#aespacore icons | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

a-moth-to-the-light · 6 months ago

Text

Most-Listened of June 2024

[last month]

June was a ridiculously exciting month of releases--I'd been so looking forward to the new Sunmi single, plus albums from Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Kehlani, Raveena, and Red Velvet. And then I got surprised by comebacks from The Japanese House, Bol4, Nayeon, and Epik High! And apparently the Suho album is pretty good? And the cupcakKe one is, too? Naturally, though, I was overwhelmed by the excitement and didn't spend much time with those new releases, so this list consists of... none of the aforementioned comebacks. I'm still quite proud of my top 15, though, especially because I had a chance to catch up with some exciting releases from last month (which will be making an appearance here)!

I also got to see Lucy, an absolutely wonderful k-band I've been following since debut, in concert, and it left me with a post-concert high for like a week. (It made me super sensitive to sensory input for a week, too. Like, I couldn't listen to Repion for that whole week, because their harmonies were too powerful, they made my skin feel like it was exploding. I could also FEEL the collars of my t-shirts like ants on my neck oh my god I've never been like that before it was wild.) So what I'm saying was, it was a fantastic concert & left me with a lot of appreciation for how interesting music can be! (Which is probably why the list of five-star songs is so long this month...)

It doesn't make an appearance here, but if you're curious: my pride anthem this month was George Michael's "Freedom! '90". (This is my pride anthem every year, actually, but it just never gets old to me.) Honorable mention to Hayley Kiyoko + Kehlani's "What I Need", and I hope you had a great pride month!

1. 5D (Fifth Dimension) -- The Byrds

You know that U2 lyric that talks about "a song that made some sense out of the world"? Well, here's a song that made some sense out of my world. Like, is it super exciting? Not really. But it shifted something in my soul. It's a song about having enough, and it feels like having enough--that warm guitar, those high harmonies at the end... And the lyrics make me cry. It's a simple song, but it has the feeling of a warm shower on a snowy day stored somewhere inside it. "5D" is magical, and I don't regret a single one of the many times I replayed it this month. (Also, this completes another item on my music bucket list for 2024, which was to like a new Byrds song!)

2. S.O.S -- Taichu, Lali

Since "Top" and "Noche de Sateo" last year, I've been keeping an eye out for Taichu. They have so much charisma--if there's an 'it' factor to being a star, Taichu has it to the max. All this to say, I don't think I could stay away from "S.O.S" if I tried. I don't love it as much as "Noche de Sateo", but it's still fantastic--the beat is super aespacore, and Taichu's raspy "SOS / save your souls" is one of the most iconic lines of the year. (Spotify says they're saying save our souls, but I like my headcanon better, so...) I've been singing the chorus all month, too. I would 100% recommend checking this one out, if just for the spectacle of Taichu's first verse--they're such a skilled performer.

3. +82 -- Badvillain

I'm so happy to announce that I've finally connected with a fifth-gen group! Though I definitely enjoy "Super Shy" and "Melting Point" and a few other fifth-gen hits, I've been feeling a little like I'm missing out, since I just haven't gotten into any of the new groups everyone's been so excited about. But Badvillain? They're exactly my kind of group. They're a perfect amount of obnoxious, reminiscent of CLC, but with the sleek rapping of XG (another group I've been REALLY getting into lately) added on. I love the weirdness of this debut, the drama of it. (Purplekiss got my attention with "Ponzona", a similarly melodramatic dark-concept debut, and I stan them now, so...) I definitely don't think this debut will be for everyone, but I call it a victory for obnoxious girlpop. CLC may be gone, but Badvillain proves that their spirit is still with us!! "+82", a short b-side attached to Badvillain's debut single, was released with a performance video, and it's such a gem. And yes, it's super short--like, less than 2 minutes long--but it's so packed with explosive brass (think: Demi Lovato's "Confident" or "Tell Me You Love Me") and thundering bass that it feels much fuller than its runtime suggests. It's an instant shot of energy, like all the best girlpop is. Here's to hoping that I'll like their future comebacks, and maybe Badvillain will be the first fifth-gen group I stan!

4. Popper! -- Akrilla, Taichu

Yep, it's Taichu again! "S.O.S" was a little weird, a little industrial, but it definitely felt like a song; in contrast, I can't promise that "Popper!" is actually a song--it's more like ambient noise (ambient, if you live in a sci-fi dystopia) with a chorus that pops up occasionally. People say Itzy & Stray Kids make construction zone music, so I guess "Popper!" is kind of like POV: you're a brick in a building that is currently being destroyed with a wrecking ball. And to be clear, I love it--the layers of sound are absolutely captivating. I can appreciate that even though "Popper!" sounds like the sonic equivalent of throwing paint at the wall, it takes work to get production this pristine. I imagine that every detail had to be sooo carefully placed, all these strange, creative sounds carefully sculpted into a landscape with the appearance of chaos. The more I listen to this one, the more addicted I become--it's surprisingly listenable! (I think we can thank the ever-charismatic Taichu for that, but maybe that's just my bias talking.)

5. Cosmic Love -- Faux Paz

Here we have the sulking song of the month! I've loved this song for forever--it's actually one of the songs that got me into Faux Paz--but I was reminded of it when I heard the name of the new Red Velvet album. When I revisited "Cosmic Love", it kickstarted a craving that lasted well into July. This arrangement is Faux Paz at their strongest--the whole arrangement is dense and cushion-y, and the final chorus, in particular, makes use of the choir's wall of voices just so excellently. The soloist's voice is heart-wrenching, too. I have no idea where Faux Paz finds so many people who can belt the way their soloists do--or is it all one person? I have no idea, but they're fantastic. While we're talking about Faux Paz, I've also been obsessed with their cover of "Chandelier" this month!

6. New Me -- Flo Milli, Anycia

I wish I loved the new Flo Milli album more than I do--as someone who lives for her campy mean-girl aesthetic, I want to love all her music!! But as of now, I haven't really found much to latch onto from Fine Ho, Stay. (It's not bad at all, just nothing I've been obsessing over!) That being said, I have to give "New Me" some credit, because it has a lot going for it: a great beat, a great feature (WOMEN WITH DEEP VOICES APPRECIATION POST), and some great ad-libs (which are exactly as obnoxious as I expect from a Flo Milli song, of course). I can totally see someone else falling head-over-heels for this track, but I think I'll be going back to leaving "Not Friendly" and "Big Steppa" on repeat, instead. I'm definitely inspired to check out Anycia's new album, though--

7. Más Lejos -- Atalhos

The summer heat is really hitting now, so, as per my tradition, I'm bringing out the wistful indie rock. "Más Lejos" was one of my favorite releases last summer, and it's still just as infinitely listenable as it was last year. I was inspired to check out more stuff from Atalhos this month, too, and I'm really impressed! I'm SO hyped to listen to their album Em Busca Do Tempo Perdido, since I'm pretty sure it's a Proust reference?? That's so cool, I was not expecting Proust to show up on my Spotify.

8. you should see me in a crown -- Billie Eilish

My brother and I were talking about albums that we think would be on Best Albums of All Time lists fifty years from now, and I'm confident that a Billie Eilish album will be on there--whether it'll be When We All Fall Asleep or Happier Than Ever, I'm not sure, but definitely one of those! So anyway, that conversation inspired me to revisit When We All Fall Asleep, since I had only paid attention to its ballads before. And oh my GOD, "you should see me in a crown" is fantastic. I remember it being popular, but I don't think I ever gave it a proper listen back in 2019--I was missing out. That bass in the chorus, with those shuddering effects, feels like tectonic plates moving. This song has so much grandeur, and Billie Eilish's performance here makes me believe she's the earth itself, a natural disaster waiting to happen. This is even more impressive than I was expecting.

9. Virtual Angel -- ARTMS

This actually isn't my favorite song from the album, but I'm not surprised it's my most-listened. "Virtual Angel" has all the magic I expect from a Loona(ish) comeback--that fluttering instrumental, for one, doesn't feel like something a human could produce, so I'm quite convinced it's a gift from the angels.

10. Hide & Seek -- Pixy

After watching a video from Planet Minjae on YouTube, I was inspired to revisit some of my favorite fourth-gen discographies, and Pixy is one of those. These ladies have some fantastic b-sides, and the group as a whole is way too underrated. I love the Chosen Karma mini ("Falling" & "Whisper" oh my god oh my god oh my god), but I'd never fully appreciated "Hide & Seek" before this month. Pixy don't have the production budget to make this song as much of a masterpiece as it could be, but I can see the vision here--the tongue-in-cheek intro, the commitment to brass in the instrumental (chorus and verses?!!!?!?!!!), and that fantastic rap section. Everything about this song is ambitious, and it really should be a hit.

11. Ah Yeah -- EXID

I have a whole ramble in my journal about how this is the best girl crush song ever. (Yes, it's like technically the tail end of the sexy concept or whatever, but this is literally EXID doing Blackpink before Blackpink, so I'm calling it one of the mothers of girl crush. And it outdid them ALL. Just saying.) EXID has Mamamoo-level vocals + a 4minute attitude (I love you, LE); they're pure power, and "Ah Yeah" lets them give their all. And the way they control the song--those little moments of commanding the beat to a halt--is such a nice little touch that really elevates the girl power concept. This song isn't new to me, but I fell in love all over again this month!

12. The Killa -- TXT

When this album first came out, I listened to the first minute of "The Killa", was like oh look it's tinnitus again, and then I went and listened to "Tinnitus" instead. But I really underestimated this song! "The Killa" is hazy and distorted in a way that "Tinnitus" isn't--I find those weird, robot-y harmonies in the chorus so captivating. I love how the production here is so layered and creative, and I think this song will continue to age quite well.

13. Te Encontrei em SP -- Atalhos, Delfina Campos

Re: my Atalhos binge! This one isn't my favorite--it's so wispy and laid-back that it becomes kind of monotone--but that saxophone is wonderful. They really give the saxophone room to breathe in the instrumental, instead of relegating it to one short solo, and the fuzzed-out production is really interesting!

14. Armageddon -- Aespa

This chorus has been everywhere all month, and I'm more than happy to get caught up in the hype. Like, I can't stop craving the "imma get it dunnnnnnn" bit, and whenever I can finally get it out of my head, I hear a snippet of it on YouTube Shorts--and there, the craving is back. That crunchy production is exactly what I want in an Aespa song, too! I don't know if the Aespa ladies really do this song justice--their voices are gorgeous, don't get me wrong, I just think I would enjoy "Armageddon" more if their performances leaned more into its moodiness. So it's not my favorite Aespa song, but I'm happy to succumb to its popularity and spend a summer leaving it on repeat!

15. Boom -- Nmixx

Yeah fine I get it now. It's fantastic, whatever. Nmixx's album this year was super exciting and wonderful, whatever. (Look, Nmixx songs have a history of giving me headaches, headaches which I'm still a little bit bitter about. But I'll get over it eventually... the bitterness is hard to maintain, especially after "Passionfruit"...) "Boom" places a lot of pressure on its hooks--it's more like a highlight medley than a song--but that "tick tick tick tick boom boom" hook is surprisingly sturdy. The whole thing ends up feeling coherent in a way that is deeply confusing to me: how does it do that? What a masterpiece. Also, that glossy house section at the end is to die for!!

Five-Star Songs This Month

Butterfly Effect -- ARTMS

And here we have my favorite song from Dall. I've spent the month with the album, and this is the one that really sticks with me. That sonar-sounding vocal hook is just two notes, but it's ridiculously gorgeous.

Chokehold Cherry Python -- Ashnikko

Ashnikko has met her match with the aggressive guitar in this song. The combination of the two? It's like being struck by lightning. Also, their song "Deal With It" (with Kelis) probably isn't a five-star song, but it's SUCH a summer hit!! I've been listening to that one a bunch, too.

De Zombis -- Repion

Check out more of Repion's back catalog, they said. It'll be fun, they said. This song, the first track on Repion's first album, is such a way to debut. Like, it's painful how overwhelmingly beautiful it is. The vocals here are piercing--the front-and-center harmonies I love so much about Repion aren't something they grew into; apparently, this duo's vocals have been sending electric shocks through their music as long as they've been around. The roughness of this song's production brings a completely unique kind of intensity, too, something so different from their recent releases but in the same spirit--Repion knows how to make rock anthems that come straight for my heart.

Drug Free America -- Bleachers

A joke song with surprising longevity. Like, I appreciated the absurdity of this one right from the start, but I didn't expect to actually enjoy it as music. Here we are, though! The snappy comedy of the lyrics balances out the sonic soup of the vocal effects, and "Drug Free America" is full of fun lines that stay fun on repeat listens. Look, I've been obsessed with Bleachers for forever, now--I'm willing to indulge pretty much anything they put out, so this gets five stars and there's nothing you can do about it.

Mine -- Aespa

I think I tend to like Aespa most when they're ice-cold ("Illusion" is my favorite aespa song for a reason), and this song is right up my alley. I defer to @pocima's write-up on this one though, because she does "Mine" more justice than I could! [link]

Popper! -- Akriila, Taichu

S.O.S -- Taichu, Lali

Starburned and Unkissed -- Caroline Polachek

The I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack strikes again! After falling in love with yeule's "Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl" last month, I listened through the whole soundtrack album and zeroed in on this fascinating song. It's a hazy, ghostly scream, it's a ballad left out in the cold too long, iced over and sleeping in the snow and dreaming desperately of a home it may never see again. I don't know, it just hits. Both yeule & Caroline Polachek's contributions to this soundtrack are beautifully warped--I love how these songs find so much soul and emotion and life energy in decidedly unnatural sonic worlds.

#yes i procrastinated on this list like i'm procrastinating on listening to the megan thee stallion album #in my defense the indian lake trilogy has a death grip on my soul rn so i've been a tad bit distracted !!#no five-star albums for june bc my attention span was *not* there #i made it through maybe two full albums this month and i wasn't even paying that much attention to either one :(#also w/ nayeon's “abcd” + badvillain's “+82” i'm sensing return of the brass ????????????#*pulls out exid's entire discography*#*which i have been keeping on hand for just this occasion*#me when 2024

5 notes · View notes