BewhY Drops Mini-Album 032 Funk
Even if it feels like it’s been awhile since we’ve heard from BewhY, he’s always there and will always be back. Even though this is the latest album release and the first in three years, he’s been quite active despite that, including dropping a hit OST for popular horror drama Sweet Home at the end of 2020. 032 Funk is his first album release since 2019’s The Movie Star.
Lead Single: “Celebration”
The lead title “Celebration” isn’t the type of track you would expect from BewhY. He tends to have a very unique type of sound that is usually quite intense and sometimes presents a bit of sensory overload upon first listen—think “GOTTASADAE” or “9UCCI BANK.” If BewhY’s in-your-face type of style has been too much in the past, you won’t find the same issue in “Celebration,” which has a much lighter tone all around. While I personally enjoy BewhY’s personal brand of unique intensity in his musical composition, there’s an admirable simplicity in “Celebration.” The song has a clear funk influence, which is a refreshing contrast from his past releases and brings a more playful side to the rapper. Funk suits him surprisingly well, and it’s hard not to feel cheery after listening to this track. It’s worth noting that his vocals are a great fit for this genre as well, and a lot of his usual unique rap style fits well into both his tone and flow in the rap.
The video has a few different settings, but opens in a plane with an open floor plan and a few passengers. We see BewhY in a field with an old school plane behind him, and planes make a number of appearances throughout the video. The passengers are made up of backup dancers that add to the upbeat tone of the song, especially during solo freestyle dance breaks. It’s a pretty simple video overall, but definitely lends itself to the track.
The Album
032 Funk is a six track mini-album that kicks off with “Pack Up” featuring UNE. The song opens with an almost dreamy lofi quality, which is quickly replaced with an upbeat melody as BewhY comes in to rap. The funky rhythm guitar heard in the lead single is also present for this track, and is a recurrence through the rest of the album as well. “Incheon Airport Freestyle” may seem like some kind of cypher based on the title, but there’s no hard rap styles to be found here. The solo BewhY track fits into the motif of the album presented thus far, with lighter funk tones and even some vocals from the rapper. “Stand Out” featuring Dok2 has a somewhat sharper tone, with more staccato uses in the vocals to give the song its own flavor. Dok2 cuts in with his own flow, which has something of a lazier quality to it. That’s not meant to be insulting, it just has a more elongated feel than BewhY’s rap at that point, standing in contrast to the staccato nature of the rest of the song.
“Perfect Thumbnail” featuring Dynamic Duo and WINNER’s MINO was a track everyone had their eye on considering the features. While the song maintains funk elements with the iconic rhythm guitar used to open the track, the overall melody has more of a contemporary hip-hop feel in the beat. It’s an interesting mix of retro funk and contemporary hip-hop, which initially seem somewhat at odds musically. The only complaint here is that the guitar could be toned down a bit just so that the verses shine a bit better in the spotlight. Rounding out the album is “Vivian Girl,” which has a bit more of BewhY’s signature quirkiness to the song, mostly due to the off beats that feel somewhat unnatural in the melody. All of the musical elements used for this song seem to clash, but bringing those kinds of things together is exactly BewhY’s type of flavor.
It was pretty awesome to see BewhY centering his new album all around the inspiration of funk, a genre we don’t see used nearly enough in Korean music. There’s no doubt he adds his specific flavor to the genre, and it’s a refreshing change from the music he tends to release. If you need a nice summer pick-me-up, be sure to check out “Celebration” and the rest of 032 Funk!