Stray Kids Join Lil Durk on Emotional 'All My Life'

Yes, I cried.

I kicked off this week’s episode with a review of ‘All My Life’ by Lil Durk and Stray Kids. The song encompasses struggle and triumph, a concept Stray Kids are very familiar with. In a sea of lousy K-pop and Western artist collaborations, this one was a pleasant surprise.

“All my life, I’ve been running alone,” Seungmin sings in the opening line. For loners like me, this track deeply resonates. What I really appreciate is the throughline of strength and resilience.

In our world, it’s easy to be a victim. Often times people are even rewarded for it. Lil Durk and Stray Kids are victors instead. This inspiring track brought me to tears and reminded me to keep going.

TXT’s Comeback is Good…But That Single???

I’m confused as to what Big Hit is doing with TXT. This week on the podcast, I reviewed their new album, ‘The Name Chapter: Freefall.’ While I liked songs like ‘Deep Down’ and ‘ Blue Spring,’ I don’t understand why ‘Chasing That Feeling’ was the lead single.

With a group that can dance like TXT, why give them a mid-tempo 80s new wave song? The track doesn’t lend itself to choreography very well, and although the members give a great effort, it left me feeling flat.

IVE are Stepping Into Their Bad Girl Era

IVE’s new single, ‘Baddie,’ is a bit of a departure for the group. All attitude and sass, the single fits the current girl group trend seen from Le Sserafim, XG, and (G)I-DLE.

So far, IVE has stayed in the middle when it comes to concepts. They’re not the sassy mean girls, and they’re not the cutsey innocent ones. This allows them to jump into a song like ‘Baddie’ without jarring the audience.

The song is good, but the music video is what makes it great for me. We need more giant cats in K-pop!

Xdinary Heroes Need More Attention

Fans of Xdinary Heroes are upset with the way JYP has promoted their latest release, ‘Livelock.’ I think they have reason to be. This is a good rock band with another solid release.

As a band, Xdinary Heroes sits in a market with less competition than traditional boy groups. Why not push them harder? This album didn’t receive a lot of buzz before or after release.

In doing my new show, I want to showcase acts that deserve a lot more attention. I’ve been reviewing this group since debut and have a soft spot for them. The fact they opened this album with a song called ‘Freddy’ doesn’t hurt either!

(BTW, Freddy is doing great after his surgery. Thank you so much for the prayers and good vibes.)

A Moment of Self-Reflection Thanks to Stray Kids

Things feel heavy in the world right now. War, inflation, poverty, and countless other topics can make day-to-day difficult. Global issues on top of one’s daily personal life can feel overwhelming sometimes.

After Freddy’s surgery, things caught up to me this week. I felt emotionally and physically exhausted. Instead of pushing through, I gave myself time to sit with my uncomfortable feelings. What kicked off this self-care moment? ‘All My Life’ by Stray Kids and Lil Durk.

I had a moment of self-reflection for all I’ve been through and where I’m going. Life is hard. It is. Sometimes, it knocks you to your knees, and you feel like you’ll never stand up again. But it’s also beautiful. The sun rises every day, and so do we.

Music is the most healing force in my life. This week was no exception.

Songs I’m Obsessed With This Week

Paranoid - Xdinary Heroes

All My Life - Lil Durk / Stray Kids

Either Way - IVE

Deep Down - TXT

Drama - Just B