Ravi, Ravioli, give me the formuoli.

sorry I had to do it

For those that don't know, Ravi is the sole rapper of South Korean boy group VIXX. Although I listen to different music throughout the day, my Ravi o(n)ly playlist is my night/sleep playlist. I seriously play his entire discography. It might seem like a sleep playlist is the worst kind of playlist to be in, but it's really where you can lay down and be at peace and really listen to music.

I stayed up until 4am to catch the release of his music video for his latest mixtape- Nirvana.

when have I EVER been this early for something

Other than the fact that he looks so good 🌞, I really respect and admire him as an artist. With KPOP in general I feel like there's this closeness to the artist that you can't get with Western artists. With Ravi in particular, he produces and writes his own music. His album artworks, music videos, photoshoots, and other directions are being overseen and approved according to his tastes. When I "consume" his content I feel a sort of intimacy knowing that I am seeing and listening to his visions.
I am not an artist, in the purest form of the word, but I can understand the passion and objective behind it all.

Although I've been binge consuming Ravi content for the last two weeks straight, I don't really know him?? So I could always be super far from his intentions.

He's released three solo sets.
(mixtape) R.EBIRTH: March 12, 2016
(mini album) R.EAL1ZE: January 9, 2017
(mixtape) Nirvana: January 22, 2018

I love that these are like almost exactly a year apart (his first mixtape songs began releasing in January of 2016).

(I will say I won't talk about his BARS BECAUSE GUESS WHAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND, I guess I can read the translations, and I have, but it's not the same you know?? ESPECIALLY WITH RAPPING. now i'm sad).

R.EBIRTH

For his first mixtape, R.EBIRTH, he has a total of 14 songs. If I HAD to pick my favorites. . .  . . . in no order.

8. Good Woman:
13. Lucid Dream
7. Nod
I don't want to count the Interlude but it's so nice
3. Lean on me
okay what's happening now is that I'm slowly starting to list all his songs but I really mean that I can't choose between them
1. R.EBIRTH
2. MOVE
What I loved after listening to these tracks is his versatility. You can't get bored because all the songs are slightly, if not completely, different. Another thing that really hooked me is how animated he is. Like in Good Woman (which I have to play several times a day) the little voice thing he does at the very beginning of the first verse is so charming. He does it again, differently, in the rest of the verse and in the chorus. Ya'll I love that little rift so much. Honestly, I don't understand Korean and I should probably read the lyrics carefully, but I find this song so sensual. Though I will say that during my first listen I thought the first rapper after him was Mad Clown.

For Lucid Dream the chorus is what makes the song for me. I just think he's so animated, really I can't get over it. I find it cute?? I'm currently listening to whatever song I'm discussing and I am sure cute is not what he was going for but that is what I find him in this song. Nothing against Microdot & he sounds good, but I really love this song so much I wish it was just Ravi 😅

Okay I'm really not going to go through all these songs because it's just reminding me that I don't know anything about hip hop. But I do know that these are all quality songs.

R.EALIZE



The first four songs are new, and the last three overlap from R.EBIRTH. BOMB is the song that made me fall in love with him. I won't lie, the little intro he does- talking about swag, I was like Okay... but now it's my favorite part and I wish I could have it on loop for an hour.

DADDY 🌞

He ends the verse with the word Nirvana- there is no correct way to pronounce it but I am so used to the American pronunciation that it feels a teeny bit off in my ears.