“And The Sea is Never Still” | “Into The Current” by Stray Kids’ Seungmin
Another Han Jisung masterpiece. Another world class Kim Seungmin performance. And the third and final 3RACHA x Kim Seungmin collab. Of course, I’m sure this will not be the last…
Another Han Jisung masterpiece. Another world class Kim Seungmin performance. And the third and final 3RACHA x Kim Seungmin collab. Of course, I’m sure this will not be the last time we get a song written by 3RACHA for Seungmin. But this is the last in the trio of songs that each member of 3RACHA wrote specifically for Seungmin to perform. I have not covered “Goodbye” in these posts yet, because I’m working in chronological order from when I started and then from the very beginning of their discography. So, it may be a bit before I get to “Goodbye” – and I will certainly be in tears when I do – but it is a favorite of mine. And this trio of songs are very near and dear to my heart.
As I mentioned in my posts about “Still Here” and “The Little Things,” I really love that they often give each other songs. Han gave I.N “The Little Things” for this birthday, 3RACHA wrote these songs for Seungmin, and they often talk about passing around tracks and lyrics to work on with the whole group. It’s very sweet.
And Seungmin obviously works hard to do the songs he’s given justice. He always gives it his all, and this song is no different. So, let’s look at the lyrics.
Couple disclaimers: I don’t speak Korean. I am using my limited SKZ knowledge and the English translations from Genius. These are my own thoughts based on those translations and not meant to be a definitive interpretation.
Here is the video to listen to/watch as you read the lyrics.
We have some comments from both Seungmin and Han on this song.
“I’m finally able to share this precious song that Hannie wrote for me
to some people, it might just be another short YouTube video that they scroll past…
but I started recording it and refining it back when (the weather) was really cold, (I was) thinking a lot about how to interpret it, what meaning and structure it should have, and how to present it in a way that could be easy to understand through the video, before requesting it to be made
I really wanted the video to capture the color and vibe of the song to leave a stronger lingering impression, so I ended up constantly bothering the staff and the writer for revisions… ㅎㅎ (thank you…)
this release has so much effort put into it that we even kept delaying the upload schedule over and over just to make (more) revisions
More than anything, I hope our team’s music reaches farther and becomes more widely known.”
“About ‘Rapid Current’ (Into The Current), it was maybe early… or mid-last year? Seungmin asked me if I could make him a song using a certain song as a reference (same vibe), and that’s how we started working on it. If we look at it from the lyrics’ perspective, what I focused on most was that I wanted to write lyrics that weren’t flashy. I wanted to write simple, unadorned lyrics and talk about a human story in an honest way. And then, Seungmin did such a great job with the recording. I think it came out with so much more quality and way better than the guide version I recorded. This time I couldn’t direct Seungmin during his recording. I think I was in the middle of another schedule on my agenda at that moment, so that’s why I couldn’t be there to guide him.”
The way they talk about this song is very sweet. Seungmin calls it precious. He says he spent a long time with the song to understand it, record it, and then have the video made. And he mentions delaying the upload schedule to make revisions and make sure it was right. And Han talks about “simple, unadorned lyrics” that “talk about a human story in an honest way.” Together, they have created a lyrical, visual, and sonic masterpiece that is much deeper than I can fully put into words.
I think it all comes back to Han’s lyrical genius. He takes such ordinary, relatable experiences and turns them into this poetic saga that anyone can see themselves in. I’ve talked about this what seems like a million times now, and it’s something I know 3RACHA – and all of Stray Kids when they get their hands on lyrics – are really good at. It’s a facet of music that I – as someone who gets so frustrated when trying to write poetry – find absolutely fascinating.
“Into the Current” uses the analogy of a fishbowl. At the beginning, we get these lines:
Verse 1:
In a small fishbowl Flowers that cannot breathe Bloom beautifully, yet give off no scent In a way, you’re just like me
It’s a vivid image from the start. He’s like a decorative flower in a fishbowl – beautiful but not alive. And as the song goes on, this metaphor is expanded. He is in this fishbowl, alive but not really living. Dreaming of the sea but unable to get there. It’s a combination of complacency, ignorance, and fear.
The second verse is my favorite:
Verse 2:
The star I gazed at from the bowl Spoke to me one day “You are still young, child And the sea is never still That is not where your world should be There’s more beyond the round sky you look up at Once you’re out of there It’ll be a whole different view”
It’s so soft and beautiful. “There’s more out there for you to see. You were made for greater things. But don’t worry. You’re still young.” And then the glass begins to break. And despite the danger of being cut by the shards of glass, he keeps going. And he makes it to the sea.
There’s so much more to the actual Korean that isn’t quite captured in the English translation. I beg of you to watch K-Pop with Seolly’s video “SKZ Seungmin ‘Into the Current’ Lyrics Explained by a Korean | The Beautiful Metaphor in HAN’s Lyrics.” She breaks down every line individually and explains the brilliance of Han’s writing. Word choices. Turns of phrases. Implications that aren’t quite caught in a translation.
It’s times like these when I wish I spoke Korean and understood all of the little nuances. Because just diving into these English lyrics is amazing. But hearing her break down little word choices makes it that much more apparent how much of an artist Han is. So, definitely watch it, because I won’t be able to do it justice in just paraphrasing.
But isn’t this a beautiful metaphor? It reminds me a lot of “Holiday,” actually. That song was heavily about burnout – working but not feeling fulfilled. And this is similar – living but not being alive. And I can absolutely relate to feeling like…I’m existing. I’m fulfilling a purpose. I’m a beautiful fake flower in the bottom of a fishbowl. Beautiful but stuck. Not changing or growing. I don’t feel alive. I don’t feel fulfilled.
And that can come in a lot of different forms. You don’t know about other opportunities or places outside your bubble. You literally can’t leave – financially, mentally, physically. Or you’re scared.
And you see the big wide world. All of the endless possibilities. You see the sea. And you can quite seem to get there. Swimming around and around and not much is changing. In verse 1, it says “Wonder what the sea is like / No matter how much I swim towards it / I can’t ever seem to reach it.” Imagine a fish swimming laps in a fishbowl and not actually getting anywhere.
And then verse 2. I feel the line “And the sea is never still” physically. It is a physical experience. I am nearing 30 (no, I don’t think it’s the end of the world, but a new decade of life always feels momentous), and sometimes I wonder if I’m doing enough. Have I accomplished enough? Am I where I’m supposed to be? What should I be working toward? And this line…this line gives me so much relief. The star is saying “You’re still young. And there’s still so much out there.”
It’s a beautiful duality. The star is encouraging and saying, “There’s more to do, more to be. But don’t worry, you have time. You haven’t missed your chance. You’re not past your prime.” Because I think that’s a really easy state of mind to fall into when you have a realization like this. “I’m stuck. I haven’t been moving forward. Oh, man, have I wasted my life away? Can I even do the things I want to do? Is it too late?” But it’s not! It’s not too late.
The second pre-chorus and chorus tie up the story so well. Breaking through the glass, even though it might hurt. Jumping into the sea even though it’s scary. Letting the current take you, even if you don’t know where it’s going.
And then we have this very simple outro that seems almost out of place. There’s a good 40 seconds of instrumentals between the second chorus and the outro. And then it’s just “ohs.” But the way Seungmin sings those “ohs”! It’s a relief. A celebration in a way that fits the sweetness of the song overall.
And paired with visuals it is absolutely perfect. I’d be so fascinated to hear Seungmin’s process for the visuals of these videos. Because there’s a deep story to the visuals in “Still Here,” too. And in Seungmin’s Bubble message, he specifically mentions making the video also reflect the vibe of the song. And it does!
The first verse, first pre-chorus, and first chorus are all a view of Seungmin as a video game character. We as the viewer are looking out a window. He is walking by with a cityscape behind him, but there are also fish swimming by and algae on the glass. It’s a really brilliant optical illusion that feels like we’re both looking at Seungmin in a fishbowl and also looking out of our own metaphorical fishbowl. It tells the story while making you feel like you are in the story.
The second verse transitions into Seungmin walking along a sidewalk at night, a similar cityscape in the background. But this time he’s not in the fishtank. He’s walking beside a river. And the star appears to talk to him.
And then as we get into the pre-chorus and the lines “Cracks begin to form and water seeps through,” wind starts blowing, and Seungmin fights against it. And during the line “Even if shards of broken glass pierce into me,” he stubs his toe on a rock.
But we can see the beach! “It’s okay, I’m almost there now,” and we see the end of the sidewalk. The screen widens, and the music breaks into the sweeping chorus as the sea comes into view – colorful and vibrant. We have these beautiful lyrics – meaning so much more this time because he’s at the sea – talking about being taken away by the sea and becoming one with it.
When he reaches the other side, it’s a meadow of flowers. He jumps out of the water in a new outfit, strolling through the flowers as Seungmin sings possibly the most emotionally charged “ohs” I have ever heard.
There’s so much symbolism here. So much artistry. A story in four parts that captures the emotional arc of this song brilliantly. I’m struggling to find words to describe how immensely perfect it is.
And I haven’t even talked about the actual music. How it starts with just a guitar and builds and builds into this full orchestra while still staying so soft and comforting.
Han wrote a deeply moving song about fish and made it into a metaphor about breaking out and following your dreams in the most poetic way possible. Seungmin sang it like the pro that he is and brought Han’s “simple, unadorned lyrics…about a human story” to life. And then he helped created a visual journey that complements the lyrics, the music, and his performance in such a beautiful way.
I don’t think you have to think too hard to realize the emotional depth that Han put into these lyrics. The themes of breaking out of where you’re stuck and of trials and struggles being worth it to follow your dreams are sewn into so much of Stray Kids’ discography. It’s a theme in their journey as idols. It’s certainly a theme in Han’s life, in more ways than we probably even know.
“But you take those feelings tucked away in a corner of your heart and imagine from there when you write. So when I touch that part of you, I get really careful.”
I will forever be blown away and so thankful for the way that the members hold each other and take care of each other. I’m not saying they’re perfect at it, and we know the road’s been bumpy. But to see and hear the care that Seungmin put into this song is an honor, really. To witness that kind of love that they so clearly have for each other.
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