Appreciating Albums

So I am just here a little bored and with my internet not working properly to watch anything so I’m entertaining myself listening to songs and reading and thinking about many random things. While shuffling through my playlist a random thought became stronger than the rest of them: I love albums so much haha. So I just had the urge to write a blog about what makes me love albums ♡

First, I feel that singles and digital releases are becoming more prominent nowadays, many groups that release one or two songs, or only digital, sometimes get more love than the ones who release a full album or EP, and actually I love both types of artists, and even the same artist can release digital singles or full albums in different periods, but it also makes me think that we as an audience don’t take the proper time to appreciate an album for all it has to offer. If one single song can be so awesome that makes us want to hear it over and over again, imagine if we take the time to fully appreciate the work put into an album.

First (yes, this is the second time I wrote first and I reread and noticed but left it anyway :_) I think albums are really important specially in a group that has a lot of . Sometimes in the tittle track you can hear that the line distribution is not that well balanced between the , showcasing some of them and not others, and that can makes us feel frustrated or question why they do that. But then, after hearing the whole album, you may notice that that particular member shines in another song, having a highlight part or more lines, or perhaps he shines in an unit song or even in a solo. Or when you listen to a series of albums from the same artists you can see how all the are given opportunities to shine with time and depending on the concept that better fits them.

Also albums are such an amazing way to showcase the variety of skills, colors and talents of the in a group. While perhaps the group is more known for having strong and charismatic main tracks, diving into the album you can find a variety of styles, vocal heavy tracks mixed with more rap heavy tracks, soft tracks mixed with sad and emotional tracks, happy and uplifting tracks mixed with sweet ballads. Also there are times that the songs may vary in style but have a common theme to them, and you noticed why the producers choose those particular songs to be together, and the message they are trying to convey with that group of songs.

But not only how you can find all the of a group shining in different tracks, or all the different type of songs you can enjoy in an album; you also have the physical album itself, and all the production and creative work that is behind them, the package, the photoshoot, how the concept they are going for is showcase and how it matches the message and emotions of the songs. Sadly because I can’t always afford them, I don’t have a lot of physical albums, but I still enjoy very much watching unboxing blogs or videos, and seeing the beautiful packages and feeling how they enhanced and compliment the vibe of the songs so amazingly.

I will briefly talk here about one of my favourite albums from Stray Kids to further explain how an album can be so fullfilling, focusing in the that shine in each song, the different type of songs, and also how the lyrics are focused around the I am who concept. (I know I may don’t talk much about SKZ here on KA, but they are my ultimates hahaha :_)

Stray Kids – I am Who

1. Who – The intro of the album. I reeeeeaaaally love introooos, please all my groups keep doing intros because they are just awesome and really give you an idea of what the album would be about. Here there are only 3 singing/rapping: Felix, Jisung and Woojin. And you ask, why only them? Actually is brilliant, as they have three albums on the I am series, in each intro 3 different are showcase *-* Something simple but that makes you think about how they thought about the execution of the series really deeply. Also the way they include all the names of the tracks in the rap is amazing *-*

2. My Pace – A really fast pace and uplifting track, probably who shine the most here are Changbin and Jisung, and Felix line is barely existent but he got the highlight of the song so is balanced in a way. A song about, despite looking at all this succesful and amazing people around you, making you want to be like them, you should try to follow your pace, getting to know you and your talents at your own rhythm.

3. Voices – A beautiful emotional and intense track, with a lot of change in pace, going from slow to fast, from barely instrumental to heavy and loaded sounds, I know this also has a lot of rap parts, but what I actually can never get out of my head is the emotional vocals in the chorus, the almost crying shout from Woojin and Chan, STEP OUT OF THEM VOICEEEEES, it's imposible to not sing desperately with them, and the soft and delicate voice of Minho in that bridge just bring the perfect and sorrowful balance. The message of wanting to break free from all the voices that are telling you who you are supposed to be when you don’t even know it yourself.

4. Question – Such a funny and upbeat track. For me who shines the most here is Jeongin, like how can you not sing along with him in that: hey tell me what you want! Also Minho, Seungmin and Woojin in that prechorus *-*. Don’t we all have so many questions in life though ahhahaha

5. Insomnia – A song where 3RACHA, their producer team, just went like: “I don’t care about what your supposed positions are, rappers, dancers, vocals or whatever, you will all sing here :D” (well stays know that SKZ are 9 vocals, 9 rappers, 9 dancers, 9 visuals even if Woojin is not there anymore). So an amazing opportunity to appreciate the vocals of all the . Hyunjin particularly shines here for me, the way he just mesmerizes you at the begginning of the song and in the bridge ♡ Also how can you define existencial crisis better than talking about your insomniac thoughts.

6. M.I.A – This song sounds so experimental in a way. You have this groovy and slowly building beats, with this strange reverberating guitar, also the autotune that makes you think “why they did that to their precious voices?”, but going into the lyrics, as they are somehow talking with themselves and thinking about why they have changed from who they used to be, you understand that perhaps they did that to express that is the voice of their subconscious talking to them and wondering why their persona has changed. (here trying to briefly analyze this haha). And I may be vocalracha biased, but the beautiful Jeongin and Seungmin voices in the prechorus are precious, and also Woojin piercing voice followed by Felix raspy voice ;_;

7. Awkward silence – This song is just so bright and happy, I love it so much. All of them sound just so playful and amazing, again vocal line shines, specially Seungmin, Minho, precious Jeongin and Woojin high note. Also perhaps Felix just has snippets of a line here but this song wouldn’t be equally iconic without those lines, specially the “there you go mate” hahaha. Even when you are met with that awkward silence, just continue smiling!

Well I didn’t intend the explanation of the album to be so long, I even tried to restrain myself because I just wanted to adress the above mentioned points of why I like albums and not go in a full album review mode but I couldn’t help it, I love this album :_)

For my favourite packaging and overall album concept probably one of my all time favourites is f(x) Pink Tape. It’s so beautiful ;___; The pink VHS tape, the overall retro and dreamy photoshoot, the pixeled photocards, all my aesthetic dreams are fulfilled here *-* And also all the songs together are absolutely beautiful ♡

So in conclusion: Albums are amazing. I hope this tendency of releasing only digital singles don’t become the main focus in kpop (although I understand why seeing it from a monetary or time investing point of view is better, and also for smaller companies or artists who don't always have the production money to make albums), and I also hope people take their time to fully enjoyed all the songs that are presented in an album, thinking about why they were put together, the feeling and message of each of them, how the songs together can highlight all the in a group and also all the colors of a soloist, and also their different talents, and appreciate the album design and the amazing photoshoot artists and creative team do for them.

Thank you for Reading my blog ♡

If you like you can share which are your favourite albums in the comments >_<

(this was a bit of a rushed blog that I wanted to before sleeping so I just went a little random with the cover and dividers putting groups I love :_), pictures used credit to rightful owners)

#PinkTape