Sunday Spin: New Releases From beabadoobee, RM, tripleS, and hongjoin
Sunday Spin is EnVi‘s weekly music showcase, where we bring you the hottest global hits in our curated playlist. Join us every Sunday for new music that sets the perfect tone for your upcoming week.
Time flies when your week is full of fresh new hits! As we reach the middle of May, Team EnVi wrapped up the week with a playlist to boost your spirits for the new week to come. Join EnVi as we prepare to take on mid-May with our new Sunday Spin playlist packed with the hottest hits!
beabadoobee – “Take A Bite”
Marking the beginning of her new era, English Filipino singer-songwriter beabadoobee has returned with a new single. “Take A Bite” is the first track off her upcoming LP, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, which is slated to be released on August 16. Departing from her viral dreamy bedroom pop, “Take A Bite” channels ’90s alt-rock and allows beabadoobee to expand sonically. The opening gritty acoustic guitar may jog your memories with its interpolation of American alternative rock band Incubus’s “Drive.” Exploring themes of temptation and impulsive recklessness, “Take A Bite” showcases beabadoobee’s candor at its finest. She confesses, “But I take it and I want it and I love when it bleeds / ‘Cause I’m craving expectations / That are unattainable temptations.”
tripleS – “Girls Never Die”
Girlhood isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it’s Rage, Sadness, and Identity Crisis 101 and tripleS express that on their song “Girls Never Die” from their latest all-group project <ASSEMBLE24>. The group came together with all 24 members for the first time on May 8 to release the somber track. “
Girls Never Die” is a nostalgic hip-hop track featuring a catchy chorus and smooth production. The girls sing candidly about the realities of poor self-image and the heavy weight of covering up the broken pieces of oneself. The members sing in the first verse, “I don’t like the weak me, don’t wanna show this part of me / Why I use strong makeup, why I use strong filters, do you get it now?” The incessant need to be perfect and to appear strong is overwhelming and can destroy the mental health of anyone. Though, despite it all, the members declare that they will persevere and make it to the end because as they sing in the chorus, “Girls Never Die.”
The music video released alongside the project captures just that behind grainy visuals. There are shots of the girls applying makeup together, secluding themselves, standing by as a car comes barreling toward them, submerging themselves in bathtubs — their anguish can be felt in every scene. Even with these darker depictions, the members are still smiling, still pushing through as they proclaim in the lyrics. This rollercoaster of emotions is the epitome of what it is to be “just a girl” and tripleS encompassed that effortlessly.
hongjoin – “Komorebi”
Singaporean artist-producer, hongjoin, released his latest album, KOMOREBI on May 10, featuring nine cohesive tracks. The title track of the album is “Komorebi,” named after the Japanese word signifying the way the sunlight filters through the leaves of trees. hongjoin shared that he named the project after the word to pay homage to the Japanese side of him and for his girlfriend, to whom the album is dedicated.
“Komorebi” is a warm indie pop track, with a smooth guitar riff and catchy snare drums that feel just like watching the sun rise. hongjoin sings about the adoration he holds for his lover, wishing that he had more time to spend with them. His devotion is present in the way he tenderly states, “You have all my heart in this life […] the muse to all my conviction.” If you’re ever in the mood for an artist that has a way with words to make you feel warm and fuzzy, hongjoin is just the guy for you.
Tatsuya Kitani – “Preview of Me”
@inunohone メガネが綺麗に飛ぶまでめちゃくちゃやり直したという話もあります #キタニタツヤ #次回予告 #戦隊大失格 #オリジナル曲 ♬ Preview of Me – Tatsuya Kitani
Go and fight alongside Tatsuya Kitani in the battle against the endless cycle of adulthood in the bone-chilling single “Preview of Me.” Serving as the opening theme song for currently airing superhero anime series Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, Tatsuya expresses the harshness of life as an adult. Admired by many due to his dedication in writing, Tatsuya incorporates the show’s dark concept and message while also embodying real-life emotions. The jersey-club pop mix gives off an upbeat and encouraging vibe in contrast to the song’s melancholic message. XXX
Produced by filmmaker and creative director Ryo Fuji, the city’s signage seamlessly displays the song’s lyrics as we witness an epic battle between a superhero and an alien monster in the music video. An accompanying lyric video made by filmmaker ahtamaraneze has hand-drawn gothic fonts with special effects. In suit to the lyrics underlying symbolism, the creator cleverly transitions the Japanese characters from hiragana (the first alphabet children learn) to kanji (upper level characters learned at a higher grade and older age) to signify the societal pressures pushed upon the youth.
BIGONE & BAEKHO – “LOVE OR DIE”
On May 8, South Korean rapper BIGONE and singer-songwriter and producer BAEKHO teamed up to release their latest project LOVE OR DIE – EP. The project contains three tracks and two remixes in which both artists partook in the lyric writing and composition, including the eponymous title track, “LOVE OR DIE.”
“LOVE OR DIE” is a blend of alt rock and EDM trap with lyrics that speak of a love that the duo still yearn for. BIGONE’s raspy tone coupled with BAEKHO’s gentle voice convey the dire feeling of needing someone so strongly that the only options you have are to either love them or die trying. In the music video, the duo sing their hearts out in a car, as scenes of them with their lover flash by with a grainy filter. Memory after painful memory, the lover eventually points a gun to the camera, signaling the sordid end of the relationship.
BAEKHO Socials: IG | TK | X | YT
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA”
Not so long ago, in the mysterious land of Hottieville, USA, queen of hip-hop Megan Thee Stallion dropped her hottest and most thrilling hit titled “BOA.” Sampling Gwen Stefani’s 2004 single “What You Waiting For?”, Megan comes back with a matching running theme of snakes as the rapper exudes confidence and rebirth through her declaration of independence. Megan gives a cold-shoulder to all the directed negativity as the artist raps of her dominating spirit and freedom to do what she wants.
The music video adopts a Metaverse narrative with three friends playing Megan’s cautionary video game called The Curse of the Serpent Woman which causes them to come face-to-face with the several villainous Megans who seek to eliminate each player in-game and in real time. Proudly outspoken of her love for all that is anime and pop culture, the rapper creatively showcases her respect as she pays homage to numerous media through costume designs and visual imagery, all screaming Hot Nerd energy.
The fun video follows the concept by supernatural horror film Stay Alive and comedic storytelling elements inspired by the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim. The opening scene is set in a dance floor of neon tiles with black arrows referencing the classic arcade game Dance-Dance Revolution (DDR) with Megan and dancers sporting and matching two-piece inspired from the rhythm-based combat game Space Channel 5. Another scene has Megan wearing black skin-tight garments inspired by Gantz and transitioning between worlds from the retro gaming platform to the real world. As players go down one by one, Megan can be seen cosplaying Snake Princess and Pirate Empress Boa Hancock from the famous anime series One Piece and Christie Monteiro from the classic fighting game Tekken 4.
Megan is set to go on her “Hot Girl Summer Tour” starting next week on May 14 with American rapper GloRilla.
RM – “Come back to me”
In anticipation of RM’s sophomore solo LP, Right Place, Wrong Person, comes the record’s first single “Come back to me.” In under six and a half minutes, RM reminds listeners that his pen game tends to bring next-level introspection. Opening the song as if reciting prose, he smoothly states, “I told you I’m fine tonight / Staying good / Spring always been here / I will sleep in her eyes.” His deep timbre melts into gentle guitar riffs and dreamy whistling — transporting listeners into his carefully crafted artistic vision with this smooth indie pop track.
“Come back to me” was also paired with a cinematic music video directed by BEEF creator Lee Sung Jin. The visual accompaniment follows RM as he explores different routes in life and his timeline eventually lines up with a new opportunity with Pachinko actress Minha Kim. When reflecting upon RM’s previous solo endeavors such as his mixtape mono. or first LP Indigo, it comes as no surprise to see the profound rapper continuing to explore such contemplative themes.
Other tracks in this week’s Sunday Spin playlist include “Stay By My Side” by TAEIL, “Romantic” by SEKAI NO OWARI, and “ily too” by Takayoshi. Listen to everything mentioned and more, curated by Team EnVi only for you on Spotify.
Want more of the latest releases? Check out our previous Sunday Spin here!
