SM Station is a 52-week project that aims at introducing various musical performances other than the mainstream K-POP music. There are collaborations among artists, composers or producers even from other agencies, thus sparking brilliant colors in music. To be honest, some might feel awkward when listening to certain pieces of music for they are just not that type pf music with hooks that are easily remembered and repeated. It is, for some, either confusing or astonishing as they--some are even without lyrics-- are works produced by SM, a major production company in Korea. But no doubt the project expands the range of so-called K-POP, for the typical K-POP is catchy on the one hand but boring and stuck in a rut on the other. So it will be exciting to know that SM is trying something new with the possibilities of music even though they might not bring significant profit. Hopefully SM will continue doing it.
MUSIC
Hitchhiker is a producer whose works are basically very "Hitchhiker." With Beat and Trap as the main composition, his works are strangely mixed with an abundance of elements, which attracts people but annoyingly puts people in a fidget. What cannot be ignored is the characters in the music video: the dancing tin man, the red girl and the weird man with tattoo. These three usually dance along with the music on Korean streets.
In my point of view, the tin man is Hitchhiker himself, the red girl symbolizes the listeners, and the man with tattoo is an embodiment of traditional Korean music and culture. Put together, those elements constitute a ridiculous image in which the tin man with his overly abrupt outfit and dance moves intrudes into the seemingly quiet Korean neighborhood, amplifying the comparison between the traditional and the avant-garde and having a strong impact on listeners. The discomfort and restlessness that listeners experience is exactly what people feel when striped of the coziness and security that they are so used to. With his works, Hitchhiker sarcastically indicates how reluctant people can be when dealing with something different whether it be life, music or anything else, which is also very true of K-POP. Listeners love the typical composition: easy to listen and easy to learn. The regular patterns of K-POP is the key to its success, but it also contributes to the fact that people have no patience to enjoy music if they cannot love it in the very beginning. Hitchhiker intends to sabotage the impasse by creating music with absurdity and excessive extravagance. Moreover, he attempts to integrate such new elements as traditional Korean music into it, for example, the drums. The mixture amazingly brings about a strange harmony that balances the weirdness of his music. Along with the diverse colors in the music video, Hitchhiker's music triggers listeners' passion. I must confess that I listen to AROUND because of Taeyong initially, but I end up getting addicted not only to Taeyong's rap but also to Hitchhiker's ingenious music!
RAP
Let's spend a minute appreciating Taeyong's looks; no one can deny that is an incredibly pretty face. Taeyong himself knows that but he shows no sign of pride or joy when people keep talking about his looks. Why? Because he is confident that he has much more qualities worth digging and cherishing. Taeyong can sing, can dance, can write lyrics, and all the more. Compared to his perfect face, however, the fear-nothing attitude and mysterious disposition is what appeals to me. Don't get me wrong; Taeyong is humble and polite, which is very important in Korea, especially for idols. When he performs on stage, however, the audience just can't help but fix their eyes on him; Taeyong has the magic that makes the audience unable to take their eyes off him, not because he's good-looking but because of the vibe he displays with the music, and dance, and the atmosphere. I love how meticulous he deals with every stage performance. Yet after the outbreak of the fabricated scandal a few years ago, the glow in him went away; the relentless blame had stolen the confidence away. He became too quiet and reserved on stage for quite some time. To our regret, the false accusation had killed a part of him. Sometimes he seemed a little afraid of talking too much. He would stand there, making other team members talk or ask them to answer questions. I tend to believe that he just conceals the proud Taeyong temporarily and does his best to fortify himself physically and mentally so as to unfold a more mature self before our eyes through his lyrics and stage performances.
Taeyong has got a very sexy voice, a very mystic tone color that allures listeners to explore more and deeper in him, which is particularly true in his rap performance. Every time I listen to his rap, I am driven to an imaginary world that is constructed and defined solely with Taeyong's rules. In this world, I see how he unconcernedly interprets the cold real world as a place full of hypocritical people who pretend to care about others but secretly make fun of them. People are stuck in it unknowingly but can do nothing about it. I feel like he's an outsider observing ordinary people busy with daily routines, seemingly working on something meaningful but the other way round. If you consider his style pessimistic or world-weary, then you will miss the heartwarming quality in him. Taeyong intensely expresses the desire to break through the tangled web that reality puts people in and encourages people to find a way out of the mediocre life. Only by recognizing the merciless part of the world can people discard the resentment and regain the enthusiasm for life. All in all, life is harsh, but humankind should be tender, which is what touches my heart.
Taeyong has gone through a lot, but he absolutely belongs to the stage. This 23-year-old young man has everything it takes to be the focus of the audience. I would like to see how he grows in every performance, and will support him whenever given chances.
AROUND
Music by Hitchhiker
Lyrics by Taeyong and Kim Bu Min
DROP THE BASS ON FLOOR DROP THE BASS ON FLOOR 旋轉旋轉 ROUND WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND 這城市是叢林 SPIN AROUND REAL DEAL DEAR YES FEEL REAL 這是真的真實且反覆的夢境循環 旋轉旋轉 ROUND WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND 這城市是叢林 SPIN AROUND DROP THE BASS ON 你們全像是龍蝦般熟得熱紅 LOOK AT MY GESTURE MAKE BY FINGER TOE I AM A SCENE STEALER WHAT ABOUT NO KETCHUP 我是很有魅力的 SPIDEY I TURN AROUND TURN AROUND SWIRL SWISH 旋轉旋轉 ROUND ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND WE GO 全都 BANG BANG BOOMERANG SWIRL SWIRL SWIRL 漩渦 DEEP DOWN 這是真實地旋轉著 JUMP AROUND 旋轉旋轉 ROUND WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND 這城市是叢林 SPIN AROUND (Lyrics cr. Naver Music, Trans. by yushin0916@ PTT-NCT)
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