Honestly, coming into this review, I constantly thought of Big Ocean as very different from me despite the fact that, as K-pop idols go, they are perhaps the most like me. Much like me (Emma), the members of Big Ocean are all hard of hearing in some capacity. Formed under Parastar Entertainment, Big Ocean consists of Chanyeon (rapper), PJ (vocalist) and Jiseok (lead dancer) who use sign languages and special technology to perform. And, yes, I said languages plural. Much like any language in the world, sign language varies depending on the language the signer speaks in and there is a version of sign that is used at international events eg. Deaflympics or World Federation of the Deaf to allow quick and easy conversation between people of various nationalities known as International Sign or IS. So while Niamh is learning Irish Sign Language (ISL), Big Ocean has learned Korean Sign Language (KSL) and International Sign; each of which is its own distinct language. The group regularly shows that disabilities (hearing impairment specifically in their case) do not limit their ability to be idols and their success thus far stands as a testament to their dedication and talents. Big Ocean regularly combines their vocals, choreography and sign language to create music that is not only universal but, in its own unique way, quite comforting.
But we aren’t here to discuss different sign languages. No, no. We are here to discuss Big Ocean’s newest EP, THE GREATEST BATTLE, and give our thoughts on the songs, their messages and the production quality. The irony of our reviews is that the person with the hearing impairment is the one who focuses on the music production aspects of the tracks while the person with Dyslexia focuses on lyrics and song writing. We do love to play into our weaknesses and, trust me when I say, the irony isn’t lost on us either. (Niamh thinks this aspect of our reviewing process means we embraced The Greatest Battle’s message perfectly!) Big Ocean’s latest EP was released on March 3rd which, some of you may not know, is World Hearing Day. THE GREATEST BATTLE not only reflects Big Ocean’s journey so far but also tells the universal story of meeting struggles head on and conquering them. The EP consists of eight tracks: four songs and four instrumentals.
Throughout the promotional appearances and interviews for The Greatest Battle each member of Big Ocean has described in detail why this album is important to them. Two clear messages are repeated among these answers. The first is that, with a united front as a group, they believe in fighting against all obstacles in their path to reach their dreams. The second message is, in my opinion, the most important message: they (the members of Big Ocean) will stand with Pado (their fanbase) as they battle and overcome any obstacle they may face. Everyone in the world, at some point in their life, has faced their own battles be it an internal or external one. However, even with keeping this knowledge in mind, I would argue this mini album is specifically for those who have been told they will never amount to anyone of importance because of their limitations.
My reasoning behind this interpretation of ‘The Greatest Battle’ is embedded throughout the album. From the opening sequence of ‘Alive’ to the closing visual symbolism of ‘Cold Moon’ the listener is struck with the visual and auditory reassurance of a step by step recipe of how to believe in one’s self to achieve your goals. From “waking up” one day embracing your limitations as the foundation of achieving your dreams/goals, undergoing an epic battle against those barriers you had put in place without realizing it that dictate what dreams you cannot achieve, followed by choosing to face all challenges head on that in the past stopped you in your tracks to finishing with reflecting in hindsight! The inclusion of the subject topics of the songs to reflect a historical battle from South Korea to the western legends behind the ‘Cold Moon’ Big Ocean not only tells us but shows us no matter what what corner of the world you come from we all thrive to believe that anything is possible once you set your mind to it!
As stated by Emma previously, I (Niamh) focus on the lyrics and personally I will forever hold my hand over my heart as I state: I am a sucker for intriguing symbolism intertwined with an exceptional use of story telling within songwriting. One aspect I am beginning to realize is important when listening to K-Pop genre of music is which sections of the song are sung in English versus which sections are sung in Korean. One may argue the more English a song has, the more universally marketable it may be in countries outside of Asia however, Big Ocean’s latest release proves it is important to understand the sections that the artists have left in their native tongue. I will give examples of this under the section of the songs that are prevalent.
We would just like to say one thing before we start: Big Ocean, 새 미니 앨범 발매를 축하드립니다!
Alive
The intro to the song contains gorgeously layered vocals like the group are aiming for the heavens even with their vocals and announces that Big Ocean is here while undercurrents of the chorus drop us into the first verse. Think of this song as the opening credits of THE GREATEST BATTLE’s soundtrack. The use of heavy bass drums creates a strong rhythm that can be perceived, not only audibly, but physically. Yet when we reach the pre-chorus, the song is allowed to breathe in the space created by the absence of the heavier drumbeat which ties in nicely with the mention of the stars. It alleviates the weight carried by the bassline and these breaks within the track are very much like a deep breath before diving back into the song. There are also strings introduced under the line ‘Just keep going, never lose yourself’ which I feel was a very subtle nod to the song’s gradual progression towards expansion and space. As the song progresses past the halfway point, it blends the steady rhythm of the drumbeat with more airy and lighter vocals so that the finale of the song seems like a wish for freedom or release from what may have been considered confining or even somewhat oppressive.
Lyrically we are starting off with a strong hook to entice the listener into the story being told. ‘Alive’ launches us into the preparation for battle by informing the listener that yes, we are ready to change the world and use our limitations as a superpower. The best way I can explain ‘Alive’ is: it is the lightbulb moment when you decide you are not going to allow anyone or any limitations to stand in your way to reach your desired end goal; you begin to feel ‘Alive’ again and have a new reason to live being the most unapologetic version of yourself. Here at Our Muchness Guide, we sum this feeling up by saying “you found your Muchness again!” With this in mind, I feel ‘Alive’ is going to become the anthem when we need to remind ourselves to embrace who we are when faced with tiring battles and that we are still here and still fighting.
Two sections of this song stood out for me lyrically, funnily enough both sections are sung in Korean. This is the first example of how understanding the message of lyrics is not bound by understanding a language but is influenced by how an artist sings them. My Korean is limited (slowly learning it) so, I apologise in advance if I misinterpreted the lyrics. The first example is ‘어제와는 다른 내게’ – (I’m different from yesterday). With my own battles throughout my life with a severe learning disability, this section of ‘Alive’ struck me to my core while listening to the song for the first time to a point I felt emotional but, in a relieved happy way. It was the first sentence I tried to find on the internet to translate what the lyrics meant in English to understand why I had such a strong reaction. Honestly, it reminded me of the moment I was diagnosed with severe dyslexia at the age of nineteen in University. Up until that point, teachers around me told me I was just average and failing at trying to over achieve to be someone I was clearly not meant to be. It just turns out I was very good at masking my struggles.
The second section was ‘진흙속에 피어오른 꽃이 되었어 난’ – (I’ve become a flower stuck in the mud) in my opinion this is my favourite symbolism used throughout the entire of the mini album. Using the example of a flower such as the lotus from Buddhist traditions, the lotus reflects the journey towards enlightenment, it grows in muddy waters however, against all obstacles blooms into a beautiful flower. It is important to note I was drawn to the lotus flower in this interpretation as, throughout ‘Alive’ we are met constantly with the concept of ‘light’.
One Man Army
This song is the soundtrack to the physical battle of this album. Combining the rhythm of near overwhelming drums with traditional Korean war horns creates a soundscape that is reminiscent of ancient war camps with sound effects like swords being drawn to really lock in that ‘One Man Army’ is a battle song. The persistent undercurrent of strings and, at the very back of the mix, almost missable, smaller notes trickling downward create tension or something akin to a nervous or unsettled energy. This soundtrack guarantees that THE GREATEST BATTLE maintains its nigh on cinematic musical quality.
Inspired by Admiral Yi Sun‑shin’s legendary victory at the Battle of Myeongnyang, the lead music video and one of two title tracks ‘One Man Army’ is our next focus. This song reflects an external battle with echoes throughout that, one must stand tall and face the battle head out regardless of the possible outcome. Briefly mentioning the music video I enjoyed the visual representation of knowing even though the battle may seem it is you against the world, those who care about you are by your side assisting you throughout the battles you face! In terms of the lyrics, I would like to focus again on the use of Korean to English lyrics.
‘버티다보면 달라질까? 반복된 history’
(Will it be different if I hold on? Repeated)
한척의 배, 마지막 기적 이건 내 destiny’
(One ship, the last miracle. This is my)
These two lines sum up perfectly a visual representation of how desperate the artists are in winning the battle. With the use of the word ‘history’ it can be understood in two different ways – one being will history be repeated with me losing the same battle I need to overcome vs. Will the historical victory be repeated with the artists winning the battle? The second line pairing miracle with destiny gives the audience a foreshadowing that the outcome is going to be triumphant.
Back
‘Back’ is a bright, poppy synth track with a plucky guitar line that is very reminiscent of ‘Style’ by Taylor Swift. It is optimistic and summer-y. The best way I can describe it is that ‘Back’ is a driving with the top down kind of song. This song is lighter and more carefree than its predecessors because it lacks the regimental drum beats of ‘Alive’ and ‘One Man Army’. This is without a doubt the victory song and a celebration of freedom from the chaos of physically conquering challenges and it brings a sense of joyous energy to the album. After the somewhat imposing tones of the other songs, ‘Back’ is a breath of fresh air and positivity.
We have gotten to my favourite song on the entire of The Greatest Battle Mini Album, let me introduce you to ‘Back’. The reason this song is by far my favourite song by Big Ocean is rather personal; however, it can universally be seen as that song that sums up that moment when you see that person who made you feel like dirt under their shoe and who didn’t see you for anything except your limitations. Instead of celebrating the differences that make you unique, they made you feel small and ashamed of those differences. ‘Back’ is the hidden gem of the mini album and it is the song I am hoping Jiseok records a 0.5 speed video of the sign dance with clear visuals of each sign before we see Big Ocean in London in May!
In terms of the overall album story arc, ‘Back’ fits perfectly right after ‘One May Army’ as the triumph after a long battle that seemed impossible to win however, they did! Lyrically, you need to listen to this one yourself to be hit by the powerful blows this song punches into the air in celebration The repetitive use of the phrase ‘I’m back’ paired with the instrumental fun in the background ensures the listener knows that, finally all is how it should be as the artist is back believing in themselves as they know they can reach to new heights as they conquer each battle put in front of them. It also wouldn’t be a lyric section without pointing out my favourite section ‘Better pray that you can stomach it’ – I sing this section with my full chest knowing I’m exactly where I always dreamed I would be!
Cold Moon
‘Cold Moon’, while still upbeat, opens with a more mature music quality. It doesn’t rely on the heavy drum patterns of ‘Alive’ and ‘One Man Army’ but also doesn’t have the summer-y quality of ‘Back’. Cold Moon falls into its own category squarely between the two types of songs that we met previously in the EP. The music of this track, while still cinematic with strings abound, does have a sense of pressure to it as the rhythm tries to downplay the mild tension created by the rapid, quick moving strings. Perhaps the music is trying to convey that while the physical fight is over there are still things left to be dealt with internally which can explain why ‘One Man Army’ and ‘Cold Moon’ are both regarded as Title Tracks as the deal with two different types of conflict, the external, physical conflict in ‘One Man Army’ and the internal conflict of ‘Cold Moon’
The last lyrical song on The Greatest Battle is ‘Cold Moon’, this is the song on the album that is sung only in English. As I dived deeper in my own interpretation of the lyrics and possible meaning behind this song as, a moon baby (yes the emotional symbolism loving person is a Cancer) I found that applying a Western metaphor understanding of the concept of the song paired with the use of only singing in English to be a significant one. On one hand it backs up Big Ocean’s dream of their music travelling across the world and finding Pado on every continent. While, on the other hand it may hint that the meaning behind ‘Cold Moon’ is only being sung in English, you’ll find what the song truly means in a part of the world where English is widely spoken.
For those of you not versed in the moon cycle the ‘Cold Moon’ is the name of the full moon in December. In both European and Native American beliefs, the ‘Cold Moon’ symbolises a time to reflect and a time to release burdens in preparing for renewal for the following year. If we adapt this symbolism to the song the lyrics it becomes a confession we are all now a part of. Positioned as the last lyrical based song on the mini album, ‘Cold Moon’ acts as the final reflection piece when an inner battle is finished and you are reflecting on how the entire process of defeating the obstacles put in place to reach your goals; you are grateful for the battle however; you are happy to leave it in the past.” I adore a good example of Nature imagery and emotional metaphor working together to create a complex reflexive storyline. Within ‘Cold Moon’ it is the following line ‘Cold moon you know I love you, but I’ll never touch you’. In true Big Ocean fashion, I’ll let you dear readers reflect on why this concept is important on a personal level to each of us.
Based on music and production alone, THE GREATEST BATTLE is itself an entire story. We begin with the initial stages of the story found in ‘Alive’ to the physical and internal conflicts of ‘One Man Army’ and ‘Cold Moon’ then move, as the album progresses, towards the resolution found in the musical tone of ‘Back’ which, since the story has resolved its conflicts, serves as a finishing point that reviews the struggles, both internal and external, that have been fought and eventually overcome. A recurring nod to the fans is the sound of ocean waves crashing which is used as a driving force to keep some songs moving forward much like fans of Big Ocean or Pado (meaning ‘wave’ in English) are a driving force for the group. The album itself hits plot points like a novel, both lyrically and musically, which shows superb story telling capabilities and a well thought out structure to the album. Its message as a whole is clear: if the fight must be fought it shall be as long as we are there to fight it. Celebrate the victories and respect that every battle that a person may not necessarily be a physical one. All we need now is the sequel. However, Big Ocean will be on tour in Europe in late April and early May with tickets on sale now.
WARSAW – Apr 29 – Available here
BERLIN – May 1 – Available here
MUNICH – May 3 – Available here
LONDON – May 5 – Available here
PARIS – May 7 – Available here
COLOGNE – May 10 – Available here
All rights to videos, photos and imagery belong to Parastar Entertainment.
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