the rest of the list is also mostly Red Velvet if we're being honest

I might write a bit more about the rest of the tracks, but these were my favorites so I think I'll leave it at that for now. Go listen to the entire Blue Valentine project, we'll see how it ages but this will go down as one of, if not my favorite, releases this year.

Reality Hurts. Just a banger thru and thru, love seeing Lily with writing credits on the group's first full English track. I already knew from the teaser this would be one of my favorite off the album, and it didn't disappoint. NMIXX once again proving their mastery over any and every genre.

Phoenix is incredibly fresh and sonically captivating, each new phrase surprising and unpredictable. This song feels like the love child of two of my other favorite tracks off Fe3O4 Forward; High Horse and Slingshot. This song will likely go down as one of my favorite this year.

The title track itself is a whirlwind of emotion; it really hits on what they were going for with the duality of pain/love, sadness/joy ascribed to the name "Blue Valentine". The pre-chorus buildup with that audio sleight-of-hand tempo buildup is so fresh and fun. We WILL be crying to this one.

--and that energy is better spent towards strengthening yourself, your circle of friends, and the people that do choose to be around you, rather than pouring your soul out into people that were never going to like you regardless. It also helps to just Log The Fuck Off every now and then 🤭

Another part of that cost is recognizing and being okay with the fact that you are not going to be the hero in everyone's story. I realized that, actually, there are some people to whom I would prefer being the villain! Trying to get everyone to like you is a frustrating, futile effort--