[[2026 Music]]  This album is very interesting to me. Not because of the content itself — it’s great chillwave, with a lot of strong tracks (although a few don’t feel chill at all, lol). No what’s interesting about me is the titular character. Krystelle didn’t have a name before recently. She first appeared in the **Mellow Minstrel Mix** by DJ Kenta, all the way back in 2022 ~~which was 100 years ago~~.  She later became the face of the ongoing [Chill Square Enix Music 24/7 livestream](https://www.youtube.com/live/9Tzc3ybp8vA). Recently, [[Square Enix Music]] asked their Discord community to bring her to life by submitting suggestions for her name, hobbies, special kills, etc. Those submissions were combined with predetermined features by illustrator Kunitaro. The final design can be found below. ![[SQ Relax - Krystelle’s Chillwave-1773252290477.png]] They’ve since debuted her in an album capacity with **Krystelle’s Chill**. I find all of this interesting for two reasons. The first is just basic curiosity. One of the only things that [[Square Enix]] hasn’t completely messed up lately is the **SQM** endeavor. They’ve been putting out tons of great arrangements in collaboration with some of my favorite DJs, along with stuff like the **Timeless CLassics Vocal Cover** albums. Following these releases as someone that loves good music has both been satisfying, and allowed me to feel like **SQEX** still has the sauce. The other reason is that Krystelle is cool from like an OC perspective, that reminds me of how [[Mint (OC)]] came about. Even her creation feels that way. A music-based OC that sprung up from a bit of art? Relatable. Check the album out 👍🏿 ### Favorite Track(s) - Besaid - The Crystal Tower - The Sunleth Waterscape