There was a time when Bae Suzy’s presence felt inescapable in K-pop. As a member of girl group Miss A and a very popular actress, her career straddled multiple facets of the Korean entertainment industry, earning her the title of “The Nation’s First Love.” She’s still a notable presence in dramas, but it’s been four years since Suzy last released music. New single Satellite breaks that dry spell in a surprising way.
Suzy’s solo work has always felt chameleon-like, flirting between genres without finding one that really stuck. I’m partial to her 2017 single Yes No Maybe, which reminds me a bit of my favorite pop star, Janet Jackson. Since then, Suzy’s music has trended toward coffee shop sounds. Satellite would also make a fine soundtrack for sipping coffee, but it has an alt-rock edge that helps it stick out. Recorded largely in English, the song feels lifted right from the 90’s. Its grungy aesthetic is instantly nostalgic.
Suzy’s vocals take on a soft, slurred presence that adds to Satellite’s ambient appeal. Taken alongside the instrumental, this pairing results in a sound that’s at once ethereal and impenetrable. Gritty guitar drives things forward, ornamented by wispy synth and soft – almost lo-fi – percussion. It’s not a style I go out of my way to seek out, but I appreciate Satellite’s desire to do something a little different. More than anything, I picture this song as an engaging OST for a moody, angst-filled drama. It does a remarkable job conjuring those sort of images.
Hooks | 8 |
Production | 8 |
Longevity | 8 |
Bias | 7 |
RATING | 7.75 |
Yes, I can hear the nostalgia. This brings me back to the “time before kids” = the late 90’s early 00’s when the rocker chick fronting the band band was popular on the US radio such as the Cranberries, No Doubt, and Garbage era.
For what it is, it is well done.
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Contente de son nouveau tube c est l image de Suzy paroles tendres harmonieuses une belle mélancolie moi cette chanteuse et actrice j en suis fan et pourquoi elle est humble tu n as pas besoin d être a l affiche comme certains tu possèdes tout pour aller plus haute tu es déjà une étoile de ciné
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Still my favorite era of music! Shirley Manson is a goddess.
This was not what I expected from Suzy and I was pleasantly suprise. I found the MV pretty boring but I’ve never really engaged with modern dance.
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Darling daughter loves the Purple Kiss song “Zombie” from last autumn. I must admit that often when it was on in the car I sang Zaaaah-BAY! in the Dolores style.
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There was a time in the late 90’s when I was rocking Garbage’s Version 2.0 and Hole’s Celebrity Skin back-to-back, relentlessly. Two incredible albums.
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Zombie, Celebrity Skin, When I Grow Up, so many amazing songs! The 2000s were really missing amazing female rockers
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i was coming into this expecting it to be a sappy OST-like ballad but hey i’m pleasantly surprised! a ballad would have been playing it safe so i’m glad suzy decided to experiment a little
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it grew on me a lot, make me feel nostalgia in a beautiful way, it’s great to create an atmosphere and i appreciate that
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