D-2 auditory journey - a rambling thread

Listening to the mixtape with a second set of headphones. The nuances in every track are astounding. If you’ve not heard Yoongi’s sharp inhale at the start of his verse and his whispers in harmony with Adora, you’re not getting the full experience https://open.spotify.com/track/0SJ7vFES0Lj6pnumh3DhCe?si=LDBLMTPvQcaUFz4hQX-Wug

This. THIS deserves multiple replays with headphones on. Already had a super focused run of it on Saturday with headphones, but this time its with knowledge from multiple reaction videos explaining the traditional korean instruments and their placement https://open.spotify.com/track/0H4ugk6rhnXmTl47ayy9O5?si=1BcS6tCUSKO3Tb7sjcnKtw

I can’t stop hearing the vocal “piiiing” and breathy moans behind Joon’s verse. I’m obsessed. Namgi really rolled out a song more layered than a Monte Cristo sandwich and I am DEVOURING IT, one play at a time. https://open.spotify.com/track/4KjASaPtCvRJ4YArYpz6je?si=VAVQ3eI2R3-hDcqU6zf-6Q

I FELT the auditory layers translate into visuals here. It feels like you’re drowning, struggling for air, alone. But then 0:56 vocals+a sonic whale-ish sound(?) transforms it into more of an “underwater journey”, sunlight filtering in through the waves https://open.spotify.com/track/5Ncjypx5upZS5ZZTaqUzIf?si=QISY94tISJ2JdkQrh4jEYw

THIS is exactly how Honsool makes me feel. Uneasy, still underwater, but gradually less anxious and more in control with better world vision.

This is also an accurate visual of how 28 makes me feel, lyrically. More on that soon.

This is the familiar, classic rapping style of Yoongi. What really got me is the underlying beat and how it peaks and dips. Especially love how the faint jazzy undertone amps up at 1:48. I wish I knew the technical name for that beat but https://open.spotify.com/track/5uHrWZqndnheP1qtYr6xGC?si=4EyE4AesTi2K29Gcmr4DFg

SO MUCH HAPPENING but in total harmony. Dude that repeated engine rev and screech overlapped with what sounds like his favorite 808 kick and snare combo, is literal art. https://open.spotify.com/track/3i8GllbdGuwIXaVrlIoE0r?si=Cdk6o6EZSJSooGNpfF08gQ

I have zero technical musical knowledge. All I know is from obsessing over BTS and (to some extent) Eminem’s music. But the combination of Yoongi’s gritty beat for WDYT and his oscillating rapping tonal change (insert classic Yoongi squeak) is

Call me crazy but the little click up until 0:16 almost sounds like striking a match to light it up. And don’t even get me started on his own vocal doubling. As if the classic ˢᵘᵍᵃ wasn’t enough on BTS tracks he’s whispering whole verses INTO MY FUCKING EAR BASS BOOSTED. +

+ Eargasms are real. Listen to that whole doubling section and tell me you didn’t have the most liberating experience. Max’s vocals are such a fucking genius touch. Lights Down Low, move tf out of my way, this is my fav set of Max vocals now https://open.spotify.com/track/0x25VdiFOIBl1epNer9L3w?si=RuJDE5F0TSycEBzBgKnNxw

Firstly, the placement of the interlude is perfect. Lyrically, the “i need solitude” vibe of Honsool transitioning to “set me free” is hauntingly beautiful.

The birds chirping at the onset gave me visuals almost instantly when I heard it on day one + https://open.spotify.com/track/3wS2dXzQw58b1e3AR8YStR?si=QWKGJ6pHRfOsz68Dn-ZAuw

+ A few hours of night at hotels are the only reprieve they get before a new day begins. I think the birds gave me more of a “sunlit hotel room” vibe than the literal “wings to set me free” vibe.

It’s a perfect stop gap to refocus our ears on the overall playlist, functioning as a true interlude. Like Joon once said, the placement of tracks is deliberate for musicians.

EL CAPITXN and Yoongi? Bound to be a fantastic listen. Honestly didn’t find too much of a difference from my day one listen + https://open.spotify.com/track/4bTID1qPjca9WuTZGkGRKE?si=N6ASV-_4SGa2c2KBH3mNqA

+ It’s a fairly consistent composition, but the clockwork rhythm lends to the overall theme of gradually accepting the transition to adulthood and the questions that come with it. The “what else is there left to do to be an adult?” in your late 20s is relatable af for me

The lullaby intro is already booming in my ears but there’s so much to unpack. It’s a melancholy audio, even if you don’t read the lyric translations + https://open.spotify.com/track/5qJF3xMbNjsPuqQDRkfUl1?si=LHJ9VWMqQn2kzlBi58jdiA

+ At points where it’s just his rap and the piano, it slowly moves to a higher key as he recalls the day of his friend’s release. It almost seems like the pain/anger is reflected in the piano notes. A lot of underlying emotions, for obvious reasons. But I’ll leave it at that.

Damn, the mood change from the first to the last tweet on this thread. Yoongi really took us on a journey, lyrically and musically.