mono. pt. 2

As promised earlier, a deeper dive into mono. I'll be linking the lyrics and translations from one of my favourite fan translators, for better understanding.

1. tokyo

This song opens the playlist, and, in a rarely-seen venture, sung entirely in English. tokyo speaks about the feeling of not belonging, of homesickness. The melancholy pervades throughout, and the chillingly desolate whistling brings the song to a close.

2. seoul prod. HONNE



The most upbeat, and arguably the most popular song on the playlist. I had just returned from my trip to Seoul exactly a week ago when mono. dropped, and it felt like such a perfect description of my trip. Seoul isn't his hometown, but rather a place he went to chase his dreams. The conflicting feelings you have for a place that you begrudgingly call home, for the place that grows on you, and becomes a part of you before you even realize it.

3. moonchild



I think this is a fan favourite, at least from the forums I browse. All the people who have ever felt different, who have felt like they didn't belong. The people who don't fit neatly into the categories of society, can take solace in the moon, when the existing order and hardships temporarily slip away.

4. badbye ft. eAeon

Everyone has a least favourite of their favourite things. And sadly, badbye is the one track in mono where I listen to it when it shuffles onto my playlist, but I rarely choose to queue it myself. Oddly enough though, it was the first song to get stuck in my head; the repeating “kill me, kill me softly” from eAeon. I think the main reason I don’t gravitate towards it is the slightly haunting tone of the lyrics, the emotions of an unpleasant parting, leaves me with an eeriness I don't often seek out.

5. 어긋 (uhgood)

This is my favourite track. There was something so raw and soul-baring about this track. RM explained that this song was originally supposed to be what ultimately became Reflection, a song that resonated with me during times when I rather despised myself.

All I need is me
I know, I know, I know
But why do I feel so lonely?
I feel so lonely when I'm with me

When I was young, I had strict ideas for the type of person I would grow up to be. Unsurprisingly, it was nearly impossible to live up to these ideals, and the disappointment and self-loathing that happened afterwards was at times unbearable. The lyrics take us through a ramble through his brain, as he goes from the pain of feeling off, to accepting that despite it all, he can't give up on himself.


6. 지나가 (everythingoes) ft. NELL

This too, shall pass. The world is full of suffering, but like how morning comes after the night, how summer comes after spring... the hard times that you are facing, will eventually pass by. Rather than being offered meaningless lies, finding small comfort in knowing that all things eventually pass.


7. forever rain



This was the first song I heard from the mono., as the music video for this dropped at the same time as the playlist. The world slows down when it rains; cars drive slower, people stay indoors, and everyone is more concentrated on themselves, wrapped up in keeping their world warm and dry. For someone who has the world watching them, yet feels utterly isolated at the same time, forever rain takes us through the feeling of a life spent running, of the purifying and calming nature of rain, in addition to its usually associated gloominess.

Loneliness and existence, loneliness in existence. To live is to be uncertain, and finding your place in the world is difficult. mono. captures a bit of that complexity, gives the small, yet endlessly complicated struggles of existence, a voice. Half a year later, I still find myself touched by the understated comfort of this playlist.