On Loop with Lauren

Rules 1 song per artist per list No set rankings (order is generally good to best)  ---------------------------------------- "Simulation" - KWON EUN BI                  Eunbi made her solo debut in 2021, and while I thought her previous albums were solid, I didn't really connect with them. Third time's the charm though, because I really enjoyed several songs on the Lethality mini album! "Simulation" wasn't originally this high on my list, but because of its high replay value, I decided to bump this up into the top part of the list.     "Simulation" has a sophisticated funky, retro vibe, and it really stands out from the rest of the songs on my list. What I really love about this song is the mid-song change up; it fits the concept of being in a simulation while also adding an interesting feature. I think the change up was implemented well, as it doesn't disrupt the flow/vibe of the song entirely. ...

Rules 1 song per artist per list No set rankings (order is generally good to best)  ---------------------------------------- "Song of Songs" - W24                  I discovered this band in 2021 and I immediately fell in love with Jung Howon's vocal tone. However, Aaron, W24's keyboardist, is the one who composed and wrote all the lyrics for this b-side. I love how this b-side starts out quietly, with just the piano and Howon's beautiful lower register. But this isn't just a slow ballad; this is a power ballad. The other instruments trickle in during the pre-chorus and chorus. Howon's higher register kicks in at the start of the chorus, and it's one of my favorite moments in the song. After the first chorus, there is a wonderful crescendo of an instrumental break instead of a second verse. Before you know it, the song ends as quietly as it started. All I can say is, this song gives me goosebumps every time I lis...

Rules 1 song per artist per list No set rankings (order is generally good to best)  ---------------------------------------- "Unpainted Canvas" - Wonpil                    Wonpil is the keyboardist and one of the main vocalists for Day6, one of the most popular idol bands. They're also Xdinary Heroes' seniors from the same company. I've tried to get into Day6 in the past, but never really vibed with their sound. Surprisingly, I ended up really loving this b-side! Funnily enough, this b-side is the most Day6 sounding song on the entire album. Somehow, I never really noticed Wonpil's beautiful vocal tone in the band's material, but it really shines in "Unpainted Canvas." The lyrics are quite poetic, and his vocals really bring out the mixed emotions of the lyrics beautifully.  "Unpainted Canvas" English translation "= (Equal Sign)" - j-hope                ...

         This is the third time I've made annual top 20 lists for Korean releases, but this is the first time I've split soloists and bands into their own category. Honestly, bands and soloists should have their own individual categories, but I don't listen to enough k-bands to make separate lists for them. Maybe someday?       Anyways, in order to highlight as many different artists as possible, I selected only one song per artist per list. I will share the songs that almost made the cut though, if there are any. Also, as stated in my intro post, I will not be giving actual rankings (1-20) to the songs because I'm too indecisive. The order in which I talk about the songs will generally be good to best though. Without further ado, let's get into the songs!  ----------------------------------------   "Hope to be like you" - WOODZ        This was a REALLY hard choice for me. The entire COLORFUL TRAUMA mini album...

          Ok I know I said my first set of posts would be my top 20 lists, but while making my lists, I realized there were several songs that didn't make my lists but still deserved a shout out. Also note, there are many more really good songs that didn't make my lists. After all, my 2022 Korean music playlist on Spotify ended up with over 450 songs! Most Unique K-pop Choreography of 2022 "Villain" - Trendz  (Fun fact: Jinjin from ASTRO co-composed, co-wrote, and co-arranged this song)      I'm not sure if few people know about this choreo or if people forgot about this choreo because it was released in January 2022, but this song has been talked about very little. To be honest, I'm a bit upset about that. The amount of work that probably went into developing and executing this choreo must have been massive, yet its hardly gotten any love.      I, like many people, love a good choreo involving props, and this one happens ...

     A few of my fave albums from my fave artists After nearly a year of receiving requests to start a blog for my music recs, I finally decided to give blogging a try! I guess I may have been driving some of my friends/family crazy with all my ig stories relating to music lol. Even if no one ends up reading this blog, I figured it’ll still be nice to have an archive of my opinions on music from the past. Just a reminder, I don’t have a background in writing or the arts. That’s one of the big reasons I put off starting a blog. With k-pop, there are a lot of people who do reaction videos on youtube. Most of the reactors have some sort of background in music, dance, cinematography, etc. I have none of that, so I often felt like my thoughts didn’t deserve a platform like a blog. But for now, I decided to view this almost like a diary of sorts and I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself during this experience.      Please note that I’m s...