Crush Makes is Grand Return with Full Album wonderego
It’s been four full years since Crush’s last full album release, but now he’s back and has gifted us a huge third full album in wonderego with a whopping 19-song setlist. Since his debut in 2014, Crush has been at the forefront of the K-R&B genre and released tons of bangers with fellow big musicians in the genre. The album is complete with features including big names Dynamic Duo, LEE HI, penomeco, and even more. When introducing the new album, this is what Crush had to say:
“Shortcomings are what made me who I am for a long time. wonderego is a journey that begins with it. Shortcomings and completeness, boredom and excitement – On this journey, I take one more step on the road of my mixed, indescribable emotions that pierce through complex feelings. Ultimately, ‘I’ have various sides of myself, so ‘I’ continue my life for another day.”– CRUSH
Clearly he’s been hard at work since returning from his mandatory military service, so let’s dive into this huge album.
Tracklist
“New Day”
“흠칫 (Hmm-cheat)”
“No Break (feat. Dynamic Duo)”
“Me Myself & I”
“Satisfied (Feat. penomeco)”
“Deep End (Feat. AMAKA)”
“EZPZ”
“Nothing Else (Feat. Kim Ximya)”
“GOT ME GOT U”
“Bad Habits (Feat. LEE HI)”
“Ego”
“Ego’s Theme - Interlude”
“A Man Like Me”
“Monday Blues”
“You”
“SHE”
“Harness”
“For Days To Come”
“Remember Me”
The Title: “흠칫 (Hmm-cheat)”
“흠칫 (Hmm-cheat)” is a funky fresh 2000s R&B-inspired track that is energetic from start to finish. The fast tempo drives high energy, complementing his higher register vocal lines. Those of us will find the song particularly nostalgic for the days of popular music in the early 2000s, plus the upbeat feel of the song is welcome amongst the darker days of winter approaching. The track is upbeat, light, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes it a particularly fun listen. In the music video we even see Crush incorporate some light choreography that perfectly fits the vibe of the song. The song is a great pick-me-up.
B-Sides
“New Day” opens the album with a chill, retro hip-hop vibe that does a great job to set the tone of the album. The nostalgic sound creates an upbeat atmosphere in the short one-minute-twelve-second track before jumping into the title. Next comes “No Break (Feat. Dynamic Duo),” which flows well with the theme of the album thus far, with the addition of a bit of scatting at the chorus. Gaeko and Choiza add a great rap flavor to this song to mix it up a bit. Next comes “Me Myself & I,” the first all-English track that slows down the tempo slightly but keeps the upbeat, R&B aesthetic. The song has a great message, and it’s nice to hear Crush flex his vocal muscles in a new language.
“Satisfied (Feat. penomeco)” has a bit more of a pop vibe to the melody, but keeps the retro feeling in the prominent rhythm guitar in the melody. penomeco’s vocal color is an interesting choice in this track, but it grew on me as the song went on. “Deep End (Feat. AMAKA)” comes next and changes up the vibe of the album, giving us a smooth, more dreamy melody. It’s fitting given AMAKA’s feature, which goes along very well with the melody and complements Crush’s vocals. “EZPZ” returns to the driving upbeat feel of the early album, with a playful melody and fast-paced tempo that stands in stark contrast to the track before it. This is the first song that feels very different on the album.
“Nothing Else (Feat. Kim Ximya)” once again switches it up, this time by totally removing a melody from Kim Ximya’s rap verse before diving into an electronic, otherworldly melody that ends just as quickly as it begins. Artistically it has a completely different feel from the other tracks on the album. “GOT ME GOT U” runs with the electronic influences, bringing us the first full EDM entry of the album. There’s an interesting sample used in the song before an anti-drop, so it gives it very much a feel like a DJ remix at a club. In my opinion, if the sample was a bit less pronounced, it’d be an even better track.
Moving into the second half of the album we have “Bad Habits (Feat. LEE HI),” a slow tempo R&B waltz that upon the first note you know will be absolutely slayed by LEE HI’s vocals. Naturally, she does not disappoint. This is definitely more my speed in comparison to the previous track, and it’s good to know these two together don’t disappoint in the vocal department. “Ego,” our next track, goes back to a more classic Crush style and is simply nice, soft, and groovy. “Ego’s Theme - Interlude” is a simple, soft instrumental melody that is calm and relaxing. “A Man Like Me” is the next all-English track and reminds me of the pop R&B songs of the early 2000s, not unlike Boyz II Men.
“Monday Blues” gives us an acoustic R&B feel, not far from the majority of the melodies in the album thus far, particularly in the early tracks. “You” has a bit more of a ballad feel to it, with a slower tempo and softer melody that places most of the spotlight on Crush’s vocals and lyrics. “SHE” continues with this soft feel, with a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. “Harness” switches it up with a sentimental full orchestral melody that invokes quite a bit of emotion, especially considering it is unexpected given the songs that come before it. If you’re here purely for vocals, the second half of this album delivers.
“For Days to Come” gives off a very soft vibe, adding to the acoustic focused tracks on the album. It is once again fairly simple, but that simplicity is what makes it so peaceful when you’re listening to it. Finally we have “Remember Me,” an upbeat track that returns to the motif of the earlier tracks of the album. Rather than closing out on a soft note, the energy comes back up and gives us classic Crush, rounding out an album that encapsulates what it is that Crush stands for.
Upon first listen, I really like this album a lot. There’s only one track that stuck out as particularly experimental, and maybe not in the best way in my opinion, but otherwise it was a very cohesive album that showed different sides to Crush’s musical talent. It’s not every day we get 19 tracks in one album, so kudos to Crush for delivering not only a large album, but a very well composed one at that.
Keep up with Crush
X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify
Edited by Vivian N.