Concept
Right from his first teaser, up until the music video for the title track ‘WINNER’ featuring ASH ISLAND, Ravi maintains a strong duality as the foundation of “LOVE&FIGHT”. There is impressive symbolism engraved in the visual concept for this album as Ravi employs stark binaries to get his theme across: red and black, roses and daggers, softness and violence, love and fight. The imagery recalls one of the most iconic American hard rock bands of all time, Guns N’ Roses, which also seems to be a musical influence on this album.
Ticket Giveaway: Participate In The RT Event And Win 2 Tickets To the “2022 GROOVL1N US Tour”! EVENTS|Feb 14, 2022 RAVI Comes Back Photos, 2nd LP ‘LOVE AND FIGHT’ PHOTO|Feb 9, 2022 In keeping with the overarching concept, Ravi splits the album musically into two broad sentiments: one, the bitter and intemperate resentment from a broken relationship, and two, the melancholic longing after separation. While the distinction is clear, Ravi is constantly blurring the lines with his lyrical genius, thereby constructing a coherent yet unreliable narrative for us to follow by once again, making art imitate life.
Fashion & Appearance
Surrounded very prominently by thorns, roses, and other symbols of beauty and decadence, Ravi sports an eclectic range of outfits for “LOVE&FIGHT”. In one, he is seen in an understated black turtle-neck so as to make his dusty rose coloured velvet pants stand out. In a slightly more Victorian look, Ravi loosens up with a ruffled collar and suspenders, effortlessly falling off his shoulder. The crisp whiteness of the shirt amplifies his classic sexiness, making us swoon over his incomparable visuals. Finally, Ravi comes through with immaculate drip in an elegant black trench coat, chains, and rings. The roses have been drained of colour, leaving them as lifeless husks of what they used to be. This is easily one of the most elegant looks Ravi flaunts for this comeback.
Music
“LOVE&FIGHT” is made up of 11 songs, including 2 pre-release tracks and several extraordinary featuring artists (JUSTHIS on ‘VIRUS’, ASH ISLAND on ‘WINNER’, nafla on ‘LOVE HATE FIGHT’, Cold Bay on ‘LET ME DOWN SLOWLY’, Xydo in ‘1,2,3’, Paul Blanco on ‘CANNONBALL’, and (G)I-DLE’s SoYeon on ‘ANI’) that make it an undeniably spectacular piece of art. The album highlights a very particular aspect of Ravi’s musicality which is concentrated on storytelling and allegory and it is no surprise, therefore, that it feels more like a heart-to-heart than a collection of songs. What starts off with a defeated heart (‘Guns’), concludes with an unbreakable soul (‘Warrior’) and we’re taken on quite the journey from one point to another.
Ravi curates a signature sound for himself in this album that incorporates elements of classic rock, pop-rock, emo-rock, hip-hop, trap, singing rap, and more to create a diverse soundscape that you can lose yourself in. The guitar riffs in ‘WINNER’ are absolutely to die for! Similarly, ‘WHAT’S MY PROBLEM’, ‘LET ME DOWN SLOWLY’ and ‘DROWNING IN THE RAIN’ feature romantic acoustic and Spanish guitar sounds that give it an unmistakable ‘softcore’ vibe. ‘1,2,3’ takes a dip into the neo-R&B pool, which brings us to a calming, meditative state. Ravi’s deeply resounding voice is such a blessing to the ears that it is hard to not fall in love with it.
Music Video
Ravi’s artistic brilliance shines the brightest in the music video for ‘WINNER’, which is quite visibly his creative playground. From the genius use of motifs like red masks, baggage, string lights, carousels, Ferris wheels, and so on, Ravi conveys an oscillating sense of childish fantasy and adult fears, both of which veil deep inner conflict and a feeling of being stuck. The mask, in particular, is quite poetically, the very embodiment of the spirit of the song, that seeks to mediate the see-sawing between showing one’s true self and holding it back for the sake of love. Joined by former IZ*ONE’ member Kang HyeWon, Ravi is seen losing it all to win in love yet stepping away from the same. The cinematography is seamless yet dizzying at times, imitating the course of a relationship on the verge of a sudden end. Ravi imbues every single element of the music video with careful thought and meaning, creating a hide-and-seek dynamic that leaves one breathless. By the end of it all, Ravi moves forward, rejecting the facade he once hid behind. Needless to say, Ravi poured his soul into this piece of art and it shows. We might just be 2 months into 2022 but ‘WINNER’ by Ravi and ASH ISLAND has already taken a spot on my ‘Best Music Videos of 2022’ list. Music videos for the pre-release tracks ‘VIRUS’ featuring JUSTHIS and ‘ANI’ featuring (G)I-DLE’s SoYeon display a similar “order in chaos” that is hard not to get addicted to. You cannot help but weave the disparate stories together to create a timeline of the relationship this album speaks of, which engages the audience in a wonderfully cinematic way.
Choreography
When it comes to the choreography for ‘WINNER’, Ravi does away with slow-moving angst and takes on a bright and energetic approach, mirroring the fast-paced and lively alt-rock beat. With a number of killing points, the dance will have you grooving along happily to a song with lyrics that don’t quite share the same vibe. Ravi’s flow is just as sick on the floor as it is on the mic and that is one of his biggest strengths. In conclusion, “LOVE&FIGHT” might be a journal of torment, confusion, pain, and regret but it still has a strangely therapeutic effect on a listener, perhaps because it gives voice to feelings that often remain unaddressed. Ravi is a refreshing wind of change in the Korean music scene and we’re living for it!
RAVI, nafla, Cold Bay, And Xydo Are Getting Ready To Meet Fans On Their “2022 GROOVL1N US TOUR” KPOP STORIES|Feb 3, 2022 VIXX Ravi’s “REVOIR” Concert: Ticket Details CONCERT & FANMEETING|Jan 17, 2022
