If you want to skip the intro yap click here omg i just don’t shut up when I write my blog posts
Listen. It’s exam season. Its 09:30. The people I was supposed to study with at 9 are still not here. I’m gonna talk about the ARTMS solos.
I think many of us LOONA fans view the subunit/solo EP debut era very fondly, and have possibly been dreaming about the day where they get to return. This dream was partially fulfilled when 5 members re-debuted with Modhaus and Jaden Jeong. I literally cried just reading the “Did You Wait?” intro track title for Odd Eye Circle’s redebut EP <Version Up>.
i hit play and then i cried again
Those were better days… more hopeful days… happier days. Unfortunately, every day is pain when you’re an Orbit.
This is a very long intro just to say that. It feels like I’m getting a little bit of what I wanted after so long. A complete solo comeback project for every member in ARTMS. YAYY! Of course HaSeul has been releasing sporadic city-pop bangers, Heejin got the K ep, and obviously Chuu and Yves started entire solo careers – so it’s not like I was waiting for Jaden Jeong to save the day, but it’s something about a continuous group solo release schedule that just feels so nostalgic.
So okay to start the actual ranking
I’m gonna order this list, not in the release order but in MY ranking from least to most favorite (because it’s suspenseful to read that way) but If you saw my tweet u already know the order so. idc if u just skip to whatever section u care about really!
#5 – Ring of Chaos
I like Ring of Chaos. I listened to Ring of Chaos while buying my concert tickets. Ring of Chaos is good. But it’s my least favorite track unfortunately. It suffers from a problem that I have with some of the other releases too: it doesn’t really change. It kind of stays at the vibe it has, which makes the intense build up after the second chorus fall incredibly flat in my opinion.
Something about it is just very “casual” sounding. The lyrics are very moving, but both the music video and the production doesn’t really feel like it’s trying as hard 🙁 Underwhelming is the word. Not every song has to be .. whelming.. but that is the reason it is at the bottom of my list #sorry
#4 Pressure
This song is so cutesy – and I think it suits Choerry very well! I think the music video is my favorite by far. It’s edited like a TikTok edit, and i think it’s very much appealing to that crowd – which – YES! If this music video can go mega viral with the Illit, IVE, Rescene crowd (younger girls) it would make me very happy because we know they carry this industry 🙏
That being said, it also suffers from the monotony problem in Ring of Chaos. Choerry never really gets a break in this song. She just sings and sings and sings in the same pitch kind of all the way through. Maybe I brainrotted away all my attention span, but I wish these two songs were a bit more dynamic. That being said, both execute their concepts pretty well, and Pressure is just a bit more catchy with the “beep beep beep my love love love its you you”. Also bonus points for this clip:
#3 Love Poison
gasp… me… haseul bias……. i feel like im committing treason rn
But
You know what I’m gonna say
No you don’t
It’s slow!
Slow songs are super nice for certain moods. Lord know this is in the study playlist. And of course someone needs to have the slow song. It’s a very soothing slow song. Great slow song. And it’s unclear whether they had planned solos for the other members when this came out. It might’ve been just one of the HaSeul solos we usually get, and then they figured they would give the others songs as well. Who knows?
But this one got me wishing for an upbeat HaSeul release. Give her a dance EDM banger next!
#2 sAvioR
This one is difficult, because it literally came out yesterday, so I haven’t really had the time to make up my mind properly.
But I’m … an emo </3 so heejin literally made this song FOR ME!
Already at the start of the track, you’re met with a downright unsettling-sounding guitar progression, and it fits the song so well. The song is about a love that grows into obsession and absolutely losing yourself in your obsession, so I’m happy that the darkness of the themes are reflected well in an actual grunge-style instrumental!
I remember the Rich Man debacle. People were criticising kpop companies that want to emulate the aesthetics of punk rock, but never dare to actually follow through without smoothing out every edge in the song that actually makes it interesting, in order to appeal to a wider – pop – audience. I could say the same for hip hop, and basically all African-American influences. But they always seem to fail in a lot more spectacular ways when it comes to rock-adjacent music.
This topic just reminded me that Trent Reznor (lead singer and songwriter of Nine Inch Nails) aided in the production of an upcoming ARTMS track. They aren’t fucking around at Modhaus.
Anyways. Heejin also wrote the lyrics for this song, and they’re magnificent. I’m also so happy that it is a continuation of Virtual Angel, because I love a good lore implication! Also, the capitalisation in sAvioR was apparently Heejin’s idea as well, and it brings a lot of additional meaning of the song to me. ARTMS (ARRR) being the savior mentioned in virtual angel…. being ourii’s savior….. being heejin’s savior…..so many implications you guys.
#1 Can You Entertain?
We arrive at number 1
WHY DO I YAP SO MUCH THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITEEE.
After that one year where every kpop group released 80’s disco nostalgia (2020 and EVERGLOW did it best), I thought I would be a little done with this sound. But Kim Lip’s Can You Entertain executes it so well that I have literally nothing to complain about. Its so groovy that I start dancing in the middle of the study hall, it’s so catchy that i need to hit replay when im done listening.
And amongst every song here, it’s the most dynamic to me. Every part of the song has a different element to latch onto, so it sticks in the brain so much easier to me. Vocally, the song allows Lip to showcase her skills a lot more than for example Pressure, where Choerry is made to sing in the same register for almost the whole song.
But ultimately, I think it’s Lip’s charisma that really brings the song to #1 for me. She has the confidence to sell the song properly. She’s not here to put on a little show for you and sing a little song, she’s asking if you can entertain HER? And I think it makes me happy that she can confidently embody this energy after many years of performing, and now extensive touring experience with ARTMS.
Final thoughts
I want to credit this tweet for getting me to actually make this list (and make a new blog post finally)
While each solo was rolling out, I felt unsure about ranking them, because it felt like pitting members against each other when what I really wanted in that moment was to celebrate each song and individual. I saw some people being very negative online, and I didn’t want to contribute to the discourse like that. But I do.. have a blog.. specifically for sharing my opinions on music…. And now that all the songs are out, I felt more safe in expressing my thoughts.
sidenote: its scary writing about kpop releases now that my friends (hi) have been officially informed about this blog, because it makes me feel like a crazy person! but stan loona and fuck my stupid orbit life
okay ill do my schoolwork now
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