Category: Senior Literary

I have, once again, decided to hurt my own feelings. In four days, I watched three of the most popular dramas on Netflix: Alice in Borderland, Sweet Home, and Squid Game. These shows have reignited my love for screenwriting, and each time I finish one of them, I find myself in awe of the creators and their skillful writing. I want to review the techniques that made these shows so memorable for me, starting with the one that has been out the longest: Alice in Borderland (2020). There won’t be any spoilers in this review, but if you want to go in blind, this is the place to stop.

To make something great, a writer needs a genuinely interesting premise, and the creator of the manga, Haro Aso, had just that. An obsessive, apathetic gamer and his two friends unexpectedly find themselves stuck in a barren version of Tokyo, and they are forced to compete in a series of deadly games in order to extend their visas, which are the only things sparing them from execution. It speaks directly to a generation of video-game enthusiasts who are constantly searching for ways to immerse themselves.

Yoshiki Watabe and Yasuko Kuramitsu created the actual Netflix series. They have a distinct way of making the audience care about the characters, despite their flaws and the limited amount of time we got to know them. While the main character, Arisu, wants an escape from his life, he does not choose to enter this post-apocalyptic city; neither does anyone else who is forced to join it. This makes us automatically sympathetic to most of the people we are introduced to, as they are all frightened and confused by the circumstances they find themselves in. Because this is a survival drama, we go in knowing that not all of the characters we have grown attached to will make it to the final episode. However, the character writing is so compelling that we allow ourselves to care anyway, which amplifies the intensity of the emotions we feel when they inevitably lose their lives to the game. It also fuels our hatred for the antagonist, the gamemaster, and the fact that we share this feeling of anger with the protagonist emphasizes our connection to him. We, the audience, have the same desire as he does: for him and his comrades to survive.

In my opinion, one of the most interesting literary devices used in the story’s creation is the use of foreshadowing with the playing cards. After a player has registered for a game, they are shown a digital version of the playing card they are competing for; the type of card indicates what the player will be tested on, and the number determines the difficulty level of the game. Spades are a challenge of physicality, clubs of teamwork, diamonds of wits, and hearts of betrayal and heartbreak. Depending on which character you have come to favor, seeing the cards will either excite relief or dread in you, as each person has their own weakness, whether it be a lack of physical strength or a hothead that prevents them from thinking clearly in stressful situations. It builds anticipation, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. The heart cards in particular strike with dread because without a doubt, it will result in tragedy.

With a script full of compelling dialogue, situational irony, and enticing flashbacks, Alice in Borderland is the perfect binge watch. After I pressed play, I lost the will to tear myself from a screen, whether it be my phone or laptop, or television in the common area. I slammed through the series in a matter of hours, refusing to acknowledge the world around me. As the creators intended, I ended the show in a similar fashion to how Arisu started it: completely immersed and undoubtedly addicted to my preferred choice of entertainment.

If you’ve talked to me in the past couple weeks, you know I’ve been obsessively talking about and playing one of the latest visual novel releases from Studio Élan, Heart of the Woods. So, what’s a better way of progressing my obsession than reviewing it on my monthly blog assignment?

Heart of the Woods is an LGBTQ+ romance visual novel that tells the story of four young girls meeting in unusual circumstances and fighting against an evil force trying to rip them apart. The main protagonist of this story, Maddie Raines, is the manager of a paranormal web-show hosted by her best friend, Tara Bryck. However, Maddie has bigger plans for her future than running a mildly successful web-show for years about something she doesn’t even believe in for the sake of her best friend.  So, she announces her departure from the show before her last big episode, and Maddie and Tara enter a largely unspoken grudge on the ride to a whole new country. The two instantly strike the player as opposites, and it makes you wonder how they became such close friends in the first place. Maddie is professional, logical, and cold, while Tara, on the other hand, is brash, positive, and energetic.

The pair arrive in Eysenfeld, a quaint, isolated village in Germany. An eager fan of the show had invited Maddie and Tara out to her small town to investigate paranormal happenings in the woods around Eysenfeld, calling it a “ghost-hunter’s paradise.” This fan, as we’ll soon come to learn, is Morgan Fischer. 

Morgan is, well, different. She’s not interested in antiques, yet runs an antique shop (that no one shops at), claims to own a talking cat, seems to show little to no emotion, and the entire town of Esyenfeld treats her coldly and as if she’s some sort of stain on the town’s reputation. However, she has her quirky charms o her. Tara is quick to dismiss this, but Maddie is wary of her. Maddie instantly regrets coming on the trip. It’s unbearably cold, far away from home, and they’re even staying with who she believes is a lunatic.

If only there was something, or rather someone, who could convince her to stay a little longer…

Fast forward a bit, and you’ll soon meet Abigail, the ghost of a young woman trapped in the heart of the woods, as you may say. Maddie encounters her in the forest of Esyenfeld one day while trying to clear her head, and the pair quickly become close friends. Abigail had not spoken to another person in over one hundred years, so Maddie is wonderful company to her. Even after all that time, she is still mostly herself—meek, kind, and playful. Maddie is unable to hear or touch Abigail, but Abigail can understand her. Maddie finds out her name by bringing a book of baby names and reading them out one by one until the ghost girl confirms: Abigail. Maddie continues to read to her at an abandoned church every day, and the pair grows closer each visit. The two agree to keep Abigail’s existence a secret from everyone.

So, now that you know the basics of the game and its characters, let’s move on to the review!

Overall, I enjoyed Heart of the Woods a lot! Abigail and Maddie’s romance in particular was really intriguing, and not once was I bored with the story or characters. The game description calls it a “take on a fairy tale,” which is absolutely well executed. The whole story is magical, and the forest makes you feel as if you’re stepping into another world. The descriptive writing is phenomenal, and all the characters are fleshed out and feel like real people. (Except for, in my opinion, the main antagonist, but I’ll get to that later.) The music was also EXCEPTIONAL! I listen to the OST all of the time now, and I cried while listening to the ending song by In Love with a Ghost. (A very fitting guest appearance.) It just felt as if the team truly did put their heart and soul into the project, and I would heavily recommend it to everyone. It’s safe to say I’m super excited for my Maddie x Abigail keychain to arrive. 🙂

The pacing of the story starts off pretty slow, but I never saw that as a bad thing. However, the pace very quickly speeds up towards the end, and it felt almost as if the game was trying to shove as much into the last chapter it could. The multiple endings were based on one decision towards the end, and it felt quite forced. Maybe it was just me, but I felt very overwhelmed, and I believe it might have flowed a bit better if it was drawn out just a few thousand words more. Another thing I noticed was the varying quality of the voice acting. Some voices felt much more fitting and experienced, while others felt almost mediocre. However, all the voices were fine, in my opinion, and didn’t take away from my playing experience at all.

Now, my major issue with the story was the main antagonist. I can’t reveal who it is at risk of spoiling the game, but you’ll probably be able to guess. The villain was very one-dimensional, and while the reasoning for their power-hungry and violent character is explained through their “moonsickness” and desire for immortality, the game never really gave them any redeeming qualities or humanity at all. It’s possible this was to parallel old fairy tales, but I’m just the type to enjoy complex antagonists. 

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you check out my next blog, whatever that may be. I hope you had a good read and that I encouraged you to purchase this wonderful piece of art for yourself!

‘Dirt’ by the Collection (Official Music Video)

In this song, Dirt by The Collection, multiple biblical figures are named and their stories are hinted at. Well after I heard this song it inspired me to look deeper these people’s stories – and what I found is only the surface. 

Abraham was scared to die, forsook his wife within the lie
Think I know the reasons why; cause he was made of dirt.

These two lines are talking about Abram (whose name was changed to Abraham) when he and his wife doubted that God would fulfill his promise to make their descendants as numerous as the star because of their old age. They decided to make the promise come true themselves in own way (through Sarah’s servant) instead of waiting for God’s timing. Chapters 15 – 18 and 21 in Genesis. 

And Joseph's coat was full of pride, the blood of goats won't wash you white If I was his brother, I'd have lied, and left him in the dirt

These two lines are talking about when Joseph’s brothers (who were jealous that Joseph was spoiled) trapped him in a hole, sold him to slave traders, and convinced their dad that Joseph had been killed by wolves by tearing up Joseph’s special coat and smearing it in goat blood. 

And Moses never entered in to land he thought was promised him
He took his people 'round again, to pick manna from the dirt.

These two lines are hinting at the time that Moses used God’s power without God’s command to do so (he split a rock open and made water come from it) when giving a lesson to the Israelites. They had forgotten what God had saved them from and became ungrateful, so God told them they weren’t allowed to enter the promised land yet and that they had to roam the desert for 40 more years. 

And Solomon became so wise, with many wives and concubines
He fell for every single lie, yeah, his head was full of dirt.

These two lines are talking about how Solomon had many women in his life who did not follow God and how Solomon allowed them to influence him and his way of ruling. Solomon allowed sinful things to happen in his kingdom because of his wives’ influences.  

And David's where I got my name, abusing power, abusing fame,
He stole a girl, her husband slain, left six feet in the dirt.

These lines talk about when King David spied on a woman (while she was bathing) and then about how he used his status as king to send the woman’s husband to get killed in the frontlines of the war they were in. After the woman’s husband was dead, David took her to be his wife. 

And Peter fell to his own shame, denied his love, denied his name, He ran away, when the people came, to nail him to the dirt.

This part of the song is talking about when the Disciple Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times before a roster could crow twice. This was on the morning of Jesus being taken to be crucified, after Peter had been told he would do exactly what is described above – this is also after peter had promised that he wouldn’t deny that he knew Jesus.

And Samson only thought it fair, to let the witch come cut his hair And look through eyes no longer there as he crushed them in the dirt. 

Here the song is describing the moment that Samson told his philistine wife what the source of his incredible strength was. Once he was asleep, his wife cut his hair and the Philistines were able to capture him – the philistines also plucked out Samson’s eyes. Later when the all the philistines had gathered for a celebration (where they had Samson chained to the temple walls, on display for all to see that the philistines had won), Samson asked the severest to place his hands on the temple pillars and he asked God to give him the straight to kill the philistines. Then, with God’s strength, Samson destroyed the temple and killed all the philistines and himself in the rubble. 

And Paul would sit upon his throne and kill us with the biggest stones And wrestle with the thorn unknown, a thorn up from the dirt.

These lines are hinting to the apostle Paul, who watched the false prophet Stephen get stoned to death, right before Paul started traveling to spread God’s message. Paul taught mostly to the Romans and the other people who lived there, and he was basically the spiritual leader for that time, era, and place. 

But if the nations had a father, Joseph would redeem his brothers. Moses held the waters up, and David would become your love. Solomon would build the temple, Samson came to destroy evil, Peter soon became the rock and Paul would lead the roman flock

The next couple lines of lyrics can be stated as this: Abraham became the Father of Nations , Joseph forgave his brothers, Moses held up the waters, Solomon built the temple, David was still beloved, Peter became a strong foundation, Samson destroyed the Philistines, and Paul taught in front of Romans. 

And it's all that I can do to keep my eyes off You,
And it's all that You can do to keep me, keep me, keep me ne

All that I can see is that You can't see the dirt in me
All that I can see is that You can't see the dirt in me
All that I can see is that You can't see the dirt in me
And all that I can see is You.

And with these last repeating lines of the song, I will tell you this: even after all that these men did and after all that happened to them, God still kept his promises. God still delivered them. Doesn’t matter what people do, act, say, believe, God can use people for his glory. Even if they don’t know that he used them. God uses messed up and broken people to do his good works. Doesn’t matter what we think. God is sovereign. 

Today I will be reviewing the song ‘Hercules’ by Livingston.

https://youtu.be/l7IjITknG6k

Hercules, also known as Heracles or Herakles, is a hero of Greek and Roman Mythology.  He was a demi-god, born from Zeus and a human mother, Alcmene.  Zeus disguised himself as Alcmene’s lover, and slept with her, thus making Hercules.  Hercules was born with inhuman strength, thus forming the preface of the song.

While we’re here / Give me something that I’ll never forget / We would fly / Through the years / As if they never would end / Jumping over the fence / Before we knew where to stop.  Livingston sings of being in love, and how it can make time pass quickly and make you do rash things.  While we’re here / Tell me something that you’ll never regret / Your words went over my head / But they remind me of then / Jumping over the fence / Before we knew where to stop.  The song continues about love and sharing secrets.  

Now I’m alive, but I’m lonely / I’m not the child that you showed me to be / I’m terrified ’cause you know me / Better than I know myself.  Livingston is saying how love has shown him a lot of things about himself, and that he is afraid to lose it.  Love often brings out the best parts of us, so much so that you do not feel like yourself without your partner.  Ships in the night / When I found you / Now it’s city lights / Where I’m finding myself /Send me a sign, and I’ll come back / Give me a chance to bleed / I can’t be Hercules.  Comparison between when they first met and now.  Livingston is using Hercules as a symbol of pure strength, saying he is not Hercules is showing how he is simply a human and cannot be strong all the time; he needs time to heal from things.  Nowhere to hide / Or to turn to / I’m trying to find / What you see in myself / Send me a sign, and I’ll come back / Give me a chance to bleed / I can’t be Hercules.  He has no one to help him with this issue and he is trying to figure out what his love saw in him.  He wants her back and is willing to come back if she wants.  Now I’m gone / Sold my heart to still not know what I’m worth / New York sees through my facade / She knows that you loved me first / No, I could never pretend / As if I knew where to start.  He has trouble understanding his value, and has put on a type of fake personality that can be seen through.  

After a repeat of the chorus, we have a bridge off: What is the point of changing / If I only lose the one I love? / I counted my stars to make it / But I couldn’t become more than who I was.  In the myths of Hercules, he is struck by a curse of madness and kills his wife; I believe this is what it is referring to.  However it is also metaphorical for how he also lost his love.  After this the chorus repeats one more time for lasting effect.

You are an expert at sorry
And keeping lines blurry,
Never impressed by me acing your tests,
All the girls that you’ve run dry
Have tired, lifeless eyes
‘Cause you burned them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me,
So don’t look now,
I’m shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town

Lyrical genius Taylor Swift poured these words from the very deepest crevices of her heart, and the world went crazy. Justifiably so, because this is one of the best bridges Blondie has ever released. Various twitter polls have confirmed that it’s a fan favorite, partially due to the whole song being an absolute masterpiece, but also due to the nature of her growing lyricism.

Blondie released “Dear John” as a loud and clear callout to John Mayer, down to the name. At just 19 years old, Taylor found herself between the grips of 32-year-old John. As history has proven, the law is not a gauge for morality. 19 is a pivotal time in any young person’s life, especially a young woman who had spent over 5 years in the spotlight.

The rest of the song goes on to explain in vague detail how he took advantage of her, and how she consistently felt like he was just using her. Looking at their age gap from the outside, it’s not hard to believe her and not uncommon for similar instances to have happened in the industry before. The song also explains how he acted like a completely different person all the time, implying that she had to walk on eggshells all the time for fear of upsetting him.

Against what I would hope to be his better judgement, John joined Tik Tok in March of 2021. Better late than never, right? Well… he was promptly met with a slew of Swifties ready to aim fire at his every move. As a proud Swiftie, I would like to say here and now: I took no part in either side of the altercation.

Until September of this year, my one (1) guilty pleasure was that I listened to and enjoyed “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” because hello?? It’s so good, and for what? Anyways, a good friend of mine recommended some songs to me, and because I’m desperate for new music, I reluctantly obliged. I was… regrettably and pleasantly surprised. To the surprise of absolutely no one, spoiler alert: none of these highlights are “Why You No Love Me.” Just putting that out there right now.

– Rosie –
At first, I had no idea what to think. It was either going to be very very good or very very bad, no in between. Until it was. “Rosie” is the in-between song, but its status makes sense for what it is. It’s written from the point of view of a man who ruined his previous relationship with alcoholism. He shows up to her doorstep, drunk, asking for another chance, and she doesn’t give it to him. However, the lyrics also apply to various situations, including the narrator’s knowledge that Rosie has moved on with another man. He’s okay with making bad decisions, even though he knows he’ll regret it in the morning. The versatility of this song is incredible, and I wasn’t expecting it to hit some of the mental spots that it did. It’s not an absolute 10/10, but it’s for sure a song that I naturally gravitate toward – maybe a 7.

– Half of My Heart –
Ironically, this song features Taylor Swift herself, and it’s lyrically fantastic. I will say, the foreshadowing to real-life events is a bit eerie, but because Blondie is featured, I guess I’ll let it slide. The story follows a man who has to swallow his pride in order to let go of the woman he loves, because he knows he can’t love her to the depths that she deserves. On par with his versatility pattern, it could very well be an allusion to relationships where one party still has lingering feelings for someone else, and they decide to cut ties with the current partner. Regardless, it’s a uniquely selfless song (considering the artist), and I’d give it a 9/10, including the added point for Blondie.

– Shouldn’t Matter But It Does –
This song came as a specific recommendation, and honestly I’m still kind of mad about it, because I did not need to wallow in this for as long as I did. It reminisces the end of a relationship and his hesitation to admit how he feels. Arguably, it’s one of his most complex lyric compositions, balancing ideas of toxic masculinity, blame, regret, and the white-knuckle grip you can have to something of the past. Most importantly, he focuses on his own introspection, asking himself why he’s still struggling and why he feels the way he does. He beats himself up about having normal human emotions, and it speaks volumes about the way men’s mental health is approached in society. Overall, 10/10, no exaggeration.

– Something Like Olivia –
Great, so this song is, in fact, the polar opposite of the selflessness observed in “Half of My Heart.” It speaks from the perspective of a man who spends his time searching for someone, particularly a woman similar to the one he speaks about in the song. She very clearly has a boyfriend, and he doesn’t act upon his desire for her, but his allowance for mental roaming is… questionable. However, the longing for someone who is similar to someone else is a quite universal experience, so I can’t really fault him for that. Despite being somewhat unethical and selfish, it’s a fantastic reflection of human flaws and our tendency to want things, but having the moral consciousness not to act on it. I’d give it a solid 7.5/10.

Part II available upon request…

Introduction to TXT

On August 17th, 2021, Tomorrow X Together released their first repackaged album, The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape…and it was an experience, let me tell you.

I started listening to TXT this summer around July 10th (according to a message I sent my friend–happy one month, besties <3), and to say I became an instant fan is an understatement. The connection I felt to their songs reignited my love for music in general, and I think that speaks volumes about their influence and skill as artists. If you’ve been in my dorm–which you haven’t because we don’t break Covid protocol in this house–you’ll see that I’m very…open about my support for them: a proud MOA. So, every other month, I’ll be posting a lyrical review of each of their albums, starting with their most recent (as of August 2021) and working my way back to their debut album, The Dream Chapter: Star.

But before I get into the actual analysis, I’ll give a bit of background on the group and a guide to the members/the roles they have in the band, though there are no fixed positions in terms of their talents–they’re all considered visuals, rappers, singers, and dancers.

They were formed under BigHit Entertainment in South Korea, and they debuted on March 4th, 2019. However, they were trainees at the company for many years before this, with the first member, Yeonjun, joining in 2014. Speaking of our 4th Generation It Boy….

Who’s Who?

First up is Choi Yeonjun, the oldest member of the group!

He recently was honored as July “Artist of the Month” by Studio Choom, and a few weeks ago, the showcase he prepared for the studio was released. He also film a video diary of his experience of preparing for AOTM, and the hard work he put in paid off in this powerful performance!

Then, there’s Choi Soobin, the second oldest; as the leader of the group, he is the only one with a set position. 

He’s currently an MC of the show Music Bank, where artists come on to be interviewed by Soobin and co-host Arin and to perform their most recent releases!

This is everyone’s favorite middle child, Choi Beomgyu.

There’s a mutual agreement between TXT and MOA that in addition to his many musical skills, Beomgyu is the funniest member in the group…until you admit that you like mint chocolate. That’s when things get real.

The second youngest member is Kang Taehyun.

He has the kind of emotional vocals that make you feel like you’re listening to him go through his third divorce. He has several covers out that are just *chef’s kiss* beautiful. This is his most recent one!

And finally, we have our diamond maknae, Huening Kai.

Hyuka is the s̶e̶l̶f̶-̶p̶r̶o̶c̶l̶a̶i̶m̶e̶d̶ “cutie of the group.” Thank you, Kamal, for giving yourself this title so I could type it out for my teacher to see. His version of “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer is one of my favorite covers of all time! 

With introductions out of the way, let’s get into the part that I actually assigned to do! T_T 

Note: I will be using the English translations of the songs when unpacking the writing, to make it easier for my audience to understand the points I make without having to translate the lyrics themselves. This means my quotes may not be perfect translations, but I’m using the most reliable sources I have access to at this time!

If you’re unsure about what a repackaged album is, it is essentially the re-release of a previous album with the inclusion of a few more songs and/or a new concept behind it. The first version of this album The Chaos Chapter: Freeze will be up for review in the next edition of this series. For now, I’m going to analyze the three new additions: “LO$ER=LO♡ER”, “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)”, and “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori (Emocore Mix)”.

The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape

“LO$ER=LO♡ER”

This song is about a narrator who considers himself a loser and his desire to be a sufficient lover to his partner. He feels that he has failed his partner by being a loser in the eyes of the world, and he wishes to let go of the pain that only his love provides sanctuary from. The chorus says, “Lover with a dollar sign / Is a loser.” I interpret this line, and in turn the title, as a commentary on the commendation of love. The narrator fears this relationship he values so deeply will become materialistic, and that instead of staying together because they truly care about each other, the strength of their love will be determined by how much extrinsic value they place on each other.

At the suggestion of Bang PD, Choi Yeonjun wrote the rap verse of this song. In an interview, Yeonjun explained, “I gained inspiration for it through Netflix’s The End of the F****** World…I tried to express “LO$ER=LO♡ER” in a more sorrowful way.” I feel like he captured the essence of TEOTFW perfectly: a love affair between two young people who’ve been hurt through the world’s rejection of their personalities. The lines “Wings spread and broken (Wings) / Flyin’ to eternity / But I can’t help falling / Even with you (Even with you) / Falling is beautiful” draw parallels to the scene where Alyssa and James, the protagonists, reunite after individually coming to the conclusion that they feel more safe and more like themselves when they’re together than they do when they’re apart. It has these conflicting themes of apathy and intense adoration, defeated by the world but victorious in each other.

The concept of choosing to brand yourself a love when the world has declared you a loser is inspired by Steven King’s hit film franchise It; in the first movie, a bully writes “LOSER” on the cast of a character’s broken arm, and his friends help him take back his power by writing a ‘v’ over the ‘s’, branding him a “LOVER.” Overall, it’s an excellent song with tragically beautiful and captivating lyrics. TXT has not a single skip in their discography, but within the first twenty seconds of listening to this song, I knew it would soon become one of my favorites. In addition to the stunning vocals and hypnotic raps, the song also has a great flow to it, which can be attributed to the diligent team of writers who contributed to the creation of this piece. If there’s one song that’ll get you into Tomorrow X Together, I think it’s this one.

LO$ER=L♡VER – song by TOMORROW X TOGETHER | Spotify 

“MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)”

The eighth track in this album is dedicated to MOA (Moments of Alwaysness), which is the cherished collective name for their fans. The placement of this song is thought to be intentional, with the ‘8’ doubling as an infinity sign–solidifying TXT’s promise to be with MOA forever. Since late July, the community has been celebrating our August 22nd birthday with the hashtag “LOOKBACK_MOA”, where both fans and the artists have been sharing their favorite memories of their time together. The slogan makes an appearance in the chorus: “Look back / The time of you and I that feels like a dream / Forever MOA / Until we’re shining again…” This and lines such as “Even these ordinary days/  These days when we lost the summer / Record it in our diary tonight / It’ll be our consolation, our summer night…” encourage their fans to remain hopeful throughout the ongoing pandemic, which has separated the members and MOA from interacting in-person for well over a year. “We Lost the Summer” is also the name of a song from their latest EP,  min1sode: Blue Hour which further explores the ways in which the global crisis of Covid has affected the way performers interact with their audiences. In a recent interview with Jessi, Soobin specified that the song is written as though MOA is reading the group’s diary, hence the alternate title.

MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari) – song by TOMORROW X TOGETHER | Spotify

“0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori (Emocore Mix)”

Ah, the song that is sending TikTok MOAs back into their emo phase–please remove all of the “How to Cut Your Bangs at Home” videos from YouTube before we all start to look like Coconut Head from Ned’s Declassified with a bad dye job. Like the title implies, this is a rock remix reminiscent of the alternative pop music that peaked in popularity between 2015-2017;  “0X1=LOVESONG” was originally song originally released on The Chaos Chapter: Freeze back in May of this year. In an article by TeenVogue, Yeonjun comments on how the stylization has brought a new meaning to the remixed version: “…this song captures the passion to fight for the one they love, or to run away with them. So I think the difference between the two songs is, someone who was frozen, and someone who is now actively pursuing and fighting for their love.” This commentary prompts listeners to completely reimagine the song they have been looping for the past two months. Lines such as “In this world of ice / You’re the only shining glow / Now I can’t stop thinking ‘bout you / When I’m sinking alone” no longer express the narrator’s desperation; instead, it is fuel for him to take an active role in his pursuit of forever with his partner. The narrator is more resolute when discussing the stake he has in this relationship with phrases like “Till the end of the world (I love you) / All or nothing, I want all of you / I know I love you (you).” The selection of intense words and phrases reinforces that this is the narrator’s ultimate connection, and therefore leaves a heavier impact on the listener.

0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori (Emocore Mix)

Overall

These are amazing, impactful additions to the already-impressive setlist of the original album. 100% worth waking up three hours early to catch the premiere of the “LO$ER=LO♡ER” music video–I have no regrets. This is a link to the entire album on Spotify, so you can listen for yourself! 

The Chaos Chapter: FIGHT OR ESCAPE – Album by TOMORROW X TOGETHER | Spotify