ALL NOVEL Chapter 304
[Rio: If I start talking about this, it could go on forever. We should mention the second title, Euphoria, too.]
[Noah: Ah, right. There’s actually a lot to discuss from here. In fact, the basic interpretation of this song is quite similar to other YouTubers’ reviews, isn’t it?]
[Rio: Yes, it starts with the meaning that Euphoria signifies mental illness, and amidst Joy, Anger, Sadness, it represents Rejoice as happiness, etc.]
[Noah: But I’m sorry to say, I just can’t agree with that. Critic Lim Ji-young said that the autotune and synth sounds scattered throughout Euphoria are a hindrance to immersion and although it seems to aim retro with the Y2K boom, it’s actually a second-generation idol sound created by the superficial experiences of members who didn’t directly experience the romance of the 2000s.]
Noah took a slight breath and shook his head.
[Noah: Honestly, I’m in my 30s and I’ve really enjoyed that time, but I think it’s a flawed premise to say that the Y2K boom fully replicates the 2000s. Composers aren’t just bringing the sounds of that time directly; don’t they refine and adapt them to fit today’s vibe?]
[Rio: That’s true. To call it superficial experiences, the unique Y2K sound of the 4th generation is probably more familiar to the members than to the older generation. Especially in the cases of Seo-yoon and Do-hee, they’ve both worked on several title tracks in that sound since their activities with Seven.]
[Noah: Yes, just looking at ‘Sweet Demon’ that Do-hee worked on proves that point. They crafted that Y2K punk style in a really sophisticated way.]
Noah, perhaps getting a bit animated, caught himself and glanced at the camera, clearing his throat to speak in a calmer tone.
[Noah: Of course, I think there is some level of clumsiness in Euphoria as critic Lim Ji-young mentioned. The unique sound definitely has a vibe from the 2010s, right?]
[Rio: Yes, we pointed that out in our review earlier. The synth sounds used in the song are indeed from that time. In fact, many comments have already mentioned that they appreciate the second-generation feel, so it’s quite evident.]
[Noah: So, I don’t think that’s a mistake at all. There’s a saying, isn’t there? Love is clumsy.]
[Rio: Haha, that makes sense.]
[Noah: Why do you think I was in awe earlier? From the album name, release date, lyrics, album description, and the structure of the first track, it was all so deliberately crafted!]
Noah displayed an image of a shy student handing over chocolate on the screen.
Noah, with the image of a student handing over chocolate.
[Noah: This is exactly what Valentine’s Day looks like, right? A student nervously confessing to a boy she has a crush on, full of youthful emotions.]
[Rio: That’s true. Love is such a primal and human emotion; how could it be clean and sophisticated? It’s the clumsy parts that make it beautiful.]
Then, seeming to think it over a bit longer, Noah said this.
[Noah: Honestly, didn’t it sound nice even though it was clumsy? It was so cute and brought out laughter, and I really thought that was enough.]
[Rio: I think so too, but of course, ears hear differently for everyone, so let’s boldly move on.]
Noah seemed to have more to say and mouthed something for a moment but ultimately held back.
[Rio: We have to tackle the third song too.]
[Noah: Yes, this one is completely different from the usual interpretations, right?]
[Rio: I’d say it’s very different. Yes, our critic Im Ji-young mentioned that the third title ‘Do it anyway’ means sadness or blue, but we think it actually signifies delight.]
Rio turned the page and began speaking firmly.
[Rio: In fact, musical interpretation is intuitive, so just because a certain melody progresses doesn’t mean it must be one way or another. Evaluations are made individually.]
[Noah: That’s right. Isn’t that true? For example, when listening to Bach’s fugue, depending on the rhythm change or slight melody alteration, it can evoke nostalgia, or on other occasions, it might turn into a sad song.]
[Rio: Yes, what we want to say is that no melody has a fixed image. Simply calling a melancholy melody sad is strange.]
Then the two displayed a top comment from the ‘Debonaire’ music video.
─ What I felt while listening to this song is that it doesn’t seem to contain eros, which should symbolize deep longing. It speaks of perseverance, patience, care, and trust towards others. I thought of many people who felt joy while listening to this song. Happy Ash Wednesday.
[Noah: It’s a comment that got a lot of likes, and while I agree with this opinion, it reminded me of a saying trending among younger folks these days: “Even the abyss is rock.”]
[Rio: Right? There’s joy to be found even in those dark pits; of course, “rock” here refers to the genre, but it’s equally exhilarating.]
[Noah: Right, and at the same time, another thing that came to mind was the music and philosophy class I took in university. There was a time when we discussed the commonalities between Western and Eastern philosophies.]
[Rio: Oh, like what?]
[Noah: Back then, the professor mentioned what the famous Nietzsche said. I forgot, so I looked it up, but Nietzsche said he sees deep insights and transcendence of life that only Eastern sages might possess from the ancient philosopher Epictetus. I only work on projects and really don’t know much about philosophy, but I heard that this philosopher, Epictetus, talks about having a joyful attitude towards everything and is one of the key philosophers of Stoicism.]
[Rio: Ah, I see.]
Noah, glancing around a bit, chuckled.
[Noah: Haha, is it too heavy to bring up such topics in an idol review? Still, while listening to this track, I felt we should live with an attitude of ‘nevertheless,’ just like the title suggests. I hope you understand.]
[Rio: It sounds like a really mature song for an idol track, honestly.]
Then they immediately highlighted the track.
Just Another Day
[Noah: If you think of this upbeat song as sad while listening, you’ll feel a different vibe. The lyrics are cute and fun, but the story is, “I don’t want tomorrow to be like today. I don’t want to go to work. I hate that tomorrow is just like today.” I’m sure everyone feels that way.]
[Rio: Right, but what’s funny is that it ends cutely with the line that the newly arrived night is funny because tomorrow is Friday.]
[Noah: At the end, Chiyo’s fresh voice is so cute. It really makes you smile.]
Chuckling, Noah made another highlight on the album title.
Joy, Anger, Sadness, Pleasure (RNBD)
[Noah: I also had one more thought, after all. The explanation that complements the nature of these two idol-style songs and the two indie-style songs is exactly what I introduced as Joy, Anger, Sadness, Pleasure with Rejoice, Nettled, Blue, Delight.]
[Rio: That didn’t resonate much with me, but I heard that a person from America felt that the tones were like that.]
[Noah: Haha, yes, that’s just my personal thought, but Rejoice and Nettled are verbs that mean to make others happy and to make others angry, right? Thinking about it that way, it’s really K-pop idol-like.]
[I can’t help but think that Nettled and ice are verbs that convey both happiness and anger towards others. It really feels like a K-pop idol vibe, doesn’t it?]
[Rio: Standing on stage and performing, pulling intense emotions from others is definitely part of an idol’s role.]
[Noah: Right? On the other hand, Blue and Delight represent sadness and joy, serving as nouns. It felt very indie, like singing about one’s own emotions. Of course, delight can also be a verb, but generally, it feels more like a noun.]
[Rio: You could say this is a bit of an over-interpretation from Noah, but I don’t really have any reason to deny it.]
[Noah: Haha, exactly! If I were to rate the album personally, I’d give it at least 4.5 stars, or even a full 5. It’s really that good, oh so good!]
Noah then calmly began to speak again.
[Noah: Lastly, this could be a bit of a wild conjecture, but we believe Topist’s planning ability has been exceptionally strong all along.]
[Rio: Right? I’ve heard that Director So-hyun, who oversees Debonaire, has shown amazing planning several times, starting from the group name and even winning brand awards.]
[Noah: Even before Debonaire, their works as the A&R head for Pastel Love and X-ten were outstanding.]
[Rio: Exactly! Even before Debonaire, they had a reputation in the industry as a young person in their late 30s.]
The tones of the two had become cautious.
[Noah: Nonetheless, haven’t we consistently pointed out that every album and music video we reviewed had a clear direction and coherence?]
[Rio: Yes, that’s what led me to think this way. In our experience, when everything is cohesive around one theme, it can’t be interpreted any other way.]
[Noah: From the beginning of the concept to the finishing touches, there was a steady hand guiding the project.]
After a brief hesitation, Noah finally declared his conclusion with relief.
[Noah: We believe that at least one of the members of this album’s planning was conceived in collaboration with Debonaire.]
The video wrapped up just like that.
What neither Noah nor Rio anticipated was that this video unexpectedly gained hundreds of thousands of views at lightning speed, becoming a trending video on the channel for the first time in history.