It has finally happened! The hidden track off of LOONA's latest album has finally been shared to the fans all around the world and what a special track it is! Excitement for the leak of the track known as Day and Night was building after the initial release of So What had calmed down somewhat and LOONA performed their most hilarious parody of Lee Jung Hyun's Bakkwo (Make sure to check this out on Youtube, it's a real treat!). Day and Night in my opinion is my new favourite track of the mini album #. I truly hope that BBC allow this song to be streamed and bought in the near future. This is a LOONA masterpiece and If you haven't gave it a listen, please do so!
Sadly, this isn't the official video or channel for the song and I understand if you don't want to listen to it here. I am providing this link for those whom deem it okay to give a listen without any views going to LOONA themselves. In my opinion I think it's okay to listen to Day and Night leaks because I would like to drive up the song's popularity to the point BBC release the song officially. Now let's take a look at this gem.
Straight off the bat we can already hear that Day and Night along with Oh (Yes I am) fall on the more experimental and fun side of the LOONA spectrum. When listening to the song for the first time I wasn't sure what genre to expect but here we have a very cool blend of Drum and Bass and Tropical/Future House elements. This particular song was produced by the same people that created the song # on LOONA's most recent album. If you have read my full mini album review you would know that # was a standout track for me and I'm glad to have Coach & Sendo back once more to treat us with another great song. I hope moving forward LOONA continue to work with Coach & Sendo to produce this style of material in future releases. The first thing we are greeted to when we listen to the song is a fun vocal manipulation typical of many styles of EDM and reminiscent of intro song # on the album; I love it when producers do this and want to hear more of this in Kpop as a whole. Once we move past the intro to the song we begin to hear some very clear vocals from the members of LOONA all driven by a Drum and Bass beat in the background which remains unobtrusive but deep enough to add real texture to the song. The verses in this track pretty much mirror one another pre and post chorus which is a pretty typical song arrangement but the song does not suffer for this. Each verse is well constructed and has good intensity with the bass really anchoring the funkiness of the song leading up til the pre-chorus builds. As we move to about the 50 second mark of the song the bass eases off as the members enter said pre-chorus build which is filled with soft breathy vocals and finally a wonderful belt from Jinsoul (I am 99% sure it's her voice). It feels like for this comeback Jinsoul had something to prove and I'm honestly all here for it. Following this we jump into the energetic chorus that contrasts the members airy vocal gymnastics with a funky drum beat with familiar House and Dubstep flares. This chorus is the absolute highlight of the song. The vocals really shine here as the instrumental behind them jumps through hoops and plays off their playful vocal tones. I'm going to say this again for those that might have missed it earlier, this song needs to be released officially and soon. This is the epitome of LOONA's growing discography in my opinion. It is so good in fact this could have easily been a comeback title track if they wanted to employ a different concept. This song even shares a similarity with So What in that particular emphasis is placed on the bridge of the song. Something wonderful is happening with LOONA's producers at the moment to provide us with these beautifully constructed bridges. As the track falls away, much like in So What, the vocals take the reigns and we are treated with, at first, a wonderfully soft belt which is then followed by a nice sharp belt. I cannot put a finger on who is doing this particular belt but it serves to bring us back into the funky chorus once more and finally the end of the song. Wow.
Overall while Day and Night doesn't mess with the typical arrangement of a song it is entirely effective in making the absolute most of the structure that holds it together. In combination with a sound instrumental the lyrics of the song are also top notch. While this could be considered a break up track its done quite cleverly. The song speaks about trying to separate from someone whom you've grown distant from but admittedly there is still a level of attraction and magnetism that binds you together. The lyrics have wonderful imagery in such lines as "Like a habit, I walk towards your light. When will I be able to stop" and "Beyond the time of memories, move on". It's clear that while this is a break up song there is some apprehension to the parting described in the lyrics and I think it's this apprehension that adds a deeper layer to the overall message of the track. LOONA has been known to often use gender neutral pronouns and phrases unlike other groups and it's refreshing to see it back in this track; LOONA really does feel like they encompass everyone and it's truly beautiful to see. The members that really stood out in this track, just on vocals alone, are Chuu, Yves, and Jinsoul. This is one of the few songs where Yves's vocal doesn't act as a counterbalance to some of the more cute and lighter voices in LOONA but she herself is employing a wonderfully light and bright tone that compliments her duality as a performer. Line distribution of this track sounds quite fair with the lead and main vocalists clearly taking the bulk of the heavy lifting. This is quite typical of Kpop songs so I won't be overly harsh in respect to this as the other member's vocals are clear and evident in this song. If you listen closely in the background of the chorus we can hear members Go Won, Yeojin, Vivi and Olivia Hye sliding in high pitched vocals that work well with song; it's nice to hear them experimenting once more. My only criticism for this track is that member Haseul's vocals are not present which is a real shame. I would be most happy to give this song a perfect rating but in respect to her absence and her vocal ability I cannot do it in good conscience. Maybe one day we'll hear a live performance of this track with Haseul, then and only then will this song reach true perfection.
Even though Day and Night is a hidden track on LOONA's new album it remains entirely at home with the other songs on #. This just proves once more that # is one of LOONA's most cohesive collections and will definitely stand the test of time. RELEASE THIS SONG OFFICIALLY BBC.
My rating
Song: 9.5
Concept: 9.5
Overall rating: 19/20
Thank you for once again reading my review and I hope you liked it. If you did, please remember to share on Twitter so I can reach more people and we can begin to grow this wonderful GG stan community. Have a great day/night everyone! - THR
Comments