M.m. 💗 T V

[work in project ✋ might touch them up later on]

I am NOT a professional in writing or music, nor am I pretending to be. Do keep in mind that this is all from the perspective of someone with very little music experience.

My opinions are entirely subjective -- just because they differ from yours doesn't make them invalid, in both ways.

English is not my first language -- though I like to think i'm quite good at it, it obviously won't always be perfect.

Screenshots taken from YouTube [1] [2] [3]

Cover art taken from YouTube Music

“Fallen angel by my side | Fallen, fallen | Heaven holding me so I”

(Can you believe it ?? My first non-kpop review !) 

The announcement of Nymph_O, a remix album of experimental pop – and personal – darling Shygirl’s first full length project, was one that completely took me by surprise, in a GREAT way. I really should have seen it coming when the Tinashe version of Heaven dropped, but I guess I was too busy losing my mind over that one to really truly pay attention. Anyways, it was quite the exciting announcement; though I personally liked Nymph a lot, particularly the softer & brighter tracks like Heaven, Honey or Firefly for exemple, it did feel like she was playing it safer overall with a much less ‘edgy’ sound than the one of her preceding EP, ALIAS, which is what originally gathered her so much (deserved) praise. I mean, in a weird roundabout way, I guess that was playing it risky for someone like Shygirl, because that tamer side of her had basically never been shown before, and it was especially well explored on the tracks I mentioned before. All that to say, a brand new take on that album left room for so many dreams to be dreamed up during the rollout (would weird Shygirl make a comeback ?? could it be a clubbed-up Nymph ?? is it gonna blow the original album out of the water ??), not to mention that the brand new songs announced to be packaged with the remix album were quite intriguing too. So in the end, how did Nymph_O fare on the roads leading to and beyond it ?

First of all, to answer the big big one million nymphollars question: yes, Nymph_O is the punched up Nymph we were all waiting for. Well, sort of. I’ll have to come back to that later. But for the most part, it’s a move that takes the Shygirl state back to a much more “alternative sound”, or at least somewhere close to it. I really like that as amped up as it is, the bright and whimsical energy of the original album is kept pretty much intact, think something like BB at dawn; it would have been very easy to completely discard it and just put together the scraps left behind into ALIAS 2.0, which I guess I wouldn’t have minded because I’m ALWAYS down for more of ALIAS, but then the very concept of Nymph would be meaningless, and we’d also lose that exploration of Shygirl’s softer side. In fact, I’d say that Nymph_O is when Nymph truly blossomed as a project; the remixing work on tracks such as Firefly or Wildfire not only takes already incredible songs to the next level (the edit of Firefly GAGGED me), but also allows other that already displayed potential to fully unleash it. Wildfire is a perfect exemple; though I liked the original, it kind of left me hungry for more, and it felt like something was missing. Here, with Eartheater on board, it truly turns into what I think Shy’s original vision was, that of an intoxicating ride where, despite being in control of every single part of the motherboard, she sounds almost transparent, like she’s flying right through our layers of reality in a lilac fog, unable to be pinned down by even the mere notion of understanding just what she is – that “I hear you say my name” intro alone is magnificent and adds so much to the lot. It’s not exclusive to Wildfire either; the subtle new touches on the Club Shy mix of Poison or the way her vocals are twisted against the frenetic background of the Firefly edit also come to mind, and they all create that same effect that is just so… her. Nymph_O puts Shygirl in the perfect position to do what she does best in a different environment. Everything is just… more, mounds of clay molded into ornate towers, like something inside of the original album was unlocked and it was free from the invisible chains that stifled it, to the point that it mostly gets relegated to the status of demo tape when standing next to this.

The re-polished shimmery sound is greatly supported by the new additions too; namely Angel, Crush and Unconditional (whether or not the latter is truly new is questionable, as it had previously been available on Bandcamp since 2020 to raise funds for Black Lives Matter, but I’ll take what I can get). The first two are particularly notable, and I’d go as far as to say they are discography highlights (even if the discography in question is admittedly short), and also key pilots of Nymph_O. Not only do they fit the concept perfectly, but they’re both such strong and cinematic tracks that they heavily color the album and form the feathers of its wings. Angel is an amazing introduction, with those powerful and somewhat somber synths that sound like you’re ascending in a beam of white light, which works perfectly with the slightly choir-like effect added on her vocals, and results in an opening that feels so grand and mythical; so quite a good red carpet to roll out. Crush is the real killer however, and even though the competition is pretty fierce at the top, it stands out as a clear favorite. The beautiful guitar-like strings with the descending glassy sounds in the background and the resounding synths that gently ebb in and out like waves, all on top of the slow tempo, feel like taking a walk through the gardens of some lost paradise in the sky, and it brings out a feeling of fragility that goes even deeper than anything previously explored on Nymph. It sort of took me by surprise, because even knowing that this entire thing was her more “stripped” era, Crush was particularly vulnerable, and it moved me quite a good bit. As for Unconditional, I don’t have that much to say about it aside from the lyrics being insanely good, since it’s pretty much an acapella track, but it is very new for Shygirl and a pretty nice “wind down” outro to the whole album. Together, they take the tracklist to new heights, from playful and sparkly to celestial and heavenly, with that energy bleeding out into the album as a whole.

BUT ! Though it’s far from enough to call it a whole panic in paradise, hints of something along these lines show here and there. While I talked about the new tracks, I avoided talking about the fourth one, Playboy/Positions, and I will make that clear right now; it’s a good song, a great song even, it’s Little Bit taken to its maximum (which is perfect since I originally found that one disappointingly unfinished) and an excellent addition to her repertoire. What I just said also stands for the 3 other tracks I’m gonna have to look at here – Woe (I See it From Your Side) (that I’ll be referring to as “Woe Björk remix” from now on because whew), Nike feat. DETO BLACK and Shlut feat. Sevdaliza. Unfortunately, I have to admit it; they really don’t fit on this album. You could make a case for Nike, I guess, because sonically it’s much brighter than the other 3, but still, they all stand in stark contrast with the shiny and heavenly sound that defines Nymph_O. They’re shadowy, more “corrosive”, crawling, almost nightmarish at times… and they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m really mixed, because like I said, I like them a lot, and the adjustments made to Nike and Shlut made me like them even more – DETO BLACK fits Nike well and makes it even more fun, while the new structure of Shlut just resonates with me more –, but I really think in a way they drag the album down just by virtue of feeling like they don’t belong and almost violently so. If you cut them out, you’re left with a 7 track EP that absolutely KILLS and has practically 0 blind spots. As is, they’re a hit to the complete package. I have no doubt that they’d make for a great standalone project, and I really wish that’s where they were put, because then I’d probably see their vision in full too. I wonder if they were added to Nymph_O as a sort of signal to the people that feared Shygirl would forever abandon her previous edgy and dark sound, because they’re very much a callback to it, especially Playboy/Positions and Woe Björk remix. From what I’ve seen, it seems to have worked, and it is proof that she still got it and is just as capable of acing the assertive grimy monster-ish energy as the glimmery and fairy-like one. It also leaves the question of what she’s gonna do next completely up in the air, because I don’t think there’s a clear path ahead – and that is exciting with an artist like Shygirl. Still, personally I think the signal takes up too much of the airwaves.

I’m not done with Nike and Shlut, because I also really wish these two were fully remixed like the other Nymph songs on the tracklist. I’m very happy with what we got, there’s a good balance of great new tracks and remixes great enough to feel as exciting as new tracks, but I’m not gonna lie, these two were already not on the same level as the Nymph highlights, and on an album full of highlights, they lag behind even more. They have the potential to be amazing rather than good, and I just know the Nymph_O touch would have done wonders for them too, but unfortunately in these base “baby” forms they just can’t compete with stuff like the Firefly Edit, Crush, Angel, or even their darker companions such as Playboy/Positions and Woe Björk Remix. Similarly, I wonder what Nymph_O versions of Come For Me and Honey would have sounded like; It’s a bit strange that they were completely left off the tracklist, not even added in with features like Nike and Shlut (can you imagine a Kelela feature on Honey ??? I would have died several times), especially for Honey as it already was an original album highlight and had one foot into the sound of Angel. Maybe it’s better ultimately, I know I would have complained about Come For Me in the previous paragraph at least. Still, oh well. It’s not like their absence is a massive hindrance to Nymph_O, not at all, but I would have greatly enjoyed new takes on them.

Interestingly, I’d say the results of this remix album are kind of like a reversed mirror of ALIAS; when contrasted, the latter acts as the upside-down reflection of Nymph_O standing on water. In fact, I’d call it more of a true ying to the ALIAS yang than Nymph was, because instead of just contrasting the hard with the soft, it does so using the exact same tools; glossy electronic beats with alt sensibilities and thick, wide poppy instrumentals. In that, they become true twins and mutual foils rather than antagonists to each other. One just dresses in bright baby blue while the other is clouded in shades of dark purple, but they’re the same shapes. Though I think it’s debatable whether or not they’re both totally equal, they certainly can try to go toe-to-toe as their atmospheres are both electric despite the very different sounds. This is all thanks to how Nymph_O built upon Nymph, injecting an energy that turned it back into prime Shygirl. In retrospect, I think it was the best move ever for the album, because it shows that Shygirl is more than capable of versatility and making the polar opposite of what she had been doing until now work – and, more importantly, work more or less on the same level as ALIAS. While Nymph was far from being a bad album (being the first full-length project of an artist following another project that gathered unanimous acclaim was always going to be tricky anyways), it still felt a bit… weaker than its predecessor, and that could have very easily been blamed on the sound change. With Nymph_O, Shygirl gracefully “course corrected” and proved that what makes her so alluring and fantastical isn’t going anywhere, no matter where she is going.

So for a remix album, I think it’s safe to say it’s a pretty good success !! There are ways in which it could have gone deeper / harder, but overall it really elevates the original album to a place much higher than just good. It’s really the definitive version of Nymph, and the one I run first to when I want to listen to the album. So then I guess it’s more of a rework than a remix since it’s not really an alternate take, rather a “platinum edition” ? Well, whatever it is, it’s a great conclusion to tie together the Nymph era, and certainly a strong addition as much in terms of standalone quality as artistic growth and talent showcase to a discography that is still somewhat early in the making.

~ First Listen Statistics ~ (Remember ! opinions grow like trees in spring)

Ranking: 

Firefly (Kingdom Edit) 9.9

Crush (feat. Erika de Casier) 9.6

Wildfire (Eartheater Remix) 9.3

Playboy / Positions 9.1

Poison (Shy Club Mix) 9

Angel (with Fatima Al Qadiri) 8.9

Unconditional (with Arca) 8.9

Woe (I See It From Your Side (Björk Remix) 8.9

Shlut (feat. Sevdaliza) 8.9

Nike (feat. DETO BLACK) 8.9

Heaven (feat. Tinashe) 8.8

Note: 9

Average: 9.1

Stream:

Spotify

Apple Music

Cover art taken from YouTube Music

It seems like every 3 weeks or so I wake up to a new, surprise Sophie Ellis-Bextor single ! Well, “surprise” is probably a bit much because I have no doubt I just lurk in the wrong, non-Sophie-Ellis-Bextor-tuned places; however, it was still a very pleasant surprise to receive the Lost In The Sunshine visualizer in my YouTube notifications this morning. I liked Breaking The Circle, loved Everything Is Sweet and have been very much anticipating the release of HANA (soooo close… and yet so far away), so I was very excited to dive into this one.

And wow, did it not disappoint – my jaw literally dropped when I pressed play. She seemed to be going for a brighter (after Familia & WANDERLUST) yet still traditional disco sound with the 2 previous ones, so I did not expect this soft, dreamy piece with those twinkly sounds to hit me right in the heart… until the percussion kicked in and it became a downright heavenly ride. Lost In The Sunshine is quite an apt title, because the whole song sounds like a warm hug from that sweet sweet spring sun, enveloping your body and leading you through fuzzy, vivid visions of green fields, jade trees, crystal clear rivers and electric blue skies, as you float above it all and feel a hundred emotions all at once. Absolutely perfect release time, Sophie. The backing track is so beautifully crafted, the piano, twinkles and strings all come together under the umbrella of a slight reverbed touch into this stunning marriage that just melts me down to pure bliss, and the way the drums subtly trot behind, never ever taking the lead but still present enough to keep the song marching on like a stream of water is simply perfect. In fact, I’d say this is one of the best decisions taken with this song, because the way they’re placed, in turn, puts this song right on the border of amazing bop and soothing moment – instead of directly hitting you and taking you in, it’s more like hypnosis, where you slowly but surely sink deeper and deeper until one way or another, you’re moving, even swaying this time around. That guitar (? bass maybe ? I’m awful at recognizing instruments) in the chorus is great too, one of these pillars sculpted just the way they should to raise the song higher – it feels so playful and injects this dose of subtle dynamism into the track, acting as the killing blow to make you fall in without any hope of ever getting out if you had managed to last until then. Her voice also works incredibly well with the entire arrangement; she’s already one of my favorite vocalists EVER due to how elegant she always sounds, but here, it’s coupled with a certain softness drawn out by the general atmosphere, and the way it breezes over the instrumental is the final piece of the puzzle to truly take you there. When she sings “Let's get lost in the sunshine / And give ourselves to the summertime / An afterglow in clementine / And now the heat is growing”, it sounds like more than an invitation, like she’s some kind of omnipresent nature spirit hiding everywhere in the scenery I mentioned earlier and directly speaking to your soul telepathically, lifting you up into this paradise that she shows you. The lyrics overall are already very pretty and “scenic”, I’d say, but it’s the way she sings them that truly makes them so stunning. Lost In The Sunshine is pretty much “just” beautiful composition on beautiful composition, all tied together with a sparkly cream ribbon into an incredible bouquet whose fragrance is enough to make my heart squeeze to the point where it feels like it’s about to fall right out of my chest. This song just gets me, and it gets me to a place I wanna stay in forever.

These singles are only wildly getting better one after another, and this one is where I have to undeniably give in and understand that HANA will have a near-demonic grip on me when it finally arrives. If this is the sound of the album, then she not only has THE album of the summer on her hands and one that I will be all over for the entirety of June-July-August, but also definitely one of the best and most exciting albums of the year. At least, I can already picture myself walking through the streets of a small mountain town or even just looking out of my window into an endless sea of trees with this song serenading my ears – and then when September comes it will inevitably make me cry because I’ll miss it all so much lol. Well, June 2nd CANNOT come soon enough.

Note: 9.8

Stream:

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube Music

Background pictures taken from Reddit [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] and YouTube

Cover art taken from YouTube Music

“After I open my eyes to the world | Hard for me to control | I’m attracted, So I feel special | When our eyes meet, | Come a little closer | Come closer come closer | Now wake up”

(english translation taken from colorcodedlyrics.com)

The rollout of Lee Chae Yeon’s 2nd mini album and 1st comeback, Over The Moon, was one of these rollouts that I followed more or less closely. I ended up listening to HUSH RUSH on a whim shortly after it released (if I recall correctly) simply because I thought “eh it’s only 10 minutes and 4 tracks long I can do that”, and I quite liked it, so I decided that I’d see and try to tune into this one too. I am really not her biggest stan, but I at least expected something that would be “”just”” good at worst, so whichever way it went, it would still be an okay addition to the new releases of 2023. However, she did manage to raise my expectations multiple different times; I’m thinking back to the 3rd set of DAY + NIGHT concept photos, because if the school theme was nice up until that point, when I swiped and saw these pictures of her in the red dress… oh wow, and also to the KNOCK teasers as it not only sounded like something much more uptempo and punchier than HUSH RUSH, but like a very catchy song that would be right up my alley too. All in all, when April 12th came, I had a good feeling going into this mini album. So, was it correct ?

Ok first things first thank GOD there’s no song who stops at 2 minutes. Pretty much every track besides the intro orbits around the 3 minute mark, which was also the case on HUSH RUSH – except for Same But Different, which ended wayy too soon to the point of feeling like a demo and tinting  the EP as a whole. However… it’s still not perfect, in my opinion, and some songs, namely KNOCK and I Don’t Wanna Know, could have benefited GREATLY from one more part to seal the deal. Don’t get me wrong, they’re pretty good songs, but I can’t help but feel like their potential is stifled just a bit by their structures. Well, I guess in this day and age that’s something you’ll hear me complain about very often, but still…

Now that that’s out of the way, the runtimes are actually not the only thing that have been revved up a bit here – as a whole, Over The Moon more or less stays in line with the guitar-and-some-synths-driven pop sound of Chaeyeon’s debut, but this time around, it feels much less chill. Whereas HUSH RUSH was quite appealing but still soft and timid, Over The Moon faces the world with glee and excitement, all while keeping the same sense of infectious energy… and I honestly think I prefer that. Songs like KNOCK, Line By Line (which I know is an intro, but a damn good one) and I Don’t Wanna Know immediately grab you with glossy production combined with super engaging rhythms, and even the more low-key moments like Don’t Be A Jerk and Like A Star keep that same joy flowing pretty well. This mostly comes from the new-ish production style, which feels… tighter ? Cleaner ? Shinier ? I don’t know how to say it and none of these words really sound right, because it’s not necessarily a question of producer skills but definitely one of intention; there was a clear effort made to give this mini a different vibe from the previous one, and it worked ! Everything feels more dynamic and punchier, almost like it was put on a new shiny battery, and while what you think of it depends on your own tastes, I do believe the people who wanted more from HUSH RUSH will be pleased with Over The Moon – I remember some people finding the title track to be too “flat” (which I disagree with), and in turn I wonder if this sound is a direct result of that, but whatever the answer is, the one KNOCK stands as should ring correct to the ears of these people. I also want to highlight how CATCHY this mini album is – this is not a new thing at all for Chaeyeon but my god I’m actually kind of impressed at how pretty much every track just got me. I got get. What these songs lack in runtime, they make for in what I find to be super strong hooks.

I might be influenced by the concept photo and the highlight medley, but this new general sound reminds me a lot of something that might be the soundtrack of a comedy / slice-of-life / teen high school serie or movie, think something like the Monster High webisodes. In fact, the We Are Monster High theme song immediately came to mind when I heard KNOCK, and that definitely plays in its favor for me LOL. I don’t really know what it is, I wanna say it’s because of the guitars maybe ? And I think that overall exciting feeling I mentioned earlier also plays a part. There’s really a sense of stomping determination here, but in that wide-eyed way where you’re so happy and eager to discover something but you’re still kind of waddling head-first into it – waddling forwards nonetheless. KNOCK and Don’t Be A Jerk are the height of this to me, because they both feel cool and confident and yet still a bit too giddy to truly have everything under control. Don’t Be A Jerk in particular embodies this very well, feeling like someone who’s barely grown-up and yet having to deal with a situation like an adult, taking a deep breath and saying “OK, I can do this”. And they do it, but that fiery childishness is beating on the walls inside and menacing to pour out at any moment. The key really is sincerity, because if the songs themselves are well-composed, Chaeyeon’s vocal performance truly adds a lot, like a very emotional ribbon wrapped around the whole package, which is just enough to take it from good pop songs to something that tugs at the strings of my heart a tiny little bit. This feeling of vulnerable excitement is something that I’m confident pretty much everyone relates to sooner or later (and if you haven’t yet, don’t worry kids, life is coming to get ya !) so the retranscription is very important, and she did a great job here. Safe to say, Over The Moon aced the concept🤝music theorem.

Diving straight into the tracklist, there’s pretty good variety displayed here – an intro, two bops (one lighter and one darker), a mellower bop and a ballad. That is a good thing, especially for a second comeback, because a sophomore is usually when you have to truly prove that you are either not a flop if you missed at first, or not a fluke if you succeeded instead (FYI, Chaeyeon leaned more towards the latter), and so this selection is an opportunity to not only prove herself but do it in different categories, thus showing versatility and good swiss knife-like skills in case of a victory. The verdict ? I think she passed the test pretty well ! Every song hits all the landmarks of their respective sport, even going just a tad above the line to get a handful of bonus points for the effort, resulting in a mini album that is quite well-rounded. Like A Star is the one I’d pick as proof of that; while I am a self-declared ballad lover, I am always cautious about these kinds of ballads, because I think the line between “good” and “boring” is pretty fragile and one that is too often broken, mostly due to the ballads in question being too standard or playing it too safe or just not doing enough etc. When I heard that song in the highlight medley, it didn’t immediately strike me as one or the other, and so I was a bit cautious (sidenote; obviously it’s just a highlight medley but wow, all the tracks sound so much more… more in full). Yet the final result was a very sweet and pleasant track that added a nice layer of softness to pad up the Over The Moon package, while also safely landing in the “good” tier. This all makes for an excellent addition to her resume, because it showcases that Chaeyeon is greatly capable of handling whatever is thrown her way; she does a perfect job at carrying the sass of KNOCK as much as gently infusing Like A Star with emotions as much as staying on top of the violent I Don’t Wanna Know, scoring high in all three – vastly – different games. I especially commend the latter for bringing out a much more serious and harder side of her, she sounds almost ironically elegant on the verses (that “because I’m a free-ee~eak” is SO good) but when the pre-chorus makes way for the chorus to hit as hard as it does, oh wow. This is a Chaeyeon that hasn’t peeked out much throughout her work so far, and she does so impressively on this one.

On the topic of Chaeyeon’s vocals, they really do shine in these songs. She has a voice that is very sweet and almost childish (in a good way), which I think makes it kind of peculiar, and that could easily backfire, but it works very well with the youthful super upbeat energy of the album, both complementing each other and moving forwards hand in hand. Still, base vocals are great, but sometimes they’re not end-all be-all, and good vocals will always be outclassed by good use of vocals. Chaeyeon, however, seems to know the difference, as she pushes and steers just a bit her vocals at key moments, like when she gives that slight elegant edge to the I Don’t Wanna Know verses, lets her fragility pass through just enough in Don’t Be A Jerk as a whole, or reins it in slightly for the chorus of Like A Star to blossom at the same time as it walks onstage, and these little touches add a lot to the songs, elevating them higher. But even just overall, I would say that while she has pretty obviously never been a subpar singer from what I’ve heard, her vocals really started to stand out for me on Over The Moon. It might just be because of how perfectly they match its sound, but even going back to HUSH RUSH, I feel like I have a newfound appreciation for her sweet tone and in turn I like these songs even more now. Over The Moon was the key, I suppose. It has to be said that the sound of this mini album is a great fit for her, I really think the catchiness factor is increased by the fact that it’s her specific voice singing all these songs. She’s poppy as much as one would want her to be to sell them, but she’s also skillful and pleasant beyond just being good at singing catchy pop songs, adding one more weapon to their – and her – arsenal. Clearly, she knows her strength & what works for her, so that’s an excellent skill too.

Okay, now I might have already said this in my I’ve IVE review, but I always feel some type of way about suddenly focusing on a song in particular – this is a (mini) album review, after all. But alas, I Don’t Wanna Know is one of these moments where I don’t think I really have a choice, especially because much like this part stands out in the review, the track is a HUGE standout on the mini album. I had already read a few comments before listening to Over The Moon, and almost all of them praised that song to high heaven (someone called it “horse tranquilizer music”), so I was definitely curious – though it did not stand out to me THAT much in the highlight medley, surely it was worth all the ruckus ? And… yeah, it indeed was. It’s completely out of left field for such a fun and light mini album, one second you’re grooving to KNOCK and suddenly you’re snatched away to the grimy undergrounds of god knows where, smashed from wall to wall by some stranger with their face covered by shadows, and then you fall back into a comfy synthy song, and you’re like, ??? what just happened ??? The beginning is a warning sign, with those retro beeping sounds and a tonality that immediately sounds MUCH darker than what you’ve been used to so far – my mouth literally dropped when the song started. In fact, I think the way it’s structured is excellent; it keeps building up and building up with those rumbling synths piling up in the background, shaking you relentlessly until it finally lets you go by throwing you face flat onto the cold, hard ground with this literal slapper of a chorus that’s basically everything that played right before dialed up to 11. Chaeyeon sounds insane too, she’s like some omnipotent demonic deity floating right above you, just out of reach, taunting you before going back to tearing you apart. Every single line in the chorus hits right how it should, I don’t know what happened to her before she stepped into the recording booth but you can TELL that this came straight from the depths of a cold, hollowed-out heart, and the way she almost plays with her backtrack results in a performance that definitely leaves a mark. I did not expect this song to crash right into me like and when it did, but I loved every single second of the collision.

For a first comeback, Lee Chae Yeon does everything and more better than last time, so it’s a pretty nice success ! Over The Moon displays excellent signs of growth in a lane that she seems dead set on taking, and with reason, because as shown here, the more she pushes, the better it gets. On this mini album in particular, she’s paired up with the perfect formula of catchy and upbeat modern pop, and the results are great – I hesitate to say that it’s “a vast improvement” over HUSH RUSH, because that just makes HUSH RUSH look bad when it’s not, but it’s still a notable evolution further in the right direction. The mini album has kind of snuck on me, in a way – I found myself going back to it and her overall more often than I thought I would when all we had were snippets of it, so one way or another, she definitely got my money. If she keeps this quality of matching + delivering in the future, then she’s set with a steady pace on the path of a pretty robust discography. Since it seems that she has tied the knot with a sound that fits her perfectly and enhances her capabilities how it should, her future looks promising, so I’m definitely keeping an eye on her for upcoming releases.

~ First Listen Statistics ~ (Remember ! opinions grow like trees in spring)

Ranking:

I Don’t Wanna Know 9.6

Don’t Be A Jerk 8.7

KNOCK 8.7

Like A Star 8.5

Note: 8.8

Average: 8.7

Stream:

Spotify

Apple Music

Background pictures taken from Reddit [1] [2] [3]

Cover art taken from YouTube Music

“Already one step little closer | I’m too nervous next to you | Ah ha | Silently taking a step closer to you | I’ll open your heart now | Hey listen up”

(english translation taken from colorcodedlyrics.com)

Say what you will about Kep1er (and from what I’ve seen, a LOT of things are said about them if you catch my drift), but one thing you can’t take away from them is that they’ve been consistently putting out good bops for a year now. In my opinion, they particularly excelled at the ‘dark’ shimmery girl crushesque sound that launched them into the world with WA DA DA; while I wasn’t particularly too crazy about DOUBLAST due to its absence (it has grown on me since my 1st listen though), the follow-up TROUBLESHOOTER felt like a perfect continuation for them, blending their 2 previous mini albums into a superb mix of WA DA DA’s harder-hitting energy and Up!’s unabashed & upbeat joy, resulting in a mini album that I often went back to and that now immediately stands out to me when I think of 2022 k-pop (or at least what I experienced of it; for reference, I truly dived into the genre somewhere around May of that year). TROUBLESHOOTER was extremely up my alley – it was super catchy, boppy and dreamy at the same time (Downtown & Dreams in particular, love them), it basically had a killer formula and was everything I wanted from them after catching up and listening to FIRST IMPACT & DOUBLAST back to back, thus directly comparing them. All this to say, imagine my surprise when the April comeback they had announced was revealed to be going down a much softer route with a new, “cuter” concept. While I wasn’t disappointed per se – why would I expect them to totally catastrophically miss after the total victory TROUBLESHOOTER was ?? –, I was certainly, let’s say, cautious. But concept =/= music, and music with a cute concept can be great too ! Not to mention that they seemed to know what they were doing, at least concept wise – their 3rd set of concept photos was honestly stunning. So, how did it work out in the end ?

First of all, it’s pretty obvious; like I “feared”, sonically, LOVESTRUCK is, though not brutal, a clear departure from the TROUBLESHOOTER sound. It's really not much of a surprise, actually; even though I made it sound like one, Kep1er had already tested the waters of a less edgy, if you will, sound with the japanese single that served as an interlude between the two mini albums, <FLY-UP>, and as it seemed to hit it off pretty well with Kep1ans (not without reason -- I wasn't the craziest about the new songs, but I do! do You? and tOgether fOrever to an extent were SUPER catchy), it only made sense for them to 'officialize' it. Interestingly, I would say it’s not only a departure but also an inversion of their previous sound; whereas TROUBLESHOOTER was big on synthy dreamy backgrounds and had a nocturnal taxi ride atmosphere, LOVESTRUCK feels much more down-to-earth and akin to a fun day out in the sun. However, they’re two sides of one coin as the old Kep1er is not totally gone – traces of the road they just walked off of still linger, for example I’m thinking about the super shiny pre-chorus of title track Giddy, the starry echoes in the back of Why or the euphoric ascending synthwave points in the chorus of Back to the City. This helps not only with smoothing out the transition between the two eras, but once TROUBLESHOOTER is completely out of the picture (and from now on I’ll try to focus more on LOVESTRUCK! because it is after all the star of this review in theory), it also works perfectly with the sound this mini album is going far. It’s kind of like sprinkles on a sugary cake, especially because LOVESTRUCK! is mainly built on a standard fare of more “”acoustic feeling”” instruments, particularly in the bass, drums, & other guitar-likes littered throughout the tracklist, so these shiny sparkly little touches, by contrast, not only add a lot to the soundscape of the album, but also give it a very slightly dreamier and almost fairytale-like atmosphere. In turns, this elevates the mini album far from the throes of generic cute music like I hoped it wouldn’t be – quite an excellent decision. The atmosphere in question would have made this a killer comeback for Valentine’s Day, in another life where the schedules aligned differently I suppose.

The whole affair also has its reach extended by the fact that it’s actively sold to you as you’re listening – not only are most of these songs incredibly catchy (I just have to think about the name of the title track to hear “giddygiddygiddygiddy all.day.👁👁” playing in the back of my head), the group’s members give such convincing performances that at some point you really can’t help but get into it – and when you do, it’s just so FUN. Kep1er has always been great at selling joy, especially when paired with tracks that follow the exact same mindset (which is what made Up! such a smash), and so they not only fit the songs on LOVESTRUCK! like a glove, they truly make them theirs and sublimate the feelings of the mini-album. The result is pretty irresistible, and even if it’s not your thing, it’s hard to deny the effects it has. In fact, I’d say the more you listen, the more it wears you down and amplifies those effects, because LOVESTRUCK is a grower for sure – I’ve been of course revisiting it frequently to write this review, and with each listen, I can tell that I like each of these songs just a little bit more, that they sound just a little bit better, that the production is just a little more interesting, that LVLY is just a little bit more entrancing, that Why is just a little beat more soothing, etc (which also makes me question if using 1st listen statistics for these is really a good idea… but whatever). So maybe in time I’ll be fully on board with Cutep1er, who knows ?

It also has to be said that even beyond performer × song pairing, LOVESTRUCK! knows how to use its strengths pretty well – more specifically in the way it doses them. The mini album not only offers everything a well rounded project should, with catchy upbeat tracks taking the lead and supported by slower jams, but it ebbs, flows, and sometimes even stands between both very well, making for quite an enjoyable experience as a whole. I think the song choices helped to capture that wistful, wishful Valentine’s Day vibe very well, with Giddy & LVLY getting the groove in place, Why & Happy Ending tinting it with a softer & dreamier color and Back to the City injecting a good sample of energy into the mini album, giving it one more kick yet without kicking it too far out of its field. I actually really like the song itself in particular but also how it was included, it obviously stands out and shines by being much more high energy than the others, but keeping that energy into this song and also tying it back to the fun day out packaging I mentioned earlier with those blurry afternoon memories vibes turns it into a very nice bow-tie-er track. It’s a song with a soundscape & identity that differs a LOT from its tracklist colleagues by diving straight into the synthy touches and coming out on the other side as a synthwave banger, but it's chameleonic enough to fit just right with the rest of the tracklist while also bringing its own colors into the mix. However, surprisingly, it’s also the chiller tracks like Why & Happy Ending that stand out to me the most – which yeah, I know how it looks after I spent the intro paragraph bitching about wishing Kep1er would have stayed in the darker upbeat dance-pop lane. But what can I say ? They’re really smooth yet surprisingly catchy in the way that they really stick with you on 1st listen. They feel like a soft and sunny spring day which is extremely appropriate for an April comeback, so that helps too, sort of a “right song right time” situation. And like I said, they tug really well on the vibes of the album, giving it that more relaxed vibe that is the one mostly leading me back to LOVESTRUCK! so far. I particularly like Happy Ending – the instrument choices with the faint-happy tonality remind me a lot of the afternoon music in Animal Crossing New Horizons, with the wind blowing in your character’s hair as you lazily do simple tasks like planting flowers or trying to complete these goddamn fishing challenges. So that’s one more point from the heart for this song.

I do want to point out that as a project, LOVESTRUCK! is really interesting in what it means for the group. If I wasn’t really into the concept change at first, I can’t deny that it’s been executed very well – I mean, how many lines did I write that are basically nothing but praise for this mini album ?? It definitely won me over, at least. And moreso, I’m really curious as to what they would do with it down the line – this is a very nice mini album, full of cool ideas, but it also still shows a lot of potential for this new pair. If they keep running with it – which I don’t doubt they will as it seems much less divisive public-wise than their previous releases –, I’m sure it could blossom quite beautifully, not only as they hone their craft but as the craft itself develops too. Maybe we could have something along the lines of more mature Giddy-like songs, slightly dancier b-sides that never stray too far away from the main concept but still add that bit of punch to it, ballads in line with the rest of the eventual body of work, more mixes of soft and upbeat, mixes of all 4, who knows ??? Just, every natural evolution of a group bettering themselves over and over. And that’s where the concept of Kep1er as a group gets frustrating. I admit I never really thought about it, and so I believed I had made my peace with the limited contract and ever-approaching disband, but I guess not, because now I really want to see where they’ll be on this road some time from now, and I’ll never get to see that because in 2024 it’s OVER !!!!!!!! sadly. Is this how IZ*ONE / IOI fans felt  ?? I guess I’m just going through the survival show group baptism. Well, even though they seem more intent on pumping out as much music as possible in the time they have thus staying loyal to the mini album format, I hope their label at least gives them one 10+ tracks long full album. Someone can dream, you know…

So… for a mini album, this is pretty good. For a first shot in a new direction, this is excellent. And beyond my own opinions, it seems to have done them a lot of good too, as people seem to unanimously love not only Giddy but the new concept and direction as a whole (I believe it also has something to do with new line distributions, as apparently fans were frustrated with some members basically only getting like 3 adlibs on most songs? Which would also be a sign of the label paying attention to feedback and getting a clear and good vision of what should be done. But I’m awful at differentiating voices and I haven’t looked too much into that so don’t quote me). As for the music itself, it stands as an ultimately well-executed evolution – I already said this, but even though this wasn’t entirely new as <FLY-BY> laid the groundwork right before LOVESTRUCK! walked in, this is a mini album of a really nice quality for one that was made as a try of something new. It’s also one that I'd qualify as resilient, too; it has grown on me tremendously as I wrote this and revisited it, and we might cross paths much more often than I had anticipated when it was first announced. LOVESTRUCK! is a test that was passed by Kep1er without breaking much of a sweat but with great results, so here’s hoping they keep the same steady pace as the race goes on. With the right lead, I have don't doubt that they will.

Ranking:

Back to the City 8.7

Happy Ending 8.6

Why 8.6

Giddy 8.6

LVLY 8.5

Note: 8.6

Average: 8.6

Stream:

Spotify

Apple Music

Album cover taken from YoutubeMusic

Background pictures taken from reddit [1] [2] [3]

“It’s our time, we’re different, we like special things | Oh what a good time | I’m good, worrying about me is a waste of time | No reply after reading the DM you sent | That’s my answer (That’s my style)”

(english translation taken from colorcodedlyrics.com)

Ok, so first things first… this is my first album review in a looong long time, how exciting (and intimidating… kinda) ! If i’m not just de-rusting, I guess I am sort of debuting too, albeit today’s feature already debuted and this is another kind of debut for them but yeah you get the point.

Anyways, enough about me, and more about the feature in question, because it’s quite a heavy hitter ! If you’ve paid any attention to kpop lately, you might have heard of IVE – PAKs flying everywhere, broken records all across the board, enough albums sold to build a bridge across the sea and a handful of very strong songs to their name. What a year. Which made I’ve IVE (yeah), their first full-length project (and a full album at that !!!) all the more exciting; I mean, I really don’t consider myself an IVE stan (...yet?), even though I either really liked or LOVED everything they had released so far, but I can’t deny that I was impatiently waiting for April 10th to come – if only because, don’t lie, the thought of one of the leading girl groups of our times releasing their first album after an unbroken until now string of singles would at least slightly pique the interest of anyone. Well, it’s finally here, so what now ?

One of my main questions when this was announced was; just what sound exactly would they go for ? If ELEVEN, LOVE DIVE and After LIKE were all united in being excellent upbeat goodness, I wouldn’t really say they were cohesive sonically. And the answer is… honestly, a little bit of each ! But more precisely, I’ve IVE seems to follow in the girlboss crush (?) footsteps of After LIKE b-side My Satisfaction – somewhat of a surprise, but ultimately quite a pleasant one for sure. I maintain that My Satisfaction far outclassed After LIKE and was very close to being their best song and look at us now

I was actually a bit afraid of what the final result would be at first, especially after hearing the highlight medley. What I had heard was undeniably good, but not necessarily up my alley – to give you an example that stays within the kpop sphere, my heart is usually with the likes of T-ARA’s (immortal banger) Bo Beep Bo Beep. But I thought, well, it’s just a highlight medley… they have not missed so far… people said the songs they performed at the fanmeet were great (someone called NOT YOUR GIRL a Sistar song which DEFINITELY had me listening)… it’s IVE… surely an album tied to these insane concept photos won't miss… let’s wait and see. And I was right !! Because ultimately, I’ve IVE stands as an extremely enjoyable record !

The sound they went for here is very in-line with (what I perceive to be) their chic, elegant, cool girl concept; I’d say for the most part (mostly the b-sides) it’s very soft and never really in-your-face, quite easy to listen to with a nice flow, but at the same time it’s still really cool and commands your attention just by existing and doing it pretty much flawlessly. I’d compare it to silk. It straddles the line between cool and vibey & catchy and engaging perfectly; which I have to give it credit for, because like I said it’s usually really not the type of sound I'm fully into. I also think a lot of songs that go for it can easily fall in the trap of trying to be a ‘soft bop’ so hard that they end up feeling bland / boring / sanitized and turn into the musical equivalent of watching white paint dry. But here, it’s executed perfectly, from the subtle groove of Lips to the spacey synth touches of Cherish and many more. It’s also one more thing that works in the album’s favor, because as it’s located perfectly at those crossroads – for exemple, it’s both music to get ready to for a night out and music to actually live that night out to –, it’s a very versatile album that you’ll be more likely to run back to in different situations, and as such it’s always a strong player no matter where or what.

Part of why it works so well is that even though pretty much every song exists in that sonic universe, with super smooth modern beats and arrangements that feel minimal without ever becoming too sparse, they all have a different enough energy and goal that they try to achieve. You have the funk and playfulness of Lips & Kitsch, the calm and stillness of Cherish & Heroine, the subtle emotions of Mine & Shine With Me, the edgier sounds of Blue Blood, the super boppy joy and sass of NOT YOUR GIRL & I AM, and not only does it differentiates every track while also keeping the experience fresh without ever having to uproot the listener, it also helps the whole package come together into a strong album that at least touches every mark of what a typical album should be. Chill bops, boppier bops, more emotional bops, you have it all with no stark tonal shift; so as a self-contained work, I’ve IVE covers every ground it needs to in order to confidently stand tall while also keeping enough strengths redistributed in certain areas to add just that bit of charm that makes it shine. 

There is sort of an outlier here however, and that is track 7, Hypnosis; one hell of an outlier too, and one that I'm gonna have to give the spotlight to for a bit because whew. From the very beginning with those disorienting and rattling electric synths, you know you’re in for a treat, and the song is quick to confirm that. It’s almost the antithesis of the album, in a way; whereas I’ve IVE is elegant and subtle, Hypnosis is twisted and almost crooked in a way, with dissonants and irregular instruments crawling around the floor of a beat that ultimately proves itself to be SO addictive, contrasting with the soft and dreamy voices of the girls like a solar eclipse. Hypnosis takes the formula of the album and twists it inside out, resulting in this sort of shadow twin that feels like an occult experiment gone wrong in the best possible way. On 1st listen, it reminded me a lot of something I’d hear in the gym of Ecruteak City in Pokemon Gold, mostly because of those electric synths that have a very GameBoy Color quality to them, and god knows that hit me straight in the heart. If you feel bored by I’ve IVE "playing it too safe", then at least try this one, because it’s certainly experimental and genuinely such a great song like oh my god… no subtlety here, just a fever nightmare that won’t let you escape.

…Back to the album now. If this sound palette works so well here, it has to be said, it’s because the production is EXCELLENT. It’s clean, tight, professional and straight to the point, like a shiny, deep-cleaned high end kitchen. Good tools make for great work if used correctly, and the group was armed with nothing but quality here. But what I really like about it, and what lifts I’ve IVE higher, is that it’s littered with a bunch of sparkly flourishes that add the finishing touch to already strong songs. The kazoo in Kitsch, the violin-like strings in the Blue Blood post-chorus, the smooth piano and strings in the background of Cherish, the guitar slowly emerging in Mine for exemple; all are insanely neat little details that add so much to their respective song and truly take them there. In fact, I’d say that they make the softer songs like Lips & Cherish win over their more energetic peers such as I AM & NOT YOUR GIRL because that’s where they’re easier to pick up on and also where they work excellently, making use of the minimal landscapes to place themselves just where they need to and give the songs very pleasant depth – once again, that’s one of the ways in which I’ve IVE avoids the pitfalls of boringness, and that’s by knowing exactly how to mix its ingredients with the perfect amount of pop-up-y flavor to leave a mark. It’s not just “yeah make it as unoffensive as possible” minimalism, it’s minimalism where every little piece is perfectly arranged with the others and completed by that one touch which seals the deal. Their producers did amazing work, for sure, and it gave us such a treat to Listen™ to.

I do wish the songs themselves were a bit longer though – they’re already all pretty much great, but some would still hugely benefit from something like a longer bridge, an actual bridge, a post chorus, another verse… I’m thinking of Blue Blood in particular, it’s a good bop and serves as a great intro but it would blossom so beautifully if it was extended just a bit. Hypnosis also kind of suffers from this, but that one is so impressive that I kind of forget it’s very short lol, yet imagine if it was longer??? The 11-tracks length is perfect because the album doesn’t ever overstay its welcome while also having enough room to expand and do everything it needs to – you can’t take away from I’ve IVE that it’s an extremely concise experience, and that’s sort of a good thing. But I really think that effect would have been kept had the songs been given more time, so it’s a shame that a lot of them are pretty short, usually stopping at around 3 minutes. For all the things I love about it, I guess that’s the big drawback of the streaming era. In that way, it clearly works, because while writing this I went through the album like twice and I didn’t intend to do so at all but I just didn’t notice that it was looped lol, so here are the extra streams in question – but part of that does lie in the fact that like I said, I’ve IVE is an easy listen.

For a first full-length album, I’ve IVE was definitely a great start. It’s very approachable and appeals to a wide audience, but it’s not satisfied by just doing the bare minimum and sacrificing all individuality to reach as many people as possible. Instead, the album pulls out the tricks it has up its sleeve at perfect times to climb up to the next levels on this flawless model walk it’s taking – all without ever breaking a sweat. You can tell there was effort put into this and that they weren’t just like “oh yeah who cares this will sell anyways”. I’ve IVE invites the audience to get into its groove very smoothly, but it never babies them or insults their intelligence by giving them pleasing mind-numbness, instead opting to serve precisely-crafted offerings with that ‘connoisseur’ feel that they know will be genuinely appreciated. The end result is without a doubt a high quality product. Even if IVE’s concept is a match-made in heaven with the sound of the album – i honestly think this was the perfect road to take for them –, it’s still one that any group would be honored to have to its name. They landed on the ground strutting, and wherever it goes from there, this stop has not shown a single sign of wavering flames; if anything, they’re only getting higher thanks to a perpetually-refined craft.

Ranking:

Hypnosis 9.5

Next Page 9.5

Shine With Me 9.4

Cherish 9.3

Lips 9.2

Blue Blood 9.2

Kitsch 9.2

NOT YOUR GIRL 9.2

I AM 9.2

Mine 9.1

Heroine 8.8

Note: 9.3

Average: 9.2