To Love Or Not To Love
Love was in the air last Tuesday as February 14 was Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day can bring up a whole world of different emotions and feelings for everyone, from love to loneliness to self-empowerment and so on. So, whether you spent Valentine’s Day with a loved one and are still in that lovey-dovey mood, spent the day by yourself hiding away from all things love and romance, or just went about the day like any normal Tuesday, here are some great B-side tracks for you to check out.
“I’m Gonna Love You” - D.O ft. Wonstein
The second track from his first mini-album EMPATHY, D.O’s “I’m Gonna Love You” featuring Wonstein is one of my all-time favorite songs within the Korean music industry. It’s an incredible collaboration track, with the most perfect vocal blend between D.O and Wonstein against a soft acoustic guitar and downbeat percussion composition. The way Wonstein sings the line, “I’ve been so foolish, neoye unneun moseup ttaemune,” and more specifically his vocal style on the word “ttaemune,” gives me goosebumps every time. If you’re looking for a new romantic song to listen to, then definitely check out “I’m Gonna Love You.”
“DON’T LET ME KNOW” - iKON
If you don’t understand a word of Korean and you listen to this song, you would probably assume that iKON’s “DON’T LET ME KNOW” is full of positive and happy messages. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. With it’s upbeat, energetic nature, iKON’s “DON’T LET ME KNOW” is literally a hyped-up break up song, with iKON singing about having feelings for an ex despite their ex having already fallen in love with someone else. The song includes lines such as, “Still in my heart / You fill it up / Somebody else / Can’t fill it,” and, “It’s good because you’re laughing / It hurts because I can’t / I can’t escape from the times we were together,” providing relatable lyrics for anyone going through the same situation while also providing a boost of energy and enjoyment through its lively instrumentation.
“You’re Sexy I’m Sexy” - Eric Nam
Just like its title states, Eric Nam’s “You’re Sexy I’m Sexy” is a sexy R&B track from his first full-English EP Before We Begin. The lyrics are purely based on physical and sexual attraction rather than romance and love - a self-love and self-empowering anthem, if you will - with Eric singing lines such as, “You're sexy, I'm sexy / You want me, I want you too / We all need somebody / And mine is right here for you.” With Eric's incredible vocals that he implements in all of his music, "You're Sexy I'm Sexy" is definitely a fan favorite on the EP.
“Beautiful Liar” - Super Junior - D&E
Super Junior - D&E take us from a seemingly downbeat tempo to tropical house vibes in "Beautiful Liar," a B-side track from their first album COUNTDOWN, released in 2021. With lyrics such as, “I'm blinded by your illusion and you're a beautiful liar reflected in my eyes,” and, “That sigh that sounds like a long line / I can't pretend I don't know anymore,” the song displays a message of clinging on to the love for someone despite knowing they’re not sincere and the relationship has come to an end. The upbeat, happy nature of the melody greatly contradicts the song's sad lyrics, giving a “why be sad when you can be happy” feel to the song. It's also nice to hear Donghae and Eunhyuk's vocal lines switched, as in we get to hear Donghae take on a nice rap flow and Eunhyuk showcase a soft vocal style in certain sections throughout.
Also, check out Eunhyuk's amazing performance video for “Beautiful Liar,” which he uploaded onto his personal YouTube channel.