punchnello’s Newest EP Can’t be Defined as Just ordinary.
With K-Hip-Hop continuously on the rise, punchnello’s new EP ordinary. reaffirmed the artist’s identity. Representing the thoughts of an ordinary person and the process of finding one’s true self, punchnello’s characteristic musical color is fully reflected in ordinary., an album fully produced by 0channel from offonoff.
“Blue Hawaii”
Transitioning between R&B and rap, “Blue Hawaii” embraces a mild tropical vibe. The lyrics manifest into the beat as they define escape from society. Just like how Hawaii is a popular location for a relaxed vacation, the song mirrors an ambient feeling of the freedom experienced away from daily life. The rhythmic flow adjusts to each artist’s verse; punchnello’s stylistic rapping, Crush’s soulful vocals, and PENOMOCO’s distinctive voice enhance the overall quality of the track.
From the first glance at the music video, I was already enthralled. To be honest, the film presented an eye-opening experience; the animation pumps air into the lyrics, bringing the whole track to life. The illustration depicts a flowy motion as the figures morph into the next scene, continuing to tell the story with the occasional appearance of the lyrics. The colors, not necessarily the most eye-popping colors but more of the basic shades in the color wheel, provide simplicity along with an elaborative extension of communicating the theme. The animation, although not abstract, illustrates an artistic expression of freedom. Just like the lyrics say “Express all your thoughts / That’s how things work here,” the illustration plays its part in loosening up the atmosphere. Overall, the video did a really great job of expressing the central idea of the track, giving off the “let’s chill vibe” through the eloquent yet aesthetically pleasing animation.
“Winter Blossom”
Featuring SAAY, “Winter Blossom” reveals a somewhat realistic perspective on love. Feeling insignificant to their counterpart depicts the reality that not all relationships are full of fantastical and happy moments, and “Winter Blossom” translates this idea into the lyrics. The song goes on: “I’m always thankful that you think of me every night / But I don’t know if I deserve it / Then you always hold my hand to tell me / This scent is actually from your heart / And you tell me that I don’t need to worry / Frozen at your words, I quietly tell you ‘I love you.’” Showing the ups and downs that constantly appear in a relationship, the track explains how both people learn to love each other throughout the course of time. Although one may feel undeserving of their lover’s affection, the song emphasizes that the key to loving is the trust between the two figures.
The music video for “Winter Blossom” perfectly captured the essence of the song. When the film begins, the black-and-white video shows the viewers the artist surrounded in a solitary atmosphere. When SAAY appears in a different setting, the video turns into color, explicitly displaying the lively colors in the scene. The stylistic square-like proportion of the video displays the restricted perspective of a person as it feels more limited in expression than a full-screen video would be able to convey. However, after SAAY ends her verse and leaves the frame, the video widens to fill up the whole screen as she enters punchnello’s monotone world. His partner’s arrival brightens up the colorless world, symbolizing how the presence of each other is enough to justify the love and trust in the relationship.
“Absinthe”
Ready to get fired up? “Absinthe” will do that for you with just its intro.
This track is the song you want to see live (even the chorus is so catchy). The artist’s diction and flow is amazing in the sense that he releases so much energy that the song literally fires up the atmosphere, regardless of where you are. The energy can’t be described in words though, so just try it out yourself, and you certainly won’t be disappointed.
The music video is as impactful as the track itself. Certainly, the film is meant to leave a strong message which is yet to be revealed. From a personal viewpoint, I saw the elevator to represent an important symbol. All the fighting between the characters in the video occurred in the elevator; behind the closed doors, people use it as a way to attack others, using it as a barrier to hide their identities. Fan interpretations of the video go along the lines of punchnello throwing a warning to strong critical commenters against Hip-Hop in South Korean society. Symbolism of props like the gun are meant to show that punchnello is not afraid to rise up against those hateful criticisms thrown with his skills.
ordinary.
Ordinary isn’t the right adjective to describe the tracks on ordinary.
The simple but steady beat for “Swerve” allows the lyrics to stand out even more. Describing the determination to not swerve at obstacles and people’s words in life, the track portrays the strong will to go through to the top.
With Simon Dominic and Tabber, “Boiling Point” carries a similar theme as “Swerve.” This song focuses more on how Simon Dominic and punchnello have accomplished so much more than the people who’ve looked down upon them.
“faded (skit)” is a nice break from all the hardcore rapping (totally not complaining about the lit tracks though!). Lasting about 30 seconds, this track includes a series of piano sounds with muffled voices that evoke sentiments and oddly enough, a sense of warmth.
Following the overall vibe of “faded (skit),” “Homesickness” sets the end to ordinary. Slow and rhythmic, the track talks about a relationship still in tact, but the two lovers falling out of love. Now that time has flown by, “Homesickness” shows how weariness is taking the place of the happiness of love. sogumm’s emotional voice further expands on expressing the bittersweet emotions.
A newbie to the K-Hip-Hop world, I’ve honestly been nothing but impressed by the music of the artists. punchnello’s EP ordinary. was a great way to get to know the artist’s stylistic music and more than enough to set a new wave of punchnello in the Hip-Hop music scene.