ASH ISLAND’s “Ghost of You” Starts With a Bang and Keeps You Hooked
On February 10, rapper and singer-songwriter ASH ISLAND (애쉬 아일랜드)’s latest single, “Ghost of You,” dropped like a bomb and is blowing up in the charts.
The song (whose original title is “생각이 나서,” meaning “I thought of you”) exploded onto the scene and is taking the charts by storm, marking ASH ISLAND as the bigger performer among the fastest rising artists in South Korea these days. Thanks to the snappy tone of the single, and the congenial blend of hip-hop and emotional melody spiced up by rocky vibes, “Ghost of You” managed to grab everyone’s attention and jumped a whopping 128 places, reaching number 72 in the “100 Musician Daily” chart (뮤지션100데일리), which is compiled by aggregating the real-time data from Korean major musical charts.
No time is wasted in "Ghost of You." For the first ten seconds, the steady rhythm of an electric guitar sets the stage, and then the hook bursts in, instantly gripping the listener.
“I thought of you,
And I hated it,
Because you were such a mess”.
From there, ASH ISLAND's raw, emotional vocals carry us through the three-minute track, seamlessly weaving between choral harmonies and smooth rap verses.
The dynamic is well mirrored by the editing of the video: the singer lies on the ground, then is grabbed and slides off screen, only to make way for a car crashing into a pole. And then, everything unravels. “Ghost of You is a song about the lingering pain and resentment after a breakup: all the hurt, betrayal, longing, and frustration of a love that burned brightly but ended painfully, making it hard to move on while still struggling with toxic memories.
ASH ISLAND: a quick look
ASH ISLAND (whose real name is Yoon Jiyoung, 윤진영) has enjoyed constant popularity since he participated in High School Rapper 2 (고등래퍼2) in 2018 when he performed the song “mi color,” which ended up among the five top tracks of that season of the show. Since the beat he used for “mi color” was originally by rapper Dok2 (도끼) and producer Makesense (메익센스), the two visited the recording session for directing purposes. They became immediately captivated by ASH ISLAND’s rap, with Makesense recommending him to The Quiett (더콰이엇). After that, ASH ISLAND quickly ended up signing a contract with AMBITION MUSIK (앰비션 뮤직), the label founded by Dok2 and The Quiett.
Cut to summer 2024, when ASH ISLAND makes two huge announcements about his personal and professional life: he walked away from AMBITION MUSIK to establish his own label, MIDNIGHT RECORDS; and announced his marriage with Cianmina (챤미나), the Korean-Japanes rapper who was pregnant with their first child.
“@minachanxx and I have made a promise to spend the rest of our lives together. I am deeply grateful for her presence; she is my pillar of strength in every way.
In even happier news, a new life has joined us! My heart is overflowing with joy. I feel incredibly fortunate to share this happiness with all of you. I aim to reflect the love I have been given, and continue to receive from all of you, by sharing it with many more people in the future”
Have you started streaming ASH ISLAND music yet?
Edited by Rae Lovette