I cannot believe it has been just over three years since The Rose debuted with ‘Sorry‘. I was actually in Korea on the day they debuted – I had heard about this Hongdae group hitting the mainstream and had been anticipating the release. After a long day out in Seoul, I remember getting back to the apartment, watching the MV and telling my friend, ‘These guys are going to do so well.’ This latest track ‘Black Rose’ is a song that the group have been preparing as a gift for the fans (the fandom name is ‘Black Rose’) and comes shortly after their third year anniversary.
‘Black Rose’ is the groups first new track since their OST song ‘Strangers‘ for OCN drama ‘Strangers From Hell’ (or ‘Hell Is Other People’; 타인은 지옥이다) in the latter half of 2019, and their first non-OST release since single album ‘RED‘ which was released in August 2019. Not only this, but this song is the groups first new track since announcing their intention to separate from their company, J&Star Company. ‘Black Rose’ is an emotional indie ballad, utilising the groups best qualities to bring a meaningful connection to the fans. The Rose’s distinct sound comes through with heaps of passion and feeling and builds to a powerful climax towards the end of the song. The band’s ability to harness their emotions and pour them into their musical delivery, whether it be vocal or instrumental, is a special skill and they succeed at this every time. I’ve seen a few bands live in my time but I distinctly remember feeling every single word when I saw The Rose, and I remember choking up – they convey emotions so well. A lot of this is to do with how each member commits themselves to their craft, but also has a lot to do with the special qualities of Sammy (Woosung) and Dojoon’s voices.
The group have clearly been preparing independently for this track for a while as it was made prior to Dojoon’s enlistment in the military. Receiving such a special song with Dojoon away, feels like a wonderful gift, since I had kind of resigned myself to the possibility that the band may have had to lie dormant for a while. But being able to celebrate the three year anniversary in such a special way has meant a lot to Black Roses around the world.
I don’t know if its because I’m having a difficult day, but this song and MV made me cry for a good 10 minutes. The MV has been made up of footage from their past three years together – footage from their own personal Instagram posts or fan-posts from concerts, behind the scenes shots from other video shoots and much more. I recognised so many clips from previous videos they’ve released over the years and recognised a lot of concert clips from their past shows. I even became really emotional seeing some of their footage from Seoul and from Paris, which are both places I’ve visited a lot and are both places I wish I could go to with ease right now. But ultimately the thing that makes me the most emotional is knowing that this group have had a really tough year so far, and knowing that ultimately, through it all, they are striving to remain together and put their fans first. This both hurts and heals my heart. As a group with so much skill and potential, I really want the best for them and want to see them continue to make music, be happy and be healthy, and I know that for a while they need to put themselves first, especially whilst still sorting through all of the situation regarding the lawsuit with J&Star Company. I will continue to hope for all the best for Sammy, Jaehyeong and Hajoon as they carry on without Dojoon for a little bit. Wishing for them to still be able to keep working towards their dreams and goals positively and with conviction.
Jei's Kulture Notes 