“Nothing Much Prepared EP.25”
Bae Jiahn: Lee Youngji’s “Nothing Much Prepared” returns after 370 days. This episode was shot in a rented rural home, unlike her previous ones which were shot in her apartment. The subtitles that read “I would like to thank the residents who have been kind to us” while she cried “A pro is never fears change” is a testament to Youngji’s attitude she maintains in her show. She makes her guests feel comfortable while they talk and drink and even takes on the role of jester to make everyone involved feel at ease. Youngji revealed that she wanted to make a show that is “a fan’s favorite video of their favorite celebrity, or the gateway to becoming someone’s fan.” Indeed, her shows never fail to highlight the charms of her guests, no matter who they may be. Lisa chose Nothing Much Prepared as the first variety show to appear in eight years since her debut, and there, she talked about how she became a worldwide rockstar and the story of how she came to collaborate with Rosalía after being mesmerized by her performance at Coachella. And whether the guests are musicians like Youngji, she always asks for their advice - if they have any difficulties that no one else knows, and if so, how they overcome them or are presently overcoming them. These questions that Youngji asks, not as a talk show host but as a fellow artist who strives to learn from them, gently bring out more heartfelt advice from the guests. Lisa confessed that when she froze from nervousness on the Coachella stage, she scanned the audience for BLINKs and their lightsticks. Youngji's true respect for Lisa as an artist and the questions that came from her heart made Lisa’s answers like “I am consoled by my fans” that much more genuine.

Trampauline - “Jealousy 31℃”
Na Wonyoung (Music Critic): The 300m skyscraper called the Shard, named because of it’s jagged, reflective appearance, that is wedged at the end of London Bridge oversees the entire megacity. The image of the Shard gleaming like the eye of a beast is now set on the cover of Trampauline's new EP, entitled The Shard Will Find Me. The image of the building is layered over the backdrop featuring a clear blue sky- It looks almost as if the building pokes itself out of the crack of the torn sky. This piercing image is in stark contrast to the soft, warm tones of the analog instrumentals featured throughout the music. Cha Hyosun, who emigrated to suburban South London in 2018, relays her experiences there through four tracks. As 31°C was explained (by the artist) as a moderate temperature in a standard Korean summer, the tone of lead single “Jealousy 31℃” suggests lukewarm jealousy with which the artist can peacefully co-exist, not a fiery, destructive one. The bass groove that feels like subtly shimmering heat loops tightly to form the foundation, and the trombone, synthesizer, and electronic sample motifs are layered in to form different shards of sound that are pinned to the bass. The round and smooth timbre that is characteristic of the Fender Rhodes piano lends warmth akin to the balmy hours of late summer evenings, and the repeating vocals nestle comfortably into the upbeat rhythmic structure. Trampauline’s skill of building dense soundscapes is like a masterful architect whose finished work contains intricacies despite the simple materials in a small space setting, and can be seen throughout her past works. However, what makes “Jealousy 31℃” and the EP even more extraordinary is that whereas her previous album MARGINAL accomplished meticulous, monumental sounds with a dream team of three people, the current EP displays her ability to achieve the same level of mastery, if not more, on a much smaller scale as a solo artist. Furthermore, her way of capturing the world around her through the perspectives of the marginalised continues from her previous works. She collects sounds from her surroundings and makes collages out of them- a method consistent with her earliest works like “Melody Gold.” So, it seems like she will be okay even if the steely-eyed Shard does eventually find them one day. See, Trampauline has a marvelous building that is just as amazing as the Shard.