[SC Focus] AKMU’s Fresh New Perspective of the World
[스포츠조선=박영웅 기자] AKMU sees the world in a whole new way. The brother and sister duo offers a new perspective of the world by imagining what it would be like if you are shot by a video camera from the moment you are born (in “Live”) and defining that love is closer to hot chocolate rather than black coffee (in “Chocolady”). Their music touches the hearts of the listeners without using any hot buzzwords and sensational elements. It is indeed not an exaggeration to say that the music of AKMU’s new album is completely natural with no artificial additives.
Just as what LEE CHAN HYUK said–“We wanted to widen our spectrum while holding on to the essence of our music”–AKMU succeeded in doing a variety of music genres and maintaining their color at the same time. Their music is fresh with no stimulants such as mechanical sound effects. AKMU just quietly sings about what they felt in their everyday lives and their emotions. There are no catchy hooks or excess of emotions, but the songs touch your heart nevertheless.
The music that AKMU did when they just debuted was music made by bubbly teenagers. But five years have passed since then, and now, even adults can relate to AKMU’s music. They have grown, as if they had gone through puberty, and their songs are made up of witty lyrics, melodic guitar sounds, and unique rhythmic raps. AKMU’s definition of “puberty” is not just a sensitive phase that teenagers go through but a phase when you start to think more. They are referring to “the puberty in one’s thoughts” or “the time when spring come to one’s thoughts”.
AKMU is renowned for making witty songs, and now, they have made a comeback with songs that portray day to day life not just in a witty way but also with mature emotions. Just like the duo’s previous album “SPRING”, all the songs in “WINTER” are written and composed by LEE CHAN HYUK. In short, the album is a story written by LEE CHAN HYUK and delivered in LEE SU HYUN’s clear voice. LEE CHAN HYUK conveys his much wider view of the world through the songs and adds fun with witty lyrics.
Sometimes he seems to be innocent and frank as seen in the lyrics of “Reality” that goes “You have to make your smartphone screen as dark as possible when checking your back account”. Other times, he can talk like an 20-year old guy that he is as seen in the lyrics of “Last goodbye” that goes “The place where there was a star and you was the place that I spent my long night”. He wrote the lyrics for all the eight songs. There are no hidden meanings. This makes every word and every phrase of the lyrics all the more touching. Even the order of the songs in the track list tells a story. The songs are arranged in an order that shows when a person is born, grows up, and comes back home reminiscing about old days.
The siblings once said that they are so shy they can’t even say a word when they are with someone they like. Now, that shy teenagers have grown into musicians that sing about day to day life. In addition to the sentimental melodies, LEE CHAN HYUK’s lyrics about very personal feelings are enough to go straight to your heart. The lyrics don’t sweep you with emotions but touch your heart and make you feel comfortable. There are no exaggerations and no overflowing emotions, just candidness and talking plainly about what he felt. The songs are AKMU’s little confessions letting people know what they think and feel nowadays.
2017. 1. 3.
