Rolling Quartz Get Fierce in Mini-Album Fighting
An Eventful 2021
On February 8, Korean rock group, Rolling Quartz, released their first mini-album, Fighting. Coming off a packed 2021, the five-member girl group, consisting of Jayoung, Iree, Arem, Yeongeun, and Hyunjung, did not hold back. Through this project, the members hope to convey encouragement, excitement, and support to their fans, Diadem.
A Homage to Dreamcatcher
“Good Night,” the title track of the EP, is a remake of Dreamcatcher‘s 2019 release of the same title. The remake boasts an intense guitar and bass sound with emphasis on the arrangement of the instruments. The guitar and drum combination form the perfect backdrop for the heart-racing theme of the song. A distinctive feature of Rolling Quartz’s rendition is the guitar solo by guitarists Iree and Hyunjung after the bridge.
The music video, which is also a reference to Dreamcatcher’s Nightmare Series, shows the members trying to gain a sixth sense utilizing the five human senses. The members are all assigned a human sense. While Jayoung represents taste, Iree portrays sight, Hyunjung smell, bassist Areum depicts hearing, and drummer Youngeun, touch.
In a statement on YouTube, Rolling Star Entertainment explained the reason behind the homage. “In the era of hip-hop & EDM, it was rock music that touched the hearts of Rolling Quartz. One of the artists that powerfully lingered in Rolling Quartz’s ears through all the trends was Dreamcatcher.”
The statement further revealed the relationship between Rolling Star Entertainment and Dreamcatcher’s agency. Simply put, the director of Dreamcatcher’s “Good Night” music video is the boss of Rolling Quartz’s music video director. With Rolling Quartz’s Youngeun being the drum teacher of Dreamcatcher’s Handong.
Dreamcatcher members SuA, JiU, and Siyeon also showed support for Rolling Quartz on their Instagram stories.
The Remakes
In addition to “Good Night,” Rolling Quartz released two other covers on their Fighting mini-album; “Higher” and “Azalea.”
“Azalea” is a song about sending off lost love and was originally sung by South Korean pop-rock singer Maya and released in 2003. “Higher,” on the other hand, is the theme song of Witches 2, an animation airing on the South Korean channel, MBC. The director of the show asked the Rolling Quartz to rearrange the song and Jayoung participated in the writing of the lyrics.
Originals
Three out of the six songs on the EP are originals by the quintet. All Rolling Quartz members, Jayoung, Iree, Arem, Yeongeun, and Hyunjung participated in the writing of “Holler” and “Delight.” While Jayoung was also involved in the writing of “Rock’ n’ roll paradise.”
Three seconds in “Delight” exposes one to mumblings over mild instrumentals before leading into a blend of drums, bass, and rhythms. One of the first songs written by the band, “Delight” offers encouragement and has been described by fans as a “comfort song.” In the same vein, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Paradise” invites listeners to let go of their worries and have a good time while “Holler” talks about a toxic relationship.
Pre-Release Showcase
Before debuting in 2020, Rolling Quartz had uploaded the demos to “Delight” and “Rock’n’roll paradise” on YouTube. “Holler” on the other hand, was uploaded after debut. The studio versions are a reflection of the growth in the band’s sound as evident in “Rock ‘n’ roll paradise” which underwent a tempo change.
Rolling Quartz had performed most songs on the EP at music festivals and solo concerts before officially releasing the studio versions. They had performed them at music festivals such as Save Our Stages and solo concerts such as the Rolling Quartz Merch Release Celebration in June 2021. After several months of being teased with the demo, fans were beyond thrilled at the release of the studio version.
As part of promotions, Rolling Quartz will be releasing music videos to 4 other songs on the mini-album. Look forward to the release of the music videos and more content from Rolling Quartz.
Listen to Fighting on Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms.
Want more on new releases? Read about Stray Kids’ cover of “Zombie” here!
