Song Review:: Lee Sangyi: Spice Up Our Love OST: A World For Us

-

  • Release date: 2024 October 03
  • Album tracklist: A World For Us, A World For Us (Inst.)

  • Album runtime: 7 minutes

 It was a slow day, so I picked a random October release, and it just happens to be the actor for the cousin on My Demon! I absolutely love that show. That's currently the only thing I've seen with him in it, though a few more entries on his filmography are on my list to watch. I didn't know he could sing, though I don't know why I'm surprised.

My first OST to review! I haven't seen the drama yet, it shouldn't matter overly much. Full disclosure though, I have a special fondness for OSTs because they were how I actually got into K-Pop. 

Percussion! Strings! Piano! Three of my favorite instruments, even though any time I hear strings specifically more than any of the other possibility, I am so far into it that I couldn't argue with it even if I wanted to. This thing sounds majestically upbeat, while simultaneously being such comfort song that it almost sent me to sleep, in a good way because it actually settled my overactive mind the first time I listened to it. Forget an OST, this song could be out of a musical, and I'm not sure I'd be able to completely tell the difference. That's the vibe I'm getting off it.

Oh, he has a lovely voice. It's one hundred percent a musical-esque voice. The song sounds like it spends most of the time in his mid-range, probably closer to his chest voice than his head voice at that. I love his vibrato. It's such a warm warble. His control over his vibrato is also pretty impressive, but this only helps support the idea that this could in fact be out of a musical rather than just an OST. This is just really a good song. I could happily sleep to it.

Standard affair for an OST music video. I'm not going to talk too much about it simply because there lie spoilers (probably? Again, I haven't seen it), and that's to respect those who haven't seen it. But the little wave he did at the end was adorable.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Song Review:: Taemin (SHINee): Eternal- Sexy in the Air

-
Image
Release date: 2024 August 19 Album tracklist: G.O.A.T, Sexy in the Air , Horizon , The Unknown Sea, Crush, Deja Vu, Say Less Album runtime: 21 minutes      As the inaugural review for this new blog, I had to go with Taemin. I know this is a few weeks late, but better late than never and it's at least still in August. Hello, and welcome!      As his first album under the new company, I'm sure most fans approached it with mild or moderate hesitation.       Luckily, I don't necessarily think we need have worried too much.       The song opens with some grindy electric guitar, an element I have to admit I'm a fan of in general. It reminds me of a science fiction dystopia film at night in the rain during a chase, which is a specific image for me that isn't at odds with the music video.      The verses lose that guitar, turning into more of a generic trap sound that unfortunately loses my attention, but turns the dystopia into a sleek and sleezy nightclub. I think my favo
Read more

Song Review:: fromis_9: Supersonic- Supersonic

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 August 12 Album tracklist: Supersonic , Beat the Heat, Take a Chance Album runtime: 10 minutes      After fourteen months, fromis_9 are back! *airhorn noises*      No, but, seriously, I couldn't be happier for them to have a comeback. Too much time between comebacks stresses me out, and I can't imagine what it does to them. Pledis, you need to do better with them. This is only a single, after all. Hopefully we'll get something longer before the end of the year. I'm also not that pleased with the lack of promotion I've been seeing. I get that HYBE is struggling right now dealing with the various dumpster fires they're experiencing, but that doesn't change the fact that if a group is only going to have one comeback a year, it had better be promoted like only a big company can.      In the meantime, Supersonic  is very much a summer track, coming out a little late in the season, but I'm not going to be complaining. Beaches, driving with
Read more

Song Review:: Moonbyul (Mamamoo): Starlight of Twinkle : REPACKAGE- Is This Love?

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 August 21 Album tracklist: Backpack, Is This Love? , Dear., TOUCHIN&MOVIN (English Ver.), Is This Love? (Sped Up Ver.) Album runtime: 16 minutes As soon as I heard this song, I fell in love with it. First time. That was all it took to tumble head over heels with it. I'm going to be very sad if it doesn't end up being a top listen of the year for me. I love it so much. If it doesn't, that means that the competition was very stiff. I'm a simple girl. Songs that brighten my mood immediately upon hearing them always end up being my favorites, especially if they also just make the brain happy because there are delicious things going on with them. The background instrumentals do some amazing things with the variability of the sections and playing alongside the vocals. Sometimes rests are added where there hadn't been earlier. There are some cool slides and stutters and skids.  I think one of my favorites parts of the melody is the inverse word pai
Read more

Song Review:: FIFTY FIFTY: LOVE TUNE- SOS

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 September 20 Album tracklist: Push Your Love,  Starry Night , Starry Night - [ENG version],  SOS , SOS - [ENG version], Gravity Album runtime: 18 minutes And here the group has re-debuted. Theseus's ship has sailed once more. The company had better know that there are going to be eyes on them and this group. I, personally, don't want to witness another B.A.P situation, so hopefully that's not what's going on. It almost sounds like there's a plucked cello in the instrumentals. It's very subtle, very soft, but I don't know if it's a plucked bass guitar or a cello. I'm going to go with a bass guitar because the likelihood of that actually being a cello is probably low. It's the most intriguing part of the instrumentals, as the rest of it feels a little standard. Not that I don't like it. This doesn't need to be a cinematic soundtrack with twenty different tracks layered together, because that's not what kind of song
Read more

Song Review:: xikers: HOUSE OF TRICKY: WATCH OUT- Witch

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 September 06 Album tracklist: Watch Out, Witch , BACK OFF, Bittersweet , Sandcastle, Hang Around Album runtime: 17 minutes Xikers were one of my starting points, as they were the first kpop group I chose to go see. Most of my starting points have been with March debuts. I don't know how I manage it. Despite the fact that their music isn't what I would normally choose to listen to, they caught me as a fan because of how insane their stage presence is. Normally, I avoid the comeback stages, but I can't with xikers. Y'all, I think they may have a stronger stage presence than ATEEZ, whom I've also seen in concert and generally love more, despite the years of experience between them. I walked out of xikers's concert going "I would see them again tomorrow." And now we have a new comeback, still missing OT10 for the third one in a row, but I'm sure KQ is making sure that Junghoon is healthy enough to handle their insane choreography. 
Read more

Song Review:: Changsub (BTOB): Lee Changsub Pre-Release 1991- vain hope

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 September 02 Album tracklist: vain hope , NEW WAVE, Golden Hour, Stay, #RUN Album runtime: 17 minutes I have been waiting for this album since April, but unfortunately, Changsub has been dealing with throat issues. So no album release for him then. And then no news about it, until, SURPRISE ALBUM DROP! Exactly as I'd expect from a member of BTOB.  Normally, this would be when I start talking about the instrumentals, but Changsub's voice is so comforting that it would be a disservice. I am trying to separate the fact that I'm relying on it for the emotional support and what it would normally make me feel, I promise. But the first time I heard it was the fan cam he posted when he performed it at the mall before I needed my emotional support group, and I loved it then and thought it was melancholic and comforting, much as I still do now. Actually, the melody reminds me of a musical. I fully could imagine this being performed on stage as the "sad song&
Read more

Song Review:: NCT Wish: Steady- Dunk Shot {Pre-Release}

-
Image
Release date: 2024 September 24 Album tracklist:  Steady ,  3 Minutes ,  Dunk Shot , On & On, Supercute, Skate, Hands Up - Korean Version Album runtime: 21 minutes I'm not generally a huge fan of the NCT subunits. I like Dream and WayV the best, but even then, they're not groups I would stress out to pre-order tickets for. It's the perceived shouting thing. So I have to admit, I haven't paid much attention to this one other than the general pride I feel when a younger sibling group to one I do like debuts. Not that this is a debut, but I think it'll be my first listen to one of their songs. This reminds me of a hip hop version of High School Musical , which makes me laugh a little bit. But there's also an industrial grind to the bass accompanying the electric guitar and the synth. Ah, that's kind of funny to picture. Industrial High School Musical . Troy Bolton and the Wildcats shooting a music video in a construction zone. The beat isn't particularl
Read more

Song Review:: A.C.E.: Anymore

-
Image
Release date: 2024 September 11 Album tracklist:  Anymore , Anymore - sped up, Anymore - instrumental, Anymore - Pop Ballad Remix, Anymore - Emo Remix, Anymore - Acoustic hiphop Remix Album runtime: 16 minutes  I knew about A.C.E. from one of my other multifandom friends, and then I watched Build Up because Eunkwang, Baekho, and Solar were judges. I found out one of the A.C.E. members was on Build Up, which made me start rooting for him on principle because my friend loves the group. And then I saw them at KCon LA, and my mouth was hanging open, such was my surprise at how freaking amazing their vocals are. The entire group. I'm still in awe a month later. They need to come back to the US so I can go see them. An entire concert? Swoon. They need more fans. Literally, as soon as I heard their voices, I became a fan of them, and I know these reviews don't sound like it, but I am incredibly  picky about the groups I would claim being in the fandom for. So as soon as they announced
Read more

Song Review:: ZEROBASEONE: Cinema Paradise- GOOD SO BAD

-
Image
  Release date: 2024 August 26 Album tracklist:  GOOD SO BAD,  KILL THE ROMEO, The Sea - ZB1 Remake, Insomnia, Road Movie, Eternity, Yura Yura - Korean Version Album runtime: 20 minutes This song reminds me a lot of 80s. It's very classic, and I apologize for using the word "classic" here because I'm starting to be at the age where the Youths call the decade I was born in "classic". Well, actually it's the century I was born in that's considered classic now. So despite that reticence, I'm still calling GOOD SO BAD  classic.  The synth riffs and the disco instrumentals make the sound of the sound solidly 80s, early 80s specifically. It's not a fully groovy song, but the vibe is there, and it irresistibly makes me want to groove. So at this point, it doesn't matter that it isn't. I'm excited to see what the music video looks like, because I love the background instrumentals enough that I really want the music video to match. I just
Read more

September 2024 Wrap Up: We'll Meet Again, Don't Know Where, Don't Know When

-
Image
 The official start of this little music review blog! I'm proud of it. And, again, thank you for everyone who has read even a single post so far, even if you aren't reading this one. I am simply happy and grateful and will endeavor to continue this honesty with love and recognition of the hard work of the artists. And for the one person who seems to be reading every single one, thank you and I love you. You make my morning every day. September of 2024 saw a couple of debuts, a re-debut, and some comebacks I was very much looking forward to, as well as some I would have been looking forward to had I been listening to the group/artist already. The ones I personally was emotionally invested are as follows: Vahn (NINE.i): They were the first group I saw in person, and the reason I watched Boy's Planet, after the fact of course because I didn't get into K-Pop until after ZB1 had already debuted. I love their voices, and I have yet to run into a song I didn't like by them
Read more