The idea for this zine was born out of a genuine moment of being moved by music. I have been a long-time fan of Solar and her K-pop group, Mamamoo. I began following all of their individual projects, one of which was the album Solar dedicated to creating covers of deeply emotional Korean songs from a more bygone era of music. One particular song stayed with me, and Solar’s extremely powerful and emotional delivery made me want to preserve the connection I felt to it. Since these albums are hard to come by in India, I decided to create my own memorabilia for the project to remember my connection to it.

Since this was more of a personal project, I wanted it to be the most fun I could have while designing. I made sure to listen closely to the song and watch the music video. Given that the Korean music industry includes such talented visual artists who dedicate immense thought to the visuals behind these songs, I decided to take their lead. The music video and the behind-the-scenes footage posted by the artist herself were very helpful in narrowing down the aesthetic.

The music video is composed of sweeping white, snowy landscapes and the artist dressed in a white gown. There are pastel color themes in the abandoned swimming pool and house sets, which enhance the feeling of a time we’re nostalgic for. Since the presence of snow was significant—as well as the themes of isolation and heartbreak—I decided to keep the zine in black and white.

Korean is also a language I’m deeply fascinated by and have recently begun learning, which added to my resolve to feature many of the original Korean lyrics, along with short written interpretations I wanted to express. The combination of text and the original language lyrics creates a nostalgic feel. The choice of paper also plays a huge role in this—a glossy, shiny paper wouldn’t suit the tone. A more regular, grainy paper would be the ideal choice. And with all these componants in mind, this zine became a beautiful reminder to me of a song I enjoyed so much.