r e w i n d n o t e ♥︎

okay so like… last summer this album literally latched onto my soul and refused to let go. i wasn’t even mad about it. it’s the type of album that just seeps into your bones without asking. joanna’s voice??? it’s like those vulnerable 1am convos you have with someone you trust just enough to overshare with. like “oops i trauma dumped again but in an aesthetically controlled way.” everything about disc 1 (english) feels like a dream that overstayed its welcome. but in a good way. like you fell asleep in the sun and woke up with a sunburn and new emotional damage. i’m gonna overanalyze each song now like i’m being paid (i’m not). let’s go!!

1. let's start from here

this one feels like stepping into a story already in progress. picture this: a rainy day, you duck into a quiet café that smells like espresso and old wood. you lock eyes with a stranger but neither of you say anything. that kind of energy. it’s hesitant, a little awkward, but it’s got potential. this song is the “what if?” that kicks off every k-drama fanfic. i call it: the prologue of emotional mess.

2. lost in paradise

oh man… this one floats. like, actually levitates. jazzy, swirly, slightly off-reality. it reminds me of wandering a foreign city at dusk, heart kinda hurting but not sure why. you’re lost but vibing?? that’s this song. it’s the soundtrack to a beautiful lie and you don’t wanna wake up. 10/10 would loop this while staring out of a train window pretending i'm the main character.

3. as love begins to mend

this hits like… when you’ve cried it out, and now your tears are dry but your soul is still soggy. it’s so honest. like joanna just opened her ribcage and went, “hey wanna look at this emotional scar?” and we all said yes. it’s not a song, it’s an exhale. big “healing is messy but soft” vibes.

4. bada bada

okay chaos gremlin anthem. this is your summer montage where you’re maybe trespassing a little but nobody’s getting hurt so it’s fine. it’s giggles in the dark and jumping over fences and not caring what happens next. feels like sticky popsicle fingers and running from the cops in a cartoon way. bada bada makes absolutely no sense and that’s why i trust it.

5. lost taipei

this one? it aches. like homesickness for a version of your life that doesn't exist anymore. it’s the background music for scrolling through old photos and going “wow... that was me?” a little tragic, very poetic. the city moves on without you and all you’re left with is a blurry skyline and too many feelings. this is the core memory unlocked track.

6. the best mistake i've ever made

now this one is deliciously messy. it’s the kind of love that burned a hole in your life but you’re still weirdly thankful for it. a confessional letter you shouldn’t send but write anyway. like, “hey, thanks for ruining me in the prettiest way possible.” joanna’s delivery? chef’s kiss levels of restrained chaos.

7. i love you

ugh this one feels like folding a love letter and never giving it to the person. so soft, so genuine. there’s this tenderness in her voice that makes me want to wrap myself in a blanket and text someone “i miss you” then immediately regret it. it's simple but it lingers.

8. for no reason

sobbing in your room at 4pm even though nothing happened kind of song. it’s literally “why am i crying? idk.” and joanna just gently pats your head through the speakers. i love how this song doesn’t try to explain anything. it just sits with you. no judgment. just vibes and vague melancholy.

9. stages of flying
hello freedom fantasy. this is the “standing on a rooftop, arms out, wind in hair, thinking you’re in a music video” moment. it’s uplifting but with a quiet ache. like letting go of something that hurt you but also… defined you. this one makes me wanna cry and start a new life simultaneously.

10. now

this song feels like taking a deep breath and realizing you’re okay. not perfect. not healed. but okay. it’s the quiet after the storm. you’re just existing, and for once, that’s enough. very much “tea cooling on the windowsill” energy. calming, grounding, a little bittersweet.

11. true

she really said: here’s a cover, but i’m gonna whisper all my secrets into it. it’s smoky bar corner energy. everyone’s distracted, but you’re watching her sing like it’s just for you. there’s a quiet kind of heartbreak in it. indulgent in the best way.

12. new york state of mind

the city never sleeps but your heart sure wants to. this song walks alone down busy streets and lets the neon signs blur into thoughts you haven’t sorted yet. reflective. lonely in a poetic way. feels like writing a goodbye text and deleting it. a love letter to chaos, maybe.

and now the tea (spilled via wikipedia lol):

apparently joanna… hates this album??? girl. why. i get it tho. she was young, signed with sony, and basically got strong-armed into doing this jazz-singer thing. her reddit AMA was wild; she said debuting was like feeling regret, fear, and hunger all at once. girl same, but also WHAT. she called the music lame and the videos cheesy 80s knockoffs… and honestly? fair. but also??? i love the lame music. ㅠㅠ like yes queen, disown your past~ i’m gonna romanticize it anyway.

this album is like reading someone’s diary with pages stained by coffee, tears, and a little wine. it’s dreamy and intimate and just a bit theatrical. perfect for late-night spirals or summer afternoon naps where the fan is on and you’re not sure if you’re asleep or just thinking really hard. i get why she left it behind… but for me? it’s home.

go listen. get smudged. get nostalgic. get lost in paradise.

Labels: 2004年11月, blogs, music