[Music Review] Take it easy, no stress: CHUNG HA is back with EP ‘Alivio’
CHUNG HA navigates a rollercoaster of emotions in her new EP Alivio.
CHUNG HA. Image: More Vision Entertainment
CHUNG HA has returned after a well deserved break with her first EP, Alivio, released under her new label, More Vision.
The Spanish word “alivio” translates to “comfort” and “relief,” and the EP reveals CHUNG HA’s intimate thoughts, whilst touching on her creative burnout and struggle with stress. In an interview with Vulture, the 29-year-old artist said that she wanted to give her listeners a record where they can simply relax and “take it easy.”
As the artist teases in the Alivio mood sampler, ‘This is me opening up another new chapter to a whole new journey,’ and the EP focuses on a new adventurous sound for CHUNG HA.
Whilst House music is not a new genre in CHUNG HA’s repertoire, there’s something so deliciously exciting in hearing her entire album, especially the title track “STRESS,” making use of prominent House production elements.
“STRESS,” sends a strong message: ‘We can break it through, let me see you groove // Baby, no stress.’ The track is perfect to listen to as you start a busy day of work, setting the tone and giving you the mindset to conquer anything.
In the music video, CHUNG HA can be seen talking people through breathing exercises as she sings: ‘When you're ready, I'll be right around,’ a message to HAARTs (the name given to CHUNG HA’s fandom) all around the world.
CHUNG HA has long been known for her incredible choreography, in particular introducing voguing in her dance sequences. For her title track, she collaborated with none other than the queen of voguing in South Korea, Love Ran (who interestingly used to be her teacher when CHUNG HA was training).
The EP’s opening song “Creepin’” explores being overwhelmed by your emotions: ‘I feel it creepin' (knock, knock, who's there? Make it stop) // Feel it creepin' (I just wanna get on top) // I feel it creepin' (don't care if you love me, love me not).’ The track’s strong bass line (including elements of R&B and House music) coupled with CHUNG HA’s clear yet sultry vocal tone, perfectly conveys the struggle of pushing down your attraction towards someone.
Image: More Vision Entertainment
“Salty,” featuring longtime friend and solo artist Sunmi, is an electro-pop track. The lyrics: ‘Look at me, you see sugar and sweet // Some fire and heat // But a little sour and sad underneath // You think that I don't, but I cry, baby, cry’ reveals the artist clarifying that, beyond her sparkling diva persona on stage, she’s a gentle and sensitive soul that, like us, gets stressed out by the world.
Sunmi’s airy and dreamy vocals blended with CHUNG HA’s clear tone in the chorus: ‘My diamonds are cold, but I'm not made of ice,’ drives home the message that everybody is dealing with something, whether we see it or not.
Following effortlessly from her struggles in “Salty,” the track “Loyal” dives into her need to be able to trust someone. The synth pop track includes the lyrics: ‘Always felt like I // I gotta run away from love // Is there anybody who // Can make me trust? Make me trust,’ describe her hesitancy but simultaneous need to be able to fully trust someone with her heart.
“Beat of My Heart” delves deeper into the emotion of feeling alive, all because of that special someone. CHUNG HA sings: ‘너란 파도 속에 날 빠트려줘 (Let me drown in your waves) // 휩쓸리게 네 영원 속에 (Let me be swept away in your eternity) // 난 electrified (I’m electrified)’ conveying how painful life has been so far, and how being with your “special someone” makes living life electrifying. (English translations by ‘Shadowbyyoongi’.)
Image: More Vision Entertainment
The emotions conveyed in the track “Even Steven (Happy Ending)” shift from being hurt and heartbroken, to the anger that comes from being betrayed.
The phrase “even Steven” is slang, and refers to the idea of “getting even” or “not owing or being owed.” The lyrics: ‘새까맣게 타 들어간 my past (My past is completely burnt) // 똑같이 불태워 줄게, it's even Steven (I’ll burn you just the same, it’s even Steven)’, are an example of the artist expressing how she’s letting go of her past. (English translations by ‘Shadowbyyoongi’.)
“Thanks for the memories” is a breath of fresh air from the rollercoaster of heartbreak and anger that listeners have so far heard throughout the album. The lyrics: ‘Thanks for the memories // We had a good run // We used to be happy // Thought you were the one // I'll always be grateful // It wasn't all bad // Oh, so thanks for all the memories, but now // You ain't gotta worry 'bout me’ represent the artist’s epiphany that regardless of how the relationship ended, she’s thankful for the memories she has, and that she’ll be fine in whatever avenue she decides to pursue.
Sampling Vivaldi’s “Spring (La Primavera),” the EP’s closing track “Still a Rose” shows CHUNG HA sharing the finality she realized during her journey of healing, which ushers in a new era in her life. CHUNG HA acknowledges that ‘I got some shit I've (been through), I been hit, I (been pruned) // But you bet I'm still the best kind.’
Overall, Alivio is everything that CHUNG HA promises: a place to process your own feelings and find solace in acceptance, and a chance to look forward to your own future whilst leaving behind the stress of your past.
The EP is available for streaming on all platforms.
Edited by Megan Affonso.
