HallSpring19_1101

Hey everyone, your music paper deadline  has been rescheduled until after the break (rough drafts due April 30, Final Drafts due May 2.) However, a few of you are pretty far along! If you’d like to get them off your hands, you’re free to turn them in at any time. We will not be spending much time actually discussing this unit after the break.

For Thursday (3 parts):

1. Please write and post a paragraph on OpenLab in which you respond to a quote from another article on the artwork you are going to write about. Find a quote you can really converse with! Something you don’t just blandly agree with, but can add to in some way– either by disagreeing or by adding your own opinion in some way. Remember to INTRODUCE, SUMMARIZE  and ANALYZE  your quote! Topic: Writing about Art!
2. On the same post, please take a picture of and post your “soapstone worksheet” (this Tuesday’s homework.) This is easily done by clicking “add media”
3. Please read and annotate the article on “This is America” you picked up at the end of Tuesday’s class. You don’t have to write about it, but you will need to be able to explain it to people who have not read it. So read closely. If you missed class, please print out, read and annotate THIS ARTICLE. 

                                Lucki (you called me)

The opioid crisis is one that, unfortunately, too many people can relate to. (insert statistic here). A lot of people say that music plays a big influence in such an epidemic. This is due to the various references to drugs that a majority of rap artists use. Such an influence spans outside the “hood”, especially nowadays. Kids from suburban, or kids who didn’t necessarily grow up in a bad neighborhood, might be listening to the same artist that a kid living in the Bronx, or in the projects is listening to. And both are hearing the same words as each other. People love to give the argument that drugs are being depicted in a false manner, that drugs are being glorified. But, not all artists are the same. Lucki (formerly known as Lucki Eck$), is a rapper from Chicago. I personally have been a fan of Lucki for a few years now, but his music is starting to “blow up” for the lack of a better term. Like a lot of artists today, he is known for his references to controlled substances. Now, I can you rolled your eyes, but its not in the way you might think. Lucki talks about the dark side of the pills he takes, the drink he sips, how its all killing him slowly. And he knows it. But he’s in the hands of the drug, and seems to have little to no control of his needs. Lucki also talks about his personal problems with depression. About how he uses drugs to “block out” all of the bad things that are going on in his life. The drugs help him forget. I think the point Lucki is trying to make is that all of these people around him are fake, “smiling when they losing”. But, even though people call him an addict, and label him as one, he is more genuine than most. This is because Lucki expresses his raw emotions, what life, and drugs, and depression, and withdrawal are doing to him, how its affecting Him. He may conceal his depression, but doesn’t ignore that fact that it still exists.

Lyrics:

I’m gonna move along, because you’re clueless
My little brother genius and a nuisance
Got your hoe surprised, I really do this
He be off them percs, like in his music
I’m really off this so that’s confusing
All these niggas smiling when they losing
We was smoking dope behind Obama crib
Hiding in the summer new tape shit
I’m xannin’ like back to the basics
That xan really blockin’ out that fake shit
When that sip drought, stomach rip and pout
How could I be worried about what they say
When that seal crack it feel like payday
How you findin’ trouble on your vacay
You called me a addict and that’s okay
I just split this pint with my big bro zay
I ain’t really thinking about you no way
You called me an addict and that’s okay

Topic: Kendrick Lamar_HUMBLE

Kendrick Lamar (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most skillful and successful hip-hop artists of his generation. Raised in Compton, California, Lamar embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He began to gain recognition in 2010, after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated.
One of his music video is particularly interesting as it includes many captivating scenes and words. That particular video was released in 2017 and got a lot of attention. In addition of being a very well-sounding song, it also includes messages. Through this song, the singer addresses Americans, but more precisely Black people, women, corrupt people and more directly to those taking part to that racial segregation of profiling. The purpose of this song was to highlight what black people are still going through and how it affects the way they live and the way they act. The content was expressed in a lyrical and explicit way to the audience.
From the music video, it is clear that the artist put a lot of work to make things look exactly the way he exposes it. Scenes throughout the video have meanings and are meant to send messages to the audience. In introduction, we can see Kendrick standing still dressed like a pope. This scene represent the “awakening”, stating that none can consider one ethnicity to be superior to another, that’s not “Christian”. Suddenly, from a pope driving the word of God, Kendrick turned into a different personality where many girls are sitting next to him counting money. This scene represents how media takes advantage of the hard work of other. The masks on their faces means that they are under cover.
Next, a scene shows him in the middle of a diner table covered in red with wine and bread on it, and others people sitting along. This scene depicts the famous diner Jesus had before being crucified. This scene has been interpreted in many music videos by other artists.
Another scene shows Kendrick in front of a group of men their heads on fire, and other streets guys in the background. He then mentioned “Dreamers”, to illustrate how racist people think, their selfish manners when they feel like someone is taking over. Their head are on fire due to their dreams they can’t reach and are forced the live like the guys in the far background. On another scene with a little bit of controversy, he says that he is “tired of Photoshop” and displays a girl in two screens (natural  and “photoshopped”), where the girl seems to look better natural! That scene cause a bit of controversy from the feminists, but the meaning of the scene was tricky as he mentioned Richard Pryor who actively fought against racism and the fact that some people change their appearance just to fit in the society.
A well known scene form an old commercial was also illustrated, where he exchanges a jar from the back of a car to another man inside an other car. The original commercial scene was made by two white men and he shows that the same scene among black Americans can be interpreted as a criminal activity.
The same action is judged different when done by someone of a different race. Next, he then appears in a house with gun lasers pointing at him. That scene shows media attack towards African-Americans and says it’s even worse than alcohol abuse. By “Be humble! Sit down”, Kendrick illustrate what African- American have been told. He then appears in the middle of bold head black men face down (oppressed), saying “be humble, sit down”, with him in the middle signifies that he is the voice! The following scene shows him between a group of black people in high status face up and him wearing white, to says he will keep the battle going.
This music video is very entertaining, but the main idea behind this video was mostly about showing the audience that racist people are brainwashing the masses so they can think negative about African American. Considering the actual situation, such oppression does not help at all, it makes some people stop caring and just do what they are mostly considered to be doing. Bad things.

It’s no secret that Ariana Grande has had a rough two years. In 2017, a suicide bomber denotated an explosive device, injuring more than 800, hospitalizing 112 and killing 23 people (Wikipedia).She demonstrated great bravery by returning to Manchester less than a month later, to hold a benefit concert. Earlier this year, she ended her two-year relationship with rapper Mac Miller after his substance abuse became, in her words, “toxic.” In the following two months, she confirmed her relationship with the comedian Pete Davidson. The pair got engaged the following month. After the Manchester attack and her separation from Miller, it seemed like the worst that could happen already had. “Sweetener” felt like it was meant to tie up the loose ends and serve as the beginning of her happily ever after. In her words, “it’s about bringing light to the situation or sweetening the situation.” But, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Little did she know more tragedy was about to come her way. Shortly after the release of “Sweetener,” Mac Miller died of an overdose in his Los Angeles home.  The following month, after a highly public whirlwind romance, she called off her short-lived engagement to Pete Davidson.

After these unfortunate series of events, fans wondered how she was coping and whether she would address everything after an expected hiatus from her singing career. However, on Nov. 3, 2018, not too long after she broke off the engagement, thank u, next, the title track that was released weeks before the actual album, broke records. Ariana gets real personal and name drops her exes, including her now deceased ex-boyfriend and her ex-fiance. But instead of dwelling on the negative, Ariana handles loss on multiple levels with inspiring grace and self-love and shifts her perspective to focus on gratitude. She thanks her exes for the lessons they’ve taught her and explains how she’s learning to love herself instead. The single vocalizes that the only relationship she seeks now is one with someone who will always be there for her no matter the situation: herself. Instead of leaning on the cliché mopey post-relationship songs, it celebrated emotional growth and increased devotion to herself. Fans raved about the new single, posted its lyrics on their social platforms and declared “thank u, next” their anthem for 2019. And, trust me, I can see why.

Much of this song’s success comes from how relatable it is. I love the actual line “Thank U, Next” because it shows that we can be grateful and want to end a chapter at the same time. The words in themselves represent the beauty of letting go and embracing future experiences. It’s also relatable because we have all had experiences that had caused us pain. We have all been through friendships and relationships that didn’t end as expected. We have all lost people we wish we could say something to, whom we wish we could express our gratitude to. And sometimes, we may ask ourselves why; why we go through that kind of pain. But this song shows us that instead of questioning those experiences or dwelling on them, it’s better to thank them for shaping us into who we are today.

This has been the worst year of her life, as a visibly emotional Ariana said when she accepted the woman of the year award at the Billboard Women in Music awards recently. But, all though her personal life was falling apart, it has been the best year for her career. And I’ll tell you why. A very broken and distraught Ariana headed to the studio and converted her pain into another album that she would release just five months later after “Sweetener.” This turned out to be her best album yet. In the United States, Thank U, Next debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 360,000 album-equivalent units, of which 116,000 were pure album sales. The album became her fourth number-one album in the country and broke the record for the largest streaming week ever for a pop album (Billboard).  Thank u, next fills in the gaps between the moments in her life that made headlines since Sweetener.

So why is this album so great? Well, to begin with, it feels like an evolution for the singer in terms of content, sound, and maturity. It seems as if she finally found her true sound with this album. It’s also as personal as it gets in terms of her life. This album documents a messy fight in the battle for self-acceptance and defines Ariana as the protagonist and antagonist of her own story. Honestly, it feels like a musical diary and although she had several co-writers on thank u, next, the songs feel that they come directly from her. She seems less like a pawn of the pop music machine on this album compared to Sweetener. The lack of features on this album definitely adds to this. Sometimes, people just don’t want a song that’s catchy and repeats the same thing over and over again. You want something that you can relate to, something that’ll make you see that celebrities are humans too because let’s be honest sometimes we forget. It’s great to see an artist really transparent and put all of their emotions into their art.

Let’s do a rundown of some of the songs in the album so you can see where I am coming from. The album opens up with “imagine” a romantic ballad where she dreamily envisions a world with a lover with whom she can find passion and peace within the aftermath. This track is rumored to be about the late Mac Miller. “needy”, the confessional track about her recent emotional rollercoaster, overthinking relationships and the kind of neediness we’ve all experienced when we’re not getting back everything we put into a relationship. “fake smile”, her commentary on her life in the public eye, having to show up and appear fine even when you’re not. Given everything she’s been through in the past two years, this is one of the most honest tracks on the album. But no song packs in as much intimate details as “ghostin.”  It is the highlight from the album, in my opinion.  It seems like a really honest exploration of how Mac Miller’s death affected her relationship with Pete Davidson. She sings, “Though I wish he were here instead, don’t want that living in your head.” There are so many lines in this song that I can honestly say made me tear up. It’s the most personal and emotion I’ve ever seen Ariana put in her craft. What’s crazy is that she almost didn’t put this song in the album because of how personal it is. But we’re all so glad she did.

There’s that cliché that “great art emerges from great suffering.” In Ariana’s case, this proves to have some truth to it. Sadness is something we often experience in our lives whether short-term or long-term. She has shown great courage in the face of trauma, tragedy and tabloid sniping to become the voice of a mass movement towards broad-mindedness and optimism. The point is, take something away from Ariana. Find a way to uplift yourself from stressful or painful situations. Whether it is through music, art, writing, take on that pain and evoke it onto your craft. If you’re a musician, the best songs are those that have some background to it and that comes from a place of hurt. And while you’re at it, listen to the bomb album. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Works Cited

Caulfield, Keith. “Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Biggest Streaming Week Ever for a Pop Album.” Billboard, 19 Feb. 2019, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8498762/ariana-grande-thank-u-next-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-chart-album.

“Manchester Arena Bombing.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 May 2019, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Arena_bombing.

Harrast, Maria. “All the Highs and Lows From Ariana Grande’s Whirlwind Year.” E! Online, E! News, 17 Aug. 2018, www.eonline.com/news/960449/all-the-highs-and-lows-from-ariana-grande-s-whirlwind-year.

Agency. “2018 Has Been A Tough Year For Ariana Grande.” Star2.Com, Star2.Com, 11 Dec. 2018, www.star2.com/entertainment/2018/12/12/ariana-grande-woman-of-the-year/.

https://binged.it/2v2KwRS

Nina Darbonne

Dr. Carrie Hall

English Comp 1 1101-D355

18 April 2019

“Sucker For Pain” and EMS Work

Many have heard of New York City’s bravest, strongest, finest, and boldest as monikers for New York’s public service departments of Fire Department, Sanitation, Police Department, and Corrections respectively. But few people know there is a department missing from the list. New York City’s Best is reserved for Emergency Medical Services. In Emergency Medical Service, EMS for short, Emergency Medical Technicians, EMTs and Paramedics work with passion for the profession. A wide array of reasons reel EMS workers into the job; whether it’s the excitement of the job, morbid fascination, riding the high from helping those in need, or being one of the last lines of defense against death. Despite the undeniable love of the job, sadly many EMS workers are overworked and underpaid. More often than not, EMS workers have three or more jobs just to make ends meet. Being exhausted from working long hours and running from one job to yet another job for another long grueling shift, leads to bitter, burnt out workers. Unfortunately, EMS workers tend to leave the job either hurt from physical strain or fed up with the field of work due to years of fatigue draining the love and passion out of the job.

First responders: Police officers, Firefighters, and EMS are legally not able to strike because they provide essential services to the city. A strike would cause a detrimental gap in those services and possibly endanger lives. This can be compared to other city jobs, like Mass Transit Association, MTA which has had several strikes to give stock to their union’s pay and benefit demands. There is a significant pay gap even amongst first responders. “EMTs are paid $47,685 a year after being on the job for five years. Firefighters with five years on the job are paid $110,293, while police officers make $85,292 after five and a half years, but ‘officers may potentially earn over $100,000 per year’ with benefits, according to NYC.gov.” (EMS1) Taking a look at other first responders, it is far less common to find a police officer or firefighter moonlighting as officers or firefighters (respectively) in another city or county. However, for EMS members it is essential to precariously balance several jobs just to afford to live in the city we serve.

New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio promotes ideals of “fairness and equality.” However, when questioned regarding the first responder pay gap during a press conference, de Blasio defended the unfair disparity in wages. “‘I have deep, deep respect for our EMTs and everyone who works at EMS,” de Blasio said. “I think the work is different. We are trying to make sure people are treated fairly and paid fairly but I do think the work is different.’” (EMS1) Contrary to de Blasio’s misconception, EMS workers arrive to the scene of calls along side both police officers and firefighters and encounter their own share of dangers. Moreover, the EMS department responds to the largest number of jobs of all the first responders.

EMS workers face traumatic scenes, dangerous along with high stress situations on a regular basis. A survey was conducted with EMS workers and was compared to national statistical data compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. “3,447 (86%) of the 4,022 respondents experienced CS but the shocking discovery was that 1,383 (37%) of the respondents had contemplated suicide and 225 (6.6%) had actually tried to take their own life… These statistics are roughly 10 times greater than the national average for adults in America, according to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012.” CS stands for critical stress, which is “the stress we undergo either as a result of a single critical incident that had a significant impact upon you, or the accumulation of stress over a period of time. This stress has a strong emotional impact on providers, regardless of their years of service.” (Newland) EMS works do not voluntarily run into burning buildings or put stand in the line of fire. Nevertheless, that does not mitigate the dangers EMS workers face on a regular basis and the difficulties inherent to the line of work.

The song “Sucker For Pain” was released in June 2016 as part of the soundtrack of the movie Suicide Squad. The song features artists: Imagine Dragons, Ty Dolla $ign, Logic, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa. The song closely relates to the plot and themes prevalent throughout the movie. The official movie website describes the movie as, “Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?” In the movie, the unlikely heroes band together and save the world despite always being viewed as criminals and returning to their prison sentences after the successful mission.

The lyrics of the song have a clear correlation with the movie. Some of the lyrics can also be applied to EMS work and serve as an anthem of sorts. The song opens with the chorus performed by Imagine Dragons. The line “Take my hand through the flames” can be related to the year long wringer of paramedic school. Typically when EMTs are going to medic school, a delicate and draining balance must be maintained between attending class, scheduling ambulance and hospital rotations, studying, and working enough to keep their bills paid. Another line from the chorus that ties in with this analogy is, “I’m a slave to your games (I’m just a sucker for pain).”

Ty Dolla $ign’s verse can be used in context of EMS unity and pride, the community’s discontent with Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the tragedy that devastated many when a fellow EMT was run over and murdered by her own ambulance on March 16 2017. Ty Dolla $ign raps, “I got the squad  tatted on me from my neck to my ankles.”  The first line referring to having tattoos identifying with one’s “squad” can easily be applied to EMS as it is common place to see EMS workers adorned with the Star of Life, a stylized EKG, or emergency medicine paraphernalia tattoo. The following lines, “Pressure from the man got us all in rebellion. We gon’ go to war, yeah, without failure… Love and the loyalty that’s what we stand for. Alienated by society. All this pressure give me anxiety… Feeling the world go against us. So we put the world on our shoulders.” can be related to the loss the community experienced losing one of its members, along with the added insult to injury with de Blasio mitigating the work EMS providers perform claiming “the work is different.” EMT Yadira Arroyo died while working an overtime shift from injuries sustained when Jose Gonzalez stole her ambulance struck her and ran her body. “Pressure from the man” can represent the pay disparity EMS workers face or Mayor de Blasio himself and the ignorance and misconceptions he and others hold regarding the field of work. “All this pressure give me anxiety…Feeling the world go against us. So we put the world on our shoulders” speaks to how regardless of the issues faced: PTSD, anxiety, depression, lack of respect, and poor pay; EMS providers continue to service the communities we work in and help our patients to the best of our abilities.

The second verse is performed by rapper Logic. He raps, “I been rollin’ with my team, we the illest on the scene. I been riding ’round the city with my squad… We just posted, getting crazy, living like this is so amazing… We been loyal, we been fam, we the ones you trust in.” These lines relate to how EMS workers view themselves and the positive morale felt on the job. This encompasses the crew arriving on scene to an emergency, the nature of the job involves driving around the city in the ambulance, the love of the job, and how our patients and their family members rely on the services we provide. This verse celebrated the highs experienced working EMS.

Most of Lil Wayne’s lyrics are esoteric; however one relatable line is, “Uhh, devoted to destruction.” This ties into how first responders are called upon during disasters and in general when things go wrong in both the small, personal and grand scale.  Wiz Khalifa’s contribution to the song is in the bridge. He raps, “Never going slow, we pick up the pace. This is what we wanted from a young age.” These lines tie into the nature of the job and emergencies call for expedient measures to be taken in both arriving on scene, care of patients, and arriving at the hospital. As for the second line, many people in EMS had aspirations from childhood to work on an ambulance and help people.

Every career choice has its share of positives and negatives. EMS work is definitely not an exception to this rule. However, myself and many other EMTs and Paramedics would proudly attest the positives far outweigh the negatives. We love what we do and proudly serve day in and day out. “Sucker For Pain” is a dark anthem that celebrates doing the right thing; despite lack of recognition and injustices that must be overcome.

Works Cited

Newland, Chad, et al. “Survey Reveals Alarming Rates of EMS Provider Stress and Thoughts of Suicide.” Journal of Emergency Medical Services, 28 Sept. 2015, www.jems.com/articles/print/volume-40/issue-10/features/survey-reveals-alarming-rates-of-ems-provider-stress-and-thoughts-of-suicide.html.

“NYC Mayor on FDNY EMS Pay Gap: ‘The Work Is Different’.” EMS1, 29 Jan. 2019, www.ems1.com/fdny-ems/articles/393319048-NYC-mayor-on-FDNY-EMS-pay-gap-The-work-is-different/.

“See #SuicideSquad, Available on Digital HD 11/15 and Blu-Ray™ 12/13.” SuicideSquad, www.suicidesquad.com/.

Zevanya

Carrie Hall

English 1101

April 14, 2019

April and A Flower

I was seventeen when I flew across the world on my own. It was a step of adulthood for me because I was leaving my friends and family behind. People asked me, “why waste so much money for college in America when you can just go to one in Jakarta.” I used to ask myself the same question but there never was a specific answer. I just remembered that my heart was telling me to go back home. People called my parents crazy for letting their one and only daughter fly 16,167 kilometers away and it wasn’t just any city, it was the Big Apple. Whenever people asked they always replied, “it’s because she’s my only daughter that I have to let her go. You let them go because you know they’re ready to make their own path instead of following a paved one. Just like how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, I’m not going to hold her back just because of my greed.”

It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made but I was beyond excited to start my new life in New York. My flight was on a Monday afternoon and my friends promised to come by the airport to send me off. My family and I arrived earlier at around 1 pm because check-ins take forever. After checking in we ate at a restaurant near my gate while waiting for my friends to arrive as well. We just sat there in silence. We didn’t need to say much because we understood and realized that this will be the last time we’ll be able to enjoy each other’s presence. The silence was more than enough to convey how we felt that very moment. An hour later my friends started arriving and we were talking and hugging in front of my gate. They gave me letters to read on the plane and my best friend gave me a teddy bear. I started feeling really emotional because I was usually the one sending my friends off but now I was the one saying goodbye.

It was finally time for me to check-in and say my last goodbye to my friends and grandparents. None of us cried because it wasn’t a day to cry about so we waved goodbye with smiles on our faces. My mom followed me inside until I entered the waiting area. I was still a minor that time so she was allowed to accompany that far. Before I scanned my airplane ticket and passport we stood in a corner and she gave me a last hug. I was very overwhelmed and my eyes started itching but I promised myself not to cry. I felt all her love and support from that final hug and she whispered to me before I let go, “I have raised you well. You are brave, smart and wise. Always remember no matter how far or long we’re apart I will always love and support you. You keep me going and I’m beyond blessed. God gave me the best gift I could ever ask for so remember if you miss me I’m always a call away.”

I finally took my hand-carried luggage and scanned my passport. As I walk to the waiting area I saw my mom with a wide smile and waving goodbye until we couldn’t see each other anymore. It just hit me then that I was actually on my way to New York. As I waited for the doors to enter the plane to open, I sat and pressed shuffle on my playlist. It caught me by surprise when “Flower Road” by Kim Sejeong started playing. I looked out the window and saw my plane and as I listened to the lyrics, tears started to come out.
“세상이란 게 제법 춥네요” (the world is so cold)
“당신의 안에서 살던 때 보다” (colder than when I lived in you)
After listening to this song for a hundred times, the hundredth and one was when I truly felt and understood what it meant.

“젊고 아름다운 당신의 계절
여길 봐 예쁘게 피었으니까
바닥에 떨어지더라도
꽃 길만 걷게 해 줄게요”
(You gave up your youthful and beautiful season. Look at me, I have bloomed prettily. Even if I fall to the ground, I will make you walk only on flower paths.)

Just like the lyrics, my mom sacrificed everything for me and nothing could ever replace my mom’s love. I promised her and myself that when I get older she will only have to walk on flowers.
Kim Sejeong is a South Korean singer and actress born on August 28, 1996. Her single “Flower Road” was released on August 2018 and was actually produced by the famous Zico from BlockB. The song was made by Zico based on the letters Sejeong and her group member (from the girl group I.O.I), Chaeyon, wrote for their mothers. In the music video, you could only see the image of a mother as it represents Sejeong’s family background. Her parents were divorced when she was little and her mother raised both her and her brother alone. I felt as if she was speaking for me through this song. My parents got divorced when I was younger and I’ve been raised by my mother alone too which made me feel like she could relate how sorry I actually feel towards my mom. The song charted really well on Korean music sites and during the promotion of “Flower Road” she performed the song and ranked number 1 on Show Champion (a music show where they rank top 5 songs released during the month and award first place a trophy). As she was giving her speech, she started crying and thanked Zico, the fans, her staff, and company for giving her this amazing song and the chance to win. Lastly, she thanked her mother and grandfather and her eyes started to water even more as she mentioned them.

Seeing a very beautiful and strong woman openly talk about her family and her love for her mother makes me so happy. Her voice suited the song very well and when watching her live performance you can tell that she meant every word. Ever since that day, I viewed the song differently. It wasn’t just a typical ballad song about a breakup, it was a song about a mother’s love and her child promising a brighter future.

“여길 봐 예쁘게 피었으니까
바닥에 떨어지더라도
꽃길만 걷게 해줄게요”
(Look at me, I have bloomed prettily
Even if I fall to the ground
I will make you walk only on flower paths)

Works Cited:

Jacobryan. “Sejeong (세정) of Gugudan – Flower Road (꽃길) » Color Coded Lyrics.” Color Coded Lyrics, 25 Oct. 2017, colorcodedlyrics.com/2016/11/sejeong-flower-road.

“Sejeong’s ‘Flower Path’ Is a Much-Needed Healing Song This Season.” Seoulbeats, 30 July 2017, seoulbeats.com/2016/11/sejeongs-flower-path-is-a-much-needed-healing-song-this-season/.