ice.cream

Hyunjin, a member of the South Korean boy group Stray Kids, presents a unique blend of metaphor and emotion in his song 'ice.cream'. The lyrics play with the imagery of ice transforming into cream, symbolizing a change from something cold and hard to something soft and delightful. This transformation is used to describe the artist's feelings towards someone who seems cold and distant at first but has the potential to become warm and loving.

The song's chorus, 'Ice에서 cream (I see) ice as a cream', suggests a hopeful perspective, where Hyunjin chooses to see the possibility of warmth ('cream') within the coldness ('ice'). The repeated phrase 'I see ice as a cream' indicates a desire to believe in the sweetness that lies beneath the surface. However, the lines that follow, '그 황홀한 맛 뒤엔 그 어떤 것도 쓰기만 해' (Behind that enchanting taste, everything else just seems bitter), reveal a sense of disillusionment, acknowledging that the reality may not be as sweet as the initial perception.

The song also touches on the theme of unrequited love and the imbalance in a relationship. Hyunjin speaks of a 'love ledger' where he checks how much he has spent, only to find that it's a deficit. This metaphor suggests that he is investing more into the relationship than he is receiving, leading to disappointment. Despite this, he remains captivated, willing to do anything for the person he loves, even if it means keeping his feelings slightly hidden or unrequited.