Friday K-Pop Fiesta - November 24th, 2023
It's Dreamcatcher and friends this week!
As I warned people last week, there was a Dreamcatcher comeback this week, and if there’s any songs I listen to continuously, it’s Dreamcatcher songs. Double that for when they have new music. So I’ll only mildly apologize for it being half that this week but hey - it’s what I’m listening to, so I’m only being accurate to the article type, right? Let’s get into it.
I’ve only really been mildly following the various members of LOONA after they separated out from BBC, but releases coming out of company Modhaus, who took in a few of them, have always piqued my interest. “Algorithm” is a nice and light tune that highlights Heejin’s vocals as well as provide an airy and hopeful tone to it. And there’s of course a nice little bonus with a cameo from fellow ex-LOONA (and also under the Modhaus umbrella) members Odd Eye Circle, which totally still makes sense in this “universe” given that they are quite likely fast friends. It makes the video less of a solo effort and more of a “solo with friend support” thing, which I think is nice to see and adds to the wholesomeness of the song.
ONEWE, like Lucy, is one of those K-Pop groups worth listening to if you are looking for a bit more band in your music, especially if you’re rock-biased like I am. With two members of the group currently in mandatory military service, there’s room for individuals to grow, and bassist Giuk came out with a really great release in “Scratch”. The music is a fast-paced rock ballad that draws out plenty of emotion and the video is a total heartbreaker as it follows the action of someone close to Giuk dying from what is assumed to be disease. As someone who’s lost family members in this way it really hit home, but it does help that there’s an expression of both sadness and hope in the song. Along with piano elements and of course, Giuk’s own instrumental talent, the result is worth checking out - and looping.
The new album from Dreamcatcher is called “VillainS”, exploring themes of overwhelming confidence bleeding into narcissism in what is essentially the group’s villain origin story. This B-side, a rock/metal track, is well within the group’s wheelhouse and fan’s expectations (more on that in a second) and is a headbanging bundle of guitar-powered goodness. What’s really great in this track is hearing sub-vocalists like Handong get to belt out some high notes in the chorus, and also listening to the elements (like the “RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-Rising” that will have a place for audiences to participate in during the next tour.
I’ve said a lot about this track, which you can see in my full album review of “VillainS”, so I’ll keep it short here and just say that this is not the type of track fans were expecting. It’s a Muse-like punk piece that has an extremely interesting structure (Dual choruses? Tons of spoken and chanted dialogue?) not to mention a music video whose fourth-wall breaking elements have, along with the style of the song, generated a ton of discourse among fans. If you’re into more of the modern girl group aesthetic of 4th generation, this might be your gateway chance to check out Dreamcatcher, and if you’re a diehard Dreamcatcher fan wondering what’s going on, you still want to listen (and watch) to catch the details that make this the latest evolution in Dreamcatcher’s rock/pop-based sound. There’s definitely still lots of “classic” Dreamcatcher in here, as some of the sung vocals will show, but also a ton that’s different, making this a “grower” for me, but no less addicting. Definitely give it a try!
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- Notion still remains one of the best productivity tools I use to keep myself organized!
