collaboration with krystal jung ( @rksoojung )
video uploaded by krystal.valentine !
intrigued by a text that comes out of the blue, chorong’s prompt appearance at soojung’s place soon afterwards is hardly surprising given that artists (especially songwriters as they both are) possess a peculiar sense of time that recognizes no hands on a clock. when the muse calls-- or else, when a kindred spirit conveys excitement over a newly finished song, it’s only natural that chorong’s curiosity leads her to the other, the latter’s interest stirred at the lifeblood of new music.
“you want to record it?” chorong asks in surprise after soojung plays through the song once, allowing chorong to hear the entirety of the piece. the visitor is impressed by the raw feeling the lyrics provoke in her; soojung has composed a song awash in sincerity and it’s good. really, really good. the singer voices her enthusiasm and shows chorong the camera propped up to capture both their faces. “alright,” chorong agrees, flashing a self-conscious smile towards the lens. “but let’s try it a few times? i’m nervous.”
soojung is willing to do, of course, and the two run through their verses several times until it feels like the right take. although soojung had told chorong before that she was a singer, it’s an entirely new thing to hear the proof of it out loud when soojung sings her parts so confidently. soojung’s voice is haunting-- in the way that pierces one’s soul in its most vulnerable cracks. chorong only hopes that her contribution is worth the same estimation in soojung’s eyes.
the rapper glances at the music sheet every now and then to make sure she doesn’t forget any of the lines. soojung’s done well at providing the lyrics and it’s chorong’s job to create the rhythm that allows both rap verse and soojung’s sung verses to transition seamlessly between one another. keeping the beat by tapping her fingers against her thigh, chorong pronounces each one of soojung’s lyrics with an edge of roughness suitable to the written emotion.
All these people here
Staring and looking at me
Shaking their heads eyes
Down strong on me
What’s wrong with me?
Can you tell me now?
What’s wrong with me?
Can you tell me now?
The anger, the cruelty, I deserve it
And I’d do anything to
Be what they call perfect
Then maybe I could find
A place to call my own and belong
But if only I was strong...
soojung joins her for the harmony in the bridge, the latter’s turn to take over once chorong steers through the elegance of these joining lines.
I’ll be walking with my eyes down
Eyes down, eyes down
I’ll keep my eyes down
Eyes down, eyes down
chorong doesn’t know english-- the foreign language tough on her even after required to study it for her classes, but she listens carefully to soojung’s pronunciation as the girl sings, doing her best to mimic the sounds in her own performance. the accent makes the sound of the words themselves far from perfect but chorong’s shortcoming there is balanced with the force she provides to the verse she raps.
Stand up, fall down, up again
Up against the pressure I am in
Slowly but surely I begin
Jumping trains ‘cause I know I can win
Oh fear not ‘cause
I know I’m in His hands
Though I can’t see
I know there’s a plan
So thick the fog but
I know I can trust
The feelings that
I feel when the roads rough
soojung’s smooth voice takes over the heart of the rest and chorong is left simply listening to her, a proud smile lingering on her lips as she listens to the other girl lose herself in the singing. it’s obvious, even to chorong, that this song matters to soojung and why should it not-- especially when it’s a creation born of the other’s hard work? compositions are like children, raised and cultivated to be beautiful and beloved, and to breathe life into one as they do now can only be a cause for happiness. chorong hopes soojung is happy with their performance... for this is all chorong can possibly give to her.
“me?” chorong pipes up once the recording is finished and the camera is turned off. “what about you? your voice is lovely... really, i mean it!” it’s not that this is the first time she’s heard a compliment about her rapping skills but somehow, from soojung, the praise embarrasses her far more than whenever her mother says a similar thing. she rustles the papers in her lap and fights back the shy grin that threatens to take over.
