Review: K-Rapper MIRANI Presents Mind-Blowing Collaborations in Her 1st Studio Album “The Drift”
On May 9, K-Hip-Hop artist MIRANI (미란이) dropped her first studio album, The Drift. The K-Rap industry has always had the best features—whether it's collaborating with K-Pop stars or fellow K-rappers, this album is proof of that. Filled with phenomenal collaborations with artists like BIG Naughty, Coogie, pH-1, REI AMI, etc., MIRANI experiments with diverse sounds in the album. The entire album is produced by Kwaca except for the final track, "I hate you," which is a collaboration with SUMIN.
Design by Makiya Jenkins
Before we dig into the album, here’s a brief introduction to the artist. Under the label AT AREA, MIRANI is a South Korean hip-hop artist and rapper. She was a contestant on Show Me The Money 9—her breakthrough in the industry. She has since become widely popular for her fresh sound. Her labelmates include Dawn 던, GEMINI, Blase, and GroovyRoom. Now to celebrate her 27th birthday, let’s walk through this awesome pack of bars.
Photo Cr: AT AREA
The album consists of 11 tracks and commences with an "Intro" track introducing fans to the album’s theme. MIRANI talks about how the night is still young and the desire to break free. Just then, she meets someone who makes things look much easier as they both drift away.
“BAD BOY” (Feat. BIG Naughty)
The title track of the album, "BAD BOY," is a fresh and crisp beat based on easy kicks and snares, making it one of the freshest releases of this year. Sick of shattered love, MIRANI swears to make money her priority. "BAD BOY" has an entirely different flair to MIRANI’s previous releases; fans love how well this sound suits her. BIG Naughty’s feature is the highlight of the track, where he plays the role of the bad boy. Fans are loving the collaboration, agreeing that it successfully accentuates the essence of the rap. Fans also observed that the combination of the mood, style, and lyrics bring out similar vibes as Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy," although both songs have different themes.
“1, 2, 3 Go Shoot” (Feat. Blase & REI AMI)
With fellow labelmate Blase, and alt-pop singer and producer REI AMI, MIRANI brings out an explicit banger diss track, shooting bars like bullets. “1, 2, 3 Go Shoot” uses Jersey Club-type rap beats, making it an upbeat pop-rap jam. The artists flaunt their talent and anger with their flows. The command "Go Shoot" acts as the green light for rap attacks, but it’s pronounced "Go Shoo" in the song, making it witty wordplay directed towards the haters. Fans especially admired REI AMI’s verse in the track. Here’s a new hip-rap for your diss playlist.
“WOW”
"WOW" is a hardcore hip-hop-based track with continuous rap bars. The rapper is driving straight ahead in life at full speed, turning heads. Proud of where she is now and what she has left behind, the artist boasts of her true self, which is racing towards becoming the best of the best. She’s got that WOW!
“아스팔트 (Asphalt)” (Feat. pH-1)
Another collaboration that’s going down in history, "Asphalt" is a pre-album release single and MIRANI’s second collaboration with pH-1. The music video starring pH-1 came out on March 10 and received a lot of hype. The artists drown themselves in brands and get lost in a blasé, hot, drunken club, flexing the money and the night. This explicit track is a chill combination of boom, bass, and trap. The artist and her producer revealed that the beat of "Asphalt" was made four years ago and was sent to MIRANI because it would suit her album, making the track the center of the album. Fans absolutely love both of the rappers’ voices together and are looking forward to more future collaborations. This one is an absolute bop!
“야 (Ya)”
The rapper takes over the mic again with a solo song called “Ya,” which belongs to the trap hip-hop genre. With lyrics reminiscing about her drives by the Han River late at night, when the world is asleep. “Ya” includes an outro to the interlude, concluding the first half of the album.
Photo Cr: AT AREA
“Candy” (Feat. Leellamarz & Coogie)
The "Interlude" teases this beat drop. "Candy" is based on a cloud-rap-type beat in collaboration with K-Rap artists Leellamarz (릴러말즈) and Coogie (쿠기). The explicit track consists of sexy singing raps and trap beats. Easily, MIRANI's got one of the best collaborations.
“Make U Mine”
“Make U Mine” is an explicit track belonging to the dance-pop genre full of auto-tuned backing vocals. This upbeat track is really catchy and dreamy. It’s the perfect song to add to a “long drive through the night” playlist.
“시험해 (Test me)”
This one is for R&B lovers. A blend of pop, soul, and rap, "Test me" shows off MIRANI’s rapping and singing skills. The artist gives an exceptional performance, capturing the mood of the lyrics. The anxiety of silent treatment is unbearable and feels like a test.
“니가 싫어 (I hate you)” (Feat. SUMIN)
The album concludes with a song loaded with jealousy in collaboration with singer, songwriter, and producer SUMIN. Behind the scenes, amidst the production of The Drift, both artists can be seen tearing up while working on this song. “I hate you” is a lo-fi, mellow track based on blue lyrics.