howl; chuu

oct 27 2023

"Heart Attack" was the first Kpop song I ever heard. Chuu was the first Kpop idol I ever got invested in, back in my sophomore year of high school. I'm a senior in college now, and despite being in a completely different place in my life now, I still love Chuu. Even after burning out on (or perhaps growing out of) my Kpop stan era, I still save pictures of Chuu on my phone and buy expensive pieces of cardstock with her face on it and would slap a baby for her (just kidding! Or... am I?). So I'm really just warning you guys that Chuu could have released a song that was a literal recording of a fork in a garbage disposal, and I still would have come on here acting like it was a masterpiece.

But even I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about her solo debut. I knew that the tracks would probably be well produced, based on the amount of money ATRP was seemingly pouring into her, and I knew that she would sound great on them. But I also knew the type of music Chuu likes and probably wanted to make is not the kind of music I really like to listen to. This apprehension was compounded when "Underwater" dropped. My reaction was basically, "Aww, she sounds so beautiful," and then I moved on. The song is objectively good and well produced, but it's not really the kind of song I would listen to on a regular basis. It also doesn't help that the ATRP marketing is kind of obtuse, so I was somehow convinced "Underwater" was the title track? Maybe I'm just stupid, but I know a couple other people who also thought this, so... I guess we're all stupid.

"Howl" and the rest of the EP released a couple days later, and my apprehension was all washed away. "Howl" is a great retro synth track, thrumming with this amazing bass sound, if a bit short. The song slowly builds, adding a bunch of instrumental and vocal layers, and just when I was really getting into it and it felt like a really full, realized song, it abruptly ends. The song doesn't even really have a proper bridge, which is always a pet peeve of mine. But I consider it a good sign that my main complaint for this song is, "It's too short!"

"My Palace" is an amazing bside, and it feels like someone on Chuu's team pulled off a grand heist on the Red Velvet vault for this one. I can just imagine how they would sing this song, assigning each member specific parts in my head... and Chuu sings it wonderfully! This is a really fun and engaging track, with just the right amount of goofiness and authenticity. One thing I've always thought Chuu is really good at is putting a lot of genuine emotion in her voice, and it makes listening to her super interesting. It's a mark of a really good singer to be able to convey emotions so well with just your voice and no helping visuals!

But my favorite track on the album is "Aliens," which is just a beautiful and well produced track. I think I've talked before about being super burnt out on retro inspired tracks, so at first when I heard this song I have to admit I was like Oh God, not another retro synth track! But I actually think "Aliens" stands out among retro tracks due to its construction and the chorus being a bit lower (and the song itself being a little lower tempo than these tracks usually are). This track does a good job of distinguishing itself from other retro tracks, and Chuu's voice actually really suits this retro style in my opinion. It's nice to see her using her lower register, because it sounds really beautiful here.

The EP closes out with "Hitchhiker," another cute and quirky track. This one feels inspired by Chuu's environmental work with Chuu Can Do It, which feels very cute. Chuu Can Do It boosted her popularity a lot and it also, in a roundabout way, contributed to her being able to leave BBC. The relationships she made on the show not only protected her from BBC's accusations of power abuse, but also helped her maintain relationships in the entertainment industry that would keep her relevant and help her redebut. Overall, this track is very bouncy and fun, and ends the EP in a bright and hopeful place!

I'm genuinely pleased with this album, and I'm excited to see what she does in the future. I'll always be critical of companies, but so far ATRP seems like they genuinely care about Chuu and are willing to spend the big bucks on production and creative design. I appreciate that they didn't just rush out something cheap and low quality as soon as possible to capitalize on the highly publicized Loona break from BBC (unlike... other companies...) and instead took the time to really make something it felt like everyone on the team was proud of. I'm so happy for Chuu and am rooting for her to keep doing what she wants with a company that supports her!

CHUU ALWAYS WINS!