#* | blacklight.

[taeyongfmd]

i tried to hide it i'm scared of what's next i still don't know where to go but welcome to the show

the blacklight cinematic universe (2021-?)

blacklight, the fifth solo album by taeyong, was accompanied by eight total music videos released before and after the album’s release. the music videos are connected in one connected universe utilizing horror elements and centering the story of various versions of taeyong and his alter ego “mito”, whom taeyong has described as “a personification of certain parts of [himself]”. taeyong has teased that the story may not yet be completed.

paranoia // know me howlin’ 404 // so beautiful no blueberries // nerves scaredy cat // welcome to the show

[taeyongfmd]

headcanon: base awards solo stage

word count: 441 words

matching aesthetic here.

ash’s solo stage for the base awards was created with the same performance director as his lollapalooza stage. now that he’s further into the creative process of his next album and he has a better idea of the world that connects the two albums, ash wanted to represent some of those themes in his stages. a lot of the performance is just ash and the performance director testing stuff out for his next tour.

it’s his most theatrical stage, something a little out of character for him. in his earlier days as a soloist, he was often known for performances that felt very stripped-back and personal, but he’s recently found it a lot easier for him to perform by taking on the character of this different version of himself he’s created for his music.

the performance starts out with ash entering onto a platform on the stage stage that is empty save for a single microphone stand, wearing a gold and white outfit (similar to this outfit, but not exactly the same). after a beat of silence, a sparkling golden image resembling wings appears on the screen at the back of the stage.

his first song is “ballroom extravaganza”, which he performs at the mic stand. as he performs, the wings fade out like dying stars and on the screen behind him show an increasingly violent storm as the song reaches and passes its climax. ash descends stairs from the platform to the base level of the stage.

at the end of “ballroom extravaganza”, the lights go out completely. when low lights come back on with “mito” playing in the background, his crown is gone, he’s mid-transition, with his shirt shed and a mask covering his face. for the beginning of “mito”, the backtrack plays and he does not sing. he kneels, removing the mask, and begins to sing the end of the song as giant black wings appear on the screen behind him.

the lights go out again, which is followed by the sound of thunder. a music box version of “paranoia” that reads as a more ‘horror’ remix begins to play in the darkness. when the lights come back up, ash is gone and a group of dancers dance to a hollow version of the “paranoia” chorus. curtains open behind them and ash steps out, dressed in all black as the song stops and dancers swarm him. he finishes performing “paranoia”. at the climax of the song, ash ascends the platform once again. he sits on the edge and large black wings appear behind him for the second time, but this time he seems to owns them more proudly.

[taeyongfmd]

base awards solo stage ↪  “ballroom extravaganza” + “mito” + “paranoia”

ash’s solo stage for the base awards primarily uses imagery of gods, fallen angels, and icarus in its visuals. it’s a very theatrical stage, much more so than his recent new year’s rockin’ eve performance and beyond even the staging of his lollapalooza set. though unknown by any but ash and his team, it’s dipping its toes into the water of the intended visual storytelling for his next album and the planned subsequent tour. 

[taeyongfmd]

Taeyong’s first English-language album, tinged with horror and crafted into a world entirely its own, sees the singer-songwriter enter an even darker world than ever before.

BLACKLIGHT : THE FIRST ENGLISH ALBUM

blacklight is the first english-language studio album and third overall studio album by south korean singer taeyong. it was released on december 28, 2022, by dimensions entertainment. the album contains songs with alternative r&b, pop, rock, and electronica influences. nme rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "well thought out concept [album[".

blacklight was released almost a year after taeyong returned from an extended hiatus from activities, citing health issues and struggles with stress and panic disorder. the album was preceded by the single “so beautiful”, which introduced the sound and visual world of the album. 

explanation of the album by taeyong has been limited compared to his early music. he went most in-depth into the album in the video uploaded onto his personal youtube channel after the album’s releases, titled “memories in disorder | blacklight documentary”. in the video, taeyong explained that the album was inspired by the highs and lows of his own mental health struggles.

the album’s physical release was designed with special heat-sensitive ink. the album appeared to be entirely black until exposed to a heat source such as skin or a lighter, at which point, the text “who are you?” in the bottom right corner of the album would appear. blacklight is notably taeyong’s only album not to feature the name of the album on the cover. the inside of each album included a shattered mirror and the disc resembled an eyeball, both tying into visuals from the album’s accompanying music videos.

the visuals for the album were a key part of the album’s release, according to taeyong, who directed all of the album’s music videos. taeyong has stated the visuals were most key to blacklight out of any album he’s released, as they helped to “bring the world of mito and blacklight out of [his] head and into life”. in addition to the music videos for “so beautiful” and main single “nerves”, additional videos were released for “no blueberries”, “scaredy cat”, and “welcome to the show” that all told parts of a continuing story. taeyong has never explained the exact story behind the music videos, though he has mentioned he sees blacklight as “only the beginning”. many fan theories have been made about the album’s music videos.

the album features eight tracks including the single “nerves”.

mito

so beautiful

dope lovers

no blueberries ft. jace, minjung

nerves

scaredy cat

welcome to the show

no silhouette

[taeyongfmd]

“NO BLUEBERRIES” (JANUARY 2, 2022)

“what’s wrong with me? why do you keep doing this? stop.”

“no blueberries” is a b-side on ash’s fifth solo album blacklight, and one of the music videos from the era. “no blueberries” represents feelings of anxiety, obsession, fear, and resentment in regards to both fame and personal relationships. the song features minjung (who he wrote the song with) and jace. it’s one of the songs on the album ash has explained in the least clear terms in interviews, but that’s because “no blueberries” is meant to reflect a feeling that’s very present often in ash’s life, but he struggles to describe, hence the metaphorical imagery.

the director ash worked with on the video for “no blueberries” was the same as the director for several other music videos from the era.