why side effects is a musical masterpiece; a thread by a producer/musician

I'm sick of seeing people constantly shit on this flawless track so I have to speak out.

also I will only be discussing the actual instrumental + the ocasional melody. no lyrics, since I don't speak korean.

let's begin with the intro: a reversed piano to set a creepy, yet intense mood. it's very a very tranquil start; you don't expect what's coming.

next is the chorus (yes this is the chorus). the production makes it seem like it's a verse, which will be useful later on in the song. there are two vocal layers, both one octave apart. they're joined give "depth" . this part is hyped and intense, but it's a faux build up.

here's the true build up. it's simple, yet powerful. it's just the bass and soft vocals. both start low, but get increasingly louder. then the snares and riser come in + the aggressive rap. finally, the scream to top it off. it gets incredibly intense, in a short amount of time.

keep in mind, they've already switched up the mood and pacing of the song three times, and it's only been 45 seconds.

the break: the same bass, now a lot harder, hitting out of beat with the kick. they play around with the bass and its EQ so it doesn't get repetitive. then in come some muffled claps and a riser. even in the "drop", they manage to make it a build up to the next part. insane.

the chorus again, this time with a completely different feel to it. the same piano from the intro, but different chords. the low octave vocals are gone. the melody is the same in both halves, so in the 2nd, they add a hihat and the piano is clearer so again, it's not repetitive.

new sounds! the post chorus. another build up. the piano stays, now being played a lot faster. the marching drums are muffled, but the riser makes up for the lack of kicks and snares. once again, a fake out. notice how the vocals get increasingly louder and more aggressive?

the same true buildup as before, but they completely changed the vocals. 2 brand new raps over the same instrumental as last time, plus an extra measure right at the very end. they're doing everything they can so the song doesn't get repetitive, and it's working.

now here's where it starts to get interesting. this 2nd break gets a snare hitting every other beat, and a new riser. both elements you weren't really expecting. you thought it would be the same "drop" didn't you?

the bridge: the exact same piano from the intro, same chords. does it sound like the intro? no. why? there's a rap now, and a snap every other beat + a hihat that eventually comes in. those two make up for the fact that the flow of the rap is the same, but the vocals get louder.

the exact same post chorus. the "RRRRRRAAHH" is gone. it's those little details that prevent the song from getting old and repetitive. there are 2 extra measures at the end. they're another "meori apeuda" but this one's much lower, and at half the time of the others. unexpected.

the song keeps adding small details you may not even notice are there if you're not actively listening out for them, but it's those elements that keep the song fresh with each new section, even if it's the same as a previous one.

last break. a snare + crash to start it off, and a high synth that has the same pattern as the bass, but 3 octaves up. surprise! there's a second synth, that slowly climbs up, and it's then at a full octave higher. it then climbs back down. one big crash to finish it all off.

in conclusion: it's not noise. there are things called artistic choices and genres. skz made it on purpose. not everything is bubblegum pop. it's psytrance. as cliché as this may sound, it IS meant to give you a headache. that's the hook of the song after all. "meori apeuda".

so please stop shitting on this incredible song that hits insanely hard that is just as valid as your generic pop track. you don't get to dismiss and invalidate an entire genre and group of musicians, just because it's not something you're not used to.

side effects is a fantastic song. it may not fit your particular taste, and that's completely fine and valid. we're all different, and music is subjective. but that doesn't mean you get to belittle it. if you don't like it, simply don't listen to it. it's really that easy.

sorry if this was a bit overwhelming! if you want me to further explain something to you, don't hesitate to dm me, and I'll do my best to clear up any doubts you may have.

thanks for reading until the end! here's my obligatory fancam plug, appropriately a side effects one lmao

show this thread to antis when they get brave lmao