CL's “In The Name of Love” is Refreshing, Cohesive and the ...

CL enjoyed support from industry movers and shakers for a long time. From · will.i.am, to · Scooter Braun, to · YG himself, it seemed obvious that ... About MeettheStaff ContactUs WorkwithUs Menu Editors'Picks Jamie’s“OneBadNight”IsExcruciatinglyHonest JacksonWangTransformsin“MagicMan” UnsungArtists:August2022 PurpleKissQuestionStereotypesin“Geekyland” PopularTags:AlbumReview,VIXX,Girls'Generation(SNSD),Got7,UnsungArtistsSeeAll Music Baekho’s“AbsoluteZero”:ABalancedCollectionoftheNow-Soloist’sManyStrengths TheSBMixtape,10/20/2022:K-popToWarmTheBlood (G)I-dlePushesBoundariesin“Nxde” LeeChaeyeonSubvertsExpectationsinOddlyMatched“HushRush” PopularTags:MVReview,AlbumReview,WonderGirls,SBMixtape,SistarSeeAll Music Idols Screen LittleWomen:Stylish,Thrilling&DelightfullyTwisty AlchemyofSouls,Ep.10-20:ATaleofOutcasts Yumi’sCells2:AJourneyofLoveandGrowth Link:Eat,Love,KillHasTooMuchonitsPlate PopularTags:DramaReview,JungSo-min,Jinyoung,KimGo-eun,NamJi-hyunSeeAll Film Drama TV Culture AgeismandAgeBiasinK-pop KimGaramandthePowerofFansinShapingIdolNarratives PandemicBlues:TheStruggleofSmallCompaniesandIdolGroups PasstheK-popcorn:Predicting2022 PopularTags:Got7,Twice,NCT,TXT(TomorrowXTogether),EricNamSeeAll SeoulbeatsSegments TheSBMixtape,10/20/2022:K-popToWarmTheBlood ForYourViewingPleasure:OutofFocus WeekinReview,10/10to10/16 ForYourViewingPleasure:OversizedComforts PopularTags:ForYourViewingPleasure(FYVP),SBWeekinReview,Exo,WonderGirls,SBMixtapeSeeAll HomeIdols CL's"InTheNameofLove"isRefreshing,CohesiveandtheBiggestFlex December28,2019Gaya2 Whetheryoulikeditornot,CLenjoyedsupportfromindustrymoversandshakersforalongtime.Fromwill.i.am,toScooterBraun,toYGhimself,itseemedobviousthatCL’sproximitytopowerwouldbodewellforherowncareer.Criticscriedfavouritism,anoversaturationofresourcesthatcouldhavebeensharedwithotherfemaleYGEartists;admirerstoutedCL’sworkethicasthereasonforhersuccess,beingmuchgreaterthanthatofherfemalelabelmates.OtherswiselypointedoutthatthepersonreallytoblamefortheunequalshareofworkwasthecompanyanditsCEO. NoonethoughtthatCL’scareerwouldbeaffected.Theimageofherbeingthefavourite,thebreakoutstar,thelogicalchoiceforasolocareer,wastoopowerfultoshatter.Butoveryearsofinactivity,punctuatedwith“buzzsingles,”nondescriptfeatures,atourof2NE1covers,aMyLittlePonysoundtracknumber,andaWinterOlympicsClosingCeremonyperformanceshedidherownmakeupfor,thatimagecrumbledtodust. Ergo,fewpeopleweresurprisedwhenCLfinallydidleaveYGE,thoughthejourneytoacceptingthisfactisbeyondshocking.CLherselfobviouslyhadthoughtsonthewholething,wastingnotimeinsharingtheminherfirstsoloEP—comingmorethansixyearsafterthereleaseofdebutsolosingle“TheBaddestFemale.” TheromanticsplitthatmakesupthestoryofInTheNameofLoveisakintoastickeronanapple—superfluous,promptlypeeledawaybythosewhowanttogettothefruitunderneath—isthedemiseofCL’srelationshipwithYGandhertimeathis(currentlyex-)agency. Webeginwithself-loveanthem“+DONE161201+,”juxtaposingexasperationandhopethroughthewompbowbowvocalisationsunderpinningthetrackandCL’ssoulfulOh-eh-oh-eh-ohhook.Thingsimmediatelytakeaturnfortheintrospectivewith“+처음으로(REWIND)170205+,”anodetorebirthasCLaskstostartbackover.Themoodissustainedthrough”+투덜거려본다(PARADOX)171115+”withCLdrowninginherinnerturmoil: AmIdoingwellwithmyliferightnow?WhyamIalreadyafraidoftheend?CanIhandleallofthis?There’snotimeAmIgonnamakeitornot Itallcomestoaheadin“+ONEANDONLY180228+,”asCLfindsself-fulfilmenttothetuneofByzantine-ledsynthsandshimmeringSpanishguitar.Thisrealisationofherownabilityandpowerleadsusto“+안해(IQUIT)180327+,”whereinYGisofficiallykickedtothecurbinaminimalist-yet-upbeatletterofresignationthankstothestaccatoelectricguitarandCL’svoicesoaringinthepre-chorusbeforefloatingdownintothecalmanddevastating“IQuit”thatkicksoffthechorus,mimickingthelineweoftenwalkbetweenspillingoutouremotionsoverahostileworkenvironmentandmaintainingaveneerofprofessionalism. Thedateineachsong(likelyofitscreation)isadamningreminderoftheyearsCLspentunabletoconsistentlyreleasemusic,buttheyarealsoproofofhercontinuoushardwork.WefinallygettohearsomeoftheworkshecreatedwithDJDahiandBobbyBrackins(“Done”).Jean-BaptisteKouame,whocomposed“HelloBitches,”featuresagainwith“Rewind.”Thelistofherothercollaboratorsisvariedandrandom,withtheonlyconsistentcollaboratorbeingthemysteriouslyricistTokki,believedbymanytobeDara. ThemainthroughlinehereisCL,andshemasterfullyblendsbreezypopandheavyR&Btocreateacohesivesoundthatisonlyfaintlyreminiscentofherco-composingcreditsonCrush.“Crush”isfreneticand“BabyIMissYou”sensual,qualitiesthatdonotmatchITNOL. Theonlysongthatcomesclosestistheplaintive“IfIWereYou,”itssadnessplungeddeeperintotheabysstocreatetheEP’scloser,“+소중한추억(THNX)190519+.”Havingthealbumendonaballadistoocommon,butunliketheidenticalrapbreakdownstructureineverysong(theonlystalenessinanotherwiserefreshingsound),CL’sfullysolo-writtenand-composed“Thnx”isaheartrendingreminderthatnomatterhowpositiveyouareandwhateverhardshipsyouovercome,thatpainyoufeltandmaystillfeelisrealandvalid. Like“IfIWereYou,”thelyricsareromantic,butthebetrayalinCL’svoiceissomethingfeltmoreuniversally.Theaccompanyingvideoshowcherriesperchedatopthefruitbowl,onlytobedisregarded.Theyellowbearfigurine(purposefullyreminiscentofthoseinYG’sowncollection)standsidlybyasthehouseisemptiedandseasonschange,beforeburyingtheonlyorganicthingleft. Thevideo’screditsmakesureweareclearjustwhothecherriesrepresent,aswellasthatperson’screativeinput.Justlikethesongsofthisalbum,CLwascreativelyinvolvedinthemakingofallsixMVs,oneforeachsong.UnlikeITNOL‘ssound,thereisagreatervisualdivergencedespiteasmallerpoolofcontributors(DanielRusselldirectsthetwovideoswithhumantalent,whilekinotakuputstheireditingskillstouseinfour). Withanexecutionthatisoverallvividifnotpristine,eachvideoisaptforitssong;additionalpropsaredeservedfor“Thnx”and“IQuit,”thelatterofwhichstarsCarolineBlaike,ErikaChirino,DreHollingsworth,ShaheemSanchez,NancySacristanandDwayne“Miggy”Christydancingandsingingthelyrics.Theideatodresstheminwhiteboilersuitsandmatchthesplatterstothecoloursofthelyricsissobeautifullytextural,andcleverlysteerstheMVawayfrombecomingtooreminiscenttothatofJustinBieber‘s“Sorry.” “Done”and“Rewind,”meanwhile,arenotablefortheinclusionofCL’sfriendsinmusic,includingDara,BomandMinzy.Seeingthemnotonlythroughphotosin“Rewind”butalsolipsyncingalongto“Done”inashowofsupportmustbepullingatBlackjacks’heartstrings.Finally,“Paradox”and“OneandOnly”takeamoreabstractapproachinspiredbynoraebanganddance,respectively. Inhis2018FaderarticleinvestigatingCL’sstalledmarchintotheAmericanmusicindustry,OwenMyersposited: IfCLcanfindawaytousemusictoreflectonherowncomplexlifestory,includingherindustrystruggles,it’sprobablethathersongswillhaveabettershotatconnectingwithlisteners.It’slikelythathervoicewillringoutlouderthanever. WeknownowthatCLhadbeenthinkingalongthosesamelinesfromatleast2016.InTheNameofLovegivesussomeinsightintotheyearsshespentinlimbo,evenmorefrustratedandhurtthanherfansandsupporterswere. Now,though,CLhasnotonlyherstory,buthertalentandhardworktobringittolifethroughmusic;herfriendsandfanstoliftherupandsupportherandfinally;herfreedomtoshareitallwiththeworld. CLhasbeenreadyforthismomentforyears,readytoshowusjustwhatshecando.Whenevenatwo-minutedigitalsinglewouldhavebeenreceivedwithgratitudeandfanfare,CLinsteadgoesforaflexofmammothproportions,wranglingawealthofcreativestocreateasix-trackEPwithsixaccompanyingvideos.WebarelyseeCL’sfaceinanyofthematerials(ashyanimojiattheendof“Done”isouronlyglimpse),andwedon’tneedto.CL’spresenceiskeenlyfeltthroughoutthisrefreshingandcohesiveeffort. 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