Battle of the B-Sides:: fromis_9: Fly High

This is the second time that fromis_9 has left a company, and while part of me is sad about this, I'm wishing them well in their future endeavors and hope they can find a new home that will treat them well and as they deserve. So, in honor of this, I'm going to go back to 2019 shortly after debut when they were still at their first company and their single, FUN FACTORY, and one of the b-sides contained therein. 

This is a song sung by only two of the members, Jiwon and Hayoung, but they also have credits as the writers! The talent! It's such a pretty song. Also, their composing composing team is called "Dam-Dam," which I also think is kind of cute, and this was the first song that they did together.

This is very much a summer kind of song and the irony that I'm doing this in winter is not lost on me, but it's summer somewhere, so it's fine. It's also, as you can tell by the title, a song about hope and freedom, which again makes this singularly appropriate for me to be doing at this point in their careers. Birds and flight have long been symbols of both of those things, unchained by the things keeping us to the ground, unrestricted in movement and destination, free to do and choose. There's always the warning of Icarus, but that shouldn't stop us entirely. The thing is that in order to truly understand what kind of freedom that is, one must first have been restricted. Again, it's very appropriate to do this now.

But the other good news, it's also a love song about flying to a loved one that has been missed, which makes it a reunion anthem. I know kdramas don't do this as they tend to use original songs (hence the O in OST), but genuinely it should go in an OST for something. It obviously would have to go at the end, when there's the big reunion scene where the girl jumps into guy's arms and he spins her around and everything slows down so they're staring into each others eyes and smiling in slow motion for like five minutes and from fifteen different camera angles. That's a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. This is that song. Actually, the best thing to do would be to have plinked piano in FLY HIGH's melody in a minor key, because minor is sad and spooky, during the parts where the two want to be together, but can't be, the parts where they miss each other, and then this back in the original key as a triumphant conclusion to their love story. It would also be appropriate because the end of the song is predominately just the piano, so you could theoretically take that and put it in a minor key with more melody, and Bob's your uncle. 

I'm just going to take a moment to appreciate the audience participation snapping. It pops up sporadically and gives the song a little more of a grounded feeling, but because it's also not always during the same part when it comes up, there's a little bit of a delighted wiggle to it, like you're so happy you can't help but snap. 

I'm actually including the recording video for this song, which isn't something I normally do, but because it was actually written by the two members who sing it, it's a special kind of fascinating. I like seeing the making of process, which is why I love to watch things with commentary. Finished products are good. But seeing them get made and the work that goes into making the finished product as good as it is? That's even better. Plus, it's only about five minutes long, the editors make me laugh, and this is their raw voices, random trilling and all. It's also kind of funny how Jiwon outside of the recording booth and in the director chair is focused and serious, but in the booth is loud and goofy, but Hayoung is a little bit less focused in the director chair (but still serious), but very focused while in the booth. I imagine the two of them work quite well together.

Also, can I just say "Wow" about their voices? Just throwing it out there that they've got pretty incredible ones. Speaking of their voices, they performed on Idol Radio back when Ilhoon was the host. So have that as well. I really do like how they sound together. On their own, you can hear the wobbles occasionally from live singing, but together, it's like they smooth out each other's little foibles and make them less noticeable, which is essentially the definition of the sum being more than the parts. 

What I like about this particular video is the fact that the other members join them in singing it, and they give some very nice harmonies. Presumably, they haven't practiced singing it as an entire group (though I could be wrong), which makes that all the more impressive. Not only do they have great voices, but their ears are equally as amazing.

These two have incredible voices. The rest of the members, as is evident by the camping video I don't know the context for, also have incredible voices. With their future a little bit uncertain, at least as far as we know, I hope they take this opportunity to "fly high".