is this avril lavigne?? | with hillie

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-, 6 december, 2O21 . . .

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hello, hello!   i am excited to present

to you   today's   blog that is a   (yet

another) collab with my dear friend

hillie. as we both noticed that there

have been quite a few songs recen-

tly that we   labeled as   "making me

feel   13 again" songs,   we tried   to

create a   playlist with   that kind of

vibe in mind.   our main inspiration

while   picking songs   was the one

and only avril lavigne but the overall

theme was a sort of pop rock/rock/

pop punk sort of feel. so i hope you

enjoy!

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O1. young k | not gonna love . . .

-, hillie

No words. Simply no words. This song, this whole album, feels so nostalgic while also feeling so new and fresh. Also like while I could definitely link this song to just the poprock boy band sound, this honestly reminds me of late 2000s young adult/teen films? Like this could definitely be a song that’s played when there is a montage or maybe during the credits. Also also can we take a moment for Younghyun’s vocals. Like the way he switches between the different tones and textures, like going from the chorus to the verse, bro no. That’s too much for my heart to take. Notice also that this song also has that sort of foward movement, which is mayhaps one of the main things for me when it comes to poprock, like it should make me feel like I’m running for it to be a proper poprock bop. Anyway, I’m counting days for the next Day6 comeback or for more of this Younghuyn solo goodness. Currently, we’re at D-492 so… Brb, I’m crying.

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O2. enhypen | attention please . . .

-, pepe

someone could tell me this is part of disney’s “camp rock” soundtrack and honestly,, i would probably believe them. i loved the “camp rock” songs and i love this song a bit too much as well. it’s one of my favorite side tracks this year and i’m not sure if it’s because, like many songs in this blog, it makes me feel like a kid again, or if it’s because of how much energy it has. how singing along to it i can just feel all the frustration getting shouted out and leaving my body. as someone who enjoys rock quite a lot, this pop rock kind of sound truly knew how to pull my heartstrings and win me over. the guitar is probably what really makes it for me. it pulls us into the song and then leads us through the rest of it – through the chorus that explodes with energy and the guitar break nearing the end. the whole song is packed with so much energy. so much liveliness and youthfulness. a feel good song that is here to start a ionate fire in anyone listening.

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O3. younha | 비밀번호486 . . .

-, hillie

This one is a bit different perhaps than all of the other songs on here because this is not what I would call idol music, like (most of) the other songs. Younha is more of a singer-songwriter than an idol, and she is mostly known for piano rock and poprock stuff like this bop. Another thing to be noted is that this song was actually released in 2007 and actually a song that I listened to when I was around 13/14yo, so like, my teenage experience of poprock cannot get more authentic than this. I love how bright her tone is but how the whole song still feels so balanced because of the bass and crunchy guitar. Imagine this as an OST for some late 2000s kdrama or, once again, teen film. I can completely see it, it fits so well. Also the mv is so 2000s, I love it.

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O4. winner | immature . . .

-, pepe

winner and rock influenced songs always be hitting a lil differently. hearing them my mood always gets an instant boost. my lifespan gets another couple of extra years. and my non-existent crops get hydrated and livelier as well. the point is – i love them a lot. and “immature” doesn’t just take a bit of the rock influences. no, no. it gets really dedicated to the goal of creating a fun pop rock song and spoiler alert – it managed to achieve it as well. we can hear the guitar loud and clear, the drums and bass also make the point that they’re there. and they’re accompanied with a bunch of other little sounds and elements that add some extra quirkiness to the overall sound. and then on top of all of that we get winner – their various vocal tones that fit right into the genre, their playfulness and excitement as they sing it. all of it together simply comes together to make perfect harmony. and create an energetic and playful song that is sure to stick in one’s mind.

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O5. golden child | ytmob . . .

-, hillie

This song makes me think of early 5sos or something like that, there’s something about the guitar and the singing. Especially the end of the chorus makes me think of poprock boy bands. But then there are also more kpop elements like the high-pitched thing in the prechorus or the bridge. The changes keep it interesting but it’s still coherent enough for it to work. This is a song that could have played on the radio back in the day. Also random but I think that this song, while having been released in the late autumn, goes well with all seasons, like you could blast this during winter or summer and it would make sense, unlike some other songs which are like very wintery or very summery. Sigh, this makes me miss the Genie era but also the time when I used to listen to boy bands that did music like this.

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O6. golden child | bottom of

the ocean. . .

-, pepe

hearing this song for the first time i was catapulted straight into the wonderful time where i was growing from a child to a teenager. this strong wave of emotions washed over me, leaving me happy and my heart warm, as i felt like i was thirteen again for the three minutes it lasted. the guitar in the beginning already punched me in the gut with all the memories but the moment they started to sing was what really sealed the deal. this entire song gives me such strong early one direction vibes. it’s literally the distant cousin of “what makes you beautiful” and i will not be proven differently. the whole thing is a bunch of fun and playful vibes that create a fresh summery atmosphere and easily put anyone in a good mood. it makes me feel like a dumb kid again that deals with problems that to me now seem trivial as it carries a whole lot of nostalgia with every note. for everyone who grew up with one direction and wishes to go back to those simpler times, even if it’s for a few moments, i strongly recommend this song.

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O7. txt | dear sputnik . . .

-, hillie

I’m honestly still not over this era. Like everything on this freaking album is giving me life, but especially this song. I love the guitar sample thing, and how it contrasts to the top line. And I really really love the chorus like how on earth is this making me feel so nostalgic and warm. And omg, the guitar part in the bridge with the vocals, the texture contrast there is chef’s kiss honestly. This song is interesting to me because it’s compeletely a pop song when it comes to the structure and stuff, but then at the same time the singing style and all of the random small details make it so punkish? Also just a random side note, although the song references just Sputnik as in the satellite, the title always makes me think of Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart, which also features some discussion on the themes of love and belonging like Dear Sputnik does, although from a bit of a different perspective perhaps. But anyway, it’s a huge bop, that is my final judgement.

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O8. onewe | regulus . . .

-, pepe

this year i have finally decided to stop being a fool and appreciate onewe’s music. they have so many good songs that make my soul overflow with emotions and this one especially really knows how to shoot bullets right through my heart. the atmosphere of the song overall feels very heavy but somehow listening to it i always feel really light. it carries a lot of power but not in a way that there’s some heavy drop or intense beat. there’s a very strong emotional impact. it has a great build up – from a peaceful and soft start, where barely any instrumentation can be heard and we have the focus on yonghoon’s voice, to some more dynamic parts. for me i’d even say that the verses have a bit more impact in the first part of the song. the chorus feels more so like it’s trying to calm a storm, ease a broken soul. until we reach the final one, where everything just explodes. and this sort of comfort the melodies and their voices create can be felt in the entire body.

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O9. seventeen | 2 minus 1 . . .

-, hillie

As said by Shua himself, this song has major Avril Lavigne vibes. But then at the same time, it also has a boyband feel. Like this takes me back to the late 2000s/early 2010s when poprock was really popping off. But yes, the vibes are immaculate and not to mention the lyrics with the mixture of not caring and angst, like wow, really hits close to home for the past 13yo me. But yes, my absolute favourite thing about this song is Vernon’s long line in the second verse like holy heck, that’s so powerful??? Also just like Vernon in general. I have really been loving Vernon this year. More Vernon, especially Vernon’s singing, please, I’m obsessed. And omg Shua, like I’m quite sure that I won’t have to point out how we got chest voice Shua, like that’s super rare. So rare that I actually did not recognise his voice the few first listens, but only when I ed that this song has only Shua and Vernon but I was certain that the voice in e.g. second prechorus is not Vernon and put two and two together (2 PLUS 2, now there’s an idea for their next unit song).

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1O. hanse | public enemy

ft. jayci yucca . . .

-, pepe

hanse really doing his best to drown me in nostalgia. “public enemy” for me radiates such a strong feeling of familiarity. it creates this sort of safe and comfortable bubble around me, makes me feel like i’m in the comfort of my room no matter where i might be. it has such a bright overall sound that it’s almost like a weird contrast to the lyrics that create a different kind of picture. the song really jumps right into it, as right from the start it’s packed with a lot of energy. we have a little intro that nicely sets the mood before we get hit with hanse’s voice that’s matched with some strong pop punk vibes. this whole song is the type that breathes deeply – lungs filled with life. the type that has its wings spread wide. it radiates so much youthfulness and almost some sort of spitefulness. as if it’s trying to say i’m going to do whatever i want, this is my world and i’m gonna live the way i want in it. a song that feels happy and comforting. a song that feels free.

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11. the volunteers | violet . . .

-, hillie

Let me start off with a statement. YERIN BAEK IS THE SECOND COMING OF AVRIL LAVIGNE, FULL STOP. No counter arguments or anything allowed, that is a factually proven reality, listen to her??? Like omg Listen to her. And listen to this song. Like this song could straight up be from Goodbye Lullaby (my favourite Avril album and the most nostalgic one for me) or something. Gosh, I wish I had the terminology to explain what makes this feel like such an Avril song. It’s the heaviness, the grunginess of it all. But then there’s Yerin’s vocals, so light yet grounded, so delicate yet strong. I love the contasts. Ugh, I just love her and everything she releases and everything the Volunteer’s releases, let me live.

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12. dpr ian | nerves . . .

-, pepe

this song… i feel like there’s so much to say yet i’ve been staring at the blankness with no proper words to type down. “nerves” has a very strong grip on my heart every time i hear it. it builds some kind of heaviness of a bunch of different emotions that are sometimes hard to even explain. it’s the type of song that’s painted with dark colors. one that feels like broken pieces of glass or a night spent wrapped in loneliness. the production it has reflects really well on the feeling it’s trying to convey. for a big part the instrumental feels really faded. as if it’s drowning somewhere in a deep ocean which really let’s us focus on christian’s voice and all the emotions that can be heard in it. his voice also sounds broken. just like the atmosphere of the whole thing. it’s a song with a strong angsty vibe but despite that a lot of comfort can still be found in it.

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13. pentagon | spring snow . . .

-, hillie

I when PTG released this song, I was so surprised because dude, there are actual rock elements in this?? And like the vibe in the chorus with Hui, like yes please, that makes me really feel something. Major poprock boy band vibes. But then there’s the breakdown in the second verse which kinda makes it more kpop. I also really love the like foward pushing feel of the song, which is balanced by the slight moments of silence when the percussion stops and we listeners get a moment to breathe before they throw us straight back into the beat. And then there’s the bridge, which… does things. It honestly still makes me confused whenever I’m listening to it because it goes so many places. But the very last chorus takes us back to the poprock :tm: place, and I love how they decided to play around with the drums in the last chorus, that gives off chaotic energy and I’m here for it. So yeah, in short, 13yo me would be impressed.

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14. woodz | bump bump . . .

-, pepe

listen,, when seungyoun said as a spoiler for “bump bump” that it’s inspired by some 2000s avril lavigne it got me yelling, screaming, crying and going through every other dramatic state. a fun upbeat song with some pop punk elements that’s also matched with youn’s sweet voice takes my ears straight to heaven. it’s everything i ever needed. the instruments are tied into the beat so well and their combination creates a melody that’s filled with so much energy. so much ion and fire that it immediately gets you on your feet and doesn’t let you breath in for a single second. the song creates this feeling of freedom and fulfilment and i absolutely adore it. i love these huge fireworks of colors it paints. how it makes me want to sprint and yell even though i usually despise running. but listening to it running becomes easy. because it makes me feel light like a bubble that’s been set free, with no worries to weigh me down.

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. . . ✿ . . .

and with that you have reached the end of the blog. thank you so much to hillie for doing this with me - it was super fun as always :two_hearts: and thank you to everyone for reading

bye

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