Rolling Quartz debuted in 2020, with five members: bassist Arem, guitarists Iree and Hyunjung, vocalist Jayoung, and drummer Yeongeun. They’re the fourth band (as, in, playing their own instruments) I’ve covered, after The Rose, ONEWE, and Day6. In fact, they’re the first female band I’ve covered on this blog, which is very exciting! They aren’t exactly K-pop, more a blend of that and k-rock, but I’m covering them here just because I’m a fan.

Here are my credentials: I’ve been a fan of Rolling Quartz for a while now, after being recommended their excellent cover of Dreamcatcher’s Good Night, and though I know they’re not that popular, I still wanted to give them a much-needed spotlight and, of course, have some fun. This is one of the reviews I wrote at the very beginning of the blog, so I’ve been meaning to re-do it for a long time now. I’m going to be seeing them live in April of 2025, so I figured that now was a good time. Of course, it wouldn’t be me without roping in one of my friends or family members, so my roommate Junie—-who was featured in my NiZiU review and is coming to the concert with me—will be coming along for the ride. Let’s get into it!

Single #1: Blaze

After some time spent doing covers, from Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance to Blackpink’s Pink Venom, Blaze was Rolling Quartz’s official debut. “It’s not spelled the same way [as your name], I’m sorry, Junie. Do you think you’ll recover?” I asked. They sighed. “I think I might.” That aside, though, you can see why Blaze remains their concert opener to this day; it comes right out of the gate with a blistering, half-minute-long guitar riff, inspirational lyrics, and Jayoung’s signature husky contralto. “Such a good headbanger!” Junie commented. Can confirm; our hair was flying every which way, especially when we got to Iree and Hyunjung’s guitar duo during the bridge. Besides playing instruments, having a somewhat grungier style and music video, and dabbling more in rock, Rolling Quartz’s music also feels more personal. I think a lot of that is probably due to the fact that they weren’t assembled by a company but instead formed on their own and have the power to write their own songs.

And that “It gives first music video out of college,” I laughed when we watched the music video. “I kind of love it, you can tell they’re labors of love but they’re also very funny. Like, ‘oh it’s a music video, we gotta destroy things. Hyunjung, throw a TV on the ground. Yeongeun, smash that guitar!’” After some laughter, Junie, resident art person, said, “No, agree, love me a blue and red color scheme and those shots that look like a polaroid camera. But damn, she really hates that guitar. It personally wronged her.”

Single #2: Good Night

Good Night is a cover of k-pop / k-rock Dreamcatcher’s excellent debut song, and how I and a lot of Diadems (Rolling Quartz fans) found them. So, I confess I’m very fond of it, even though I don’t actually think it’s one of their best tracks, looking back with the hindsight of having been their fan for a few years now. While it’s a pretty faithful cover, keeping the same beat and of course the same lyrics, it also feels very Rolling Quartz, from the places the guitars drop out and we’re just left with the vocals to the much more prominent drums than the original to of course the classic rock influences. It’s a testament to the kind of strong singer Jayoung is that only hearing her voice compared to Dreamcatcher’s 7 doesn’t make the track feel empty. Instead, it feels full in a different way.

As for the MV, we both really liked it. It’s quite witchy, which of course is a compliment coming from me, your resident witch. “The transitions between the black and white and the color, they were so seamless,” Junie said, then added, “Love that they credit their translator, like I don’t know who Lindsey is, but still.” I answered, “Lindsey’s over here doing the God’s work”. Shoutout to Lindsey, by the way, making it so we can actually understand what they’re saying and I don’t have to look it up on Color Coded K-pop Lyrics.

Single #3: ONE

One goes more of a teen-movie-soundtrack-pop-punk route than a classic rock route; as one comment I saw said, “it sounds like it could be from a Monster High movie.” Which is absolutely not criticism, by the way. We could tell right from the first note that this was going to be a great concert song; it has this fun, unending energy that makes you want to dance, hands in the air. “The others are like ‘this darkness is so deep, I can’t leave,’” Junie said, head in their hands, “while this one is like, ‘we’re the stars in the sky, we can do anything!’” I’m with them on this one; though I don’t think that One is as great as tracks like Blaze, Delight, or Azalea, it’s still a fun break from the darkness and makes me want to relive my younger teenage years (though maybe not all of them, let’s be honest here). 

As a sidenote, in the video, I noticed how low Arem was playing her bass guitar, practically at her knees. I talked to my brother who plays the bass in a band—and who was slightly confused about why I was texting him out of nowhere—and asked him if it’s common to play the bass like that because I’d never seen it before. He was surprised too, and said he hadn’t either, so I assume it’s just a her thing. Either way, it’s impressive; the woman must lift weights or something.

EP #1: Fighting

“Oh no, the moon’s back,” I said when Holler began with an eerie white noise sound and a shot of the night sky. “That can’t be good.” And then, of course, the MV proved us right: its set is made to look like a haunted gothic cathedral, complete with stained glass and lights that look like fog. “It’s giving Hex Girls,” was Junie’s response, to which I nodded calmly (read: squealed like a middle school girl) and we got into a five minute long incredibly intellectual discussion about how much we both loved the Hex Girls and how we should rewatch those movies together at our weekly TV binge session. “If this is the Hex Girls,” Junie continued, “they each have their own timeline. This is five different show trailers. Like, she [Arem] has a hit on someone, the other one [Hyunjung] is drinking blood, that one [Jayoung] has wings…like what’s going on?”

Despite the somewhat unintentional hilarity of the MV, there’s no hiding the fact that Holler is a great song, and as much as I love Blaze, Good Night, and One, I think this is where their music becomes something really special. It starts with the somewhat haunting call of “Holler, holler, holler”, befitting of the MV’s vampiric inspirations (especially Jayoung’s awesome dress), and the chant repeats again in the post-choruses as a break from the established build ups. It’s also a masterclass in pulling back and rushing forward, and keeps you guessing—in a good way, and definitely reminds me of a Taemin song, with its seductive creepiness, albeit based on far more of a rocky vibe than is usual for him. It was never one of my favorites as a casual listener but rewatching with Junie changed my mind on it.

We didn’t have time to listen to the EP together, but my favorite has always been and probably always will be Azalea. It’s not just my favorite of Rolling Quartz’s discography or even of k-rock bands, but it’s on my list of Top 10 Korean Songs of All Time. Adapted from an old poem protesting the Japanese occupation of Korea, the way it melds a traditional ballad, a heartfelt pop song, and one of their best rock instrumentals together is one of a kind. It’s the true definition of an anthemic, passionate, head-banger, and I for one can’t wait to experience its incredibleness in concert. 

Single #4: HYBRID

If you’re looking for a complete 180 in sound, you can’t do much better than the transition from Holler to Nazababara. Starting with an almost funky opening riff, it goes a much sunnier, brighter route, much less like a political anthem and much more like one for a night out for friends. “Definitely more pop,” Junie said, “like, you got the bright colors, you got the diner, you got the smiles, not a vampire in sight.” But even with a different sound and clocking in at just under three minutes, the song still manages to feel very them; I honestly don’t know how they do it. I especially love the segments with less instrumentation in the pre-chorus so that the vocals have time to breathe, and of course the short “you got me, got me” bridge was a highlight too. It’s a short song, but a memorable one.

“I don’t know how they walk in those heels,” I said to Junie, pointing at Yeongeun’s and Hyunjung’s shoes especially, to which they pointedly started staring at my own collection of comically tall wedges in the corner of our room so I can pretend I’m not under five feet. “Hey, mine aren’t that tall—yeah, okay.”

From the single, I also enjoyed the b-side Sing Your Heart Out, which is a cover of OG Korean rock band Crying Nut—who I really have to do a review on some day. It’s harsher in sound and darker in tone than Nazababara, but the guitar riffs are as sharp as ever. It definitely had me banging my head, especially during that great guitar breakdown and outro.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!