Artists You Should Know: LØREN Learns to “Put Up A Fight” on New EP

Rising Korean rock phenomenon LØREN is currently resting on the laurels of a whirlwind first half of the year. One that saw the release of his hotly anticipated debut EP Put Up A Fight — writing, producing, and playing every instrument that appears on it. This was followed by his first-ever U.S. tour and ride on its festival circuit, which included a show-stopping performance at Head in the Clouds earlier this month.

Across the five tracks of Put Up A Fight, LØREN rapturously resurrects the rock of previous decades with compelling urgency. Its opening track “Temporary” digging into a torrent of heavy riffs and deafening percussion crashes that launch his droning vocals into an abyss of hopelessness. On “Folks,” he elongates that anguished yearning into a sublimely melancholic rolling soundscape, one that rises and falls between electrified guitars and meandering drums.

On “Sticks And Stones” he channels the wistful angst of forlorn indie-rock that bristles against modern life: “I don’t feel at home / Love is seasonal,” he croons against the grungey-jangle of riffs. “I like to be heard / But I hate my phone.” He goes for another genre switch-up on “Panic,” an aptly-named expulsion of frenetic pop-punk that rumbles forward backed by hurricaning surge of agitated sonics.

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LØREN’s live-wire lyricism — appearing as an alluring entanglement of both Korean and English — and the emotional heft created by his eclectic round-up of rock anthems have rightfully made him an international sensation.

In the past, he gained accalaim as a songwriter for BLACKPINK, even appearing in a music video with the Korean girl group. But with the release of his debut LØREN is on track to become the latest in a growing number of Korean artists to enrapture the world with their music.