One of the comebacks kicking off this week is N.Flying’s return to the stage with Moonshot. The new song is featured on the group’s first ever studio-length album, which is titled Man on the Moon. N.Flying is one of those groups who have waited forever for a Korean studio album. The band has been around since 2015, so that makes the wait over six years. That is definitely some time to release a lengthy album. The good news is that since their debut, there have been many mini-album and singles released, such as their most recent comeback Oh Really last year. I can’t wait to check out the album. But in the meanwhile, let’s have a closer listen to Moonshot.

What I like about Moonshot is the heft of the chorus. There is so much energy channeled into this alternative rock track that is comes off as bold and well-defined. And similar comments can be extended into the verses. The guitars in the verses were quite bold yet paced with the beat, standing out over the drums (which was kept on board to be the minimal beat of the song). And as the verse progressed along, we get a bit more guitar work, though it all revolving around the beat of the song. Seunghyub’s vocals here were really good, assisting with the minimalistic effect. But apparently that isn’t minimal enough, with the pre-chorus stripping the background to be even barer. But I like that technique, as it really made Moonshot‘s chorus explode out and have that high level of impact. We are also blasted with powerful vocals from both Seunghyub and Hwesung, which compliments that explosion from the instruments that I just mentioned. The chorus also features the line ‘If you want to change, be not afraid‘, which is quite catchy after multiple repeats. The second verse has a similar set up with a minimalist vibe for Hwesung’s solo part, this time the guitar work being a electric guitar riff. Seunghyub returns briefly as a vocalist before coming in as a rapper. His rap sequence was actually cool, and I like his delivery which showcased a tinge of hip-hop. In the bridge of the song, we get a brief stripped back sequence before slowly rising back to the final chorus. There is a bit of a suspenseful delay to the reintroduction to the beat, allowing Hwesung’s vocals to be showcased once again in a raw fashion before the drums come back in to close out the song with the hefty style that featured in the first and second choruses. Moonshot is a powerful yet simple alternative track that speaks volume in music and meaning.

The meaning of the song can be expressed simply by that one hook line, ‘If you want change, be not afraid”. At the start of the video, we see the members cowering in fear. They seem to want change, but it appears they fear the unknown. Their world is constantly watched, which the members work out based on the cameras you see everywhere, the eye we see in the roof and the TVs they find with all the footage of them throughout the video. The world is also “fake”, with boundaries set up to keep them in (I got Truman Show vibes when Hwesung and Seunghyub touched the barrier). I think the moon (wearing the spy gear) is a fake moon and whoever is behind this fake moon is elicting fear on the members. Once the secret has been unveiled, they take their desire for change to the next level, by attacking to the moon which subsequently blows up revealing the real world. Thus changed had occurred, only because the members stopped being afraid. Overall a good video with a really deep and meaningful message.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.4/10