The loneliest whale in the world
because love hertz
My toddler is fed the same thing each day for breakfast at day care. Weetabix cereal and milk in a plastic bowl that she chomps on when she’s hungry.
The milk and cereal combo is what my brain may have looked like during the pandemic. A mash of lumpy grey gravy addled by a flood of dopamine. My poor brain didn’t know then. It was an unwilling combatant in the war for attention, all of it unfolding on the screen nearest to me.
The most boring black mirror episode one can imagine.
During the pandemic, when we weren’t busy working, we used to unwind with Netflix. I’d keep scrolling. That elusive perfect watch lay a few thumb swipes away. I just knew it. When decision fatigue won, I watched whatever I picked distracted. My hands reaching out for my phone ever so often.
When I was out by myself, it was easy to use my phone to feel less alone. Text a friend on Whatsapp. Call people on a whim. Scroll twitter. Look up graphs of number of tests, confirmed covid cases and vaccines administered.
You’ll never walk alone with podcasts
And then one fine summer day, I decided to walk a lot a lot a lot. And to listen to podcasts. My mind hadn’t yet experienced stillness. I did the next best thing. I kept moving while keeping my mind gainfully occupied.
One of the podcasts that I got into was called Switched On Pop. The first episode I listened to led me down a K-pop rabbit hole.
In my 20s and 30s, I was a music snob. I used to judge people by their taste in music. When what they listened to didn’t match my tastes, I looked down upon them. I am sorry. I know better now, so I’ll do better.
In a previous life, I wouldn’t have been caught dead admitting that I enjoyed K-pop.
This episode - “What BTS’s “Boy With Love” ft. Halsey Can Teach Us About K-pop” changed it all forever.
The hosts, Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding geek out about K-pop with Dr. Suk-Young Kim, Professor of Critical Studies and the Director of the Center for Performance Studies at UCLA. Dr Kim loves the genre so much, she even wrote a book - “K-pop Live - Fans, Idols and Multimedia performances”.
In the interview, Dr Kim mentions how K-pop lives in the digital world, and has been marketed brilliantly to appeal to audiences of all ages all over the world. Further, the hosts sit with Dr Kim and narrate what they’re watching when they see the video “Boy with luv”.
When I heard them wax eloquent about the video, I had no choice. I saw it too. I was awed by the melody, the beats, the choreography and by how happy I felt after I watched the video.
And that made me want to check out more music by BTS.
The loneliest whale in the world
Under the oceans, water prevents the easy movement of light and odour. Aquatic residents can’t see other creatures or smell them, unlike their land counterparts. They have evolved to create and listen to sounds to navigate their environment.
Whales communicate with each other through sounds. These sounds are catchy, predictable, in complex patterns and are therefore referred to as “songs”. In fact, male humpback whales do such a good job, they’ve been described as “composers”.
Most blue whales make sounds between the frequencies of 10 to 39Hz (hertz).
These songs are distinctive enough that scientists have been able to track blue whale population and movement worldwide.
Scientists have been puzzled about the existence of a whale whose songs are at a significantly higher frequency of 52Hz. It appears to be alone. Makes sounds in a distinctive pattern and seems to move around the ocean all by itself.
I heart about the world’s loneliest whale from my polymath friend Berty Ashley when we were speaking about K-pop.
Here’s some BTS tracks I’ve really enjoyed if you wanted to listen but didn’t know where to start - Boy With Luv, You Are My Universe (with Cold Play), Fake Love, Dionysus, Euphoria and DNA. You know where you can find them.
My admiration for BTS is not about how good they are on stage. It is unlikely I’ll join their Army and be a screaming fan. Not how I roll. To me, they will be a digital experience.
My admiration for BTS stems from mad respect for their talent. Grit. Dedication. Determination. Persistence. Resilience. It is the awareness that to get this far in their career, and to be so unbelievably good, so consistently, they’ve showed up day after day. Got their ass kicked. Gone through things you and I can’t imagine.
Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
And after getting where they are, they use their platform to spread messages that resonated with so many people all over the world.
BTS have sung about struggles that many of us navigate all our lives - about mental health and developing self love through self-discover and self-acceptance.
Not just that, they’ve gone way beyond - even to the outer confines of the solar system.
They have a track named 134340. Pluto was relegated to being a dwarf planet in 2006 and since then, has been referred to as 134340. BTS use this story to talk about being turned away by a former lover and being seen as insignificant in their eyes.
Finally, Whalien 52 is about the loneliest whale in the world. The 52Hz one, remember?
Through that song, I see people that feel alone in crowded spaces putting themselves out there hoping to be found by others resonating on the same frequency as them.
And when that happens, the world will never be the same.
Discover Dublin Weekly
With love from Dublin, to wherever you have an internet connection.
Artsipolo (IG) - experiencing their high energy hip-hop rock and roll style music live will have you sing and dance along in a frenzy. Guaranteed. Sample them on Spotify, I enjoyed the hip-hop parts of Glass Hands so much.
Shy (IG) - this Ukrainian singer-songwriter’s indie-pop tracks are so warm, fuzzy and catchy - they should top international charts. Bookmark her artist page for links to her music. You’re welcome! PS - Have a good kiss (Spotify).
Nathan Mac (IG) - he’s an all round performer with multiple talents. Witnessing him live is like watching musical theater. While his music is an integral part of his art, his overall performance stays with you long after they’re through. His Spotify tracks unmissable.
AC Sapphire (IG) - her music conjures up the quintessential classic “Americana” sound, the kinds you’d have heard when you experienced Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Acoustic-ish guitar, melodies, stories, folksy, mellow (Spotify link).
If you’re in Dublin - check Artsipolo, Shy and Nathan Mac LIVE at the second edition of First Fridays *tonight* at Rascals Brewing Company D08 HF68
Eventbrite link to purchase the few remaining tickets left.
Express yourself through your art and witness performances in a safe, warm and inviting space at Board Dublin every Thursday for the Smithfield Creatives open mic (sign up for FREE by DMing on Instagram)
Next week
Elementary, My Dear Turtle
And now for something completely different
PS - Translated lyrics of Whalien 52, for your reading pleasure.