storytelling and ballads

Currently listening to: Always – Enhypen Jay (Bon Jovi cover)

Okay, I might catch some heat from the Korean community for saying this—but I have to be honest: I prefer the original Bon Jovi version. There’s just something about Jon Bon Jovi’s passion, energy and the grit in his voice that hits, ya know? Every word he belts out sounds like he’s lived through that heartbreak that’s in the lyrics. It’s hard to replicate, I’m sure… because I’ve tried to sing the song with the same type of gusto but I failed.

That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due: Enhypen’s Jay absolutely holds his own in the cover. He’s clearly talented—his vocals are good and his guitar playing is superb.  But I think there’s room to appreciate both versions—one for its nostalgic, iconic power, and the other for its fresh take from a new generation of artists.

I’ve always had a thing for ’80s rock ballads—there’s just something about the lyrics that hits different. Those songs weren’t just catchy; they were full-blown novelas. The kind that made you feel like you were watching a dramatic K-drama play out in your head before the first chorus even hits.

Before I even saw the music videos, I’d already created the whole scene in my mind. And when I finally watched them? It felt like the final puzzle piece—like the visuals just confirmed what I already knew the story was about. Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses (GNR) are always at the top of my mind when I think about that kind of storytelling. These guys weren’t just rocking out—they were narrating heartache, rebellion, love, loss… and doing it in a way that made me feel it in my soul.

My love for this genre of music came from a combo of influence from my former best friend’s older brother—who had an obsession for rock—and my high school Early American Lit teacher, Miss Fox. She was so fucking cool, with her vintage band tees that she’d bought when she went to those concerts. I’m talking The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Mötley Crüe—bands that I was unfamiliar with at the time. She wore those shirts like badges of honor, and it made all of us all so curious. It sent us down our own rabbit holes, trying to figure out what made these bands so popular.

Side note: Happy Birthday to Violet—one of the most original writers I’ve come across here on WP. Her POV writing? Amazeballs. Every post feels like a fresh lens into something familiar but somehow brand new. Her words take me to another world… or they can grip my heart and make it ache, just like those 80’s rock ballads.