K-pop’s one and only co-ed group is about to land on Australian shores for their Playground Tour.
Composed of rappers BM and J.Seph, and vocalists Jiwoo and Somin, KARD debuted in 2016 and has been releasing hits ever since. After a stint around Europe and North America, KARD is slated to perform at Brisbane’s The Princess Theatre on March 3rd, Perth’s Metro City Concert Club on March 5th, the Melbourne Pavillion on March 8th in Melbourne, and finish on March 10th at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. In anticipation for their Australian tour, here’s my definitive list of KARD’s Top 10 Songs.
10. ‘Oh Na Na’ (2017), from their debut EP ‘Hola Hola’.
Their debut song, ‘Oh Na Na’ is a bright, springy island pop song. With bouncing synths for the girls’ vocals to float on, a tropical house instrumental, and the boys’ raps to keep things grounded, this song marked the beginning of their careers and proved that co-ed groups can carve out a lasting impression in an otherwise segregated industry.
9. ‘Gunshot’ (2020), from the single album ‘Way With Words’.
This song wasn’t the group’s first foray into dark theming; ‘Gunshot’ targets the bullies and trolls who use their words to cause harm. With powerful visuals, the MV shows the members dealing with cyber bullying, physical and verbal abuse, and self-harm.
8. ‘Dimelo’ (2017), from their 3rd EP ‘Ride on the Wind’.
Spanish for ‘tell me’, ‘Dimelo’ is another tropical house classic where the group sings of wanting the person they like to tell them they love them too. Notable for its heavy use of Spanish in its lyrics, no doubt an influence of BM’s growing up in the USA, ‘Dimelo’ is a fun and funky track that will get your hips swaying.
7. ‘Dumb Litty’ (2019), from the single ‘Dumb Litty’ and the EP ‘Red Moon’.
Written by the rap line and co-produced by BM and Versachoi, ‘Dumb Litty’ is a bombastic heavy trap song that yells in your face from the opening chord. Lyrically about partying all night long, the MV portrays the group as ancient Greek and Roman gods with opulent costuming and clean colour changing sets. Jiwoo also sliced her foot with a prop sword on the set of the MV, which is reason enough for it to get in the ranking.
6. ‘Hola Hola’ (2017), also from their debut EP of the same name.
With the thumping beat and dance scenes shot in the Nevada desert, ‘Hola Hola’ is just a really fun song to listen to! It’s simple, well-executed, and sings about the beauty of sharing a moment with your loved one.
5. ‘Ride on the Wind’ (2018), also from the ‘Ride on the Wind’ EP.
Another early song! This dance track is sprinkled with some light tropical EDM and whistling synths. Most notably, it features J.Seph with a singing role and Jiwoo with a rap part. Anchored by BM’s deep voice and Somin’s floating vocals, ‘Ride on the Wind’ showcases the group’s versatility.
4. ‘Break Down’ (2022), from their 5th EP ‘Re:’.
A B-side that unfortunately didn’t get a MV, ‘Break Down’ is about toxic relationships where one person feeds off the misery and misfortune of the other. This song featured contributions from all members of the group, has a sickeningly good driving beat, and it features some of the smoothest vocals from all members.
3. ‘Icky’ (2023), from the album of the same name.
This song is filthy! ‘Icky’ marked a real turning point in KARD’s career, signifying an increase in funding for their MV and establishing them as the reigning royals of Adult K-pop. A sexy and sweaty moombahton beat serves as the base for some of the group’s more explicit lyrics; it doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out!
2. ‘You In Me’ (2017), from their 2nd EP ‘You & Me’.
This might seem like an odd choice after the last 6 songs but walk with me here. This smooth and mellow EDM song is all about the desperation of love and has some of the rap line’s most impactful lyrics. It also has the group’s saddest MV. Pairing off the members as two couples, the MV shows that throughout the song the girls have not been embracing their lovers, but corpses.
1. ‘Bomb Bomb’ (2019), from the single ‘Bomb Bomb’.
This song takes my top spot purely because it’s the one I listen to the most! One of their most successful songs, ‘Bomb Bomb’ is a rousing moombahton track with whining horns carrying the chorus right into your ear. A fierce party track with a sexy MV, this might be the best the group has ever looked.
Honourable Mentions: BM’s solos!
It would be wrong of me to write all the above and not mention The Man, The Myth, The Matthew. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, BM’s exposure to a more liberated culture and his fluency in English has resulted in songs that range from the deep and introspective ‘Broken Me’, to the overtly sexual ‘Lowkey’ and goofy ‘Habanero’. Since his debut, BM has showcased his incredible talent as a rapper and songwriter whether he’s producing for himself, or his group and he relishes his role as K-Pop’s sauciest idol.
So that’s my list! Any songs you think are missing? Let us know your fave KARD songs and catch them live on their Playground Tour proudly presented by Box Live and DSP Media in Australia this month.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://the-boxlive.com.au/events/f/playground-kard-oceania-tour-2024
http://dspmedia.co.kr/artist/profile?ca_id=10
https://www.instagram.com/boxliveau
https://www.instagram.com/official_kard