Appropriately, this "cycle" essentially opened with the release of Moonbyul's first solo album, Selfish on May 23rd, almost two months earlier than Red Moon's release. The title track of this "extended single" features Moonbyul's rap paired with melodic contributions from Seulgi of Red Velvet.
The next track from Red Moon to be released was "Rainy Season" on July 1st, 2018 (it was the first pre-release to ever hit No. 1). About two weeks later Mamamoo released "Sky! Sky!", a promotional song (and MV) for the Icarus M mobile game. On July 16th Red Moon was released, led by its title track "Egotistic". Aside from the three singles, the hard-hitting trap hip-hop track "Sleep In the Car" is a fourth highlight from Red Moon.
On August 18th and 19th, Mamamoo performed a new stage production titled "Four Seasons S/S", with the "S/S" referencing the spring and summer installments. Like "Curtain Call" and their first stage production in 2016, this set included many "VCRs" (pre-recorded videos) and stage banter segments, as well as new solo sections featuring each of the group members individually.
In addition to Red Moon and its promotions, some of the other highlights in the second half of 2018 included the release of Hwasa's song "Be Alright" (a promotional song used for a new LG monitor the previous year), and the release of the Japanese version of "Décalcomanie" on Oct. 3rd (which also included the new song "You Don't Know Me"). The end of the year also saw Mamamoo performing a version of "Four Seasons S/S" in Japan on Dec. 22, 2018, whose setlist included the Japanese release "You Don't Know Me".
Red Moon
1. "Midnight Summer Dream" (여름밤의 꿈) (lyrics by Comic Sound, Cosmic Girl, Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Comic Sound, Cosmic Girl). This opening track employs some exotic "tropical" textures, leading to a reggae rhythm which then evolves into a trap house song. The verses include a kalimba-like counter-melody throughout (intended to be a kind of "music box"). The way the song parts modulate is especially interesting, imparting a sense of renewal within each verse section (major chords surface unpredictably amidst the minor key harmony). The song itself describes a summer night where the speaker believes she is seeing ghosts and other paranormal phenomena (essentially a scary story). It was inspired by a story which Moon Byul told to Cosmic Sound. Moon Byul's "horroscore" rap about a "grandpa ghost" is actually a true story ("non fiction").
English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics
Guitar: Park Ki Tae, Keyboards: Cosmic Sound
Background vocal: Cosmic Girl
0:00: Intro with wind-up, kalimba/music-box texture, violin line, processed vocal
0:12: 1st verse (Hwasa, Solar) using implied reggae rhythm (wah guitar)
0:35: 2nd verse (Moonbyul, Wheein) with added funk bass accents
0:47: Pre-chorus (Wheein) with synth bass line, trap drums
0:58: Chorus (Solar, Hwasa, Wheein), with trap drums and house beat
1:24: 3rd verse (Solar) with vibraphone, rap (Moonbyul) with synth melody
1:47: 4th verse (Wheein) with more SFX
1:58: Pre-chorus (Hwasa)
2:10: Chorus (Wheein, Solar)
2:21: Bridge (variation of verse) (Solar)
2:32: Pre-chorus (Moonbyul, Wheein)
2:47: Chorus (Hwasa, Wheein, Solar, etc)
3:09: Outro
2. "Egotistic” ("You Do It", 너나 해) (lyrics/music/arrangement by Kim Do-hoon, Park Woo-sang). This infectious anthem is driven by a syncopated "Latin-style" guitar line, and eventually evolves into a reggaeton-influenced tropical groove. The bridge is also notable for it's "ethnic" melodic line, produced through high-pitched percussion textures. It's "a powerful song that admonishes rather selfish members of the opposite sex." In other words, the singer is warning her lover that she is going to leave because he only thinks of himself. Hwasa has a vocal break where she says "Bicho malo", which translates to "bad guy" or "bad bug". An instrumental version of this song was also released.
English lyrics / MV / Color-coded lyrics / Casual Choreography
Guitar: Hong Jun-Ho, Drum programming: Park Woo-sang
0:00: Syncopated Latin guitar intro with vocal adlibs
0:10: 1st verse (Hwasa, Wheein, Solar) over guitar line, finger snaps
0:30: 2nd verse rap (Moonbyul) with drums entry
0:39: Pre-chorus (Wheein, Solar) with ascending synth harmony (drums lay out)
0:49: Chorus (Wheein, Solar) with synth-brass groove (and guitar lead), vocal break (Hwasa)
1:11: 3rd verse (Wheein, Solar, Moonbyul, etc) opening with stop-time vocal break
1:31: 4th verse rap (Moonbyul) over reggae groove
1:41: Pre-chorus (Solar, Hwasa) with added drums
1:50: Chorus (Wheein, Solar, Hwasa, etc)
2:12: Bridge with "pitched percussion" line (Hwasa)
2:22: Pre-chorus variation (Wheein, Solar, Moonbyul), vocal break (Hwasa: "bicho malo...")
2:33: Chorus variation (Hwasa, Wheein, Solar, etc) with added electric guitar lead
English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics
Background vocal: Park Woo-sang, Wheein, Hwasa
0:00: 1st verse (Hwasa, Wheein) over bossa nova rhythm guitar and electric piano ornaments0:24: 2nd verse (Solar, Wheein, Hwasa) with added kick percussion
0:45: Transition rap (Moonbyul) with drums
0:55: Pre-chorus (Hwasa) with more hi-hat, synth ornaments
1:05: Chorus (Solar, Wheein, full band), drum break
1:30: 3rd verse (Solar, Hwasa, Wheein, Solar) with electric piano ornaments
1:51: Transition verse (Moonbyul) with added guitar ornaments
2:01: Pre-chorus (Wheein)
2:11: Chorus (Hwasa, Solar)
2:33: Bridge: broad, lighter harmony, modulations (Solar, Hwasa, Wheein)
2:56: Chorus (Hwasa, Wheein) with lightened rhythm section, building back up
3:18: Chorus variation, added strings
4. "Sky! Sky!" (from Icarus M CF release) (lyrics by Iggy (Le Gi), Yongbae, Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Iggy, Yongbae/Mingky). In this song, Mamamoo for the first time presented a "pure and innocent" vibe more typical of other K-Pop girl bands. Driven by a syncopated 80s-style pop groove accompanied by a strong string counter-melody, the hip hop rap bridge briefly introduces a slightly more "dangerous" element. The sunny mood of the song is accompanied by lyrics which express fond memories of a past encounter (although the speaker only wishes that they pass each other by on a hill as before, maintaining their "innocence").
0:00: Intro (light guitar pop)
0:17: Chorus (Wheein, Solar, Hwasa) over syncopated power-pop groove with strings, funk guitar
0:36: 1st verse (Solar) with electric piano ornaments (strings & guitar drop out)
0:54: Pre-chorus (Wheein): bass enters with softer groove and strings, building back up (Hwasa)
1:11: Chorus (Wheein, Solar), extended with instrumental break feat. strings and synth accents
1:38: Rap bridge (Moonbyul) over house beat (pedal harmony)
1:58: Pre-chorus (Wheein, Hwasa)
2:16: Chorus (Wheein, Solar)
2:34: Bridge (Moonbyul, Hwasa, Solar): based on intro groove and harmony2:51: Chorus (Wheein, Solar) with added vocal adlibs and synth ornaments, electric guitar
5. "Sleep in the Car" (잠이라도 자지) (lyrics by Kim Do-hoon, Solar, Hwasa, Moonbyul, music/arrangement by Kim Do-hoon, Solar/Lee Hoo-sang). This trap hip hop song is on some ways a sequel to "Taller Than You" and was actually written a little back farther in the past (part of this song had also been used in some stages as far back as August 2017 as "interlude" sections between songs). The groove of the song is based on a descending chord harmony ending in an accented cadence (with "attitude"). The chorus is distinguished by a persistent brass tease (with percussion building on each repetition), while the verses include a "mysterious" counter-melody on piano. The "diss" lyrics began as a joke between Solar and Wheein when they once playfully complained that their busy schedules prevented them from being able to take off their make up at night (they were so busy they had to "sleep in the car"). The vocal parts rotate quickly in this song so the line distribution notes below are very rough.
English lyrics / Color-coded lyrics
Drum programming & Synth: Lee Hoo-sang
0:00: Intro with a repeating 4-note piano figure over descending low chord harmony and vocal adlibs (Solar, Moonbyul Hwasa)
0:14: "Diss" chorus (Solar, Moonbyul, etc) with trap drums over a house beat and accented brass hits
0:27: 1st verse "drill" rap (Moonbyul) with "creeping" piano counter-melody0:40: 2nd verse (Hwasa), added vocal layers
0:53: Chorus (Moonbyul) with brass accents over trap drums, building up on 2nd set (Hwasa)
1:20: 3rd verse (Solar, Wheein), then with added synth sirens (Wheein/Solar)
1:46: Chorus (Moonbyul), building up on 2nd set (Solar), extended with a 3rd set (Wheein/Moonbyul/Solar, etc)
2:26: 4th verse (Moonbyul, bass synth featured)
2:39: Chorus (rotating by line), building up on 2nd set, extended with a 3rd set
6. "Selfish" (feat. Seulgi (from Moonbyul's May 23rd album release Selfish) (lyrics/music/arrangement by Park Woo-sang). In this track, Moonbyul is featured in the verses and Seulgi (from Red Velvet) sings the first part of each chorus section. The song is mostly based on a Latin (samba) rhythm riff over trap drums, but the bridge opens up into a more "dreamy" groove. In these lyrics, the speaker has decided to be selfish for her own happiness for a change, rather than adhere to the expectations of others.
English lyrics / MV / Color-coded lyrics / Casual Choreography
Guitar: Jung Jae-Pil/Young, Drum programming: Park Woo-sang0:00: Intro based on an accented synth figure in a Latin rhythm over organ
0:11: 1st verse (Moonbyul, using same Latin groove), jazzy guitar ornaments enter
0:32: Chorus 1 (Seulgi: "I wanna be selfish...")
0:54: Chorus 2 with rhythm guitar (Moonbyul/Seulgi: "I wanna be free...")
1:06: 2nd verse (Moonbyul), added BG vocals
1:27: Chorus 1 (Seulgi)
1:48: Chorus 2 (Moonbyul/Seulgi)
2:00: Bridge (Moonbyul): more open house groove, vocal break
2:24: Chorus 1 (Seulgi)
2:46: Chorus 2 (Moonbyul) with added piano ornaments entering
Notable Releases During this Era
180523 Selfish [Moonbyul 1st Album]
- "In My Room" (features "cloud rap" style)
- "Selfish (feat. Seulgi of Red Velvet)" (on Red Moon)
- "Love & Hate (Acoustic ver.)"
180618 4th Anniversary party
180617 “TVXQ Medley”, Moonbyul [Rehearsal for Byuldabang]
180701 “Rainy Season” (single, on Red Moon)
180713 “Sky! Sky!” ("Innocence") [Icarus M mobile game, on Red Moon)]
180716 Red Moon, 7th Mini-Album, "Egotistic" single
180723 “Be Alright”, Hwa Sa [Bday Gift from LG Monitor CF]
180811 “DANG DIGGI BANG”, RPR (Feat. Hwa Sa) [Music Core Special]
180824 “Cotton Candy”, Woodie Gochild (Feat. Hwa Sa)
181019 “MISS U”, Jude (Feat. Whee In) [Jvde 1st mixtape]
Paint Me
Décalcomanie
Freakin Shoes
Rude Boy
Violet Fragrance (Immortal Song 2)
Sky! Sky! (Innocence)
Rainy Season
I Miss You
Gentleman
Piano Man
AHH OOP!
Hello/Mr. Ambiguous
Mirror, Moon Movie [Moonbyul solo]
Chun-Li (Nicki Minaj), Despacito (Luis Fonsi) [Solar solo]
No Thanks (unreleased Wheein song), Finesse (Bruno Mars) [Wheein solo]
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens), HandClap (Fitz and The Tantrums) [Hwasa solo]
Taller Than You
Aze Gag
I Love Too (Never Letting Go)
Star Wind Flower Sun
Starry Night
Sleep In the Car
Yes I Am
Egotistic
Midnight Summer Dream
You’re the Best
Um Ah Oh Yeh
