Benjamin Todd

Artist: BABYMONSTER

Album: DRIP

Release: 2024-11-01

Duration: 27:49

Standout tracks: CLIK CLAK; DRIP; BILLIONAIRE; Woke Up In Tokyo

In an attempt to get outside of my musical comfort zone, and in a continued goal of listening to a new album every day for the past few years, I have stumbled into the complicated and indulgent world of K-pop. My first introductions was through League of Legends and the virtual/fictional group K/DA. From there, I learned about (G)I-dle, which led me to global superstars Blackpink, and stumbled on through another dozen or two groups that I sample from with less frequency. I always come back to my earliest loves but keep an interested set of eyes and ears open to new experiences.

The latest indulgence? BABYMONSTER’s first full album, DRIP.

The album starts off with a strong rap-focused track called “CLIK CLAK, which is probably my favourite on the album. It’s a fairly bare hip-hop production and sets a tone for the group. They are clearly about themselves, thick with attitude. Proud. The music video is shot in black and white, which seems overly appropriate for the production and style of the song. This song hooked me into the album by effectively being a supersized portion of my favourite thing about Blankpink and (G)I-dle: fun rap served up with a lot of feistiness and confidence.

From there, the album shifts into very familiar K-pop territory with the song “DRIP, which is bustling with more complex production. Both the song and the music video are so much more bombastic compared to the video for “CLIK CLAK” linked above. Easily a quick ear worm, it stuck out as a favourite track for me.

The rest of the album feels more and more like familiar territory for any seasoned K-pop fan. That’s not to say the album isn’t fun and well done. It just starts to sound less and less unique, at least to my ears. The track “BILLIONAIRE” still managed to catch my attention, especially with catchy raps dribbled between vocal features. The weakest parts of the album to me are the pure K-pop songs, which leave me wishing the album featured more rapping and hip-hop influences. I appreciate I may well be alone in this thinking but what originally hooked me on the K-pop train was Soyeon’s raps as Akali. The vocals fade further into the background in terms of my priority.

And to that end, the album returns to form with my last standout track “Woke Up In Tokyo” with Ruka and Asa as the only members appearing on the song. If Ruka and Asa broke off the band and put out a duo album (Has this ever been done before?) I would not be heartbroken. Their live performance apparently opens with Asa performing a portion of “Godzilla” by Eminem, which I would love to see live. And maybe I will when they come by Toronto in late August.

Overall, I enjoyed the album. It’ll go on repeat from time to time, just like offerings from Blackpink and (G)I-dle. But if I’m honest, I’m more excited to see where this group goes in the future. This album feels like a strong start and honestly seems like fantastic groundwork for the group. I will just secretly hope that there is a very strong focus on the rap from Ruka and Asa.

Track list:

1. CLIK CLAK
2. DRIP
3. Love, Maybe
4. Really Like You
5. BILLIONAIRE
6. Love In My Heart
7. Woke Up In Tokyo
8. FOREVER
9. BATTER UP (Remix)

Reviewed on an iPad using a FiiO KA13 with Sennheiser IE 200 IEMs. Digital source from Apple Music.

Finally joined Maximum Fun as a member. At present, I only listen to a handful of their shows, but I am sure that will change as I start spelunking more. A big recommend to anyone looking for a place to start with podcasts and want the most endearing and odd of the bunch: maximumfun.org/join/

In the current flux of all things my work, I have wondered how I make changes for or to myself. At my age, I feel a certain amount of momentum or somewhat cemented in the way I am. That extends from me as a person to who I am at home and work.

Can I change? More importantly, can I find something that I can do that creates more meaning for me as a person?

I read a book a while back that talked about how a misalignment in your professional life with your personal life can create tension. It’s obvious, of course, we all fundamentally know this. Just sometimes you need to read it in a book authored by someone who has realized this.

Do I make a big change? Momentum gets in the way. But sometimes momentum needs broken. I don’t want to barrel into a wall because of momentum. That’s a crash. A shift in direction can prevent a crash. Change the wall out for an open field. No crash.

Is it simple as that?

It’s been a rough couple of weeks with work. Outside of work? I’m doing well. There is just very little outside of work lately.

Still working on books. Currently reading How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, which is a mix of funny and very human in a sad way. It’s an oddly-timed read for me right now.

I finished up Project Hail Mary over the weekend in a bit of a melancholy state. The book was really good. It was hopeful in a way that I really needed right now. So much so, I didn’t want to let it go. I had been on a pace to finish it under a week, which is not very common for me. Especially with so much work on my plate. But then when I got near the last 100 or so pages, I slowed way down.

I just didn’t want to let go.

It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the film. I can see how it would translate well to the screen. Hopefully it delivers.

I started Project Hail Mary following my last book and it’s just such a jarring difference in quality. At least to me. I have been slamming through this book so fast that I will be finishing it in well under a week, which is fast. Again, at least to me.

I’m so happy to be reading again. It has been helping me sleep better and feel a bit more connected to myself and the world around me. That sounds odd out loud, I suppose. But it has been true.

I set a goal for myself this year of reading at least four books. That may sound low to a lot of people, but I haven’t really read for entertainment in a long time. I finished my first book of the year, which was Past Crime by Jason Pinter. It was… not good. At least it wasn’t for me. On to the next! Hopefully it hits a bit better. I am going to start a recommendation from a friend, which is Project Hail Mary. It sounds a lot more up my alley. The Past Crimes book was more thriller than it was sci-fi. I need more sci-fi than, well, anything else.