I absolutely adore Melon’s ‘최신음악’ (newest music) page because it consistently introduces me to artists I’ve never heard of before. Today, I discovered an incredible artist named 예빛 / Yebit, a singer-songwriter and YouTuber with an impressive following of over half a million subscribers 😲. The song ‘Traveler’ is composed and serene, and the music video perfectly complements it, showing Yebit traveling alone in her car.

The theme of this song revolves around love, but it’s not the kind of love that just started or is filled with bitterness and longing. Instead, it’s a gentle and tender love, brimming with understanding and acceptance. To me, it feels like a love that has matured over many years.

I’m particularly drawn to these lines:

너와 내가 우주를 떠돌 때

어김없이 떠오를 이 순간

살아있는 모든 순간을 네게 줄 때 난

사랑이라 불러

“As we drift through the universe,

this moment will always return to mind.

When I give you every moment I’m alive,

I call it love.”

Vocabulary & grammar breakdown

1. 너와 내가 우주를 떠돌 때

• 너와 내가 = “you and I” (both marked as subject)
• 우주 = “universe”
• –를 = object marker
• 떠돌다 = “to wander / drift”
• –(으)ㄹ 때 = “when (something happens)”

→ Pattern: verb + –(으)ㄹ 때 for time reference.

2. 어김없이 떠오를 이 순간

• 어김없이 = “without fail / unfailingly”
• 떠오르다 → 떠오를 = future attributive form
• 이 순간 = “this moment”

→ Structure: [adverb + verb-(ㄹ)] + noun

= “this moment that will surely come to mind.”

3. 살아있는 모든 순간을 네게 줄 때 난

• 살아있다 → 살아있는 = present attributive form
• 모든 순간 = “every moment”
• –을 = object marker
• 네게 = “to you”
• 주다 → 줄 때 = “when (I) give”
• 난 = contraction of 나는

→ Time clause: verb + –(으)ㄹ 때 again.

4. 사랑이라 불러

• 사랑 = “love”
• –이라 = contraction of –이라고 (quoted form of 이다)
• 부르다 = “to call (something)”

→ Pattern: N + (이)라(고) 부르다

= “to call something (noun).”

I’m curious, where do you find yourself discovering new artists and music?