Musical Monday – Heat Wave

We worship Kpop idols. We watch them do the most mundane things as if it were an art film and we knew what’s going on. We laud them for their crazy talent and dedication to their craft. We marvel over their unreal beauty and physique. It’s crazy to think that creatures like this exist in the same world as plain old me, let alone that they’re actually just people working in shitty conditions with not quite enough food and probably questionable sleeping quarters. But it’s true, that’s who they are. 

Part of what makes so much of this music so amazing is that they have whole teams behind them writing, producing, choreographing, and polishing every element before we ever get a chance to see or hear anything. Even self-producing groups have small armies of people supporting their every move. Hongjoong of Ateez is touted as an up and coming prolific and talented writer-producer who is finally getting songs he’s written in the group’s discography. But the magic behind ATEEZ’s current catalog really lies in the hands of Eden and his crew Edenary. 

Eden is a solo artist and self-taught producer on KQ Entertainment that debuted in 2017 but has been composing since 2010. He struggled for years to make it in the biz and when he finally signed with KQ and met his now absolute best friends, Hyungsik of BtoB and Woodz (formerly of Uniq), his world changed. He began producing for popular groups and released his own music to solid success. It was then that KQ leadership introduced him to a high school kid desperate to learn everything he could from this senior producer. That kiddo was Hongjoong.

After making it as difficult as he could for the young trainee, hoping to get him to quick music rather than trying to figure out how to teach someone, Eden fell for the teenager’s charms and now sees him as a son. 

Edenary, Eden’s producing team of four, all work in a single studio that they’ve decked out to be like a second home (Hongjoong and Maddox – another solo artist on KQ – also work in the space as they continue to learn from their seniors). The group is responsible for a lot of music we all love from ATEEZ to Dreamcatcher and has helped Eden to continue on with his Eden_Stardust solo collaborations project. The Sun, the latest addition to this series is a collab between Eden and DinDin, one of those solid rapper types who is as phenomenal on variety as he is behind the mic. 

The song is fab. It’s perfect for a cool night after a scorching summer day. It’s a party on a beach or a drive with the windows down. 

The Sun, Eden & DinDin