Review: Akdong Musician - Battlefield (Ft. Lee Sun Hee)
July has overall been the most forgettable month for international music in years. To save the day, Korea's greatest duo, AKMU, have returned with a pre-release for their upcoming album. The incredible thing about AKMU is that they always have been able to make art out of trends. They also have never been afraid to speak out, with social commentary being rife through their music. That said, their music has never been as explicit criticism of anything as Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes.
Before I talk about the song, I need to talk about the MV for a minute, and the lyrics along with it. This is AKMU at their best. The MV showcases many kids fighting each other to the death. Through the monochrome MV, only the blood, showcased as blue paint, is in color. Through the fighting, there is betrayal and loss, and only one little girl survives. She goes to a dark room to collect her prize, some meaningless clothes. The MV then ends the same way it opens, with the girl looking out, just with nothing left except the carnage she left behind. The clothes the girl was given happen to be school uniforms, also hinting at the song as a criticism of the competition education has become.
The lyrics also criticize wars, even more explicitly. "Hey, kid, close your eyes, hang in there a bit even though it is suffocating. Because, here on the battlefield, once your ears stop ringing, there's gonna be screaming". Each line is a poem in its own right, creating a landscape of destruction. The 'kid' mentioned is a word left slightly ambiguous. It could refer to the lost youth that conflict leaves with it, or the immaturity of nations and groups killing each other in cold blood. Memories of the past are sung, while the current land is no place for nostalgia. In all ways, the lyrics are brilliant. Similar to My War by Shinsei Kamattechan, also released this year, this song is worth a listen simply due to the concept.
Musically, Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes opts for a brooding synth line. Despite this, the song never loses its sense of momentum, chugging forward. There are no real peaks or valleys, just the straightforward darkness, with no room to escape. On the other hand, the percussion is aggressive and almost cyclical and likely on purpose. For it emulates the feeling of a muted Gatling gun. There is the occasional flourish, ranging from flute samples, squiggly space synths, and the occasional guitar.
As far as the vocals go, AKMU are paired with Lee Sun Hee, the famous Korean singer, and an ancestor of modern K-Pop. These three voices go together greatly. Suhyun sings many of the lines meant for the young soldiers. She sings in a matter-of-fact style, Brutalistically realistic, and endlessly hopeless. Chanhyuk sings about the conflict from a third-person perspective, saddened but resigned to the fate suffered by the students. Sun Hee sings as an experienced story, and she fills her voice with unfulfilled regrets over the destructiveness of the conflict.
The song suddenly pauses for the bridge. Sun Hee Suhyun sings about the peace prior to the war for a few bars. Personally, I feel these few bars were the most wasted of the song. The transition to the bridge is awkward, and I feel Suhyun could and should have ended the verse with a high note. Not only is she capable, but I feel it would make conceptual sense. Releasing all the hidden emotions.
Instead, the emotion is leaked through a subsequent synth riff. This spacey segment is arguably the song's best, at least musically, creating a sense of conclusion. At the same time, the chorus repeats. Signifying that although the conflict has concluded, its echoes last, not fading away one bit.
While I do have a few minor gripes with Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes I love that it sets out and accomplishes its goal. I may not come back to Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes often, the concept is too dark and heavy for a casual listen. That said, absolutely remember Hey Kid, Close Your Eyes, it is a success on multiple levels.
I wrote long response and lost it. So this time I will keep it short, I did not like this as much as other songs as fighting and betrayal makes me sad to see, that too in little kids as shown in the MV. I suppose there is good message there.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the message s good, but I felt maybe they could have had slightly older actors, as I have made my opinions on youth in entertainment pretty clear too. That said, I really enjoy the deeper message the song and lyrics convey.
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