Style: K-pop idol group, dance, rap
Label: RBW Entertainment
Year: 2021
Home: Seoul, South Korea
Members: Park Ji-eun, Na Go-eun, Dosie, Ireh, Yuki, Chaein, Swan ~ vocals/rap
I've recently discovered & fallen in love with K-Pop. I spent 3 years in Japan & used to listen to a lot of J-Pop, while I've had a lifelong love of Indian classical music, while a year in Hungary led to a large collection of Hungarian rock bands, so I like foreign music, yet K-Pop never came up on my radar until recently via a commentary by youtuber Matt Walsh. Even when Psy's "Gangham Style" was huge, I wasn't grabbed to look more into the K-Pop world. Now I can tell you of bands, particularly of the first generation, along with who my favorite singer is, & all about the Idol Band scene. I find it all so fascinating, as it comes out of a music factory like we don't have in America, while one band can cover numerous music styles with ease. Once I got beyond the shock of how derivative the music is, I actually find a lot of the songs super addictive, the videos often are works of art, & the boys & girls are some of the best dancers I've ever seen (& I lived with 2 dancers in Hungary, & saw dance theater weekly. I'm no expert, but I've seen a lot beyond the Britney Spears world of stage dance). So, while it might be a stretch on this blog where I'm reviewing Iron Maiden & Kiss, since I'm listening so much of K-Pop it was time to start writing about them. First, I don't speak Korean. I have no clue what the lyrics are or what the songs are about, which is a shame as I miss out on some great messages. All I have is the voices & the music & the hook. A lot of K-Pop bands I don't care for. A lot of the ballad stuff doesn't do much for me, while a lot of the dance stuff I find bland & not distinctive. A lot of the groups synthesize & auto-tune their members voices so much I can't tell who is who singing as all the voices sound alike. If you're going to copy the Spice Girls, remember they were more than just interesting visuals. Plus, do all Korean girls sing high & all boys the same? Is there no deep voiced singers of either gender? I don't think so from what I've found so far. But, at least, for this first K-Pop album on my blog I can say girl group Purple Kiss do let each member's voice shine with modest tweaking & the music is unique.We're hearing voices, not computers. This 6 song mini-album released September 2021, or what might be called an EP to westerners as we don't have mini-albums, opens with the dance track "Zombie" that fuses a basic beat, a funk guitar & thick funk bass, with some smooth vocals & the obligatory rap break all idol groups have. Its a fun upbeat metro funky song that is what many of us have wanted from Britney & Christina Aguilera for years now. This should be played in every American club. "2am" (새벽 2시) is a slow song that might remind you of a ballad from some girl group of the '90's like En Vogue. A classic sound made even better by the background vocals under an echo effect. "Cast Pearls Before Swine" (돼지 목에 진주 목걸이) brings an Asian feel to the dance beat & sounds totally unique, with a great rap breakdown. I even enjoyed the synthesized delayed effects on the rap break, which worked surprisingly well on a singing style often better without effects. A total highlight. Next to "Zombie" this was a total favorite. "So Why" was a bit of a letdown with its simple beat, but it has a solo bass break that totally saves it. It feels like it needs a stronger hook with the vocals, as without the funky bass - a highlight of the whole album by the way - the song just feel under-whelming & filler. "Twinkle" & "ZzZz" are dance ballads that just felt like more filler, even with the surf-like guitar of "Twinkle" which isn't used enough. I would have liked to hear more of its quirky tone against the rap break. The rap has a dark energy that can totally be played with for contrast. Simplicity is the name of the game here, with simple uncluttered beats & all the focus on the vocals, yet after "Zombie" & "Cast Pearls Before Swine" the simplicity of these songs doesn't do the album any favors. "ZzZz" goes for something that tries for something that reminded me of a Hawaiian beach fell, but I never felt it landed. The ideas are here, but musically need work to bring out the personality of the music. Formed in 2021 by RBW Entertainment Purple Kiss is part of the 4th generation of idol groups. A lot of the 2020-2021 new idol groups I'm not much of a fan of, as too many lean too far to the technical end of dance, but the girls of Purple Kiss have a wonderful '90's street feel that totally makes their music stand out as unique. There's a lot of great stuff here, but they just need to push the button, push the energy, go a step farther with it to make it pop on the next level. This is only their 2nd album & I look forward to how they develop their sound. If I was producing I would lean more into the '90's hip-hop street sound & develop that out for something totally unique. Dump the cute girl next door look & go street.
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