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Page Contents: Song Reviews
Review 1: "Sooley" by Fardowza Jaama
Review 2: "Bleached" - Video Days by Cedric Mayo
Review 3: "Bring Me To Life" - EVANESCENCE by Henry Hun
Review 4: "Get Up"- New Jeans by Adriana Mountha
& an "Imitation and Extension of "Get Up" by Adriana Mountha
(99) Video Days - Bleached - YouTube
Song Review: Bleached by Video Days by Cedric Mayo
Melancholic memory lane. That is what I think of when I listen to Bleached by Video Days. I initially found it thanks to my Spotify Discover Weekly. It was a blurry Monday. On top of my exhaustion from the weekend, I slept at 1 AM. It was when this song started to play when I was on the bus that everything started to set in. I began to think about my life and the different avenues I’ve taken that led me to this moment. I thought about all the moments, big and small. Bleached perfectly represents that, especially with the somewhat imperfect piano, accompanied by the grainy feeling it gives off. It’s the melancholy memories of playing around the house, or the time spent on the playground, even the what-could-have-been. I give this song a 10/10.
BRING ME TO LIFE" - EVANESCENCE
HENRY HUN
(99) Evanescence - Bring Me To Life (Official Music Video) - YouTube
American rock band Evanescence's first studio album, "Fallen," was released by Wind-up Records on March 4, 2003. The band was formed in 1995 in Little Rock, Arkansas, by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The "Fallen" Album with four singles, in general, is known and loved worldwide, these songs earning them a mark of being the best album in the 21st century. But I wish to highlight the music in the Fallen album, "Bring Me to Life."
"Bring Me to Life" became a financial achievement, topping the charts in places including the US, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and Italy. The song was Certified triple-platinum in 2019 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song "Bring Me to Life" was nominated for Best Rock Song and won a Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The music video for the song, directed by Philipp Stölzl, includes Lee singing and climbing a building while she is experiencing a nightmare. The song went on to become one of the band's biggest-selling singles. Within my pursuit of finding my favored genre of music, Evanescence was the first band I ever encountered when it came to alternative genres. I grew up with more hip hop and R&B, my parent's constant picks on the radio, and even my extended family's preferred choice in music. Evanescence was my first step in finding music that I enjoy for myself other than what I grew up with; It's been a mold for the music I listen to today, and I am grateful to find love for songs such as "Bring Me to Life."
The song starts with a gentle piano, accompanied by ambient noises such as wind and sirens. Amy sings in a soft, delicate yet gothic, and haunting voice – built up to the rock band and male vocals accompanying hers in the chorus. Each part of the voices, ambiance, lyrics, and even harmony never feel overcrowded and have its own space to build in the song. The whole vibe of the song has this hazy dream feel to it, living a reality that doesn't feel real, which works wonderfully with the visuals in which she climbs the building in an off-like daze. What I particularly enjoyed about this song is its more profound inspirations and meaning. "Bring Me to Life" is a love song Amy Lee wrote to now- husband; She was in a bad abusive relationship, which was hard on her, and she often had to pretend to be Ok. At a restaurant with her band and the guy, he looked straight through her eyes and asked if she was truly happy. . .hence the lyrics, "How can you see into my eyes, like open doors." That moment made her realize that she's been living life numb and on autopilot, and the song was her finding power in her voice; feeling again because of her now-husband.
I agree that this song deserves a high rating. It's haunting and beautiful, with such an angelic approach to topics of feeling numb and lacking – All the Well still being a hard rock song; it just plays into the genre uniquely and memorably. I love how this song's lyrics can apply to different scenarios depending on the listener. If you want to dive deeper into Rock, you already know Evanescence.
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(99) NewJeans 'Get Up' (뉴진스 Get Up 가사) Lyrics [Color Coded Han_Rom_Eng] ShadowByYoongi - YouTube
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Adriana's version of "Get Up"-Extended Imitation: https://youtu.be/tPARU46qAAs
"Get Up" Song Review by Adriana Mountha
I heard of 'NewJeans' uprising back in the summer of 2022 when they took a unique approach to their debut by releasing teasers of friends writing songs together, rather than the usual approach taken in the K-pop industry where they tease the song's melodies and music video's concept. They then released several music videos from different perspectives of each of the five members, all with a corresponding storyline and colorful videography. The origin of their name refers to their new style while also being a wordplay on the term 'new genes,' referring to how they plan to bring a younger, fresh feeling to K-Pop.
Their music made a boom in the K-Pop industry. In the summer of 2022, K-pop was oversaturated with poorly written EDM songs or repetitive structures. However, the writers (occasionally including the members themselves) brought it back to the early 2000s with a smooth, reminiscent R&B sound. I enjoyed their song Attention, as many elements reminded me of Michael Jackson's music.
After they've carried on their long success with nostalgic new takes, they released a new EP called 'Get Up,' with four songs. This EP is colorful and has a variety of music, all maintaining that nostalgic feeling.
I chose Get Up because of its strong R&B sound, smooth vocals, and subtle harmonies over a slow beat. The lyrics tell an exciting story while maintaining a catchy melody. However, it is only the interlude in the album, running for 36 seconds, which has evoked disappointment from me and several other NewJeans listeners. I'm no music expert, but I have experience with singing and songwriting, so I'll be talking more in-depth about the lyrics and vocals.
Vocal-wise, this song is gorgeous. While their other songs use a higher nasal tone and bubblegum vocals, this song utilizes primarily falsetto and more profound melodies. This resulted from producers and writers experimenting with the members' vocal range, which is impressive considering the industry keeps idols' verbal abilities in a box and never tries to branch out. The fact they completely switched their tone is a challenge to the industry's norms. The harmonies are very slow and emphasize the messages they are trying to send in the song by dragging them out and highlighting them. While it has an overall similar melody pattern, slight vocal variations match well with the corresponding members' voices. Overall it's very pleasing to hear, even if it were just acapella.
Lyric-wise, this is the most mature song NewJeans has released so far. The title, "Get Up," is a call to action for the main character's lover to start being better. For context, the track before this, titled 'Cool With You,' depicts the protagonist finding out she was cheated. This track continues the storyline, posing as a response to the actions of the protagonist's lover. The lyrics express yearning, frustration, and desire all in one thirty-second song, which I find impressive. They sing the line, "I don't wanna fight your shadow," expressing that they want the lover to take accountability for their actions and stop hiding. They repeat, "Meet me in five if I matter to you like you say I do." Pointing out that the lover is not following through with what they said, and they should acknowledge the situation by meeting the protagonist to prove they genuinely care.
Despite being the shortest, this song is one of the best on the EP. While it may not seem as complex as their other songs, it holds the most meaning through its deep lyrics and unique sound.
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