Cheese in the Trap was a drama that started out so well – it had the trifecta of good writing, direction, and acting. I’d read quite a lot of the webtoon prior to watching and I loved how true to the story it was and yet it felt like its own entity. I was disappointed, to say the least, when it went downhill in the last quarter due to very questionable directional decisions. I have a lot thoughts as to what I think happened, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. I still think the first 12 or so episodes are outstanding.

The other thing CITT had going for it was an excellent soundtrack. It introduced me to this excellent little indie band, LOVE X STEREO, via the track below (I’m posting the album version, not the OST version, though). It was also my introduction to the excellence that is SALTNPAPER. They have become some of my favorites in the years following the drama. I love how experimental LOVE X STEREO are, and I highly recommend checking out their other work. I chose this song because it’s beautifully haunting and its lyrics express a little bit of what it feels like when we’re all social distancing. They felt apt in the drama, the way each of the leads kept people at arms length, hiding themselves away until they were able to trust one another and open up.

I think I relate to that a lot, even when I’m not socially distancing myself. I have a tendency to keep people at a distance. Being alone like this has been hard because it reminds me of when I was isolating myself when it was a choice (of sorts). This song was one of the ones I listened to a lot in that time. I remember I used to play it on repeat, laying on my bed listening to the words below over and over. Feeling seen, because I so often felt like I was drowning. These words helped keep me afloat in a dark period, and for that I will be grateful. It’s interesting to me how songs that I associate with dark periods of my life don’t bring that darkness back, but rather remind me that while I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel back then, I did make it out the other side. Those songs remind me of the little things that kept me going – the dramas I watched, the food I ate, the books I read. Sometimes we need the little things to stay sane.

I know it’s hard these days for a lot of us, and it’s OK to not be OK. But I want to remind you that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Tonight I’m sending you all good vibes.

Your body was sinking
Into infinity
Your mind was sailing
Underneath insanity

Play hide and seek
You sneak under the sea

“Hide and Seek” by LOVE X STEREO