I realized it had been a while since I made an idol-band song. I used to make them often, so I wanted to try one again. Around the same time, I was drawn to darker music and to the industrial textures I had been enjoying lately. ‘Black Out!’ grew from putting those interests together: an idol song on the surface, with something mechanical and hard underneath.
A hard mechanical edge beneath the sweetness
Lately I have been drawn to the metallic, machine-like sounds of industrial music. I wondered what would happen if I put that cooler texture beside the sweetness and energy of an idol band. I am still learning the finer points of the genre, but I wanted the song to feel both hard-edged and fun.
The lyrics give the four voices slightly different ways of saying “notice me” and “don’t leave.” I wanted to leave room for feelings that were less simple than just being cute.
In the chorus, even the tears and contradictions become something to make cute. The darkness stays, but it becomes part of the stage. Maybe that is what makes this song fun for me.
Trying a new way to finish the sound
I also changed how I approached the final sound this time. I had used existing mastering tools before, but for this song I worked with ChatGPT/Codex to set up a way to try it on my own computer.
I kept the original audio and compared a more natural version with a louder one. I shared what bothered me, tried the results, and chose the sound that felt right for the released MV. I did not design every technical step myself. Looking back at the notes, it seems ChatGPT/Codex had made adjustments along these lines:
| Natural master | Louder version | |
|---|---|---|
| Level adjustment | +2.69 dB overall | +4.19 dB overall, then limiting |
| Integrated loudness | −14.00 LUFS | −12.50 LUFS |
| Maximum true peak | −1.92 dBTP | −1.30 dBTP |
| Tone or instrument-specific changes | None | None |
Numbers alone cannot tell me whether the music feels right, and I did not separately fix the vocals or instruments. Still, being able to listen, compare, and use the sound I chose in the finished video felt like a lovely change.
Letting opposites share the stage
This started with a simple thought: I had not made an idol-band song in a while, and I wanted to return to it. This time, that familiar idea met industrial rock and dark-kawaii pop. Cute vocals and heart-shaped lights sit beside hard beats and black shadows. Putting those opposites together also gave the four characters’ uneasy feelings a clearer place to live.
ChatGPT/Codex helped with the detailed processing; I listened and made the final choice for the song. That made mastering feel a little closer to my own creative process.
Listen on Suno ↗ Watch on TikTok ↗ Watch on YouTube ↗
industrial rock / dark-kawaiiBlack Out！Open the song page for audio, lyrics, and notes.Explore this song →Thank you for reading.
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