The Ethereal and Edgy World of ARTMS
Photo: Modhaus
In the world of K-Pop, ARTMS is a breath of fresh air. The group is made up of four former members of LOONA: HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry. But what really makes them stand out isn't just who they are: it's how they blend their music with their visuals. Instead of just chasing hit songs, they build whole worlds around their music. It feels less like a marketing plan and more like a moving art project, which has got people talking about how pop music can tell stories in new ways.
The Sound of ARTMS
ARTMS makes music that’s hard to pin down. You’ll hear bits of synth-pop, alternative R&B, and all kinds of electronic sounds—all with a cool, futuristic vibe. They don’t stick to one style; one moment you're floating on airy vocals, and the next you're hit with a deep, driving beat. Lyrically, they’re often singing about change, liberation, and self-discovery. Their songs can feel vulnerable one second and powerfully confident the next, like they’re working through their own thoughts and feelings right in front of you.
This means you never know what you're going to get. One song might be a dreamy, relaxed track, and the next could be something you’d hear in a club. This love for mixing genres matches their ever-changing visual style perfectly. Even with all this experimentation, their music always has a specific mood. It’s often both featuring cosmic imagery and inventive mirror effects, masterfully blending catchy hooks with conceptual artistry at the same time, creating a unique atmosphere that’s entirely their own.
A Closer Look: Songs & Videos
You can really see their vision come to life in specific tracks and their music videos. Take their song "Air," for example; it's this light, dreamy track that feels like floating, and the video mirrors this with serene shots of the members in vast, open fields.
On the flip side, "The Hitchhiker's Guide" has a much edgier, glitchy sound that pulls you into a digital maze. Then there's JinSoul's "Starlight," a solo track that pairs a funky, upbeat rhythm with a video full of cosmic imagery and clever mirror effects, perfectly blending the catchy with the conceptual. Each release feels like a new chapter in their ongoing artistic story.
Their Distinct Look
The music is only half the story. ARTMS puts a huge amount of care into their art direction, making sure every photo, video, and even album design is part of the bigger picture. You’ll often see them in beautiful, natural places like beaches or fields, but the scene might be edited with glitches or neon colors. It’s a cool way of showing how our real lives and digital worlds are constantly overlapping. They use a lot of mirrors, broken glass, and refracted light in their videos. It’s like they’re saying that who we are isn’t one solid thing, but lots of little pieces put together, which makes sense given their own history of reassembling as a new group.
Their fashion is also a key piece to their creative direction. The outfits are like wearable art, with dramatic shapes and textures that make every photoshoot feel like a performance. Their music and visuals are always talking to each other, exploring a few key themes.
Creative Direction
The idea of reinvention pops up everywhere. In their music, they switch genres. In their videos, it’s through those puzzle-like images where each member is their own person but also part of a bigger whole. They use a lot of cosmic imagery: moons, stars, the sky. It’s a nod to their past in LOONA, but they’ve made it their own. It represents that feeling of endless possibility, which pairs perfectly with their spacious, airy songs.
You’ll often find them in "in-between" places: on a shoreline, at sunset, or under a doorway. Their music does this too, often building up to a moment that doesn’t have a clean ending, leaving you in a state of suspense. It all gives you the feeling that they’re always evolving, always on the verge of becoming something new.
A big part of their unique style comes from how they work. ARTMS seems to have a real say in their creative direction, collaborating with producers and designers who get their vision. It feels more like a team of artists working together than a top-down corporate product. The members bring their own ideas to the table, which makes the final product feel much more personal and authentic.
So, what is ARTMS? They’re a group that perfectly walks the line between accessible pop and high-concept art. Their music pulls you into one world, and their visuals pull you into another, and together, they create something truly special. In a genre that often relies on strict formulas, ARTMS proves that being complex, layered, and a little weird can be your greatest strength.
Check Out These Tracks
“Icarus”
“Obsessed”
“url”
“Birth”
“Flower Rhythm”
Edited by Pranjal Ghosh