Artist Highlight: January 2022

Y’ALL. WE’RE BACK. FOR REAL, THIS TIME!

I missed you guys! I’m super excited to make our return and get back into the swing of things with our Artist Highlight. The first artist of 2022 is a group that is truly very close to my heart and I hope that you guys will give them a listen after checking out this post.

Like all of our Artist Highlights, we will have a starter pack for Luminous so I don’t want to give too much away. What is important to know is that Luminous is a 4-member boy group, Youngbin, Suil, Steven, and Woobin, currently without an official fandom name and they work very hard to make their comebacks successful. (Sidebar: commenting and acknowledging a group/artist’s hard work does not, in any way, take away from the hard work others put in to their comebacks. I’m just talking about Luminous in this instance, so let’s not lessen their accomplishments and milestones by comparing them to other groups or giving any kind of “well” or “but”. 🙂 ) They made their debut only recently (at the end of 2021) and, even with only two mini albums and their pre-debut mini under their belt, they have a fun and successful discography to begin with.

Their newest comeback, “All Eyes Down”, is an absolute hit. Y’all, I mean it! Honestly, their debut track, “Run”, is also phenomenal and still gets stuck in my head at all hours of the day, but “All Eyes Down” has a different type of flavor compared to “Run”. I’ve attached their title track MVs below because they deserve to be seen. The choreography is so great for both, the guys are wonderful dancers, and watching their live stages is so fun, too, because their live performances and vocals are also WONDERFUL.

From their pre-debut mini album, Vision, to their very new comeback, Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego), you can hear the growth, y'all. And Vision was still released in 2021. The amount of growth and improvement we see in less than a year with this group is so charming and worthwhile. It shows the amount of work they put in to each comeback, to better their craft and their talents, and isn't that really what we all are after with our artists and music? I know I see a lot of people complain about "so and so doesn't sound like they used to" and it turns fans off, but why would we want our artists to plateau? Luminous only shows positive growth and experience as they continue to release music, in my opinion, and frankly it just makes me more excited for what they'll provide us in the future.

Let me also say, I can personally endorse them, not just because they’re artists who create, compose, produce, and contribute to some incredible tunes (even their b-sides are to die for, uGH THE TALENT), but because they’re amazingly sweet and lovable people. I was super fortunate to help contribute to their Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego) comeback and I was able to receive a fancall with each of the members. This fancall was so much fun for me, even if I had to be up at 5:30AM to complete it, and the guys were beyond rays of sunshine. I’ve already been telling all of my friends to listen to Luminous at every opportunity I can (sorry not sorry, you guys should listen and love them, I’m just riGHT), so now I have to continue that here because, frankly, they deserve it.

Guys of Luminous, should you ever find this and read it: Steven, I listened to the entire album like I promised I would and how do I pick a favorite song?! FJMISOAUJFS I love the entire album, truly and sincerely, because each track has a different energy. You guys did such a beautiful job. Youngbin, same thing, I can’t choose a favorite! I love fun, energetic tracks and softer tracks and you guys did both so well! Woobin, Suil, I’m so sorry I was such a trainwreck during our call. 😢 I want to try and get another call with y’all and do it better next time! I’ll be better prepared so you guys can have a better time with me!

I’m.. honestly, I’m a bit overwhelmed and emotional writing this one, guys. I’m listening to their album as I write it out and I just feel a lot of feelings for them. They’re such great people. And their music is so great.

Y’all know the feeling when you find a gem? Like a true, real, special gem. Rare, glittery, mind-blowing quality, priceless. And you have so much love and affection and emotion just bubbling-to-bursting inside you but so much frustration, too, at the same time, because you feel like people aren’t hearing you? For some reason, they aren’t listening to you when you say this music, this group, is worth the minimal time and energy it will take to fall in love with them?

Please, trust me. I beg. My friends encouraged me to start this blog because my music recommendations were worth it and spot on. Don’t stop trusting me now. Luminous is so worth it.

On a more personal note, I’m feeling better and finally recovering more solidly from COVID and the flu or whatever happened to me afterwards so I’m back on more steady solid ground. The blog will be back and up to usual operations this week (Feb 1, heyyyy!) and maybe even with the introduction of some new things. 👀

I hope you all have had a beautiful start to 2022 and are all healthy and doing well.

Until next time,

Ash ✨