the good stuff!!

this is rlly all i can think abt rn cause im kinda in a food coma but yah anon if u wanna talk more abt this then dm LOL

#ask #Squirtle Squad #tea

7 notes · View notes

commajade · 2 years

Note

amber, i love your new theme! how very march of you. on this episode of comeback thoughts: sunmi's spotify single 'oh sorry ya'. don't know if you heard it or not but it's not bad, it's not outstanding, it's something in between. the concept of her talking to her younger mentally ill self is interesting, but the mixing is lacking and the western trappy pop influence strong, despite the evident retro feel as well. it was only CO-produced by sunmi, so that makes sense. i am suddenly reminded of the fact that she revealed her company refuses to let her go deeper or grimmer with her music and i am once again asking myself why sunmi won't let go of this damn company to give us the absolutely feral art I know she is capable of

thanks!

it's literally just a collab digital single not a major comeback i don't really care about it? like her company is making some weird moves with her rn she should rly be continuing making her art films like her recent concert vcrs and jazzy or rock versions of her songs she did that was great. anyway manifesting for sunmi a lesbian pop rock album where she plays the bass. with several videos co-directed by her and digipedi is involved. and there are no trap drums or rapping.

#asks #sunmi

0 notes

felicityb-reviews · 6 years

Video

youtube

Yves (LOONA) “new” MV Review

Hello, my loves!! It’s Jace (aka Felicity B) and this is my review of Yves’ New!! Miss Yves is the newest debut from the LOONAverse, clocking in at Number 9™.

If you don’t get that reference, you’re too young to be reading my reviews.

New is a very interesting experience, because you start to get the feeling that they’re bringing things to a close here. They’re tying all the different sections of the LOONAverse together, and she’s definitely going out with a bang, sis!!!

~The Song~

Odd Eye Circle was a turning point for the LOONAverse.

This is not an exaggeration. This is not my opinion. This is a FACT. Even Block Berry Creative says so. In their frufru/lala description for New’s YT video, they say that OEC’s solos and sub unit songs are the highest charting of all of LOONA’s songs on iTunes.

The truth of the matter is that Odd Eye Circle put LOONA on the map for a lot of people, especially international K-pop fans. Even I felt like Block Berry Creative had stepped up their game, and I’d been following the LOONAverse since Haseul’s Let Me In (a very beautiful and haunting song you all should check out, btw). When they debuted Kim Lip with Eclipse, I had no fuckin idea what was happening, but I knew it was something I wanted to pay attention to.

So, when Odd Eye Circle promotions wrapped, I found myself asking how the next member/unit was gonna follow that. I began to wonder how they’d even come close to topping that…

…and then Yves runs up on a bitch with New, and knocks me upside the head.

New isn’t that particularly new for many of us. I’m not entirely sure what this Soultronica genre Block Berry Creative is talking about when they describe New, but I know what ‘80s New Wave is. And sis, New is definitely '80s New Wave (with some '90s style twists here and there to keep things interesting).

I can definitely say that New is definitely very new for the LOONAverse, however.

LOONA 1/3 and Odd Eye Circle encompass the cutesy/sexy ditchonomy that has ruled Kpop since it’s inception. LOONA 1/3 is the cuter and brighter side of K-Pop, while Odd Eye Circle is the darker, more confident side. So while 1/3 and OEC have taken their concepts to new heights (and rained hell fire upon our scalps in the process), neither unit has ultimately done anything outside of the box, because we’ve seen many before LOONA do these concepts.

So what makes New so new?!?!?

It’s quite simple, actually - New is the third side of Kpop that no one really talks about; it represents the maturity of a group that has stepped outside of the cutesy/sexy paradigm. In a way, it’s a fusion of LOONA 1/3 and Odd Eye Circle’s two distinct styles.

New, like Odd Eye Circle’s Sweet Crazy Love, is bold and powerful; Yves declares that she’s breaking the mold and making her own destiny. But New also has a very bright and hopeful undercurrent to it, like LOONA 1/3’s Love and Live. There’s uncertainty in embracing the unknown, but Yves pushes through.

One thing I’d like to highlight about New is that it doesn’t quite soar the way you think it needs to, but I kind of like that?!?! I mean, it builds and there’s a climax, but it doesn’t go where you think it will.

And that’s exciting.

~The Video~

So now that I’ve written an entire dissertation about my love for New the Song, here’s my dissertation for my love of New the Video.

Seriously.

All of LOONA’s videos have been shot and directed by digipedi, and not a single one has disappointed me.

I like how this video can be interpreted as a stand alone unit, or within the context of LOONAverse.

By itself, the video is an ode to boldly following your dreams and writing your own story. It gives off a “fall in love with life” kind of vibe, and it’s just so nice?!?!?! Especially right now with current events always leaning negative. A song/video like this is a great pick me up when you feel like everything is meaningless and you need to feel alive again.

In their description of New, Block Berry says Yves challenges God for the rights to her fate, and I think this has to do with her place in the LOONAverse. I’m not gonna go full blown theory mode on y'all (if y'all wanna hear my thoughts, I’ll be happy to talk about them on my main), but I definitely think Yves is gonna be the key (or one of the keys) to tying the LOONAverse together. Especially since there are various scenes of her with ViVi (our favorite baby android), and is seen giving an apple to Choerry (our favorite baby witch).

~The Choreography~

There’s not much for me to write about here, folks. Yves came, she saw, she conquered. This routine is very much Yves; no one else could perform this, and pull it off the way she does. And I like that.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about the ladies of LOONA is that most of them could either be a main vocalist or dancer. And not because they’re all these level 1000 badass singers or dancers (don’t get me wrong, they are), but because they exude this confidence and dedication in their craft. One thing a lot of people don’t seem to understand about being a performer is that it’s more confidence, than technical skill. You can be a bomb ass dancer or singer or rapper, but have zero performance skill.

Simply put, the choreography for New is amazing. I like that it’s this ballet/contemporary style that she can perform by itself or in a group, and it’s effective either way.

In fact, I’d love to see a solo choreography video (or even a solo performance) for New. It’d be really awesome just to see her go at it, because I’ve never really seen that with female idols?!??! Or rather, it’s very rare.

~Overall and Final Thoughts~

The level of creativity and consistency that has been put into the LOONAverse has been mind blowing, you guys. I never imagined this project would take on a life of it’s own quite like it has when Heejin debuted a year ago. And with the introduction of Yves in New, we’re starting to see everything be tied together. I’m excited.

I know this has come off as a review of the LOONAverse thus far, rather than one of Yves’ New, but I find it very difficult to talk about New without discussing how the other parts of the LOONAverse relate to it. And that’s not to say that New can’t stand on its own, because it certainly can. In fact, I’d say that if Block Berry wanted an actual solo star out of the girls they’ve debuted so far, I’d say that Yves has what it takes.

It’s just that New is a very important piece to the LOONAverse, and that can’t be ignored. New feels like a retrospective of what the LOONAverse has accomplished thus far, but it also start a new era (pun totally intended) in the LOONAverse (as Kim Lip did with Eclipse) and I wanna spotlight that.

Did I mention that I was excited?!?!?“

#Review #LOONA #Yves #New #Felicity B

34 notes · View notes

thesinglesjukebox · 6 years

Video

youtube

LOONA / ODD EYE CIRCLE - GIRL FRONT [8.12] Next up, a frenzied, fizzy mystery...

Mo Kim: As it nears the end of its eighteen-month rollout, the LOONA project has grown from a series of self-contained solo releases into a universe-bending mythos which grows more complex by the second, left for fans to piece together via close analysis of meticulously-arranged videos (often with cameos), promotional graphics, press releases, and cryptic URLs referencing Mobius strips. It's to the credit of the group, however, that the music has remained its foundation: whether revealing Choerry's ability to jump between dimensions via a well-placed drop in "Love Cherry Motion" or making a 180 from the sweeter concepts of the first few members with KimLip's sultry "Eclipse," Blockberry Creative has been just as ambitious with their songs as they have with every other dimension of their unfolding multimedia narrative. Even if you didn't know anything about LOONA or Odd Eye Circle (its second subunit), "Girl Front" would still knock you off your feet like a late-summer breeze. Its Max Martin-esque melange of synthlines and sticky beats (with a generous sampling of contemporary sonic trends, especially the ominous trap-tinged coda following each chorus) distills driving down the 101 in Los Angeles with your windows down into as perfect a road trip song as I've heard. Yet there's something about the surrounding context that takes the drama of a budding romance and blows it up to inter-dimensional proportions. As the girls trade lines on the chorus about a budding romance that "makes things hotter" and "makes them draw closer," a massive mix of beat-em-up synths and hard-hitting beats wallops you with the force of an asteroid: one feels as if they could be singing about their own impact. The verses filter in bits of plucky guitar and sunny piano chords that the production leaves sounding just a touch haunted, like the cassette player which opens and closes the video. Even the one moment the song lets up, in a bridge that registers with the clarity of a daybreak, turns its wistful gaze back on us in what may be my favorite musical moment of 2017: the three members of Odd Eye Circle, finally united after four months of twists and teasers, stare lovingly into a tri-colored moon in the sky, tinged with each of their representative colors (red, blue, and purple). Composers Ollipop and Hayley Aitken cruelly let the swelling synth melody that's been looping in the background for the entire song step to the forefront for just three measures before killing it with a well-placed record scratch. On screen, the girls turn in unison and break the fourth wall, staring right into your souls: if you think this is the end, think again. Instead of easy resolution, they leave us in their final chorus with a promise: "I'll say I love you first." I'm always left wondering, at the end, what is really there. I question the irony of becoming infatuated with a song about infatuation, about how the "love" in "love song" can work like gravity, pulling you towards becoming the person you've fallen for. Maybe I spent most of 2017 buried in LOONA because, in the simplest terms, it tells a story of possibility: a girl can become any concept she puts on; can find her place in the music and the mythology; can stitch together the worlds she occupies. Return to the title of "Girl Front"; "Front" because, as the theory goes, Mobius strips enchant you in loops you circle with purpose but without end; "Front" because an empowered girl makes it happen herself. The cassette player, a signpost for our nostalgia, refuses to give us an answer, rewinding instead, and in an year that constantly challenged me to think through my place in the world, the message feels clear: you're getting closer. Keep listening. [10]

Maxwell Cavaseno: As the LOONAverse proceeds far off into its cosmic spiral, their seemingly esoteric design evolves against tunes that feel more and more plunging away from the preceding singles and their reaches for star power into something more star-struck. "Girl Front" is a galloping rush of enthusiasm and excitement as Choerry, Kim Lip and JinSoul eagerly manage to pitch infatuation like fastballs offset by those real clunker 'drops' aiming for I guess some sort of 'hipness' that ever since "Eclipse" the poor girls have been burdened with having to appeal to (which is ever overwhelmingly pointed on fellow LOONAffiliate Yves' "new" but that's another tale), and tend to detract from the record. But the winding melody on the chorus' "woo" or the sudden shift into the dubstep-stomp along for Kim Lip on the second verse are the moments when "Girl Front" can not only sound urgent but utterly world-departing. [8]

Ryo Miyauchi: For a single not-so-slickly tucking in self-reference, it makes sense the production also picks the the best bits from each of the summer LOONAs' solo singles: the devilish sweetness of "Love Cherry Motion," the zigzagging of "Singing in the Rain," the breathtaking grace of "Eclipse." The trio get upstaged by the production despite their best efforts to introduce their individual personalities, but really, what a dazzling beat to get lost in. [6]

Leonel Manzanares: K-Pop that sounds like it takes serious cues from the #weirdsoundcloud scene. The post-chorus breaks could feel at home on a de-constructed club mix, and the synth risers, in the transition from the bridge to the final hook, could make Myles Dunhill green with envy. LOONA was the most interesting Korean project of 2017, and their brilliance lies not only in their versatility but in the quality of the execution. They've given each of their members their own sonic and visual little universe, and each release has been scarily consistent. I have big expectations for them in 2018. [8]

Edward Okulicz: How this song turns on a dime so frequently from amazing K-pop banger, to different kind of amazing K-pop banger, to a part that convinces you the whole thing is going to turn into a god damned trap song suggests a complete mastery and love of pop as an artform. I don't think listening to it could possibly be as fun as it was making it, but it's probably pretty close. [9]

Nortey Dowuona: Glittering, shiny synths and light, puffy eyed bass spread out with blank droning synths and flat drums that become rigid and stuffy around the side. Plus the singing by Loona and the Odd Eye Circle seems both too light and yet too heavy. [6]

Alex Clifton: The best bubblegum pop feels innocuous at first, but comes out of nowhere to hit you square in the brain. "Girl Front" is sparkling and light overall, but that chorus is a knockout and is definitely going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. It's the kind of song I know I would have played to death when I was fifteen and unable to talk to most people I liked, but I also like it at twenty-five because it gives me the sugary rush that I need from pop music. I've not been following LOONA's formation entirely, but if this is how good their subunits are, I'm ready to be wowed by the whole band in 2018. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Shortly after the release of Odd Eye Circle's "Sweet Crazy Love," Digipedi director Seong Wonmo noted that he had intentionally included Korean-language signs in its music video. K-pop always looked to the pop culture of the West, he said, studying and imitating it in numerous ways. As a director, there was a sense that he shouldn't let Hangul appear in any frame--it would, after all, only make the content seem more "foreign." But it's 2017, and with K-pop's ever-expanding global presence, Seong finally felt comfortable with doing just that (note that this was ten years into the career of an already-legendary figure of the industry). When I read his comments, I thought about where I was ten years ago, and how much I related to what he was saying. As one of five Asians in an otherwise all-White high school, I had made subconscious efforts to be "just one of the (White) guys." But as I started learning about K-pop, I also started to take some pride in being Korean. I wouldn't dare tell my White friends about Wonder Girls or Big Bang, but I would tell them about some Korean music that seemed less embarrassing to mention. I will never forget, for example, how excited I was to show off my copy of Seo Taiji's 7th Issue to a friend--as we sat in class, I watched as he examined the album's unique packaging, and I eagerly awaited his opinions on the album's pop punk/emo songs. Years later, I'm constantly gushing about Korean music to non-Koreans, and K-pop has played an enormous role in helping me come to terms with--and eventually love--my Korean-American identity. That Seong specifically decided to show Hangul in a LOONA video is appropriate. More than any other group this year, they represented the best of what the K-pop industry had to offer in terms of engaging pop songs and their promotion. Subunit Odd Eye Circle's music was especially noteworthy; their mini album featured the incredible Art Angels-indebted "Loonatic" and an R&B song that most boy bands would kill for. The best of the bunch was "Girl Front," the lead single that took everything good about the members' solo tracks and morphed it into something more ambitious. At its core, it's a chipper pop song about being infatuated with someone, but what sets it apart is the degree to which every bit of instrumentation captures the manic frenzy of wanting to tell someone you love them. Producer Ollipop was wise to bury the arpeggiating synths low in the mix, allowing them to mimic the fluttering hearts that characterize such situations. What ties everything together, though, is the chorus. The girls initially state that they're "cool," emphasizing it with a wavering vocal melody that hops along briskly. It's immediately followed by a sultry coo that's meant to resemble the sound of their heart--an admittance of how they're actually feeling. It's considerably smoother than what preceded it, and shamelessly long. But they're not denying how they feel anymore, and they'll happily let their crush consume their thoughts. What makes "Girl Front" so heartening is that it isn't content with things ending there; this is a song that's about mustering up the strength to confess to someone that you love them. And as the song progresses, there's an "opening up" of sounds to reflect this. The first verse has flickering synths that are halted by a bass guitar, as well as a vocal melody akin to those in the chorus that abruptly ends. But in the second verse, relatively "natural"-sounding keys stand in place of their punchy counterparts. There's also a sleek mid-verse shift that registers as sensual, and it all leads into the girls shouting "woo!" before entering the chorus again. By the time "Girl Front" ends, they declare their intent to express their feelings to this person directly. We don't know if they actually will, but things look hopeful. Sometimes, the best thing you can do to keep moving forward--to get yourself to do things that seem impossible--is to constantly remind yourself of the things that make you happy. In "Girl Front," it's an overflow of desire for this person that helps them reach a point where they can say "I Love You." It turns out that listening to K-pop was a way for me to eventually say the same thing to myself. [10]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#LOONA #Odd Eye Circle #Girl Front #TSJ Best of 2017

3 notes · View notes

loona-girls · 7 years

Text

[TRANS] Haseul’s “HaSeul” and “LOOПΔ&HaSeul” Thanks To

Hello. This is LOOПΔ’s Haseul! To the many people who worked hard and suffered for me, I won’t be able to express my grateful heart entirely, but I’ll try to express my heart anyway in writing.

First off, to my CEO who made me able to debut in LOOПΔ, thank you! And to director Jaden, director Kim Youngdo, team leader Yoon Inro, team leader Kang Jae-eun, and team leader Yoon Doyeon who always gave me a lot of support and help, thank you. Also, to Bora teacher, Hoyoung teacher, Ji-in-unnie, manager Yuri, manager Yongtae, and Hyemin-unnie who watch over me the closest and always help me, thank you :-) I want to express my words of gratitude to director Sung Wonmo, director Park Sangwoo, director Moon Sukho, art director Lee Moonyoung and the Digipedi MV filming team who probably struggled throughout the MV filming due to the poor conditions, from the gusts of wind to the rainfall, and still captured the cool landscapes of Iceland and England, and also myself in such a pretty way! You have worked very hard(*^^*) Also, from Japan, to Iceland, and to England! I’m very grateful to photographer Go Jiyoung who captured me so prettily. Jinsu PD who made us into cutie-pies with your cool edits! Thank you for not leaving out a single cut and including my schedule so prettily! Lee Youngran VP who always makes the prettiest hair for me! And Yujin VP who does my face each time! RUE710 family who consoled me as I was nervous and, despite the awful conditions and windy and rainy weather, always made me pretty! Thank you. The ones who dressed me in pretty clothes to match my pretty hair and makeup, who worried about and thought of me first even when the clothes would get wet from the rainy winds, director Min, Suji-unnie, and the stylist unnies! I’m always grateful to you. The OREO team members including composer Lee Ki and composer Inho who presented me with ‘Let Me In’ that will become my first beginning, and Monotree composing team, including composer Yu Jisang, Youngkyung-unnie, composer Park Asel, and composer Hwanghyun, who wrote ‘The Carol’ that will be the best Christmas song! I am very grateful to the producers. It’s thanks to you giving me good songs that suit me that I think the pretty LOOΠΔ’s Haseulie is complete. Next time I’ll become a more excellent singer and I hope I’ll be able to see you once again with more developed skills!^^ Eunbi teacher who taught me ways to dance while really having fun! In the future I’ll show you a better image. I’m always thankful to you! Leader Chu Eungwoon who taught me the pleasures of singing for the first time, Jung Hyejin teacher who always took care of me at school, thank you.

Lastly, my mom! Dad! Who were always by my side and supported me, I’ve made it to here, but until now you’ve truly suffered a lot and worked hard! Thank you. Thanks a lot to my little siblings Janghyunie and Hadongie who became my strength every time your big sis was having trouble~! To all the people who have suffered and gone to great lengths for LOOΠΔ, I dedicate this album to you. Thank you.

trans cr; loona-girls please take out with full credits

#Loona #LOOΠΔ #이달의 소녀 #Haseul #Jo Haseul #t:album #t:trans #e:let me in

12 notes · View notes

parallelomania · 5 years

Photo

GOT7 - “I WON’T LET YOU GO” YUKIKA - “Neon”

Space, Part 52

172/? in a series of posts documenting common visual elements in music videos from Digipedi

#got7 #narrow #everydigipedimv #space #yukika

0 notes

thesinglesjukebox · 7 years

Video

youtube

JINSOUL - SINGING IN THE RAIN [6.62] We're happy again...

Mo Kim: The LOONA (formerly LOOΠΔ) project, which promises to reveal twelve "girls of the month" through a series of themed solos and units before debuting the entire group, showcases the conceptual ambition and everything-at-the-wall spirit of K-pop at its best. (Few groups would justify throwing off a wintry tango, a throwback to '90s forebearers S.E.S. and a sultry electro-pop bop by writing elaborate science fiction connecting all of them in each subsequent video's YouTube description.) But Blockberry Creative Writing wouldn't be able to pull this off without the help of the girls, who have thus far demonstrated an uncanny ability to immerse themselves in any concept they've been thrown into. "Singing In The Rain" is no exception: JinSoul acquits herself amidst a soundscape harsh and gorgeous in equal measure, half sawtooth synths and galloping percussion and half pianos that sparkle like the stars she sings of "swallowing up." If at times it feels like she gets swallowed by the instrumental, that may be the thrill of the song and the commitment it asks of us; try to hold her gaze at the end of the video, as she emerges completely drenched yet somehow completely herself. [8]

Maxwell Cavaseno: The LOONA group/collective/team are a mysterious lot. If you take them at face value, they're an ever-expanding K-Pop group on a journey who have a discography made of solo material ranging from ballads, electro-pop jams, IU-influenced R&B numbers and showtunesy bits. Also, apparently one of them's a robot or something. Whatever. "Singing in the Rain" is the most violently industrial of all the tunes coming out of this alternate universe. If I was honest about this song, I'd point out how lame the rapped second verse feels, or the inconsistent pre-chorus builds tend to detract from how effective a song can be. But I would be lying to myself if I didn't tell you about how that galloping beat sounds like you're ready to get your chest caved in by a kick from the horse in the Lloyds Bank advertisements. Or how that drop managed to snatch the hard drive where my Hyetal and Hudson Mohawke radio rips from 2011 lie dormant and fling it into the air to shoot it with a cow puncher. Sometimes despite the illogical bits, a song just works, y'know? [7]

Ryo Miyauchi: Fake-deep lyrical touches, high-budget art-house MVs, exhausting year-long promo -- all those extra layers disappears for a second once that winding future-house drop kicks in. The producers responsible for one of the year's best electro glitch is Caesar & Loui of "Red Flavor" fame, whose vocal-twisting once again accents an already-impeccable beat. But not to forget JinSoul, who twirls the fine beat drop around her finger, guiding its glide via the chorus. [8]

Tim de Reuse: In isolation any fifteen-second clip of this would be impressive on a technical level, but to get through the full three-and-a-half minute experience, your ears must contend with scattered jam sessions on pots and pans, wobbly hissing saw waves, tonally adventurous chord progressions, vocal takes getting layered and stereo-widened and digitally distorted: flourish on top of flourish on top of flourish. Even in its few slower sections it refuses to let up, starting each line of lyrics before the last has finished. The effect is less exhilarating than it is exhausting: a conveyor belt of ideas, each presented in quick succession and not returned to, all in unrelenting double-time so that there's barely an opportunity to appreciate the audacity of each individual section before we've been rushed off somewhere else. Props for the well-produced maximalism, I guess, but listening to it just makes me ache for a home-cooked goddamn I - IV - V - I. [4]

Dorian Sinclair: My favourite moment of "Singing in the Rain" comes right at the end of the video, when the music ends and we're left with the sound of birds and gentle rainfall. If that sounds backhanded, it's not meant to -- I just appreciate the suddenness with which the driving rhythm of the three preceding minutes drops away, much like an actual summer rainstorm. It's a fine grace note on an exhilarating song. [7]

Will Rivitz: K-pop meets Majestic Casual? Sign me up. [7]

Alfred Soto: A rather tepid K-pop thumper, dependent on a sawtooth synth and not helped by the rap. [4]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Blockberry Creative are pumping at least 10 billion won into the 18-month pre-debut promotion of LOONA, an 18-member (and three-subunit) girl group whose Korean name translates to "Girl of the Month." If this isn't a sign that the label's dead serious about the project, take a look at the music video for "Singing in the Rain." They hired Digipedi to craft a product that features all the hallmarks of a top-tier K-pop video -- Wong Kar-wai pastel lighting, post-Flavin fluorescent light set pieces, and enigmatic symbolism that you'd expect from SM's artsier side. Are we to believe that LOONA could duke it out with the best of them? If "Singing in the Rain" is anything to go by, it's an emphatic yes. The song starts off with a triumphant gallop before mutating into a post-dubstep swirl and, as with "Red Flavor," Caesar & Loui pack in enough bells and whistles to make sure the song's physicality is always palpable. The most amusing detail is a sound akin to a Koopa shell bouncing off a pipe in Super Mario Bros. It's carefully considered, and used to accent JinSoul's imperial side. But JinSoul isn't trying to come off fierce for no reason; she's expressing her desire for a night with someone that'll rival the Hollywood glamour of the song's title. The ecstasy she eventually finds only further fuels her hunger, and you can sense it everywhere in the song. You feel it in the pounding drums, but it's also in the soft piano melody, the melismatic coos, the cry to be held all night. It's omnipresent in the video, too. Choreographer HG Kim's metal rod workout? That's a sign of her indomitable spirit in all this. The juxtaposition between JinSoul cautiously running in a school uniform and then stomping on water with a leather choker harness on? That's her shedding off any timidity. The shot of JinSoul floating in the air while wearing a royal blue dress? That's the ineffable bliss of being in love. That particular image is graphically matched with a blue fish that she'd been holding in a bag, and it's the exact moment where everything comes together. It can be easy to feel like one of the numerous goldfish in the video: average, ordinary, unremarkable. But sometimes, being loved by someone can lift you up and make those thoughts feel like the furthest thing from the truth. So take your shoes off and throw them in the lake; soon, you'll be singing in the rain. [8]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#JinSoul #Singing In The Rain

2 notes · View notes