Rather than contain my “Risers and Fallers” feature to a single post in June, I’m going to share a bite-sized version at the end of each month. This will let me account for more songs and make a nice lead-in to the monthly round-up post.
I anticipate most of these ratings adjustments will be negligible: a 0.5 shift here, a 0.25 shift there. But, it’s a fun way to keep track of how my feelings on songs have changed over time – as well as which tracks currently have momentum on my playlist.
And remember, just because a song is marked as a “faller” doesn’t mean I hate it! Falling from a “9” to an “8.75” is no shame. 9+ rated songs occupy a totally different playlist in my music library, so I’m pretty particular about what qualifies. It’s a high bar.
This month’s feature covers the period from July 23rd to August 19th.
RISERS
Dignity – Cool Down
Rating: 8 → 8.5 *Biggest (only?) Riser*
FALLERS
ARrC – S&S (Sour & Sweet)
Rating: 7.75 → 7.25 *Biggest Faller*
Celest1a – Panda
Rating: 8.25 → 8
ENHYPEN – Brought The Heat Back
Rating: 8.75 → 8.5
IVE – Crush
Rating: 8.5 → 8.25
RIIZE – Lucky
Rating: 8.75 → 8.5
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
*gasps* Riize? A faller? Guys, your group is called Riize, not Faall, do what your group name says! (Don’t mind the joke, I was waiting for a while to use it)
Anyways, my risers would be:
1. Roll Up (Blackswan)- 6.75 (7, 7, 7, 6) to 7 (7, 7, 8, 6)
2. Supersonic (fromis_9)- 8.25 (9, 8, 8, 8) to 8.5 (9, 8, 9, 8)
3. Dummy (ARrC)- 7.75 (6, 9, 8, 8) to 8 (7, 8, 9, 8) (yes, the individual aspects are tweaked a little)
And fallers:
1. Pose! (Lightsum)- 7.5 (7, 8, 8, 7) to flat 7
2. Ice Cream (Jeon Somi)- 7 (flat) to 6 (7, 5, 6, 6)
3. S&S (ARrC)- 7.75 (7, 9, 8, 7) to 7.5 (6, 9, 8, 7) (the wee woo chorus really grinds my gears)
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Also, it’s funny how it went from you initially giving Brought The Heat Back a 8.5 to then giving it a 8.75 and now giving it a 8.5 again
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I’ve been playing Enhypen’s latest album quite frequently and I notice that Your Eyes Only only sounds better with every listen. The ‘sugar talk’ motif and hook is really clever and quite addictive. I think as a overall body of work, it may be one of their most cohesive and strongest, although the songs by themselves don’t stand out too much besides Moonstruck and BTHB (and finding out that it fell for you is quite interesting). My ranking for the album tracks as of now goes something like:1. Moonstruck2. Your Eyes Only3. Brought the Heat Back4. XO5. Paranormal6. Hundred Broken Hearts7. Highway 10098. Royalty (this has grown on me recently too)
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I think Lucky has just been stable for me personally. I initially didn’t rate it that much, an 8.5, and it’s been the same since. It’s just gives me a nice, feel good groove. Nothing too spectacular, but it’s a welcomed song in my playlist.
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Yep, I definitely still like it but the RIIZE brand caused me to overrate it by just a bit on first impression.
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By that do you mean that it originally benefitted from being a continuation of their sound ?
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Yeah and just the general goodwill I have toward them based upon what they’ve released so far.
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So when you look back on songs, the artists’ trajectory affects how you experience the songs? I believe I remember in your re-evaluation of ‘My First and Last’ and ‘Without You’ you mentioned a sentiment on the same vein. Sort of like looking back when the artists’ prospects were more exciting at the time (from a personal preference/perspective), than what they went to become? I was curious when I initially read those songs’ introspectives, and this seems like the best time/conversation to ask about it.
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Meant to write ‘retrospectives’ I read of introspective
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Everything’s so contextual. A song can definitely benefit (and often does) from coming after a big breakthrough or highlight. It’s like when a movie becomes a huge success and then, when its sequel is released, the initial success of that second movie is multiplied just because people loved its predecessor so much. Often, the sequel isn’t actually as good. The box office drops off much quicker and it’s not remembered with the same affection as the original.
I don’t know if that’s the best analogy, but it’s my way of saying that a song may initially be rated higher because it’s been released in the context of a group or sound I’m very excited about at the moment. Then, after a few months or a year, the song settles into a lower rating because the music has had time to separate from that initial excitement.
The opposite can also be true, of course. Judging solely from the music, I might not be as enamored with a song initially. But if that song goes on to become a sensation and develop a sort of iconic status in culture, it’s easy to get swept up in that. This happens pretty often, too.
I don’t know if any of this long response actually answered your question (lol), but it is something I think about a lot as a fan.
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