JMusic: Ladies Code 'Galaxy'

Hello, my lovely readers! I am here with the Juicy Jam of the week, and it's a good one!

This week's Juicy Jam is Galaxy by Ladies Code.

Ladies Code is a three-member South Korean girl group that debuted in 2013 under Polaris Entertainment. When they debuted, the group consisted of leader Ashley, and members RiSe, EunB, Sojung and Zuny. Tragically, on September 3rd, 2014, the women were involved in a serious car accident where member EunB was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital and RiSe passed away four days later. The ladies returned as a trio nearly a year and a half later with their first release since the accident, album Myst3ry and its title track 'Galaxy'.

The now trio cited their fans as their main source of motivation to persevere and come back. Leader and member Ashley explained, "It is still hard to acknowledge that they are not with us, and we had a hard time deciding whether we should return to the stage again...When we were all lost, fans showed us their support. It helped us come to grips and eventually make this comeback possible." They took the strength given to them by their fans and their love for making music and came back with a different, more mature sound. 

The MV

OK! So! There is a lot going on in this MV. Besides the great cinematography colour correction and imagery, there is a lot of symbolism. You really had to pay attention or there was so much you missed. But no worries! I got the break down prepared and ready for you guys. 

 Scissors

There were a lot scattered throughout the MV. These may represent how the death of RiSe and EunB affected the group; it cut them apart both physically and emotionally. 

 The Number Five. 

During the choreography scenes, there were 5 of them dancing, and two would disappear and come back during specific lyrics in the song.  Also, there were two extra places at the table. I think this was the ladies way of representing EunB and RiSe, saying that there will always be a place for them. 

Triangles and The Number Three. 

Triangles and items in groups of three played a big role in the MV. These showcase the ladies accepting that they are no longer 5.  You can see this realisation visualised at the end of the MV when they are waiting for a phone call. This represents when they were waiting for news on RiSe's condition and ultimately received the news she didn't make and like that they were three and had to move on.

You can tell they put a lot of time, effort and thought into producing something that told their story. I love an MV that is not only visually pleasing but mind-boggling and entertains intellectually.

The Song

Understandably, this comeback had a more mature and sophisticated sound, it had more depth compared to their earlier releases. They incorporated their pain and healing into this song as most artists do when they experience anything. They knew what the gravity of losing two members carried, this is why you can sense the heaviness in the sound. The song wasn't catchy per se but had a lot of melodic variety and change in textures that moved it along and kept interesting such as the use of good synth, the drops and silence, embellishments such as twinkling chimes and bells,  and their beautiful harmonies. It also had a good sense of pacing, it started melancholy but had a nice crescendo to the funky electric bass and jazzy instrumentals at the end. The beat carried a lot of weight and kept a constant tempo but each one hard-hitting. A strong walking bassline usually represents movement forward as it did in the song, but the abrupt end of it could have been a statement as to how abruptly their lives changed. 

Well! There you have it the Juicy Jam for this week, Galaxy! Did you like it?

This comeback was special to the ladies and fans because it showcased the strength they had in the face of tragedy, and how they used that tragedy and portrayed it beautifully in their work. They were able to find some peace with themselves and produced a thought-provoking and touching tribute to their lost sisters. Despite being three, in their hearts, they will always be five.

As usual, go check out the rest of the tracks on the album, 'My Flower' and 'Chaconne', both are stunning and check out their other works. You can see the change in their style from 2013 to now.

Thank you for reading!
Jen M :)

JMusic: Suran 'WINE' (feat. Changmo)

Hello guys! I hope everyone is having a good day, a good night, a good whatever time it is when you're reading this, and if not, I hope this week's Juicy Jam, makes it a little better. A track named after the sweet, delicious result of working magic with grapes, WINE by Suran featuring Changmo. Juicy, no?

Suran, a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer under the label Million Market, first debuted in 2014; and she has been making herself known in the world of Korean R&B, releasing beautiful singles and adding to the emotions in k-dramas with OSTs. WINE definitely propelled her into the limelight, seeing as it is her first chart-topper since her debut. It was so well-received, that it was nominated at three different award shows for four categories and won in three. YAY!

There was a lot of hype regarding the song due to the fact that Min Yoongi or Suga (his stage name), a member of BTS, who were really coming into their own at the time, took part in the production of the song along with Suran herself, Changmo, Slow Rabbit, and JUNE.

WINE, a funky hip-hop/R&B track infused with electro-pop beats and a strong, futuristic baseline, is a simple track; not a ton going on instrumentally but therein lies its appeal.  It's an outstanding track whose slightly old school feel, groovy rhythm and emotional melody is just enough for when you want to wind down and chill but still groove along. The lyrics tell the story of a person reminiscing about the memories of a past relationship through a glass of wine. Also her voice! I love Suran's voice. It's beautiful, soulful, melodious and absolutely unique.

What makes the single even more special is the rookies' gratitude towards her seniors and their help with creating the song. She spoke about times when she would work on music, but had a hard time and was felt depressed. She started to speak to Suga about music and about these struggles knowing that he went through similar things and from those conversations, WINE came about. When Changmo heard the track and agreed to feature on it, being a fan, she was very grateful to him for adding another dimension with his rap and bringing the single to another level.

So 'WINE', also known as 'If I Get Drunk Today', was it juicy enough? I love this track and I will definitely be listening to it for time to come. Such a quality track. You can find it on the album Walkin'  along with other bops, so I suggest checking that out! Also, check her OSTs, they are beautiful. My favourite so far is 'Heartbeat' for Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. It is such a sweet, fun song and the drama is SOOOO GOOD, go watch if you have not! It's so endearing, cute and funny and just excellent. 12/10 recommend. Another thing to check out is her latest release, 'Love Story', another feel-good, delightful track. That might be a Juicy Jam soon!

J.Music: - Taemin "Thirsty" (Off Sick Concert Version) Performance

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great holiday season and happy new year! What better way to start the new year than with the first JMusic post of 2018?? It's a good one!

The Juicy Jam (I think I'll call them that now?) for this week is 'Thirsty' (Off Sick Concert Version) by TaeMAN.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Taemin is a member of the South Korean boy group, SHINee; who sadly lost member Kim Jonghyun in December.  But before that tragic news, Taemin released fantastic solo content with his album MOVE, on which this song is featured.

Released for his SM STATION, he aptly named this track because he knew the thirst would be real after watching this.

Are you ready to be thirsty?

The MV

The camera work in this MV and the use of the fisheye perspective added an intimacy to the video. It seemed up close and personal and made it seem like we were peeping in on Taemin. The eye-catching red on red was undeniably seductive but the lighting added a soft balance to him. According to a fan, the red represents blood. In the choreo, there is a part where he kind of bites his wrist, and right before the break down he leans back on his back up dancers as though he is in a coffin. So apparently, there is an underlying vampire theme. Which makes sense when you consider the lyrics. It is not only pretty steamy but you can sense the yearning he has for a taste of whoever he singing about.

The Song

"I’m thirsty Ah ah

Wanna just take a sip of your lips

I’m thirsty

My breathing becomes rougher

My heartbeat becomes faster

I know, you know, we know

Your moon

Is too beautiful to just look at"

The sound of the song itself is wickedly sexy. The strong trap beats paired with slow, sensual instrumentals produce a seductive vibe. The way he vocalizes, where he pushes and pulls, you can hear the want he has for his "prey". The slow break down before an intense, almost frustrated chorus adds a duality to the feel of the song that also reflects Taemin. Someone who appears soft and innocent but can enrapture us with hypnotizing dance moves and a sultry voice. AND THE BRIDGE! The bridge just kills me. Everything just falls away, it becomes truly R&B and so so good. 

The Choreography

I have nothing else to say but that Taemin is the king of fluidity. A kind of androgynously sexy, fluid god of dance. There is something about the way he moves that doesn't fall into typically male or female choreography. It is almost genderless, and it's absolutely alluring. 

There you have it! If you were sleeping on Taemin, I hope you have woken up now! 

Though this song is juicy, it has left me parched! Your girl is dehydrated! But I love it! Like always, check out the rest of the album. It is so well done, the artistry is superb! And check out his first album Press Your Number, another beautiful gem. 

As always, thanks for reading! 

Jen :)