Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
2025 gave us our first glimpse of the Dreamcatcher members debuting projects separate from the group, first with the sub-unit UAU and then with DAMI releasing her solo single “Chequered Flag“ at the end of October. Continuing the solo theme, it was Handong to follow them up with her solo EP AtsnstA the following month*.
*Editor’s Note: I was on hiatus during the solos, my bad.
The surprises started with the logo, which looks like something that would be from Aespa‘s “Savage” era except with an unreadable death metal text lean to it, a quirk I’ve come to love. Also, if you’re like me then you wondered what the title was even about, and apparently it’s short for “a time-sensitive networking star”. It also signifies that it’s been eight years since Handong’s K-pop debut, and she’s now begun her first steps into a solo career, thus the photos show an inner reflection of her mirror images that reveal four different sides to her.
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Speaking of four, the EP gave us four distinct songs that have really ended up resonating with me over the last month, starting with “Gray Zone“.
While the name reminds me of some knock-off Escape From Tarkov clone, the title track was anything but disappointing. “Gray Zone” plays heavily into Handong’s lower register with a darker sound that lures you in from the start. As things move toward the chorus, the feeling of space the track creates is very effective and almost haunting, and the chorus finishes things off with the chilling one-liner, “You never knew me.” “Gray Zone” eventually became one of my favorite surprises of the year, and it’s a far cry from what we’ve come to hear from her, either in her previous solo songs with Dreamcatcher or through her covers on their YouTube channel. Thus, it was especially successful in creating her own image, showing an awakening from the chaos section of the prism that Handong wished to create with this EP.
“Peekaboo” following that was an incredibly jarring juxtaposition, serving exactly the initial sound I was expecting when Handong announced this EP. She essentially delivers a cute concept, playing on speaking to your inner child, and she flawlessly pulls it off. While the entire album is very strong lyrically, something really resonated with me with “Peekaboo”, making it my favorite track on the EP. Dami is featured in this track as well, delivering a satisfying quick rap before shifting back to Handong’s ethereal vocals. Building up to her satisfying high note, “Peekaboo” was a refreshing, addictive track to throw on the playlist.
“The Best Thing” is referred to as Handong “casting an electric spell“, and the chorus just screams I-DLE to me. It perfectly exhausts the upbeat energy to make sure you’re captivated for the final track on the EP, as the catchy chorus ends with an addictive low growl that keeps me hitting replay. Handong really nails that refreshing vibe, and the quick runtime is trendy, though I would’ve loved there to be a little more meat to this song.
The final track is “Dreamer“, described as an “ephemeral but eternal night breeze in wonderland“. You knew it was coming, and of course a ballad caps off the EP. Handong’s voice is perfectly suited for these sultry ballads that flow effortlessly from start to finish. While we’re no strangers to Handong performing these types of songs, I’m still so captivated by her voice. I know ballads are not for everyone, but I urge you to give this one a listen. The pairing of the soft acoustic guitar and her vocal paints the perfect beach bonfire image, and one can visualize the waves gently crashing across the sunset landscape while the track slowly fades into the EP’s final crescendo.
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Overall, AtsnstA was a great debut EP for Handong, as its concept allowed her to essentially tackle four styles while still maintaining a sense of cohesion. Its foundation of the four songs representing different sections of a prism wholly encapsulated Handong’s musical journey to her debut as a solo artist. Mostly I just now hope that next time we can get a bit more greedy and maybe get a full album release.
