Style: k-pop, dance, Latin, Reggaeton, trap
Label: DSP Media
Year: 2020
Home: Korea
Members: J.Seph, BM ~ rap
Jeon So-min, Jeon Ji-woo ~ vocals
I've never reviewed dance music on this blog, as I think the electronica aspect & focus on the beats pulls it too far from rock & thus outside of the focus of this blog. Yet, I've decided there are exceptions to the rule. K-Pop group Kard are called dance music, yet there's something about their musical approach which makes their dance beats outside of the norm & a must hear. Essentially, they've got soul & emotion via a fusion of numerous music styles. Electronic drum beats are placed against a Reggaeton-esque guitar backbeat & something like a muted trumpet for the verses of opener "Go Baby", while the rapped chorus uses the same beat but with darker sounds to accompany. Its a fascinating mix of a couple styles of music that wonderfully push & pull each other. The song also features the two softer female voices for the verses, while the two males shoot out the chorus in near anger. Gender is thus used to increase the tension & release of the song. Its not just the tonal differences of the voices, which is the common approach, but the natural contrast of feminine vs masculine. It takes the song to a whole new level. Even if you don't speak Korea, which I don't, the song screams with emotion. One female has a sexy silky voice, while the other is a bit harsher, & then there's the determined almost tough male voice. The end response is almost like a call & response, or a conversation between folks spanning a wave of emotions. I wish I knew the meaning of the lyrics to verify which of these is more true, but its intensely addicting just the same & worth checking out. "Red Moon" features Spanish, English & Korean against a Latin beat that could be part of Shakira's catalog. It opens slow before diving into a huge beat. If this was Shakira you can picture her hips suddenly shaking & taking you on a sexy Latin ride at that moment. Yet, it doesn't stay on one beat, but continues to change to accentuate the different vocal styles. The song has such great & unpredictable dynamics that I can imagine a dance floor just pumping with this song. I'm not the only one who has heard this comparison. Created in 2017 by DSP Media, Kard has actually found a huge audience in South America. I love the fact that the rap here is not just like American rap, but also is heavily influenced by Reggaeton & Latin rap. "Enemy" takes a completely different approach, going with a trap dance breakdown & leaving the Latin feel behind. It plays up the darker feel that Kard has & lets the girls take the spotlight for a song. Its got some great musical moments. I'm not sure if the members of Kard compose the music or not, but whoever it is has crafted a great mix of styles & emotions. I find this album to be stellar. I found it hard to put down. I don't know much Latin music, even though I have a former girlfriend who was Mexican & we listened to a lot of Reggaeton. I just know if it makes me move or not. This album absolutely made me move. "Inferno" allows the boys a moment of their own. They go for a heavy rap moment that reminds me of some of the stuff from the Horrorcore scene. I do have to make one side comment. I've listened to a lot of J-Pop, having lived in Japan for 3 years, but one thing that always bothered me was the non-sense English that was used. Quirky lines that sounded good, but don't make sense in English & thus can't make sense in Japanese. Its nice to hear a band, & K-Pop in general, using English properly & not nonsense phrases. It makes me want to learn Korean to know what else is being said. Closer "Dumb Litty" keeps the feeling of "Inferno" but now brings together all four members. The Latin drum beat makes the song something more, fusing the Horrorcore with the Reggaeton. The synthetic beats are thick & unique with lots of layers. Latin Horrorcore trap dance? Is that a thing? I don't know, but I love the fusion found on this album. I hope they keep it up. Kard has a great thing they've stumbled upon that I recommend highly for a new Latin, rap & dance experience.
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