Zico kicked off 2020 with Any Song and has been killing the charts up until now. But brewing on my ‘Coming Soon’ list are four of Zico’s songs (Human, Daredevil, Balloon and Being Left) that have been waiting for a review. And today, after almost a fifth month period, I am getting around to review them. Previously, I have promised that I will do a catch up using the catch up review segment from a few years ago. These posts were to be published earlier in the year, but I have been holding off for when I had a little more stability. I have a few more Catch Up posts to do in the coming days, so keep an eye out for those. In the meantime, let’s move along with the Zico-centric review.
Human (사람)
We have a magnitude of sounds from Zico in the past. The songs he produced for Block B are a prime example of this variety. For a solo act, we know Zico for his hip-hop based tracks. But Human is a little different as it is more of a ballad. And it is a pretty nice song, with everything from the acoustic instrumental to his delivery of his rap lines are very easy on the ears. The melodies make the song standout for me, as it is one of those that gets you swaying along. The music video was very well shot, showing us that everyone is the same, reflective of the lyrics which tell a similar message. The humans in the background are shot in a way that you see their silhouette, showing that we are alike. We we get to see the people with proper lighting. I found the car crash scene and the outdoor cinema scene fascinating, as it reiterates this. Everyone just stood there filming the drama/action and no one helped or seemed worried. The only time we saw that was in the fictional movie. Other than that, it is just another suggestion that we are all the same. Interesting and well shot video. (9/10)
Daredevil 천둥벌거숭이) (Feat. Jvcki Wai, YUMDDA)
Going to my comments that opened the review for the last song, Daredevil is probably the style that we are used to. Not saying that this is his only style, but I think majority of his most well known tracks tend to be of this upbeat hip-hop style. I find the melody and beat of Daredevil to be super addictive and very fun sounding, which I am sure if the intention of the song. Zico, Jvcki Wai and YUMDDA all had great delivery and really made the song progress forward. I remember always enjoying the song when it popped up on my playlist. I just felt like the song could have used some accents in the instrumental to help make it potentially bolder. But I am no music expert (remember that!). The music video is pretty good as well. While I am not exactly sure what is going on, it seems like Zico and co. are some sort of Gods in this video. I found the video to always have something new that I did not notice before everytime I watch it. And that the song is quite enjoyable, so I am always coming back for more. (8/10)
Balloon
Balloon is another track that falls into that ballad side, rather than more vibrant side we got in Daredevil. Rather it being a ballad, however, I think it is more aligned with R&B. It is one of those songs that you want to put on during a rainy day. Or even when you are drifting off to sleep. Zico tends to infuse more of a edgy and powerful style to his songs. But Zico keeps is very soothing in this track, which is polar to opposite to any song that he has released over (as far as I can remember). I really like the acoustic guitar in this song, which makes the song even more calming and peaceful. The music video is an animation that shows an animated Zico climb the stairs to heaven, where animals feed him (and other people), linking this video to Daredevil. On top of that, Balloons appeared in Human‘s and Being Left‘s music video as well. (9/10)
Being Left (남겨짐에 대해) (ft. Dvwn)
The final song on this list is Being Left, which is another ballad. The instrumental starts off with a very beautiful piano piece. It takes a slight dramatic touch for the first chorus, which features Dvwn who sings at a higher tone than Zico’s opening rap sequence. Zico then enters with a beat and infuses a bit of hip-hop to the song. We then return to Dvwn and a soothing chorus, which I thought was quite nice. Overall, I would describe it as a soft rollercoaster. Hahaha… Zico does an amazing job of fitting into the song, showing us his variety within his work. The music video features Bae Jong Ok, a very famous actress in South Korea. The theory is that the video shows the actress playing the mother of a child, whom she lost during the Sewol Ferry Accident. It is breathtaking to watch and the music makes the video so much more captivating. And Bae Jong Ok does an amazing job at showcasing her emotions without talking. her expressions does all the talking and I find that amazing. (9/10)
KPOPREVIEWED 