motel void

Honestly, I’m not very familiar with many artists from South Korea – especially not within the shoegaze genre, which I tend to associate more with Japan. Still, this new release is genuinely lovely. Nostalgia is CHEONG NAN’S third single, and in many ways it offers a fairly pop-leaning take on shoegaze. The melody itself isn’t particularly hazy; that side of the genre is carried more by the instrumental textures, while the vocal lines remain clear and direct.

But it works remarkably well. The simple chorus, in particular, carries a real emotional weight. I can easily imagine driving through the streets of Seoul at night with this in my headphones – it must feel incredible! I was also intrigued by how the song briefly shifts from Korean into English; it’s a really effective combination.