Cravity makes a triumphant return, unveiling their seventh EP Evershine.
Cravity returns during the Pisces season with their seventh extended Play and ninth record release Evershine. Described as the finale of a Trilogy that consisted of said release, Master:Piece and Sun Seeker.
Retrospectively listening to the trilogy album, including this one, it’s a coming-of-age era for the group. Setting tones and themes with music videos ranging from workplace shenanigans to West Coast vacations, comic book tomfoolery, sci-fi heroism, and lastly, the dramatic emo trope. Musically, the trilogy is as varied as the typical blueprint for the present-day Starship Entertainment group.
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Cravity welcomes new sounds?
Half of the tracks from the extended play are genres that the boy group has never explored before. One track evokes nostalgic sounds from 2nd generation groups; their title track evokes punk rock; and another one evokes debut album Eilish sounds.
It’s a surprising variety of sounds mixed in with some tried-and-tested tracks that are identifiable to Cravity. The extended play is possibly the blueprint for what “Cravitycore” would sound like. While said core is not fully formed at the moment, the foundations are there. The only thing missing is a Woobin-produced song, the musical theater whimsy of their B-Side track “Fly,” and the tropical sounds of their B-Side “Sunrise,” but sultry.
What’s your Cravity Evershine concept?
Evershine has three distinct concepts for each version: Nightfall, Afterglow, and Sunrise. “Nightfall” invokes a nighttime under the moonlit spring concept. The members are wearing white and violet costumes, using varied flowers as aesthetic accessories.
“Afterglow” invokes the construct from the Matrix. The members were wearing costumes that Matrix characters would wear.
Lastly, Sunrise uses a 90s pickup truck and an American Midwest background. It invokes a mature, rugged road trip with the boys concept. The costumes they wear are not practical clothing for the arid outdoors. At least it looks comfy enough to wear to pit-stop diners.
The visuals for each concept are varied but have a coming-of-age feel to them. They have hinted at this concept since their comeback, “New Wave.” While not a complete transition to a mature concept, it is preparing the fan base for possibly far more. The seeds are being planted since all members of the group are in their 20s.
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Run the Track for Evershine
1: C’est La Vie
A dance track that uses the French phrase “That’s Life” in English. A phrase of resignation is uttered as a way to accept the unexpected. The song also has the Italian phrase “La vita è bella” in its lyrics, which means “Life is beautiful.” It also calls back to their songs from their previous LP, Cravity 1st Album Part 1 [The Awakening: Written In The Stars], which are “Divin'” and “Celebrate.”
While separately, it doesn’t have much cohesion, in combination, it makes sense when used in the song. “Divin'” is a “Don’t worry about the city” track, while “Celebrate” is a “Don’t worry about the haters” track. This track, in summary, is a “Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I’m here” track. It’s a track that you can play to lighten up your mood after a hard day of work.
2: Love or Die
The members used “Veni, Vidi, Vici” as a comparative track to try and describe the song when spoiling it. The electric guitar part of that comparison is partially true. It’s a mix of a The Kid Laroi track with the musical vibes of Dreamcatcher title tracks. A play on words with the phrase “Ride or Die.”
The lyrics is a dramatic interpretation of missing someone after they leave your side. It’s a song that you can use when you want to immerse yourself in angry abandonment. So if you play D&D and you want to base your character’s motivation on an NPC who left your PC, then this song is perfect for that.
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3: Cherry Blossom
A track that they kept weirdly spoiling by talking about “eating lips” when they went live in their dorm. A Spring Boy track that is part of the “Cravitycore” identity that invokes the vibes of their previous B-Side track “Ooh, Aah”.
It also calls back to their title track “Ready or Not” on its post-chorus parts multiple times. It is the perfect dance track for parties that include Cravity B-Sides like “Ooh, Aah,” “Dangerous,” “Maybe, Baby,” and “Hot Air Balloon.”
4: Mr.
This song invokes so many nostalgic sounds from second-generation K-pop groups. It’s the most unserious song in Cravity’s discography. They made vocalists Wonjin and Minhee rap for the song.
Given all that, it might sound like a disaster song waiting to be hated. Yet it’s the perfect viral song for Tik-Tok, a dance challenge waiting to happen. Put on teashade sunglasses, and loose and wavy checkered pajamas, and dance a masculine version of Kara’s hip dance from “Mr.” You got yourself the next Cravity-based dance challenge on Tik-Tok.
5: Worst Thriller
A disorientating song that sounds like it was considered for Billie Eilish’s debut album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO. The lyrics are a little mature if you look into them, filled with euphemisms and innuendos alluding to something.
The inclusion of this song is a hint that the group is experimenting with new sounds. While listeners’ discretion is advised for this song, it’s still a spice that is needed for Cravity’s evolving discography.
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6: Over & Over
A self-composed track by the group’s all-rounder member, Allen. It is a track inspired by a Cravity Park episode where they did a “This or That” game.
Coincidentally, it was the same game where he talked about his now iconic rebranding to someone cool stint. One “this or that” question involved the most common topic of losing while maintaining memories. That question might have possibly inspired the composition of this song.
This is the most impressive song in the album and showcases Allen’s evolution as a songwriter. He only used five English words in total for this song, and he conveyed his ideas in Hangul. It’s a once-in-a Blue Moon song that is an essential listen if you’re a newbie Cravity stan.
Cravity Evershine Overall
Evershine is a diamond-quality album, and it’s a no-skip extended play. It’s a showcase of an evolving Cravity and their decision to experiment with different sounds. It’s a call back to past K-pop while looking forward to what the future holds for it.
Overall, Evershine is a highly recommended listen for anyone looking to finally dive into Cravity or K-Pop in general.
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