home isn't only a place

 home isn’t only a place

if my soul had a voice, it would be you – Thama

by desi | 데지 (intrbloo)

I’ve always found solace in music, allowing the vibration of sound waves to soothe the anxiety in my chest; a therapy of sorts. I’ve tried my own hand at songwriting, putting my lil 0.5 gel pen to paper to birth my masterpiece one-hit-wonder Cherry on Top (2014) … iykyk. But at the end of the day, nothing beats the sheer visibility and comfort which blooms in the depths of my spirit, brewed by the concentrated vulnerability of other creatives. Hundreds of musicians occupy my digital library, and thousands (though it feels like millions) of songs litter my brain unrestrained; the manifestation of my nickname as a walking Shazam or jukebox. Despite my hunger to explore sundry genres and sounds, just as my mother’s cooking will always light a comforting flame within, a delicately handpicked collection of artists act as the soul-feeding home cooked meals among other deliciously satisfying eateries. Recently headlining this bunch is one of my favorite singers of all time, Jo Jungmin (조정민), better known by his pseudonym, THAMA (따마). 

A voice whose depths stretch like a willow, breezy among the soft clouds and powerful beneath the daisy-spotted surface. Roots, holding close the soulful foundations of rhythm and blues; branches stretching in the vast sky, discovering new sounds to fructify. His music is the epitome of home to me, encompassing the warmth, comfort, nostalgia, and almost earthy depth which founded my childhood. A space where I can authentically express myself and feel seen without pestering external perception. Thama possesses a curing depth in his voice, indirectly embracing every doubt and worry hiding among constructed confidence and assuring that “Everything will be okay ♡.” Maybe it’s the shared characteristics with my father’s voice, a booming vibration, a bass which fills your chest, a sense of comfort from my childhood. Or maybe it's the simply natural wave of emotion which Thama allows himself to study and sail. Whatever it is, it has drawn me into Thama’s musical universe, a dedicated, full-time citizen of his name-less fandom (give us a name please ,정민티비님!). A space which replicates a sense of home, and ten songs (out of his genuinely perfect discography) that I would permanently etch into my skin if possible. 

Sing It:

Since 2018, when the angelic enchantment of Sole’s Slow blessed my ears, thus introducing me to the hypnotic duet that was her debut single, Ride ft. Thama, I’ve been locked in on every release which has contributed to the discographies of both singers. Beginning with the project that (officially) started it all, Pre (2019) is truly a no-skip album which I can’t see myself ever getting tired of. Not only is the underlying vibe among all five tracks a very classic R&B sound, but the themes and messages are also very relatable and nostalgic. Sing It, the second track in this project is dedicated to all the visionaries who’ve inspired Thama’s dream; notably artists like 2Pac (Tupac), Chris Brown and Brian McKnight, who I also personally grew up listening to. The introspective refrain reflects the singer’s life in the past decade, the lingering aspiration of traveling the world and sharing this love for music; a sentiment I heavily identify with. Although I’ve inevitably changed and grown a lot in the last decade (11 is certainly very different from 21), when I reflect on how I’ve lived life it was merely a continuous effort – unshaken hard work – which has led me to where I am today. 

Questions:

This theme is also embedded in the third track, Questions ft. Jooyoung, which considers how we may ask ourselves arbitrary whos, whens, whys, etc… but that inevitably things will come to us somehow without us even noticing. The solemn atmosphere of an evening spent overlooking the cityscape in solitude (although I guess 4am it’s quite the evening anymore), a “glass of soju” your only companion aside wandering thoughts; this is the picture painted in the first verse, naturally prompting the almost existential query in the pre-chorus - “I see people living life / What kind of life am I living?” This is followed by the frustration of getting no answer despite the repeated attempts to inquire, which for some may feel hopeless or disheartening – the reality that there is no guidebook on how to live a good, successful life. I, however, understand it as a continuous effort and aspiration to do and be better, even if you don’t know exactly what that means or looks like. Asking questions to ourselves and our surroundings in an attempt to understand the world we are living in a little bit better. Even if we can’t pinpoint the answer right now, in a few years when we look back at the current moment, as we do with our present past, we’ll reminisce and accept that we simply tried our best. And as my parents instilled in me from a young age, your best is all we can ask for. 

2G Love:

“2G Love / Baby we were so analogue.” Another track from the Pre EP, 2G Love ft. Sole takes the theme of nostalgia and wraps it up in this perfect little 3:40-minute package. Using “2G” to refer to the second-generation tech era, a simpler time when we were more raw, honest, and in the moment, “2G Love” reminds us of the innocent relationships we fostered in our youth. Listening to this song with headphones, you can feel the bass of the drum caught in your throat, while the clicking snap sounds in the background act as a sort of hypnotic rhythm that sends you back to your adolescence, reminiscing your first love. The first verse encapsulates this storyline, as the lyrics share that despite only having a short time together, those moments remain happy, precious memories of the past. Describing it as “analogue” kind of evokes the imagery of a 90’s camcorder home video; screen glitches and scratchy audio reinforce the feelings of nostalgia but also representing imperfections. Thus, analogue simultaneously takes the meaning of comparability – remembering the relationship’s flaws and shortcomings… a difference in thoughts. This motif is littered throughout the lyrics, as Thama sings “Everyday, we couldn’t understand each other / You spoke of reality, and I spoke of dreams,” followed by the paradoxical regret of not “holding on” to this “overwhelmingly special” connection. There’s a particular richness in the singer’s voice, paired with the dreamy contrast of Sole’s falsetto in the second verse that really stings your tear ducts. They say you’ll never forget your first love, which I can’t particularly argue with; but while I’ve moved on and don’t think about them candidly anymore, when prompted with the keywords (1st ♡), I can’t push away the unconscious 2D image that pops in my mind. 2G → 2D, as time goes on the memories begin to blur, losing their details and dimensionality, just like the 360p documentation we now have from those days. As an avid collector of physical albums and a hopeful Pre enthusiast, I personally believe that these tropes + Thama’s rich, experienced voice = the perfect equation for a beautiful vinyl release… or cassette 👀 (pleaaaseee Amoeba, I’m begging you to release a physical in some form). 

Blessed:

!!!!!! When I first heard this song I was absolutely mind-blown, to say the least. Not only is Blessed ft. GSoul a collaboration between two of my favorite vocalists, but it’s also such a gorgeously executed classic R&B/Soul power ballad, that (OMG) we really don’t have enough of these days. While the contents of the lyrics themselves are absolutely beautiful (“I’m so blessed to be with you / All the time”... I mean, come on!), I want to focus more on musicality and the sonic elements of this song. First of all, I’m such a sucker for ad-libs and vocal layering in songs, and Thama & GSoul passed that threshold with flying colors – listening to their harmonies genuinely feels like floating on a cloud. Despite the extreme technicality that comes with executing such vocal runs, the duo makes it seem so light and easy, that you can’t control the weight in your jaw as it drops to the floor (gravity, amirite?). Influences of iconic R&B vocalists, like Whitney Houston, D’Angelo, Keyshia Cole, Alecia Keys… and honestly, Bruno Mars come to mind, when you think of this song’s foundations. The blend of their delicious (맛있는) techniques, paired with the passionate layers of synthesizer, electric guitar riffs, and various other instruments trigger that familiar, sentimental sound I love. This song is impressive in so many ways, and I’m really blessed (see what I did there?) to not only own this project, Don’t Die Colors, in its physical form, but to have recently had the opportunity to get it signed by Thama himself; prized possession which suddenly became 1000x more prized. 

Moments (순간들): 

In a past interview, Thama mentioned how he works on music as if writing a diary, which allows vulnerability to envelop his tracks in a tender, beautiful manner. Packaged in an absolutely mesmerizing melody, Moments (순간들)  expresses this sentiment flawlessly. Lyrics that describe the sunrise, surrounding scents, and the breeze are like a romanticization of daily life, reminding us of all the wonderful days we have ahead of us. There’s a definite hopeful undertone in the song, delivered through a line in the chorus: “A dazzling tomorrow / Which resembles [the shining] yesterday / Even more than today.” This is a direct reassurance to the uncertainty in the intro, “Sometimes we get hopeless / Sometimes we don’t care,” which comforts listeners about their fears and reminds that each day is just a moment in our life – an opportunity to do better and be positive, but not the end of the world if things don’t work out right away. This message seems to transcend most of Thama’s songs, instilling me with the mindset of living each day however feels right – to stop looking for answers, because the bright future will meet us when scheduled. It’s an oddly comforting point of view, since we as a society are always focusing on how to level up or “evolve” that we often forget to just live life. Moments has taught me to romanticize my life a little bit and not take tough times too hard, because another day of opportunities awaits us tomorrow.

Dream Portraits:

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ While I find it really difficult to identify my ~favorite Thama song~ Dream Portraits is, in fact, my most listened-to track of his whole discography. I’ve tried to pinpoint what it is about this song that I love so much, and while it’s extremely hard to encompass it all in words, I’ll try my best. 1. The technicality in Thama’s voice shows the sheer passion and dedication he has for his craft, which is so incredibly admirable to me. 2. This admiration in conjunction with the vulnerable emotions displayed in the song’s melody never fails to seep deep into my soul and make me feel seen and acknowledged in ways I never thought possible… which brings me to… 3. The lyrics: While we may wish for happy moments in our life to last forever, the reality is that it’s impossible (though, those feelings may linger with us as memories we can recall and feel fond of). Even “bad” moments can be looked back on as experiences which shaped us, adding different colors and textures to this “portrait of the past”. Honestly, I think this song is beyond beautiful, and despite the 3 years and my 160+ streams of the song, I still get goosebumps every time I listen to it. ❀** I can’t discuss this song without mentioning the angelic outro, featuring our beloved Sole’s voice. While she isn’t officially accredited as a “feature” in this song, the final 30 seconds are absolutely irreplaceable and breathtaking. The combination of Thama and Sole on a track together is one of my favorite things ever, and I so passionately yearn for a collab album from the power duo (.☘︎ ݁˖). While Thama’s voice evokes images of deep, earthy roots, Sole captures a fluttery airiness, a beautiful clear tone resembling the song of a bird, a twinkle on the ocean waves, the whistle of a fresh breeze. In fact, the medley of possible breezes also works to describe the duo’s complementary voices, as Thama symbolizes a warm, enveloping air on an autumn stroll through a park’s ambrosial showers, while Sole juxtaposes as a refreshing, cool current fluttering in your hair as you observe the glittering summer sea. Every possible natural phenomenon has crossed my mind as I listen to these stunning discographies, making it impossible not to think about these songs in my daily life. 

Breeze (산들바람):

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ While I did just say it’s almost impossible to pick a <favorite> Thama song… I think a very strong contender for the win in this track, Breeze (산들바람). When the Wooof! album dropped on November 16th, 2023 and I heard this song for the first time, I think I genuinely felt a piece of my soul heal in the 3:16 span of the track. The composition is very simple, made up of only a guitar and Thama’s voice… but the emotion(!!!), the complexity and technique of both instruments (Thama’s vocal chords being one) absolutely hit you in the gut and make you question how long you’ve been sitting there crying for (personal experience, perhaps 😅). His ability to convey such delicate and precious vulnerability through his vocal inflections is not only extremely impressive and rare but sosososooo incredibly heartwarming. Displaying his vocal range, he cruises seamlessly between a fluttery falsetto and buttery bass, making it impossible not to fall in love with his voice. Not to mention the strumming of the guitar literally feels like playing on your heartstrings; this song holds the essence of romance and love so dear. I can feel elements of D’Angelo’s influence in this song – particularly, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” … listen to the similarities in the guitar melody!! – taking us back to those 90’s and Y2K-type love songs. If there’s only one song you decide to listen to from this collection, pleaseee let it be this one!! (& Thama if you’re reading this, just know I am the biggest 산들바람 enthusiast, so thank you sososo much for performing it in December,, I genuinely can’t express how beautiful it was🫶)

I Feel Love:

Sharing a universal message of solidarity, I Feel Love transcends language barriers through its entirely English lyrics. I honestly think the lyrics speak for themselves, but I would like to focus on one line in particular: “Feel this song / And walk on once more.” While most of Thama’s songs share beautiful themes in the lyrics, sometimes it’s also important to focus on just listening and feeling the music through its sonorous elements. Beginning in a soft mezzo-piano, the song rises in a climactic crescendo, representing the ups and downs we experience in life. This is paired with the equally impactful alternation of falsetto and Thama’s rich tenor singing. At his December concert, shortly after the release of this album, Thama expressed the technical difficulties that performing this song brings. But I think the intricacy in the vocal techniques and the diligence to master them with such poise conveys such a specific emotion that can’t even be put into words. I can’t help but be reminded of my favorite 70’s soul vocalist, Donny Hathaway, every time I hear this song, because I just know there is some kind of influence there, and I’m convinced Hathaway would have adored this song just as much as I do. Hearing this song live was a blessing in itself, but I’m also so thankful to have this project on vinyl, as it expands the nostalgic sentiment even further. 

You:

This song pretty much encapsulates every single thought I have about Thama’s music: “You showed me love / Filled me with hope / You grabbed my hand … And I’m standing because of you.” You is a confession of gratitude to another for their support and guidance through tough times, but the song itself accomplishes that exact same role. It’s a message that you are not alone; you will get through this! Sonically, it reminds me a lot of American Idol singer Elliott Yamin’s sound, particularly tracks from his 2007 self-titled album; using the blessing of musical talent as a canvas to share such intimate messages. In a way, I’d like to dedicate this song to Thama himself, for sharing his talent with the world and providing me with so many touching songs to further share and elaborate on. But of course, there are so many people in my personal life who I would equally love to dedicate this message to: namely my family and close friends, who are … maybe (?) reading this right now… “You’re the one who lights my way / You’re the one who makes me brave”  ♡. There are so many moments in my life that would have been significantly more difficult to overcome without the support of loved ones :’)   + another special thank you to anyone who has even read this far. I know this blog post (and honestly most things I write) is quite long, but I really do appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read my writing 🫶 It really means a lot! Especially because … 

Passion:

“Baby, it’s all about the passion!”  This blog. My writing in general. My feelings towards music. Everything stems from the deep-seated passion in my veins that motivates me to keep trying, to keep pushing and keep striving for my life’s aspirations. Passion is a song I would like to dedicate to myself, as a reminder that everyone started somewhere (likely the bottom) and rose up to where they are now through sheer passion – as I’m doing right now. While I would love to make a career out of this ardor and affection, I know that at the end of the day, I simply love laying out my thoughts like this, whether someone is reading it or not. So, as the lyrics preach “Forget about the money / We gon’ die with the love” – I’m going to keep writing my little blog posts and keep analyzing music and keep supporting the insanely talented spirits of the world because just maybe my passion will be felt through the screen and my aspirations will fructify on a higher scale ;) 

All that to say, this is already 3,000 words long so… please support Thama’s music! His entire discography is unskippable, and he’s honestly a legend – I swear you won’t be disappointed. (P.S. Check out Mileage, out September 6th @ 18:00 KST !)

**Edit! Since writing & publishing this, I have had the chance to see Thama perform again and chat briefly about this blog post. Although I was extremely nervous in the moment and probably didn't express my feelings thoroughly in speech, it really means the world to me that I could share my art about my favorite artist's art, directly to the source. Just hearing that he enjoyed my writing and that I was able to convey the importance of his music in my life through this little platform has fulfilled me beyond comprehension. Moments like this are the exact reason why I started this blog, and I am beyond grateful to every single person who has taken the time to read my work. ♥ Thank you and I love you. ♥