release radar '25

I don't even need to check my last.fm scrobbles to know ARTMS will be one of my most played artists of the year. Since each of the girls have rolled out new singles, I've decided to write up my thoughts on each of them!

<Love Poison> by Haseul

Haseul has such a gorgeous voice, my goodness. This is a very mellow and dream-like citypop song. Perfect to listen to at night with your drink of choice or going for a late-night drive around the city like you're Ryan Gosling in the intro cinematic to Drive (2011).

If you're a citypop enjoyer, I highly recommend Haseul's previous solos, Fragile Eyes and Plastic Candy . My personal favourite of the bunch is Fragile Eyes! I'd really love for Haseul to get a solo album someday, with the typical graphic design to match - cool anime/synthwave art. Take notes, Modhaus.

The chances of this would be slim, but I'd also really love for Haseul to experiment with some 70s style music, especially folk music. I think she has the perfect voice for that too!

Can You Entertain? by Kim Lip

Getting into the Odd Eye Circle solos now, starting with Kim Lip who delivers a punchy, 80s inspired track. This is her first solo since Eclipse from her Loona days, and I think it really shows how far she has come as a performer.

Every time I hear Kim Lip sing, I am reminded of this iconic Kim Lip post:

It's true! Kim has one of those unique, bright qualities to her voice that makes her perfect for pop music. To me, she's in the same calibre as the likes of Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and BoA, who all have distinct voices that can make any song sound good!

My only real complaint here (and this is my one hang up across all three of the new Odd Eye Circle singles) is that this song has the same issue as a lot of the current pop music in that it really does not leave you room to breathe. This isn't just an issue in kpop but it is especially prevalent in most releases this year.

I'm not one of those people who fusses on whether or not idols are lip syncing or singing live during performances, but when listening to a studio version of a song, I still want to soak in the melodies! I suppose it's noticeable for someone like myself who is largely a 2nd gen kpop fan. Sometimes I miss when songs are over 3 minutes long and there's actually breaks between the verses.

That said, I love that Kim Lip is trying something new here. She sounds good, and I love the attitude! GIMME THAT LIP!

Ring of Chaos by Jinsoul

Next up is 'Ring of Chaos' by Jinsoul, which is a 90s inspired hip-hop/rnb track that is really bright and fun! Also, this may be the most bias-wrecking thumbnail I've ever seen in my life. Love to see that classic pretty-girl-doing-a-look-back-slow-motion-shot.

Out of the Odd Eye Circle singles, Ring of Chaos is my favourite of the three. I'm not surprised as I'm heavily biased towards 90s music - the entire decade had such a formative impact on me growing up as one of those kids in music class who was finding 'their sound' beyond the classic rock upbringing I had. It definitely found me at the right time, given I'm dealing with a lot of stress and hardship in my personal life, so I want something uplifting to keep me going.

In the true spirit of 90s music, 'Ring of Chaos' is a grower in the way that it's catchy upon first listen, but it's very addictive. It's so easy to find myself putting this song on repeat for over an hour, without even realising. Or, that could just be a me problem, because I famously listened to Hanson's MMMBop over 3000 times to prove a point. Several of my bsky followers can confirm this did happen even though I've lost the itunes logs for it. Please do not ask me if I am okay.

Anyway, Jinsoul looks like she's having the time of her life in this music video and I'm honestly here for it. It's wonderful to see how much her confidence has improved over time, too and she is absolutely stylin' in that Tommy Hilfiger outfit. Of course, you have to listen to her first single, Singing' In The Rain . It's a classic.

Pressure by Choerry

Rounding out the last of the Odd Eye Circle solos with my bias, Choerry, pulling from that realm of 00s nostalgic soundscape that encompasses multiple genres but gives them a 'fresh', yet subdued vibe.

I definitely hear the similarities to ILLIT's Magnetic, but I am not going to pit beautiful women against each other because I am a simple person and love both songs :)

This is probably my favourite out of the music videos so far, because it's so perfect for Choerry as well. It has a sweet, bubblegum vibe, heavily contrasted by that chaotic energy we've come to know and love since Love Cherry Motion .

I'm sure lore experts will be able to explain the Virtual Angel connections and what not but for me, go Choerry! Go commit crimes and wreck havoc with that katana and that hot pink gun!

It's a huge shame my favourite cult music label, Posh Isolation, closed down because I know if Croatian Amor ever saw this he would be calling Choerry on the phone immediately to do some aura farming in the city whilst wearing angel wings and cool synth music plays which is his entire brand and I eat it up every time.

Yeah, this was fun!

sAvioR by Heejin

The most recent single is 'sAvioR' by Heejin, a post-grunge inspired rock track. Heejin is like one of the Bratz Rock Angelz brought to life and I love everything about that.

I mentioned earlier that I'm partial towards 90s music, especially grunge, because that was the music I discovered on my own and really fell in love with. So when I heard that Heejin was releasing a grunge inspired song, I was immediately intrigued.

The first listen in my car was a little bit jarring, but I think it grew on me. I don't mind the distorted vocals, in fact I was actually hoping they'd be a lot messier! I'd actually love to see Heejin go further, with heavier chords and reach into that really angsty, gritty post-grunge/early 00s rock vibes, or even reach into some rock ballads too! Give her a song like Evanescence, Flyleaf, Pinkshift or even Paramore - I think she could do any of these!

I really love this growth for her. It's fun to look back on the sweet and cute style of her first acoustic single, ViVid , and later the rock version of Algorithm . In my greed, I would love a full rock album from Heejin. Or, even better, a band concept album from ARTMS, which is such a pipe dream, but one can dream of the re-invention of band concept Wonder Girls.

The point is we need to let beautiful women play instruments :) I'm also tossing in Sunmi's 'Noir' band version for the road.

See you next time!