K-R&B and hip-hop fans have been very lucky recently with an onset of really great albums being released back to back, like LOCO’s BLEACHED, Crush’s Summer Love, millic’s VIDA, and now the one and only “Z-I-CO’s” Televison. The Show Me The Money 6 producer returned with his mini-album on July 12, which included five songs and two new music videos.

Televison

The first track is titled “천재, Genius (Behind the Scene),” which is a great, upbeat introduction to the unique rapper’s style. The grand piano melody that opens up the track somehow perfectly fits into the beat and blends with ZICO’s charismatic rapping. It’s a great lead into one of the two title tracks, “Artist.”

“Artist” is such a joy to listen to. Well, pretty much any verse rapped by ZICO is a joy to listen to since his strong nuances are something unique that you beg to hear more and more of. It’s not only the strong rapping or the inspirational lyrics about making art out of a blank slate that make this song great. There is a moment in the pre-chorus where ZICO kind of sing-raps in a great rhythm. It’s hard to explain what he does, but it’s absolutely addicting to my ears.

The music video is a true piece of art. Shot in Japan, ZICO delivers a very bright, strange, and fun music video. Full of dancing, monkeys, traditional Japanese gardens, and art, “Artist” is a music video I would love to watch on repeat.

I challenge all of you to try and count how many times ZICO’s hairstyle/color changes.

Next is “ANTI,” which features the silky-smooth voice of G.Soul. This is a collaboration that no one expected, but we are all glad it happened. Don’t sleep on G.Soul; he has the kind of voice I’d like to bathe in (if that were possible). ZICO’s rap matches his vocals wondrously.

The music video for the song is… Let’s just say it’s the opposite of “Artist.” Honestly, I don’t know what is going on here. While “Artist” had beautiful and bright shots, “ANTI” has dark, dreary settings with… are those aliens? And is ZICO eating an apple full of worms?! Either way, it’s a great video. (And yet again, ZICO’s hair goes through a lot of shapeshifting turmoil in this video. Please pray for ZICO’s hair).

Now we are onto the song I was personally most excited for. When FANXY CHILD (ZICO, DEAN, Crush, but minus Penomeco and millic for that track) birthed “Bermuda Triangle,” I could NOT stop listening to the song. I was obsessed, so anything FANXY CHILD puts me into instant excitement. Fittingly, this song is titled “Fanxy Child,” and it opens with ZICO’s sass-filled lines. Then, to my great pleasure, DEAN hits with his to-die-for timbre. Honestly, at this point I wouldn’t be surprised if DEAN has more featurings in songs than his own songs. Despite him being literally EVERYWHERE, my ears always get a pleasant shock once his voice enters. Of course, Crush also delivers. Now, to be completely honest, I think millic’s “Paradise,” featuring FANXY CHILD, is better than “Fanxy Child.” However, it’s still a gift to all. The lyrics are also great: “YOU CAN’T HANDLE FANXY CHILD. I DON’T LIKE YOUR FASHION STYLE!” (I feel offended but also blessed).

Lastly is a song that was released earlier this year, “She’s a Baby.” This song was a bit of a shock to many when it came out because it is very unique in sound. I’m not sure what genre this would fall under. It’s a blend of sounds, forming together to create a song that no other man would be brave enough to release. ZICO tackled it very well. He shows off some vocal skills as well as a different side of his rap style; subdued, but still rhythmic. DEAN also sneakily adds guest-vocals throughout part of the song (those gorgeous falsetto ad-libs in the background and the harmonies). I LOVE ZICO’s falsetto-turned-whisper at the ending of the chorus.

If you haven't seen the extremely aesthetically pleasing music video yet, then where have you been? It features a soft, sweet, and surrounded-by-pastel ZICO.

Closing Thoughts

I don’t know what to say other than Television is a great release from ZICO. Oh and also: RIP ZICO’s hair.