LoonatheTierList - Album Tracks Tier List Part 2

This post is dedicated to Blake (aka ChoerryLife22), who is about to go on something of a hiatus for the next 6 months.

Hello again, everyone! I know it's been a while since part 1. I'm really sorry about that. I had a mid-level personal crisis and a load of work, but I'm back to posting now. So, without further ado, let's get back into the tier list!

But, before we get into A tier, let's have a quick recap of tiers D-B:

D Tier

30. One Way

29. Stylish

C Tier

28. Odd Front

27. Chaotic

26. Curiosity

25. Frozen

B Tier

24. XX

23. #

22. Love & Evil

21. ADD

20. ODD

19. dal segno

18. Fairy Tale

17. Into the new heart

16. Perfect Love

15. You and Me Together

14. ++

13. LOONATIC

Now, let's get on with the list!

-------------A Tier--------------

12. Satellite

Kicking off the A tier, we have a prime example of how well the style of music on XX holds up. The ethereal and otherworldly production serves as an amazing backdrop for the vocals that move very well between serene and powerful. In some ways, this is the perfect pop song as it never gets better or worse with repeated listens. It has always been a song I would put in the A tier and I doubt that will change any time soon. Also, that chorus is just amazing. How can I possibly deny a chorus that good?

11. Rendezvous 18.6y

THE REDEMPTION OF BEAUTY&THEBEAT! After most of the album ranging from just okay to full on bad, this song just brought a smile to my face. The only thing that could possibly disappoint me about this track is that there aren't more songs like this on the album. The instrumental seems quite basic, but it actually has enough going on to create a roots-y groove and a sense of real momentum without trying to sound too active. The acoustic guitar makes it sound light and airy while the strings on the chorus keep it tethered to Earth. The vocals are so well distributed and every member is used in the best possible way. It all just floats over the instrumental, giving it this sense of fun, something that the previous tracks on the album just couldn't accomplish. Also, Go Won as a radio operator. That is all.

10. Number 1

When I first listened to #, this was actually my favourite track. Clearly, it's fallen a bit in what I think of it, but that doesn't mean this isn't an amazing song. It just has this sense of being a truly huge song. For example, when the beat comes in for the chorus it just shatters the Earth. The vocals are powerful enough to not sound forced but still go well with the production. This song is all that, PLUS a really great hook and post-chorus. I can definitely see why this was my favourite song from #.

9. Colours

Another great example of how good the production on XX was and how well it fits Loona. The instrumental is propulsive and works really well with the dynamic vocals and vocal distribution. The girls put a lot of emotion into their vocals and it comes through, especially in the chorus and bridge (which has some amazing harmonising between Haseul and Kim Lip). One thing just holds this song back from being up in S tier: I really don't like the breakdown all that much. The gang vocals and vocal samples just sound really out of place on this song and it can sometimes even ruin my experience of the song. Other than that, it's amazing.

8. Uncover

This song is just a work of craftsmanship. The instrumental is put together so well, with all these intricate parts that you can miss if you're not listening for them, yet they fundamentally affect the track as a whole, like those little touches of guitar in the background of the second verse. Then there's the really well sung vocals that has each of the girls singing near the top of their and they all absolutely shine, especially Choerry, who gets a rare chance to show off how great a vocalist she is. However, this stays just outside of the S tier because it doesn't always click for me. Sometimes, this is just a bit too weird for me.

-------------S Tier--------------

7. Where you at

If I were to describe this song is one word, it would be: powerful. However, this song isn't powerful in the same way as others on this list, it's powerful in the way that Love Letter and Twilight were. It's a gut punch of emotion. Normally, this wouldn't make it into the S tier for being a song I have a hard time listening to on repeat, but it makes up for that by also being anthemically big. The drums are heavy, but not slow or leaden. The synths emphasise emphasise the emotion without being depressing and there's that bass that tethers it all together. But this song would be nothing without the vocals, that convey so much emotion. Just like with "Twilight", they convey sadness and pain but there's still a sense of light at the end of the tunnel, which gives the song a kind of finality that makes it work as the emotional close of XX. Also, this is the last song on the last album Haseul was a part of the group for (for now, at least). This gives the song even more meaning and guarantees its place here.

6. Heat

I just love this song. I can barely form the words as to how or why, but I just do. It has this energy that always drags me along for the ride and keeps going throughout. In that way, it almost feels like the precursor to So What. It is a song that I don't even want to talk about, I just want to get down to it. Before I go do that, however, I'll give you some of my personal highlights. I just love how the bridge builds into the final chorus and how the vocals go over the final drop. Then there's those hits of strings in the pre-chorus that are hard enough to leave a mark in the ground around you. Then, the alarm on the drop which completes the track.

5. Valentine Girl

Valentine Girl is a rare occasion of a Loona song being great for the storytelling, as well as the vocals and production. You see, if I find the details in a song to be particularly interesting, I’m more likely to come back to it. You see, in Korea, there is a tradition by which girls will give their crush chocolates on valentine’s day and their crush will then respond to this on White day, in March (a long time to wait, I know, but it’s traditional, apparently).Anyway, Valentine Girl is about waiting for your crush to respond on White day. This adds a lot of specific details that make the song more enjoyable, not only for being more interesting, but also for being incredibly cute. Apart from that, the vocals and production are pretty standard for a song from Love &Evil. What completes it all is the outro, in which the have this little exchange about Heejin confessing to someone in this way, which makes the song that much more real. It doesn't even matter if it's a real scenario any of them went through, it just feels real.

4. Starlight

Starlight is a very rare occurrence in Loona’s discography: a ballad I actually love. This one in particular is just an entire vibe. More than anything, it just feels like calm contentment. The lowkey instrumental and soft, yet soaring vocals just make you feel happy and at peace. Also,this song knows where to give the vocals space and when to go all out. Whoever produced this clearly knew that Choerry could handle the verses with her laid back delivery. On that subject, this song handles vocal distribution very well by playing to each girl’s strengths in their respective parts. I find myself comparing this to Where you at, not because of any musical similarities, but just because it serves as a perfect ending to an album of otherworldly concepts. It summarises all that was great about Max & Match,and I can really respect that.

3. Oh (Yes I am)

Weird production done well. It seems to shift between musical ideas on a whim, and yet it all works as a song, which is just astounding. I think that’s mostly down to that recurring beat that makes sure it all keeps moving. It also helps how the vocals are used to both fill space and soar right above the instrumental. But let’s be real, there’s one reason this is so high, and that is the rap verse after the bridge. Amazing flows that just keep building up and switching and I love how it all finishes on that “up-upgrade”. Masterful!

2. Ding Ding Dong

This is another song in which energy is the defining quality. This feels just as dynamic as Oh (Yes I am) but it stays with the same set of ideas the whole way through, which makes it work even better. The production is strong in how it just has all these background melodies surrounding the drum line that is the real backbone of this song. All the vocal melodies are strong and stick in your head, which emphasises the energy that each girl puts into their performance. From one listen, it's just clear that every member is having so much fun and it means that the listener is more likely to have fun listening.

1. Day & Night

So, Aurin guessed this would be at number 1 on their first try. I guess the consensus is just that strong as to how good this song is. This is the real ending track that # deserved. The dest I could describe this song is that it answers the question of "what if you gave Egoist a UK house groove?". This is just such a genuinely weird concept and, weirder still, the song sticks the landing so very well. Coach & Sendo (the producers) just seem to really want to make house music and it shows on this song. The production all builds off that bass groove for it to lead up to the vocal samples on the post-chorus.

Then there's the lyrics, that are clearly quite annoyed but never come off as overly bitter. It strikes the right balance, which makes all the digs at this person more playful than genuinely spiteful. More importantly, it also brings closure to the situation described.

Then there are the vocals. All of the girls clearly know how to play off the production so they sound powerful but not too forceful and they can still ride the beat.

In the end, I come back to what I started this segment with. Someone could guess this song was at the top of the list on their first try. That should show how this is just such an obviously great song. I can't give it much higher praise!

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Wow, that took a long time! For those of you who were expecting this yesterday, sorry for the delay. I've been having some problems with anxiety that have hindered me from making this, so that's been fun.

Either way, this has still been an overall fun experience, and I hope you enjoyed it. I think i'll be taking something of a break from posting for a bit, apart from a few short posts here and there.

So, until next time, have a great day and stan Loona!