Strawberry | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | February 1, 2023 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 12:08 | |||
Language |
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Label |
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Epik High chronology | ||||
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Singles from Strawberry | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
NME | [1] |
Strawberry is the third extended play and first global album by South Korean hip hop trio Epik High. The EP was released on February 1, 2023, through OURS Co. and distributed by Genie Music. [1] The album consists of five tracks, including the lead single "Catch" featuring Hwasa of Mamamoo, and a collaboration with Got7's Jackson Wang on the song "On My Way". [2] [3]
All the tracks on the album were written or co-written by Tablo and Mithra Jin of Epik High; and were co-produced by DJ Tukutz and Tablo of Epik High, along with collaborations from Grammy-winning producers on a few of the tracks. [4] Strawberry follows Epik High's tenth studio album Epik High Is Here (2021–2022).
Describing why the album is called Strawberry, Epik High's leader Tablo said in an interview, "Well, first of all, all three of us like strawberries. When we thought of something fresh, strawberry was the first thing that popped into our heads. At the same time, when you smash a strawberry, it looks like blood. The strawberry literally has nothing to protect it," offering a broader perspective to the tracks on Strawberry, which reflect on his and the group's survival. [2]
On December 6, 2022, along with the announcement of Epik High's 2023 All Time High Tour across Europe and North America, Tablo teased "New music is coming soon..." on his social media accounts. [5] On January 9, 2023, he confirmed that Epik High is indeed working on a new album. Then on January 18, the title of the EP was announced to be Strawberry, to feature five tracks, and to be released on February 1, 2023. [6]
On January 25, 2023, the complete tracklist, including collaborations with Jackson Wang on "On My Way" and Hwasa on "Catch", was revealed. Epik High said in a press release that they "aim to introduce a well-made album that encompasses the colorful characteristics of diverse producers and artists infused with the Epik High trio's symbolic musical color." [4] Epik High appeared on the Hwasa Show on January 28, and performed an exclusive pre-release of "Catch" featuring Hwasa, prior to the release of the album. [7] Two days later, the EP's sampler was released. [8]
Strawberry was mainly promoted using memes posted by Tablo and fans on social media. [9] The EP was released to digital music and streaming platforms on February 1, 2023. The accompanying visualizer videos for all five tracks were released on Epik High's official YouTube channel. In addition to the five tracks, the album's CDs included instrumentals for all the tracks. [10]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Strawberry" |
| 1:28 | |
2. | "On My Way" (featuring Jackson Wang) |
| 3:03 | |
3. | "Catch" (featuring Hwasa) |
|
| 3:44 |
4. | "Down Bad Freestyle" | Tablo |
| 1:28 |
5. | "God's Latte" |
|
| 2:23 |
Total length: | 12:08 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "Strawberry" (instrumental) | 1:28 |
7. | "On My Way" (featuring Jackson Wang; instrumental) | 3:03 |
8. | "Catch" (featuring Hwasa; instrumental) | 3:44 |
9. | "Down Bad Freestyle" (instrumental) | 1:28 |
10. | "God's Latte" (instrumental) | 2:23 |
Total length: | 24:12 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | February 1, 2023 |
| [11] | |
South Korea | CD |
Epik High is a South Korean hip-hop trio formed in 2001, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. Primarily based in Seoul, the group signed with Woollim Entertainment and released their first two studio albums, Map of the Human Soul (2003) and High Society (2004), to minor success. The trio rose to fame with the release of their follow-up studio albums, Swan Songs (2005), Remapping the Human Soul (2007), and Pieces, Part One (2008), spawning the hit singles "Fly", "Paris", "Fan", "Love Love Love", "One" and "Umbrella". Although the majority of these albums were censored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism due to themes of crimes, war, religion, and education, Epik High established themselves as one of the leading hip-hop artists in the country, gaining a cult following and critical plaudit.
Swan Songs is the third studio-album by South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High, released on October 4, 2005. Featuring a variety and mix of hip hop, electronica, rock, and jazz, the album has been praised by music critics and the Korean mainstream public upon its debut. "Fly" and "Paris" were the lead hit singles spawned from the album, with "Fly" featured in the soundtrack of the 2006 video game FIFA 07. Due to the numerous offers to remake "Fly" as well as "Paris", a CD sampler was released in Japan in 2007.
Remapping the Human Soul is the fourth studio album by South Korean hip hop trio Epik High. It was released through Woollim Entertainment and CJ Music on January 23, 2007, and contains 27 tracks on two CDs. The singles "Fan" and "Love Love Love" were promoted as part of the album.
Daniel Armand Lee, better known by his stage name Tablo, is a Korean-Canadian hip hop recording artist, lyricist, composer and record producer. Tablo is best known as the leader and producer of veteran Korean hip-hop group Epik High, and the founder of independent music label HIGHGRND, which housed bands Hyukoh and The Black Skirts.
Epilogue is a special release album from Korean hip-hop group Epik High. The album is a collection of unreleased tracks from the group's discography spanning 7 years and 11 albums. It is also the first album released without DJ Tukutz, due to his departure for the Korean military in October 2009. It is also the group's final release under Woollim Entertainment.
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