
Since finding out that Filipino-Canadian singer-songwriter August Rigo is the composer of Key's B-side track "G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)" in the new album Gasoline, fans of K-pop group SHINee couldn't help but think that it follows the storyline of the idol's 2021 song Eighteen (End Of My World).
"Eighteen (End Of My World)" was composed and produced by August for Key's BAD LOVE album. Key wrote the Korean lyrics of both songs.
In his October 2021 interview with GMANetwork.com, just days after the release of BAD LOVE, August shared that he wrote "Eighteen (End Of My World)" with a romantic angle.
"I wrote it about watching the end of the world with somebody you love. Like, it doesn't matter what's going on around me if I'm with you, I'm fine, and I'm going to be okay.
"The original line was, 'I'll stay and watch the end of the world with you.' That was how Key was able to take that part and kind of made it his own. I like his story about it though because he's bringing it back and talking about the end of his world. It's like the end of his world and he's in a new phase," he explained.
Less than a year later, Key will be releasing his second full album Gasoline, and one of the 11 songs included is "G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)." According to a Naver article, the track has "lyrics that contain honest thoughts about becoming an adult," which made fans theorize that it must be connected to "Eighteen."
OMG G.O.A.T. IS GOING TO BE WITH AUGUST RIGO AGAIN!!!!! HE'S PART OF EIGHTEEN'S COMPOSITION TOO 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/zBUaCS6BDM
-- ly ♡ #GASOLINE on 30/08 ⛽ (@DAlSUKEY) August 17, 2022
I feel like G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) is a sequel to My Eighteen (End of my world), and #Key wrote both of them..
-- Phantom™♤ (@5HINeeRise) August 17, 2022
This life eighteen and greatest of all time SITTING ON THE SAME TABLE I JUST KNOW IT 😭😭🔥
-- W. KEY'S GASOLINE ⛽ (@W_lilfreak) August 17, 2022
he made this for the eighteen supremacists (me) https://t.co/xnWMVB1vFj
-- gasELLIEne ⛽ (@key_kiam) August 17, 2022
Remember how we all felt when finally we were able to listen to 'Eighteen'? Aaaaaah Kim Kibum I can't wait.
-- jinki daddy's 찡구 💕 (@ummmmmmmKay) August 17, 2022
샤이니 키 #KEY #키 @SHINee https://t.co/fTos6lyi7f
We asked August about this theory in our recent exclusive interview with him, and this is what he had to say.
"I'm not too sure if it's directly [connected], you'd have to ask Key that. But I think that in general, his music, they're all very cohesive, even visually. Like BAD LOVE, he had the original concept behind the visuals, and this one has kind of the same dark imagery. it's almost like another level, it's his progression. I can assume that it's a kind of continuation."
As a composer, his goal is to help artists in conveying their thoughts through the melody, structure, and rhythm he provides.
"What I like to provide is a bed for them to be able to get their ideas across so that it becomes more specific to the artist, as opposed to it just being a song that I gave them. We get pretty pliable with the language, especially with the translation from English to Korean. It's very hard to be literal.
"It's the same thing when I do something in Tagalog and something in English. The Tagalog language in the songwriting sense tends to be a little more poetic, whereas in English you can get a little more literal. There's always a lot of play in those translations."
Since he is currently in the US, August hasn't listened to the song's final version yet as SM Entertainment, SHINee's agency, "keeps that stuff under lock and key unless you are in the studio. I usually get it right before it comes out so that the songs won't leak."
But what does he expect "G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time)" to sound like?
"I think it's going to be pretty close to the original demo in terms of the sonics and the melodies. They also used a few of my backgrounds in the song as well. I can't imagine it being too far off. And Key always delivers an amazing vocal performance as he's known for, so I'm really excited to hear it."
August Rigo is a recording artist, songwriter, producer, and musician born and raised in Canada by Filipino parents. Since starting his music career in 2003, he has already made songs for Justin Bieber, One Direction, Chris Brown, and other K-pop artists.
Meanwhile, Key's second full album Gasoline will be released on Tuesday, August 30, along with the lead single of the same title and its music video. Prior to this, he dropped a special performance video for "Another Life" and a lyric video for "Proud."
He debuted as a member of SHINee on May 25, 2008 along with Onew, Jonghyun, Minho, and Taemin.
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