Seoul-based solo artist appetiteapple has built Gratitudes almost entirely from the ground up, handling the songwriting, arrangements, production, mixing, mastering and even the album artwork alone. That DIY approach gives the record a distinctly personal foundation, but it is the album’s central idea that gives all that independence its emotional weight, which is learning how to say thank you. Released August 10, 2026, Gratitudes looks back at childhood lessons about appreciation and traces how something that once felt difficult eventually became a natural part of mature self-expression.
“Dark before Dawn” immediately draws the listener into that inner world. Deep, immersive layers surround sparkling, pulsating beats that gradually build and splash outward, making the music feel almost fluid. There is a silky, metallic vibe to the atmosphere, as though mercury were slowly spreading and swimming across the speakers. The track lets its textures envelop the listener, creating the feeling of moving through darkness while something brighter waits ahead.
“Landscapes” shifts the scenery without losing that immersive quality. Gentle piano sits beneath a heavy, deep bass foundation, while bright, pulsating cymbals slice through the arrangement with sharp high-energy flashes. The music gradually becomes warmer, yet the rhythm stays sleek and precise. It feels more like watching a landscape change as the light moves across it.
That sense of movement is central to Gratitudes. Drawing from 90s Britpop sensibilities while maintaining a modern electronic atmosphere, appetiteapple turns personal growth into something listeners can experience through sound as much as words. The album’s imagined green hills and distant villages, its reflections on willpower and its repeated search for human connection all circle back to the same idea of recognising the people and moments that helped shape you.
And perhaps that is what makes the album’s independence especially fitting. appetiteapple builds the entire world themselves, then invite us to walk through it.
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Review by: Naomi Joan