PlayAsia #4: Study Sessions

As May progresses and the school year comes to an end, Stuyvesant’s exam season reaches its peak; students are stressed, focused, and lonely in the middle of the night. Of course, the best remedy for these dark times is good music. Whether it’s for dreaded AP exams or in-class finals, these albums are ideal for any study session.

&SCENE - PRYVT

PRYVT, pronounced “private,” is a relatively new K-indie band led by main vocalist Hanuel and aided by collaborations with producers like HNATA and Justin Tecson. Their style is reminiscent of The Marías and wave to earth, characterized by sweet, breathy vocals over dreamy soundscapes. PRYVT’s first album, &SCENE (2024), features compelling storytelling with catchy melodies that flow seamlessly—perfect for a long study session.

Throughout &SCENE, PRYVT tells the tale of a pair of lovers, told through the perspective of the guy, who yearns after their breakup. The heartfelt lyrics may not register with studying listeners, but they still shine throughout the album, especially with Haneul’s touching vocal delivery. The band often uses a combination of Korean and English to convey this narrative. Bittersweet lyrics like “The thought of you with someone else / It kills me but it’s all and well / As long as you’re happy without / As long as you’re smiling without me” convey the album’s narrative. Songs like “believe” and “nobody” elegantly rise and fall, matching their sincerity and emotional moments. In “believe,” he laments, “Time will heal, time will seal, all our wounds up / Seasons changing, it’s getting colder / With you, I thought I fell forever.” Additionally, their consistent production quality and calming effect deserve more attention. The album features soft and drawn-out adlibs over a simple melody. Though the production is driven by gentle drums and acoustic guitar at its core, HNATA uses a variety of instrumentation, including violin in more dramatic songs like “your wedding,” which is about the final stage of grief: acceptance. PRYVT’s appeal stems from their ability to beautifully capture sentimental moments in an understated manner, making this album appropriate for any type of studying.

ORGANIC STYLE Toshifumi Hinata The Best - In the Twilight - Toshifumi Hinata

Toshifumi Hinata is a composer and classical musician from Tokyo, Japan. He fell in love with music while attending college in Wisconsin, then transferred to the Berklee School of Music and later to the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He is known for composing within the orchestral, new-age, and electronic genres, as well as composing for several films, including Tokyo Love Story (1991). 

ORGANIC STYLE Toshifumi Hinata The Best - In the Twilight (2007) features some of Hinata’s best hits, including “Little Rascal” and “Sarah-Minuet.” The album’s style constantly shifts, ranging from a classic ‘80s snare beat to the longing whine of a violin. These changes, however, are not abrupt or distracting. Instead, they serve to differentiate each song. A standout track from this album is “Little Rascal,” which contains a violin solo that transports listeners on an undefined emotional journey to anywhere the listener believes the story should go. 

There are several reasons to add this album to a study playlist. For one, since In the Twilight is a classical album, each song’s meaning comes from the listener; there are no distracting storylines to follow while attempting to write the perfect essay. The album is also considerably long, running at one hour and 34 minutes. Such a long album is ideal to support a (hopefully) long and productive lock-in session with entertaining—but not too disruptive—background music. 

Every letter I sent you. - Yerin Baek

Yerin Baek is a South Korean musician who, until its disbandment in 2019, was a part of the duo 15& featuring fellow South Korean singer Jimin Park. Since 2017, Baek has been a member of the rock band the Volunteers. Baek has also released R&B and Soul solo albums and created music for K-dramas such as Chicago Typewriter (2017) and Crash Landing on You (2019-2020). Every letter I sent you. (2019) is an entirely English R&B album which details the relationship between Baek and her lover. 

Every letter I sent you. opens with a soft violin and piano duet, perfectly setting the mood for the rest of the album. Baek’s vocal timbre is simultaneously graceful and deep, enveloping listeners into the warmth of the rhythmic yet modest instrumentation and smoothness of her voice. Every letter I sent you. delivers the best of both worlds: peaceful sounding music and harmonious musical elements, encasing its listeners in a world of musical calm. “Popo (How deep is our love?)” is particularly strong; the song waxes and wanes with instrumental and vocal solos that melt seamlessly into one another. Its lyrics are sparse, yet catchy—enough to get one to sway along, but not too much to get up and start dancing. 

While not as long as In the Twilight, Every letter I sent you. still stands at a considerable one hour and one minute, with 18 songs in total. Furthermore, the style of each song varies slightly in instrumentalization, providing background stimulation without the potential of breaking any mental flow. Baek’s album and calming voice is certainly one to consider listening to during an intense study session.