“Smoky” is the emo-K-pop crossover we needed. The second single from Monsta X rapper Joohoney’s solo mixtape, it’s a scream-cry, headbanging track that revels in the realization of losing your way. “It’s about me collapsing in the darkness, losing my old self who was so passionate,” Joohoney said in a statement. Your eyes will start stinging when the children’s choir joins on the chorus, and you can hear why Joohoney also says this is “a song for myself in the future,” a reminder of where you’ve been as well as a wake-up call for when you are slipping back. Crank this track all the way up, roll the windows down, and speed down the highway screaming, “Smoky!” with Joohoney. It’s cathartic. —Daniel Head
