ARTMS <Dall>
Five girls, destined by fate, stood at a new starting line, taking on the name ARTMS. Kim Lip, Jinsoul, and Choerry reactivated ODD EYE CIRCLE, successfully completing their North American and European tours with the release of their new album <Version Up>. Heejin's solo album <K> was sufficient in promoting the beauty of Korea. Haseul also successfully concluded a four-day solo concert in Seoul, demonstrating her growth as a performance-oriented idol. After such a warm-up, ARTMS finally released their first full-length album <Dall>, encapsulating the paradox of blessings and cruelty regarding love and life.
The intro track ‘url’ is like a ritual leading to the title track ‘Virtual Angel,’ just as a URL is essential for us to navigate anywhere on the internet. Beginning with Kim Lip's narration, the powerfully flowing rhythm encapsulates the album's dynamic.
For the title track ‘Virtual Angel,’ EL CAPITXN and Vendors, who created songs like ‘Generation’ and ‘Girls Never Die’ for MODHAUS's junior group tripleS, joined forces for ARTMS. Based on Y2K-inspired Euro dance, they built a sacred vibe that might resonate in a cathedral, completing a new type of dance track never heard before.
Now, with the advancement of AI and the presence of the Virtual becoming a reality, this song questions whether the idols we've been consuming through TV and mobile phones were, in fact, virtual all along. While the feelings of love and romance directed towards idols might not be considered real relationships by outsiders, between an idol and a fan, couldn't those feelings be pure love? ARTMS sings that emotions arising beyond the screen can be real, not virtual.
digipedi, who collaborated on building the universe since LOONA's debut, directed the music video, capturing the stories of ARTMS and their fans.
‘Sparkle’ expresses the shimmering sparks of emotion through music. Just as we say sparks fly when describing love, how many fireworks will our love ignite? The excitement is etched in the voices of the ARTMS members.
‘A Guide to Hitchhikers in the Galaxy’ was a track so cherished that it was originally slated as the title for ARTMS's next album. To perfect ARTMS's debut full-length album, it was unsparingly included. This song, gifted to the members by producer G-high, who created LOONA's signature track ‘Butterfly,’ contains a beat that both existing and new fans can love.
The pre-release tracks, from ‘Flower Rhythm’ to ‘Candy Crush’ and ‘Air,’ were all completed by sampling Heejin's solo song ‘Blossom’ and ‘Algorithm,’ Haseul's solo ‘Plastic Candy,’ and ODD EYE CIRCLE's ‘Air Force One.’ This signifies that their individual journeys have converged to form one team, ARTMS.
Following ‘Air,’ ‘Unf/Air’ sings about the asymmetry of love. I love you, so why don't you look at me? This unfairness is expressed with calm and charming words.
‘Distress’ unfortunately ranked second in the ARTMS pre-release vote, but it was a highly polished track, so much so that it was the first song recorded during album preparation. The moment it was monitored in the first recording studio, this song already defined ARTMS's style.
‘Butterfly Effect’ tells the story of how LOONA's ‘Butterfly’ flap became ARTMS. Inheriting LOONA's unique musical style and legacy, a genre that can itself be called ‘Butterfly,’ ARTMS took flight with its own wings.
The final track ‘Birth’ achieved first place with overwhelming fan support in the ARTMS pre-release Gravity. And that ‘birth’ proves the existence of ARTMS. The already released music video is said to embody ARTMS's aesthetic so perfectly that it's evaluated as one of the most brutal and beautiful videos in K-POP history.
ARTMS's future, which heralded its grand journey by revealing the schedule for their world tour ‘Moonshot’ even before the album's release, begins right here, right now.