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why-so-serious-lucifer · 4 months

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K-pop Discography Deep Dives: LUCY

Lucy is the third full-fledged band I’ve covered here, which means that they compose, write, and play instruments. The members are Wonsang (bass), Sangyeop (guitar and vocals), Gwangil (drums), and Yechan (violin), and they debuted in 2020. Apparently, the name Lucy is in honor of a dog that lived close to where they practiced, which is pretty funny.

Here are my credentials: Uh…very few, I’m afraid. Lucy caught my eye in a compilation video (or rather, the violin did), and I decided to check out their music. I know a few title tracks, but very few of their b-sides, and very little about the members themselves, so I’m looking forward to learning more.

Flowering, their debut, was also the first song I’d heard of Lucy’s, from a compilation video (the name of which I’ve unfortunately forgotten). It begins understated, but later blossoms (ha!) into a very catchy though still gentle pop song, absolutely giving the feeling of spring coming into the air. The violin adds a kind of texture not usually seen in k-pop, and its beautiful instrumental section is one of my favorite parts. Really, this song is stunning. What a way to start. The intro is also quite lovely.

Jogging is, right away, a more bright and youthful song than Flowering, and I can always appreciate it when a band accepts the innate humor of their work. If Flowering was spring, this song feels like the beginning of summer: a touch childish, fun-loving, funny, and colorful. It got a few chuckles out of me, I’ll give it that, and that chorus was pretty catchy. I liked how they still managed to work the violin in and add depth, but not make the song less upbeat.

From the EP, Panorama, I enjoyed the violin flourishes in the post-chorus of Straight Line, Suran’s featured voice (which goes so well with Sangyeop’s) in the laid back Missing Call, and the rising tension that suddenly switches up to a great, nostalgic summer track in Flare (absolutely my hidden gem; it was excellent).

Snooze’s opening of only violin and piano is more melancholy than their other intros, adding well to the song’s general sense of nostalgia and disillusionment. The chorus brings in some much-needed levity, turning that nostalgia into something brighter but still deeply felt, connecting to many people who also feel like their childhoods have been lost. This may be my favorite so far! I’m a sucker for bittersweet songs with a driving beat, and as someone who grew up near the ocean, the beach and lighthouse in the MV only made me love it more. I also liked the slow burn of this single’s b-side, Farther and Farther, whose catharsis feels very earned.

Hero too starts with a more melancholy feeling, though instead of a beachside feeling in its later moments, it goes for a more truly happy retro one inspired by space. Like Snooze, it focuses on not living up to ideals, but this one takes the route of not being a perfect person but having a lover (or other loved one; it’s not specific) who lifts you up and makes you feel special, like a hero. In an industry so populated by love songs, I really enjoyed this slightly more vulnerable take on one; it feels unique. I also liked the very peaceful outro from this single. It felt like a score from a movie about fairies. Stove is also great, especially the ending chorus.

I Got U, instead of violin, begins with a minimalistic, finger-snapping gentle guitar and bass beat. Sangyeop’s vocals are especially nice in this song; they feel floaty and peaceful, and the synthesizers and strings emphasize those qualities. Again, I appreciate the vulnerability expressed in this song, and I think that the very sparingly used instruments really complement those choices. From the EP, Gatcha, I enjoyed the push-and-pull between the brighter and darker energies in the synthy One by One, the hand clapping percussion in Buddy, and the slightly more toned-down strings in Wonder.

This is more a comment on their songs in general, but I love how down to earth their music videos are and how much fun they seem to be having making music together. It’s easy to forget—even for me, writing these reviews—that the people in these bands are humans, with their own hopes and personalities, not just faces on a screen for us to critique. But they never let me forget it, and I appreciate that. I wish more bands would do it!

Irrelevant Answer is much more of a rock song, right out of the gate, which, with my love of Dreamcatcher, I’m totally in favor of. This song reminded me of a mashup of them and Day6 in the best way, with a propulsive energy that, despite a few dips and moments to breathe, never lost my attention. I was nodding my head from the first chorus, and I just didn’t stop!

Rolling Rolling feels a lot more like the k-pop I’m used to than Lucy’s past tracks (which, I want to be clear, isn’t a bad thing at all, since this is a k-pop review blog after all!). It has a synthier, more electronic background, with retro influences that give it an excellent beat for roller skating. Like I mentioned before, I think that the violin adds depth to what could be simple songs, and this one’s no exception. Also, I appreciate how the track goes from talking about how life just goes around and around to becoming genuinely inspiring as the MV shows people finally pursuing their dreams. From the EP, Blue, my hidden gem was You’re Right with its excellent guitar riffs, but I also enjoyed the more mellow Eclipse.

Blue Voyage is a single, and follows in the steps of Snooze with its nostalgic, beachside feeling, but instead of going for a bittersweet rumination on lost youth, it’s an upbeat and sunny love song. The chipper instrumental and light quality to the strings just feels like summer, and since it’s December when I’m typing this, it’s a nice reminder that it won’t be 30 degrees out until the end of time and that in a few months, short sleeves will stop being insane.

Play, unsurprisingly from an album called Childhood, follows in the steps of Snooze in the opposite way to Blue Voyage. It’s a reminder of simpler, happier times when you could just live life without cares, and how the people we love bring us back to those times. I like the choice to make the verses quite minor and almost sad, while the chorus is bright and free-wheeling, and the way they come together is great. I also enjoyed the “lalalala” fade out and the half-cartoony, half-realistic shots of the music video, which worked well with the subject matter.

From the full album, Childhood, I enjoyed the call-and-response in Knowhow, the way the drums and strings mix together in 10 sec, the rushing energy of Opening, the gentle guitar in You Are My Light, and Song Eun Hye’s feature on We Will Fly Away (which was my hidden gem).

Some Day In The 21st Century’s excited intro is a welcome shift from the sadder Play, though it sticks to Lucy’s running theme of wanting to hold on to the past and stay close to one’s own childhood. I’m normally not a fan of chanting in k-pop, but here in this song’s post-chorus, it really works with the feeling of nostalgia the track imparts and blends in seamlessly with the instrumental and the soaring vocals. Also, there’s the return of the violin solo, which is always welcome.

Unbelievable is on the brighter, more cartoony side of Lucy’s discography, and the MV made me laugh uncontrollably due to war flashbacks of the time I was obsessed with Minecraft as a kid, though I understand that the MV’s supposed to be a shoutout to a range of video games. Its choppy background, springy guitar, and incredibly fast strings do a good job propping up the song’s feel-good message of “believe in yourself”, though I had to watch it a second time because I was laugh-cringing too hard (which is my own fault, I suppose). From the EP, Insert Coin, I enjoyed the quite catchy beat of Tied Up, and especially the metal influences on Fill It Up.

Haze is only the second song I’d heard of Lucy’s, which is a bit funny as it’s also one of their most recent. It embraces the same kind of warm spring feeling that Flowering does, but with more of a soft rock edge. I enjoyed the muted, echoing chatting in the pre-chorus that felt like cheering someone on to get back again. I also really appreciate the messaging of this one to never give up, expressed through people facing bullying, a sports injury, and tests with the help of support. It’s a very sweet message, and everyone needs a song like it, sometimes. From the EP, Fever, I enjoyed the strong driving beat and call-and-response of So What.

Boogie Man goes further into rock than most of their songs, and I adore the over-dramatic direction they took with this one, since it feels right out of Halloween. The song is funky and a touch jazzy, and just generally fun, with some slight digressions here and there to give the violin some time to shine, and I also really liked the choppy nature of when the instruments choose to kick in and pull back, making it feel dynamic and playful. I didn’t expect to love this one so much, but it became one of my favorites.

So, I’m glad I did this! I wouldn’t quite call myself a Walwal (their fandom name), but I can definitely consider myself at least a fan. Their discography is so joyful and bright, while also being nostalgic and genuine in its emotions. They seem like they’re not afraid to laugh at themselves and have fun with their music, which is always great to see. Watching some behind the scenes content gave me some great laughs as well. Overall, I had a good time!

My Top 5 songs are Snooze, Flare, Boogie Man, Irrelevant Answer, and Flowering, with You’re Right as an honorable mention. Lucy gets a 9 out of 10 from me, which is a surprise for everyone involved, but a happy one! I’ll be looking forward to their next releases, and who knows? I could definitely see myself becoming a Walwal in the future.