After the re-debut of Odd Eye Circle (Kim Lip, Jinsoul, and Choerry) in July, Heejin’s solo debut, and Haseul’s digital single in October, all the ARTMS girls finally come together to give us their re-debut as five! And the wait was worth it because Devine Love & Live, shortened to Dall, is a magnificent masterpiece and a perfect debut release. Here’s everything you need to know about it!
The Pre-Release singles
Before the album’s official release, ARTMS gave us several tastes of what their sound would be, with different imageries, vibes, musical influences, and music videos, creating the multi-faceted identity of the group. The first song released was ‘Birth,’ which is also the closing track in Dall. ‘Birth’ is the most unique song in the album. This experimental song feels beyond dark, embodying horror and creepiness in music form. And it’s a whole experience in itself and a masterpiece.
The release of ‘Birth’ was followed by a trilogy: ‘Flower Rhythm,’ ‘Candy Crush’ and ‘Air.’ These songs were based on the debuts of Haseul, Heejin, and Odd Eye Circle. ‘Flower Rhythm’ is a dreamy love song inspired by Heejin’s intro song in her mini-album, K, as well as the title track, ‘Algorithm.’ Meanwhile, ‘Candy Crush’ taps on city pop, basing its sound on Haseul’s ‘Plastic Candy.’ Finally, ‘Air’ borrows the most iconic part of Odd Eye Circle’s ‘Air Force One‘ and reinvents it to create a fun and lighthearted song.
‘Virtual Angel’
All these pre-release singles eventually led to the release of Dall and the reveal of the main star of the show: ‘Virtual Angel.’ Pop perfection doesn’t even begin to explain how good this song is. ARTMS embody angels both conceptually and with their vocals and energy when it comes to this song. Its inspiring and hopeful sound makes ‘Virtual Angel’ an absolute pop masterpiece.
One thing ARTMS were able to do with this music video is embody its power and magic perfectly through images. This music video is gorgeous with its mixture of bright and dark lights. Its aesthetic is simply stunning – there are no words to describe it. This is art.
WARNING: The music video contains repeatedly flashing scenes that may cause discomfort, seizures, epilepsy, and similar symptoms. You can watch a version that doesn’t include these flashing scenes posted on ARTMS’ channel here.
Devine: All Love & Live
With all the different singles out, Dall also gave us gems in its b-sides. It’s an entire experience on its own, and we recommend listening to it from A to Z – mostly because ‘url’ is a genius intro track, and its transition to ‘Virtual Angel’ is incredibly satisfying.
‘Sparkle’ is the embodiment of glitter in a song. This bright song has a beat that draws you in and creates a unique atmosphere. Meanwhile, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ is an inspiring song about a new beginning with an incredible production and amazing vocals. It’s one of the songs in Dall that feels very LOONA-adjacent, and we do love to see it.
‘Unf/Air’ is a subtle yet glowy with an addictive beat about being head over heels for someone. It’s full of yearning and love for someone they aren’t sure have as intense feelings as them. On the other hand, ‘Distress’ has a mysterious and dark aura to it. The chorus in this song feels groovy and addictive in a unique way that scratches the right spot of our brain.
Finally, ‘Butterfly Effect’ is the real representation of LOONA‘s musical legacy in ARTMS. This last b-side directly references LOONA‘s iconic song, ‘Butterfly.’ This magical and beautiful song is, in many ways, an ode to how ARTMS came to be, from LOONA to now their birth as five in ARTMS.
This release has been building up ever since last year, and now that it is finally here, we are blown away by it. With one release, ARTMS were able to explore different genres and themes while establishing a unique image for themselves and giving us absolute musical gems. If this is only the first album, nothing can prepare us for how far these girls will go.
What was your favorite pre-release song? What is your favorite track out of Dall? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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