THROWBACK #8: EYEDI- & NEW

Released: April 26th, 2019

I honestly don't know much about Eyedi, other than the fact that she auditioned in Mix Nine, a survival show that ultimately failed to debut a girl group after all that money spent. That is not going to stop me though from looking over this song because it is a total bop that is not your typical K-Pop production, and Eyedi deserves a lot more recognition for this. Taking on 80s synth-pop, & New screams retro all over the track, but as nostalgic as those decades were, & New actually sounds more melancholic than you would think. And this influence is why this song is so good.

One of the cool things about the track is that the guitar-riff is off-note, but it doesn't sound chaotic at all. By making its presence known at the very beginning, it's like the riff is training our ears to make it sound like it is immediately pleasing to hear. The result is that it gives off a moody and quite bittersweet tone, especially throughout the verses. Eyedi's vocals here are a treat; the vocals portray a soothing and almost eerie vibe that compliment very well with the dominant in the verse. Then we get to the chorus; it is much louder and the guitar comes back. Eyedi's vocals here truly shine. I like the nice contrast between her high voice and the low-sounding bass. The whole chorus is very interesting though. Some say it is uplifting, but I personally think the moodiness is still present, particularly in the "Meet me in the sunlight, living in the moonlight" part. It almost sounds like there's this mix of happiness and sadness, both being felt simultaneously. Whatever it is, it is a really cool element incorporated. The low-sounding bass is again very very dominant, but the song still changes things up, where the flute is introduced in the second verse, keeping things refreshing. The bridge pleasantly transitions back to the chorus, where Eyedi's magical voice introduces a nice instrumental break.

As moody as the track sounds, I actually have happy memories connected with the song; this was the first K-Pop track I listened to right before starting my first job out of college. I want to say personally this track is perfect to jam to while driving along the highway at 8 AM, or taking a walk along a park at 7PM. But many people will say otherwise. I can't exactly comprehend yet how & New has such a mixed range of emotions but maybe that's just why the song is so damn good.

RATING: 7.65/10