Throwback Thursday: Written in the Stars
With the start of summer also comes warm summer nights spent under the stars. From dance tracks to indie to ballads, K-Pop has the bases covered when it comes to music for a night spent under the starry sky. For this week’s Throwback Thursday, check out some of The Kraze’s space-themed favorites below!
“VENUS” - SHINHWA
Released as the title track of their tenth album The Return, “VENUS” was SHINHWA’s first comeback as a group in 2012 after individually completing their mandatory military service. Consequently, the release of “VENUS” marked the end of a four-year hiatus for the group. The track is pop-dance in nature, a perfect fit for the mid-2012 Korean music scene, proving that four years away from the industry wouldn’t slow down these kings of K-Pop.
“명왕성 (Pluto)” - Chamsom
In 2017, indie group Chamsom released the metaphorical breakup song “Pluto,” in which a failing relationship is likened to the lonely and distant planet of Pluto. Despite the sad topic, the song is more soft and resigned than anything with a rather upbeat acoustic guitar accompaniment to the vocals. Chamsom knows that this relationship is a lost cause, much like how Pluto’s isolation at the end of the galaxy can’t be changed.
“Orbit” - Jonghyun
2016 marked the release of Jonghyun’s first full album She Is, and with it came the smooth, R&B-influenced “Orbit.” Promoted alongside title track “She Is” as a B-side, “Orbit” takes K-Pop’s well-worn lovesick trope and turns it into pure poetry. Describing love as a phenomenon that shifts one’s entire center of gravity, “Orbit” succeeds as a song in a way that only a Jonghyun track could.
“Moonwalker” - SEVENTEEN
Off of 2018’s You Make My Day is SEVENTEEN’s “Moonwalker,” a light-EDM track by the group’s performance unit. In an album filled with songs fit for pool parties and road trips to the beach, “Moonwalker” takes a more sultry route with its contrasting mysterious tone and playful lyrics. It’s no secret the group is a fan of Michael Jackson—yes, moonwalking shows up in the song’s choreography—but this story of seizing the night with a loved one is certainly one creative and sensual reimagination of the term “moonwalker.”