Tag: KISS OF LIFE

KISS OF LIFE returned to the stage a month ago before embarking on their first world tour! The comeback features the group’s third mini-album, Lose Yourself, which features the title track Get Loud (the focus of this post), the pre-release single R.E.M (which I have not reviewed yet) and the follow-up single IGLOO. This comeback follows a busy year for the group, which started with their Midas Touch and then Sticky comebacks.

Every time I play Get Loud, I recognise it as a fun and upbeat track from the group. The energy exuded from Get Loud is refreshing for this time of the year. The same can be said with the bright blend of hip-hop and Latin influences in the instrumentation. The vocal work and rapping were solid, and I liked the sleek nature of the raps in the song. All of this should make Get Loud another promising KISS OF LIFE song, making 2024 an even more exceptional year for the female group. But something holds Get Loud back for me. Since its release, I have never found myself drawn to go back to Get Loud, nor does it have that memorable factor that keeps it in my mind. Upon reflection, I put this down to weak melodies and hooks that don’t have the right punch. I wish the choruses had been more prolific; something like Midas Touch’s style would have worked amazingly in this song. Or perhaps, since the song is titled Get Loud, something concentrated and shouty that embraces the song’s title.

At first glance, the music video mostly consists of solo and choreography shots. However, Get Loud‘s video appears to have a reality vs. dream concept, which might explain how some of the solo shorts merge together around the start of the second chorus mark and how two versions of the group perform together at one point. Aside from that, I’m not entirely sure what inspired or how to interpret this video. What I do like is the high-quality nature of the video and how sophisticated it looks. NATTY’s look in the blue fur coat with her hair pinned up was fabulous and classy.

As for the choreography, I liked the tinge of attitude the members added to the routine. It just lifts up the routine and makes it more engaging. I enjoyed the complexity of the footwork, which keeps the routine on its toes. Overall, it was great and showcases why we should pay more attention to this KISS OF LIFE in the choreography department.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

Another group who made their comeback earlier in the week was KISS OF LIFE, who returns with their second single album Sticky. The title track also shares the same name. This summer comeback follows on from their Midas Touch comeback earlier in the year.

While KISS OF LIFE have stuck to more powerful pieces in the past, Sticky offers something a little different. Sticky is still a summer track, but it is more flowy, melodic and lowkey than other summer-time tracks that we have heard in the past. And it is this distinction that makes Sticky stand out and feel extremely charming to me. I usually think of something more dynamic and energetic for this season, but the laid-back vibes of this song is ideal for moments in Summer when you do not want to be moving about as much. The Afrobeats instrumentation felt extremely peaceful and soothing, and the percussion was nicely light but prominent enough to ensure Sticky‘s upbeat motif. I also quite liked the violins present throughout the track as well. The melodies and hooks were well delivered by KISS OF LIFE, and they ring in my head even after the song finishes. And needlessly to say, their vocals were quite good, putting Sticky on par with the rest of their discography. That brief touch of rapping just prior to the final chorus was also well executed and placed in the track. I guess the only weakness in Sticky (and it is negligible given what I had already described about the song), and is the case with other subdued songs, is that all parts of the song really need to be compelling to avoid the song being forgotten. While the choruses does hold Sticky‘s ground, it could be argued that the verses didn’t hit the mark as well as they could have. But I am not as fussed by this and think Sticky managed to push through as a memorable track.

It would have been really cool if this music video was shot in a one-camera shot style. This could have really boosted the music video’s profile and earned a lot of praise from me (and probably a lot of the viewers). What we got was more of a faux version of that one camera shot style. It is not the same, but we got a similar product in the end. I really liked how KISS OF LIFE really pushed the boundaries in the video, making it sexier to what KPOP is used to. I also like how they made sure to portray the lightness of the song through the video as well, which was much appreciated by me. We don’t see anything too harsh in terms of lighting or colours. Everything felt easy on the eyes and looked good. I would like to know what the ending means. It felt like a cliffhanger, perhaps to their next release.

KISS OF LIFE really turns up the heat with the accompanying routine for Sticky. A fair bit of twerking and a lot of sexiness is delivered by the group. I like that they are not afraid and definitely pushes the boundaries in this regard. I did think dancers could have made this performance a bit more dynamic and showed off some additional chemistry that we saw in the music video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10

As mentioned in my last KISS OF LIFE review for Bad News, this is one of the groups we all got to watch out for. And their latest comeback a couple of weeks back at the start of the month proves just that once again. The new single is titled Midas Touch and is featured on the group’s first single album of the same name.

Taking us back to the late 90’s/early ’00s pop era (think Britney Spears) with Midas Touch, KISS OF LIFE delivers another smashing track. The instrumental is just one of the highlights of the song. They touch on a very nostalgic period of pop and hip-hop music video for me. The combination feels very robust and dynamic, with the swinging beats and squirl synths coming together to make a very flirtatious and rousing backing for Midas Touch. The members makes Midas Touch super engaging with their singing and rapping. The way they deliver the verses and pre-choruses felt very elaborate and classy, which boosts up the song to a higher level. As for the choruses, the members infuse a little bit more of that flirty energy into their vocals to make the sing-talk melodies and hooks super catchy and addictive. The combination of the instrumentation and sing-talk in the chorus in Midas Touch‘s chorus is very hard to get out of my head. The bridge was a very nice switch up that feels effortless and clean, with the ‘Brace Brace‘ and usage of whistles being a direct homage to the 90s hip-hop era. The bridge is then followed up with a really clean high note from Belle. The final chorus also sees a small extension to give Midas Touch to fully conclude in a satisfying manner. All of the above is a lot to achieve in such a short period of time, and I agree with the comments that say Midas Touch is a prime example of how a song that spans less that 3 minutes can still feel fulfilling and complete. I think we can move from ‘KISS OF LIFE is a group to watch out for’ to ‘KISS OF LIFE is permanently on my radar’ thanks to Midas Touch.

Midas Touch is a reference towards the Greek mythology of King Midas and how he turned things he touched into gold. But instead of gold, whatever the members touched in the music video turned into stone. Now, there is a reason for that. Turning people into stone represents the grip and charm the members have on these people. And to further to support the idea of turning people into stone, we we actually see some Medusa (the Greek mythological creature that turned whomever that makes eye contact with her into stone) imagery around the members at around the midpoint of the video. So the concept of the video is a very reimagined version of the story of King Midas and Medusa. I really like the elaborate CGI setting they have going on. I also really enjoyed the stunning looks the members’ had donned in the video.

The choreography for this comeback is great! I really like the swinging motions they have going on in the chorus and the routine is super cool to watch as a whole piece. I also like their chemistry with one another on stage. It really makes the whole routine feel cohesive.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

Making their first comeback in November 2023 is KISS OF LIFE, who returns with their second mini-album, Born To Be XX, and the title track Bad News. The latest release from the new female group, which is nominated for Best New Female Group in the 2023 KPOPREVIEWED Awards (voting is now closed), follows on from their debut with Shhh in July of this year.

Kicking off Bad News is the guitar twang, which makes for quite a unique sound. As the song progresses to the end, we hear the emergence of a rock vibe alongside that twang. This was a nice development in Bad News, giving that extra oomph to the end to single the final moments. But it also added an extra texture to the song to further its appeal and make it a cooler sound. In addition to the instrumentation, the definite strong vocals and confident rapping we get from the members of KISS OF LIFE really makes Bad News captivating and hard to put down. The boldness and charisma that comes off these vocals and rapping sends a clear message that they are not a group to mess around with and highlights their potential in this industry. Belle’s vocals, in particular, was show-stopping in this song, especially as we get into ad-lib territory. There is also an abundance of hooks to remember the song by, as well. Overall, Bad News definitely shows me that KISS OF LIFE to watch out further in this new generation of KPOP.

The music video for Bad News sees the members stand up for themselves and what they see is right. And I think the Bad News is that they are not afraid of the repercussion that could entail (I think). Not entirely sure of the latter point, but I feel like that is why the home videos and lyrics about the website are about. Anyhow, the video features the members standing up to (what I assume) is a bad ex, a bully, a rude person in an audience and a creep on the train. The members, when confronted by the police, protest against the injustice that they face as a result of standing up for themselves. At the end of the video, it seen that the above are just personal matters and that there is something larger at play. It appears the police chase and riot are a cover for the members to spread out some different news. We see a photographer pick up a top secret document and is engrossed by it. This is followed by some CCTV footage of the members at a rich person’s house, searching through the house. Overall, an interesting concept.

The song really sets up the choreography aspect of the comeback. The performance was super dynamic and engaging to watch. The confidence and sassy attitude was definitely there and probably gave the choreography an extra edge to enjoy. I also really liked the originality of the boxing ring formed by the dancers in the first chorus.  

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

Another newly debuted artist that I haven’t written a review for is KISS OF LIFE, a four member female group under S2 Entertainment featuring JULIE, NATTY, BELLE and HANEUL. You may recognize NATTY as she was a contender on SIXTEEN (the trainee survival show that formed TWICE) and Idol School (the trainee survival show that formed fromis_9). She also debuted as a solo artist in 2020 with the single NINETEEN. KISS OF LIFE debuted in early July with the single Shhh and their self-titled first mini-album, KISS OF LIFE. Prior to the debut, the group did release music videos for the four solo tracks and a group track that also make up the rest of the mini-album.

Shhh was quite a debut song, giving off Ariana Grande vibes. For a newly debut group/artist to be liken to one of the biggest pop stars currently who is also known for her unique style, that is quite a feat. Shhh still manages to showcase KISS OF LIFE’s musical ability, with a strong showing of vocal and rapping styles in the verses of the song. I really enjoyed this playful side of Shhh and it keeps the upbeat R&B pop number interesting. The energy that the group throws at us make it feel like they are seasoned professional, and not rookies. I particularly liked the falsetto part in the verses (you know I am a sucker for those). The rapping in the second verse was also commendable, along with those powerful vocals that soon followed the rapping. The ad-libs we get at the end were also super cool. The anti-drop chorus does pull the song down. Shhh had an opportunity to be taken up a notch with some central piece that could have gone further than the verses, and I am not entirely sure if an anti-drop and chanty motif was the right way to go about it. Also, the ‘What you really want‘ autotune repetition that serves as cornerstones in the song doesn’t exactly fit in well with the rest of Shhh. Overall, Shhh still has a lot of offer as a debut track and it does put KISS OF LIFE on the map for me.

The music video for Shhh follows on from the other music videos released alongside the solo tracks and another pre-release single of the group’s – Bye My Neverland. I will do a super quick recap for that, as I should keep thoughts on that music video for that review whenever I do get around to it. But essentially, NATTY screws up her audition, runs from the stage embarrassed and ends up getting hit by JULIE’s car. In Shhh, NATTY ends up being taken in by JULIE and becomes friends with both JULIE and BELLE who live together. They go out one night and notice that HANEUL was being followed by the same guy who took notice in HANEUL in her solo video, but they end up stopping him from doing anything bad to HANEUL. The four ends up being a tight knit group of friends, sharing their troubles with each another. In the end. the group comes together to audition at the same place that NATTY had run away from at the end of the Bye My Neverland video. The entire universe that is shared amongst the 6 videos explores their passion to be themselves on stage and gives a story to their formation, and I quite like that side of this debut. The end of the music video sees the video extended out to show part of Shhh‘s performance, presumably what they went on stage to audition with.

The energy they bring to the stage was amazing and I liked how they captivated me on stage despite only being just four members. That wide and well-timed swing in the first verse was impeccable, while the routine of the instrumental break brought a bounce to the choreography. I also enjoyed the confidence and attitude that was infused in the performance. But what I like the most is the four members had fun on stage and you can see it on their smiles towards each other and the audience.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10