[KPOP SINGLE REVIEW] SUNMI - 날라리 (LALALAY)
With me being me and cutting off my usual hours of living on kpop news articles, I completely missed all the teasers Sunmi released ahead of her August comeback, 날라리 (LALALAY). Only aware that it was going to drop in late this month, I was shook when the 27-year old dropped a message teaser of her upcoming self-composed track. Meaning I got goosebumps. Because she spoke entirely in English.
And given my utter love for her (she is my wallpaper everywhere, I worship her music and her existence more than anything), I was a little disappointed in myself for not keeping up with her teasers besides the message teaser, of which I'm grateful to YouTube for recommending me on time. *bows head in respect* Else I do not know how I'd live with myself if I had missed the entire comeback.
Sunmi is someone who's in the middle of what many music fans across the world would label as an "imperial phase", where basically anything she releases is pure gold. Her career becomes more riveting with each release she puts forth, with her sharp lyrics and carefree attitude coupled with some of the catchiest hooks in the kpop scene. After her last release back in March titled 누아르 (Noir), which reached number 3 on the BIllboard charts, the singer almost seem to never fail to impress both fans and non-fans with her creativity, something that is quite tough to do.
Trust me when I say this, this song is as whimsical and fantasy-like as it sounds. The carefree lyrics, the pops of color and the attitude she lays down before us with Sunmi being the extra human being she is for 3 minutes and 24 seconds straight.
Unlike her previous releases where her love for the 80's synth-pop is the highlight, 날라리 (LALALAY) is vastly different, balancing in between Latin-pop and dancehall. The teasers she dropped on Twitter bore the caption "Do u want to be a Lalalay?", peaking the curiosity of everyone that were anticipating the much-awaited comeback. The title of her single stems from the Korean word which means "Delinquent", and given Sunmi's immense symbolism and double-entendres in her music, this wasn't a surprise.
This is also the first track she put forward which is self-composed, alongside FRANTS. And during the her comeback showcase earlier today, she talked about how she got her inspiration for the track, citing her experiences during her WARNING world tour.
Sunmi shared that the song was inspired by her time touring in Mexico back in March of this year. She said, “I got inspiration during the Mexico tour. Mexico is famous for its energy. I had high expectations when I went to perform there and I was not disappointed. They became one with the music without worrying about what the people around them were thinking. It was a new experience for me and I was really moved by it.”
She continued, “When I went back to the hotel after the concert, I laid in bed and thought about how Korea is also known for its energy. Then I suddenly thought about the word ‘lalalay,’ which is about knowing when to really let loose. I looked up the word and apparently the Taepyeongso instruments were called ‘lalalay’ in folk music. I thought that that was a good starting point for the song.”
The track begins with the singer (who is also blonde for the first time since debuting as a solo artist in 2017) unzipping herself out of a suitcase stamped with butterfly stickers on it, along with the blaring of horns. Its quite the enthralling scene and it was also the teaser that had many of us wondering what she is putting forth this time around.
Butterflies seem to be a big symbol in this comeback, with her lyrics and actions throughout the video seemingly showcase playfulness, being free, letting loose and generally having a good time besides what others might think.
Sunmi is a mood whenever, wherever. I'm sure a lot of people would back me up on this.
The blaring horns is the centre of the chorus with the thumping beat-drop, accompanied by Sunmi and her backup dancers' powerful hip-thrusts and twirling their hair. Sunmi is an icon in my and many others' eyes, and there's no denying it. The hook is catchy and contagious enough to get anyone mumbling "Lalalalalalalalalalalalay" in a matter of minutes. Her vocals really shine throughout the entire song, and with her famous attitude, it really is a joyride for us hardcore Sunmi stans. Not to mention, but her English is getting better than ever, and I literally got goosebumps during the English bridge of the song.
To be frank, anyone who gets a glimpse of her artistry would end up being a hardcore fan purely because of her talent. Since being in the kpop world for more than a decade (since 2007) its safe to say that she knows what she's doing and is a trained triple threat.
Hooks (9/10)
Production (9/10)
Longevity (8/10)
RATING (9/10)
Comments