#areum

areum's antique shop

yesterday's me, today's me, tomorrow's me, without exception, altogether, they are all me...

about me:

In her 20s, she/her, an asexual

Neuroscientist bcs the brain is the most interesting and relevant organ to exist (said the brain itself)

I daydream a lot compared to actually writing stuff

[my library] 📚 🫧

The title track is a bright, playful dance-pop song, built around a cute concept with bubbly melodies, energetic electronic beats, and bunny-themed choreography, while the release itself was notable for coming in multiple versions featuring different unit and solo tracks from T-ARA.

WE ARE *SOOOO* BACK BABY!!!

Rolling Quartz is the fourth band I’ve covered here, and the first girl band, which is very exciting! They debuted in 2020, with five members: bassist Arem, guitarists Iree and Hyunjung, vocalist Jayoung, and drummer Yeongeun. They aren’t exactly K-pop, but instead a blend of that and k-rock. Here are my credentials: I’ve been a fan of Rolling Quartz for a while now, after being recommended their excellent cover of Dreamcatcher’s Good Night, and though I know they’re not that popular (and so this review is more for me than other people), I thought it’d be fun to do to break up the SHINHWA epic.

Blaze was their debut, and what a debut it is! Coming right out the gate with a blistering, half-minute-long guitar riff, inspirational lyrics, and Jayoung’s signature husky contralto. From this first song, they immediately stand out from the crowd: besides playing instruments, having a grungier style and music video, and dabbling more in rock, their music also feels more personal, probably due to the fact that they weren’t assembled by a company but instead formed on their own and have the power to write their own songs.

Delight starts out quieter than Blaze, though it doesn’t stay that way for long. It keeps the inspirational lyrics, with a slower, more minimalistic opening that feels like it’s holding its breath until the song explodes in rock bliss. It’s a masterclass in pulling back and rushing forward, and keeps you guessing—in a good way. This was never one of my favorites as a casual listener but I’m pleased to say this changed my mind.

Holler starts with the somewhat haunting call of “Holler, holler, holler”, befitting of the MV’s vampiric inspirations (especially Jayoung’s awesome dress), and the chant repeats again in the post-choruses as a break from the established build ups. It’s definitely reminding me of a Taemin song, with its seductive creepiness, albeit based on far more of a rocky vibe than is usual for him. Overall, I like this one more this time too!

From the EP, Fighting, I liked the crisp guitar riffs of Higher and of course their excellent cover of Dreamcatcher’s Good Night...but my favorite would have to be Azalea. Adapted from an old poem protesting the Japanese occupation of Korea, it’s the true definition of an anthemic, passionate, head-banger, and I hope one day (Hera willing) I’ll get to experience its incredibleness in concert.

One is a collaboration, and goes more of a teen-movie-soundtrack-pop-punk route; as one comment I saw said, “it sounds like it could be from a Monster High movie.” Which is absolutely not criticism, by the way; though I don’t think that One is as good as tracks like Blaze, Delight, or Azalea, it’s a fun break from the darkness and makes me want to relive my younger teenage years (though maybe not all of them, let’s be honest here).

Nazababara is their return after a while, and goes a much sunnier, brighter route, making it feel less like a political anthem and more like one for a night out for friends. I love the segments with less instrumentation in the pre-chorus so that the vocals have time to breathe, and of course the short “you got me, got me” bridge was a highlight too. It’s a short song, but a memorable one.

Sing Your Heart Out is a b-side, but it was given a music video so I’m treating it like a single. It’s harsher in sound and darker in tone than Nazababara, and more true to their usual sound. The guitar riffs are as sharp as ever, and have a great sense of build in those pre-choruses, before the chorus appears to smash everything out of the park. It definitely had me banging my head, especially during that great guitar breakdown and outro.

I’m A Loner isn’t a usual Rolling Quartz song in many ways; it’s both a collaboration with Nam Do-hyun, and an OST. But, it retains their staples of driving beats and Jayoung’s strong voice with those sharp guitars that propel it forward. I hadn’t actually heard this song before this deep dive, but I ended up liking it. I wish it had more of a cathartic end to its great build-up, but otherwise it’s pretty good.

Fearless takes a more EDM-based approach to its rock, for another banger, this time choosing something I normally dislike: an “I’m-so-cooler-than-you” song…and yet, they pull it off! That guitar solo was perfection and I couldn’t resist the urge to dance along with them as they played their instruments in the rain (which I hope they didn’t have to film more than once).

Reminiscence is their most recent single, and though it starts with a sharp snare drum, its first verses are actually a quite straightforward ballad, made unique by the ever-present power in Jayoung’s voice. But of course, since this is Rolling Quartz, it soon becomes a power ballad worthy of single status, and manages to be incredibly captivating despite its music video only being them playing their instruments in their studio, and it actually became one of my favorites of theirs. Also, I had no idea that Jayoung plays piano, so that was a fun surprise.

I’m glad I did this! I knew I would have a great time, but it was still a fun ride. I forgot how few songs Rolling Quartz actually has, but when every one of them is so high in quality, I can’t really complain. I learned a lot more about them as people too, watching some interviews and behind the scenes content and having some good laughs along the way.

My Top 5 songs are Blaze, Azalea, Nazababara, Reminiscence, and Fearless, with Sing Your Heart Out as an honorable mention. Rolling Quartz gets a 9 out of 10 from me, the same as The Rose did, which isn’t surprising at all. I don’t think that there’s a single song of theirs I don’t like, and very few that I don’t love. They’re remarkably consistent and incredibly talented, and I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Next time, we’ll finally be finishing the SHINHWA deep dive, so stay tuned. Tschüss!

꒰ ˀˀ ↷ rolling quartz; simple “♡ᵎ ꒱

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