Indie pop / rock band HOAX released “soju”, the ninth and final single off the band’s narrative-driven debut concept album, b?, a 17-track project detailing the inner workings of being vs. doing.

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“soju”

On the surface, “soju” might be best described to have an upbeat pop-centric sound, but the song itself is about dealing with death and reflecting on the notion that life sometimes feels like random moments in time that are out of your control. For most people, they wouldn’t know that Mike Raj wrote “soju” from the perspective of his late grandfather and that 2021 was the year of loss for him.

The first verse and chorus of “soju” was written about the aftermath of loss and grief. We tend to feel completely helpless and achingly wish for one more moment with our loved ones, as we are overwhelmed by the struggle to go on through life feeling like the meaning is lost. Most of the lyrics in the first verse and chorus are reflections on how hopeless life feels when you lose someone, and how much the sky feels like it is falling in the wake of their death. Simply put, life becomes monochromatic.

The second half of the second verse is all about that idea to not lose love when you have lost a loved one, and rather to use the pain you experienced that has undoubtedly changed you – to love even deeper. Pain is more relatable to people than success; than happiness; than anything else we often experience. Our lives more often than not are our symbols of pain that we have synthesized through our coping methods into how we then choose to perceive the world. At its worst, we let it consume us and we create insecurities that eat us alive. At its best, our pain becomes lessons of growth and empathy that we can use to understand why it is so goddamn hard for all of us to be alive and human.

The takeaway message of the song? Make sure you find someone that you can give your all to, and then love them in your every waking moment – until their final breath. That’s what the bridge of “soju” is all about. How often can we regret the time we no longer have with someone who is gone? Savor every moment you get with someone who loves you, exist with them, and be with them. And though Mike hopes that none of you will ever have to go on living without someone you love, knowing you were truly with them – and they were with you – is enough.

Debut Album: b?

HOAX’s debut album, b?, is a concept album that follows the narratives of characters that are thrown together in the aftermath of tragedy. Each song is written from the point of view of a character who explores the abstract concepts of the essence of “BEING” – an evident obsession of both the characters in the story and the band members themselves. The dichotomy of BEING vs. DOING is highlighted through careful lyricism on the album. Visit hoax-band.com for HOAX’s supplementary album content for their debut album, b?

QUOTE

“2021 was one of the toughest years of my life. It’s probably just confirmation bias, but death came to me in threes. I lost my grandmother, my dog (Luna), and then my grandfather. I wanted to express the grief I felt, but through the lens of my grandfather and all the pain he endured before his time finally came. The instrumental for ‘soju’ was written back in 2019, but all the lyrics I would write for it held no weight. It was only now after this year of loss did the words come to finally give me peace with it.” -Michael Raj

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