Sunshine Review

  There's certain music that you can only fully appreciate when you understand the lyrics, and The Winning by South Korean soloist IU certainly falls into this category. Hear me out: as someone who doesn’t speak Korean, I did enjoy the mini album on my first listen. The music had a calming effect, IU’s angelic vocals paired with smooth instrumentals. It wasn't until I read the lyrical translations on Genius.com, however, that tears came to my eyes from the sheer beauty of the album. Through the lyrics and sounds in The Winning, IU weaves a story of life and success, and all that lies in between. The Winning begins with “Shopper”–a song that probably brings out the stereotypical teenage girl in all of us and the desire to “shop all day.” The chorus sounds distinctly airy and light, almost dreamy. While the soloist could simply be singing about a particularly large shopping spree, the lyrics also contain a metaphor. The lines “Time is short/ Make ‘em all yours,” from the ch...

  On March 3, 2019, Tomorrow X Together made their debut with the title track, “Crown” off of their first EP, The Dream Chapter: Star. The second boy group under BigHit Entertainment, the debut was met with excitement, though the five members were largely viewed as BTS’s younger brothers. There were advantages and disadvantages to the title, but one thing was clear; TXT had some high expectations to live up to. Five years later, the group has just wrapped up anniversary celebrations with their loyal fanbase, Moa. The release of their tenth album, Minisode 3: Tomorrow, is just over the horizon. Tomorrow X Together has officially made a name for themselves, changing millions of lives for the better. The group’s current discography comprises nine albums. The Dream Chapter: Star, featuring Blue Orangeade, Crown, Our Summer, Cat & Dog, and Nap of a Star, begins the group’s story, with themes of embracing differences and finding people who make you feel safe. The Dream Chapter: Magic...

 Last week JYP and Republic Records’ American k-pop group from the survival show A2K finally debuted with the single, “Girls of the Year.” The single is accompanied by a second track, “Xo, Call Me.” So, what has VICHA brought to the table with this debut?  “Girls of the Year” is a high energy, fun and bouncy song. Similar to the group's pre-debut releases, this single is about chasing dreams without any fear. Though the song would put anyone in a good mood with its happy beat, I also found it to be a bit cheesy. While I don't have anything against chasing dreams and singing about it, especially when it's clear that the girls have worked so hard for this dream, I can't help but feel that the song is somewhat generic. It seems as if VCHA is only singing about their motivation for the future, and not necessarily the reason for it. Personally, I would love to see the group diving further below the surface level of the emotions their songs express. This is especially true in...

 Fans were shocked by the release of the music video for South Korean singer IU’s latest single, “Love Wins All”. The video features V of BTS and has piqued the interest of both artists’ respective fanbases, Uaena and Army. Though the title might suggest a soft, sweet music video, what was actually released is not what you'd expect. Yes, there are sweet moments, but there's so much more to it than just that. Many fans have said the video could easily be extended into a movie, and it does indeed have a cinematic quality. The video opens not with music, but with the sound of IU and V running and breathing heavily. The sound is sharp and foreboding against the otherwise quiet background. Right from the start, every tiny detail in “Love Wins All” serves to create a specific feeling. In this scene, it's urgency, tension, and fear. Both characters are in casual clothes which are tattered and dirty, their faces equally dirt-streaked and beat up. V’s right eye is clouded, implying ...

  Don't we all love a good motivational song about running towards your dreams? I know I do, and NMIXX’s latest album, Fe304: BREAK, offers just that. This album is the first in a new chapter of NMIXX's discography, named after the chemical formula for black iron oxide (Fe3O4). Interestingly, this compound is often used to resist corrosion, which seems to be in contrast to the album’s title: BREAK. It becomes clear throughout the album, however, that NMIXX’s goal is to break down the walls holding them back without becoming corroded themselves.  The first song on the album as well as the title track, “Dash” sounds funky and sassy, as one would expect from NMIXX. The pop song is a bit repetitive throughout the chorus and might be an acquired taste for some, but it's certainly a fun and unique listening experience. This song is about running forward no matter what, ignoring “red lights” and anything else in the way. Difficulties are acknowledged within the lyrics, “Quivering ...

  Nearly everyone alive has inevitably at some point had something rude or mean spirited said to or about them, directly or indirectly. It's the same for celebrities. Yes, the amount of people saying good things about them is much higher than what ordinary people hear, but with the increased attention comes increased criticism from others. Confidence can be hard for anyone–celebrities or not–especially when everyone else has so much to say. It may be difficult, but not impossible. With their latest album, “Born to Be”, Itzy declares their choice to ignore anything said against them and to continue to be who they are, whether others like it or not. The ten-track album is itself an anthem of self-confidence. The album's first track, “Born to Be”, starts out with intense beats, leading through beautiful high notes into the electronic chorus. The group declares that, no matter what anybody else says, they are, “Born to be wild and free.”  The album's title, “Untouchable”, h...

On November 17, 2023, Enhypen released “Orange Blood” after teasing the album with special album sleeves during their second world tour: Fate. The sleeves only included part of the album's title: “______Blood.” Fans made guesses about what the first word could be, and “orange” certainly didn’t cross many minds. Still, the strange title is fitting for the 7-track album, which is softer than much of Enhypen’s previous work, but still carries the group’s unique flavor. “Orange Blood” is an aesthetically and musically beautiful ode to love. “Mortal” opens the album with a magical instrumental and Jungwon’s voice, not singing yet, but speaking in a tone that seems to come straight out of a movie trailer. The members trade lines, alternating impressively between Korean, English, and Japanese, until they break into song just under a minute in. The chorus carries the emotionally impactful melody to it’s peak before dying back down into dramatic speech for the second verse. This beautiful...

  When the remaining members of BTS finally enlisted in the South Korean military earlier this month, Armys were understandably saddened by the necessary hiatus. Surely nobody was anticipating the announcement of “Closer Than This”, a single by Jimin that would be released on the twenty-second. Clearly the singer wanted to leave something to tie fans over until the group's reunion.  “Closer Than This” is a song that can only be sung by BTS. Such is made clear by reference to June 13 (BTS’s debut date) and the phrases “Seven=1” (meaning the seven members united) and “Until the days tinge purple once again” (to BTS, the color purple is a symbol of eternal love). Jimin sings of the group's past struggles, the “Times I sang in the rain,” and about “How you smiled for me in the snow.” The singer paints a vocal picture of BTS’s story up until now, and how they weathered it all together with fans. “Closer Than This” is about everlasting love and a promise to meet again. With the lyri...

 Ten and a half years ago, on June 13, 2013, Bangtan Sonyondan had their first ever live performance after debuting the day before. Today, the South Korean boy group is one of the biggest in the world. It may have been hard for them to feel this popularity in 2020 when the global pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown, however. Chapter 7: “We Are”, the last chapter of Beyond the Story: A Ten Year Record of BTS by Myeongseok Kang and BTS, opens with descriptions of the group’s pure joy after their concert, PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE–LA. The group’s enthusiasm makes sense in light of what the text goes on to describe: the preceding pandemic that caused the world to screech to a halt.  According to Jimin, this time was “chopped off” in his memory, though it was still a meaningful era for the group. Going in a completely different musical direction than what had been strategically planned before, the group released “Dynamite”, a bubbly summer single in English, and “BE”, ...

 I don't remember what I was doing when I first listened to “Golden” by Jungkook of BTS; probably either drawing or lying in bed getting ready to fall asleep. I do remember being surprised when I first heard the songs, though. Being notoriously terrible at picking up lyrics before at least the twelfth listen, I didn't at first realize that all of the lyrics were in English, but this is only one aspect of the album that came as a shock. From the flow to the subject matter to the fact that my Spotify settings skipped over two of the songs because they were explicit, none of it was quite what I'd expected. Of course, I'm not saying all of this as a bad thing; the Korean singer has never had a reputation for doing exactly what was expected of him (besides consistently impressing fans), and the album itself is a testament to Jungkook’s growth as an artist.   The first four tracks–“3D (feat. Jack Harlow)”, “Closer to You (feat. Major Lazer)”, “Seven (feat. Latto)(Explicit Ver...

  When I was re-reading the first book in my favorite fantasy series, I couldn’t help but think that these poor fictional people had no idea what they were getting themselves into. While most of us probably don’t experience the kind of action found in fantasy novels, the same thing can happen in our lives. Once you commit to something–a career, a relationship, or anything else–you’ll quickly become more and more invested. Eventually you’ll realize it’s not all fun and games. It will hurt sometimes. The real question is, what do you do from there? For Stray Kids, the answer is to keep on pushing.  The Korean boy group’s latest album, “Rock Star”, opens with “Megaverse”, a powerful song where Stray Kids essentially create their own world. If that isn’t commitment, I don’t know what is. In this world, the “Stray Kids Hot Megaverse”, the group is confident, doing their own thing and being their generally awesome selves, and the opinions of haters don’t matter at all. The song is a...

  A lot of us wish we could grow up faster when we're kids. As we get older, though, we start to cherish our youth, and then we're downright terrified when the responsibilities start rolling in. Growing up isn't always pretty; sometimes it hurts. This is the topic of Tomorrow X Together’s latest album, released this past October, The Name Chapter: Freefall.  “Growing Pain”, the album's first track, uses a dark rock sound to express the painful feeling of falling. The sound, unusual for kpop, allows listeners to visualize, “The sharp air that scratches my whole body.”* It's evident from the title that the pain described is the cost of growing up. Rather than running from this painful reality, the band “free-falls” directly into it, facing the uncertainty head-on even though they aren't quite sure what they're doing yet. The album’s title, “Chasing That Feeling”, describes the need to keep chasing a certain feeling even when it's hard, because, as the lyr...

  What’s one concept that drives the world? What keeps everything going? There are billions of words any reader out there could be thinking of right now. “Passion.” “Love.” “Hope.” “Determination.” “Coffee.” You get the idea. If I asked a million people to give me one word, I guarantee there would be almost as many answers, and some would probably contradict each other directly. Why? There’s one word I can think of, and it must’ve been on indie Korean band The Rose’s mind this past October, too. This isn’t the best or the only word to describe the world, but it’s one that brings harmony to all of the other words: balance. You can’t have just fire or just water, light won’t exist in the absence of darkness, and day means nothing without night. Balance is the key theme in The Rose’s October release, “Dual”. The album is artfully divided into two sections by short interludes. The introduction to the album, “Dawn” starts off barely audible, chirping birds softly transferring into a...