penomeco Returns with Dry Flower
Korean hip-hop and R&B lovers rejoice! penomeco has released his EP, Dry Flower, and signed with PSY's P NATION this week. This album is penomeco's first EP since 2018, when he released Garden. He did have a collaboration with Elo in 2019 with the EP, ODD. For this EP, he also released two music videos, “Hotel Lobby” and “JAJA,” much to the excitement of his fans.
“Hotel Lobby”
The first music video from penomeco's album isn't a new song to fans. He released a live version of “Hotel Lobby” in 2020 on the ONSTAGE YouTube channel. The studio version features Verbal Jint. In the lyrics, Penomeco laments how he feels stuck in one place, no matter what he tries:
"Sun sets, and I'm back at the hotel lobby."
The chill melody of the song is a stark contrast to the lyrics and video. A lot is going on in the music video. An alien invasion is happening outside of the hotel. Animals are running in and out of the lobby, planes are crashing, and UFOs are flying by. During all this, a man stands outside of the rotating doors, watching a woman inside. At the end of the video, the woman and a hotel worker descend in an elevator, leaving the man outside.
“JAJA”
“JAJA” is an upbeat track with jazzy undertones while penomeco sings about falling asleep quickly. The music video continues the apocalyptic vibe by starting with a shot of Earth followed by penomeco going into a bunker. Inside, there is another survivor who seems to be uneasy about the state of the world. penomeco tries to calm her down by finding things that make her happy. When she starts to relax and enjoy her time, she jolts awake to the sound of a self-destruction alarm. The video ends with penomeco alone in a field.
The Album
Dry Flower is a joyous project that rides the line of R&B and hip-hop, something that penomeco does well. "Rain Drop" opens the album with a smooth vibe and heavy drum track. penomeco's soothing voice croons of raindrops, and all too soon, the song ends. "You Up" speeds up the tempo while penomeco opens the song with a good morning. The song seems to build up until the beat drops during the chorus, and the catchy "Baby, you up" begins. penomeco shows his versatility as he goes from singing to rapping at the drop of a dime.
"Actually Pt2" is another fast-paced, toe-tapping R&B jam. penomeco is back to singing as the bright notes of a horn weave in and out of the melody. This song is guaranteed to get its listener to nod along. "Remember Me" starts a slew of features. Hoody's voice and verse complement penomeco as he asks the listener to “remember me.” The piano chords also add to the body of the song, which will keep listeners dancing in their seats.
"Better" features Kid Milli and was produced by veteran Woogie. The R&B feel changes slightly with the introduction of the guitar, with penomeco still at his best, sliding from singing to rapping to a few lines and back again to sing the chorus. Kid Milli does well with keeping the vibe of the song upbeat as he raps his verse.
penomeco and sogumm slow things down with "Change." The song has penomeco declaring he can change your mind with his heart and intentions. sogumm's unique voice fits the bass-heavy track as she croons that she's on her way. The album ends with "Insomnia." It's another song that was released on the ONSTAGE YouTube channel last year, and unlike "Hotel Lobby," the studio version of "Insomnia" sounds exactly like the live version. penomeco seemed to want to end the album with a smooth mid-tempo track that left listeners wanting more.
Dry Flower showcases penomeco's many talents. Now that he's with P NATION, here's hoping that he is only just getting started with releasing more music. Check out the album below.