Ashna Susan, New Delhi

Just like the American hip-hop scene, the Korean counterpart is also in a very volatile state, with new artists and crews making stunning compositions. One such crew is Fanxy Child. It is a hip-hop crew formed by Zico in 2016. It is indeed fancy, as it consists of genius rappers, Zico and Penomeco, with vocal powerhouses, Crush and Dean, independent producer, Millic, and Stay Tuned (producer). Fanxy Child is under the agency, KOZ Entertainment, and sub- agency, HYBE.

‘Y’ is a rap and hip-hop song released on August 9, 2019. ‘Y’ not only stands for “why,” but also for the path which each member has taken in their life. The melody is catchy and hauntingly pleasing. The flow of the song is commendable as it saves itself from the trap of monotony. Every hook is refreshing and keeps one wanting more. Although there is heavy reliance on vocal effects and background score, its melancholic rhythm keeps you hooked throughout the song. The instrumentation in the song is not very heavy and complicated. The majority of the credit should be given where it is due, and that is the aesthetically pleasing music video and the underrated lyrics of the song.

The track starts with the line, “The more I look at Life, the more mysterious it is.” The chorus focuses on how life is always offering you something unexpected. Zico is an artist loved for his brilliance, as both a K-pop idol and a versatile underground Hip-Hop rapper. He sings about how he is misread by others and is made to explain his life choices to others. He lives a life that seems to not be his own. Zico is known for his rusty and raw stories which he delivers passionately. He says, “To avoid difficult situations, we carefully draw triangles on all the questions, No one can answer this.” This line is extremely important as it ponders over the thought of how we are not able to understand the situations we are stuck in and we try to avoid the situation rather than face them. With three verses, it focuses on each artist and their journey to success. Each artist has a unique trajectory. They had their fights which they fought with all their might. The song smoothly delivers each story with video shots linked to the artist’s individual previous work: Coco Bottle (Penomeco), Dayfly (Dean), None (Crush), and Paradise (Millic).

Dean’s lyrics are also personal, focusing on the days when he struggled to pay off his debts. He reminds us how believing in one’s self and having good friends can help us go a long way. Dean has always captivated the audience with his irresistible R&B and neo-soul music. His voice leads you to a plethora of emotions. Penomeco is known for his authentic and fresh storytelling. He shows his uniqueness with the rap, which talks about how we humans go in a circle without understanding each other. People tend to love winning arguments to prove others wrong. He also points out the fact that we are just imbeciles for not standing up for ourselves! But, the soul of the song lies with Crush when he comes in melodiously with the third verse. He sings:

“내사람들을곁에두지

(I have my people by my side,)

내사람들을사랑하기에행복할수밖에”,

(I’m happy to love my people)

This verse brings out the gist of the song to the most beautifully pertinent closing. With all the emotional chaos that this song focuses on, these lines hit the spot and make us question if we have faced our struggles head-on. It asks us if we are ready to fight for ourselves and our loved ones.

The song is undeniably beautiful in its way! The Hip-Hop sextet is incredible at emoting their inner chaos. This slow burner focuses on the struggles these artists have faced and how they have been hated and ridiculed for their individuality by society. It is also a low-key self-love anthem focused on finding strength in ourselves. And this is EXACTLY why you absolutely should listen to this song right now.

What about you? Have you heard this song yet? Which is your favorite verse? What are some of your favorite songs by Fanxy Child? Let us know all about it in the comment section below!