Playlist #21: Prelude? What prelude?
Here's another hour of languid (and, again, French) stuff because it's going to get really frantic and I need to destress myself before I am allowed to destress myself.
The one song I’ve been playing over and over again the past month is April’s “April Story”.
I’m not sure either. Okay, I know why. I’ve always liked that song. April was one of those Korean girl groups that was doing fine but wasn’t blessed with the luck of having that one break-out hit. They were girly, which probably didn’t fly at a time when the “girl crush” concept was coming together and folks like Mamamoo and GFriend (and I don’t mention both groups because I’m biased towards them) were starting to gain traction for not being your typical girl groups.
And yet it’s the more… wait, do we call “April Story” girly? It is a winter song, so there’s a fair bit of orchestra in there, but there’s also propulsive percussion underneath—very much a nod to GFriend’s “Rough”. Sure, there’s choreography, but there’s almost always choreography, and you don’t make viral dance covers out of this one. The visual concept is pretty cutesy. The theme is pretty girly. And yet I really, really like it.
I apparently didn’t say much about why I was attracted to the song when I first wrote about it on the old music blog back in 2017. I did note that it shared a bittersweet note with “The Blue Bird”, which April released a year later and follows the same template: a lush song with an unusual structure. Maybe? I wasn’t listening to it then while moping around; while I have reasons to be sad now, I wasn’t listening to this over and over because of what I feel.
Maybe it’s what I felt? Maybe it’s because the song made me feel really fuzzy the first time, and continued to do so despite repeated plays? I don’t mean to sound technical. I can’t really describe it, but here it is. “April Story”, another one of those songs several K-pop fans would call “underrated”.
As for April, well, despite being under DSP Media—a label we most know for Kara but was kind of past its heyday—they couldn’t quite break out, despite moving towards some vaguely 80s-inspired pop in their later releases. It was bullying allegations from a former member that did them in, although I’m certain it’s also because RBW—the Mamamoo folks—bought the agency and wanted a clean-ish slate.
It’s really weird being the guy that spouts this context without looking it up (too much) prior. Truly, the third generation is my era, and I am an old man.
Anyway, the funny thing about this month’s playlist is how it’s kind of a carbon copy of the two that preceded it. Very French radio influences, again. There’s a bit of good pop-rock on either end of the hour—see, , I did fit “Earthquake Room” in here!—but for the most part it’s a lot of hazy, languid stuff. Take this song “Les vagues”, released last year by singer-songwriter Marine Quéméré. It just washed over me and did not let go. I mean, I dare you.
Cue the same old questions about how the French tend to do these songs more than other people. Is it their language? Is it how breathy their language can be? Is it how romantic beaches are to those who live in non-tropical countries? (I mean, this song isn’t totally about the beach, but it does fit in there—and I say this as a guy who does not typically like going to the beach.) Whatever. I think I’m lost in this song again as I write this. Hold on one second.
Okay. The easiest answer, really, is that August has been really busy, and September is going to be busier. If you’ve been following the Once Monthly since the beginning you’d know this is the busiest time of my professional calendar. (The parallel here is how I listened to one AKB48 song over and over to cope.) Somehow, I haven’t been able to cope as well this year than before—and to think two years ago I was in the thick of it—because… is it because I’m older? Is it because I expect more of myself? Is it because I’m just not juggling everything else as well as I should? Why does it have to be my fault?
So it’s back to the languid stuff. A really pretty track from Quebecois singer-songwriter Shaina Hayes. Another Canadian act, the Ottawa-bred Pony Girl, with a song that really should get all that tension off your system. A song from Unique’s latest album Daisy—which I finally listened to (thanks to last month’s Plaka Note) despite warnings from well-meaning friends that it’s quite triggering. “Panahon” is very Alan Parsons, so it’s comforting, until you realize it’s about you grappling with all that wasted time when a relationship ends… damn it.
By the time this playlist is live, everything should be winding down, and one hopes I can finally relax. I’m writing this at the beginning of the month, though, so who knows? Well, what I do know is that there will be a Plaka Note on 27 September, and another playlist on 11 October. I wonder how that will sound. I guess you’ll see clues on my social media channels, or you can influence things a wee bit by shooting an email to nicksyoncemonthly@gmail.com. Maybe.
On this playlist
Nature—“내가 좀 예뻐 (I’m So Pretty)”
I’m So Pretty (2019)Sofia Ford—“Sleep With Me Tonight”
single release (2024)Bea and Her Business—“Good Things”
Me vs Me (2024)Olivia Rafferty—“Earthquake Room”
Typical Forever (2025)Rhonda—“Strange You Never Knew”
Forever Yours (2023)Unique—“Panahon”
Daisy (2023)Pony Girl—“Wannabe”
Laff It Off (2023)Shaina Hayes—“Early Riser”
Kindergarten Heart (2024)Michael Kiwanuka—“Floating Parade”
single release (2024)Juliette Armanet—“Cool Cat” (Juliette Armanet version)
Petite amie (Live and Bonus) (2018)Marie-Pierre Arthur—“Paradis”
single release (2024)Marine Quéméré—“Les vagues”
Bande annonce (2024)Lusaint—“Sweet Tooth”
single release (2024)Teen Daze—“Back Yard” (featuring Andy Shauf and Sam Wilkes)
Elegant Rhythms (2024)Pearl & the Oysters—“Side Quest”
Planet Pearl (2024)Kenaniah—“Bahala Na”
Kenaniah (2023)April—“봄의 나라 이야기” (April Story)
Prelude (2017)