Lady group Kiss of Life burst onto the Ok-Pop scene with their debut single “Shhh.”
Now, simply over a yr later, the four-piece group, comprised of members Julie, Natty, Belle and Haneul, is again with their third EP Lose Your self. “We put further effort into this album,” Julie tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Saturday morning Zoom from Seoul.
“We wished to come back again with better songs and shock everybody with their musicality,” the rapper and singer continues. “We simply had plenty of enjoyable making ready for this album.”
The seven-track EP covers quite a lot of pop-centric genres. The music’s title monitor, “Get Loud,” is a quintessential Kiss of Life music, nonetheless managing to remain contemporary and present a facet of the group that hasn’t been uncovered but. The album’s pre-release single, “R.E.M,” is a dreamy escape. In the meantime, the album’s fourth monitor, “Igloo,” is an brisk hip-hop impressed quantity.
“There’s so many good songs on this album. It’s a debate between us,” Julie, who was born and raised in Hawaii, jokes, including that her favourite is “Igloo.”
“My favourite is “Get Loud,” the title monitor, as a result of the music was written by me,” Belle bashfully admits. The 20-year-old Seattle native is credited as a author and composer on a number of Kiss of Life songs, even writing for different Ok-Pop acts earlier than the group debuted. She notes that the brand new EP explores totally different genres, giving followers one thing that everybody can take pleasure in.
Natty, Belle, Julie and Haneul of Kiss of Life for his or her new EP Lose Your self.
Courtesy of S2 Leisure
Exploring new genres just isn’t unusual for the group. The quartet have constantly reinvented their look and sound all through their year-long profession. “Attempting new issues is basically genuine to us. Each album, each music, that we put out actually looks like Kiss of Life, in order that’s why we had been capable of simply take pleasure in and have enjoyable,” Julie says. “This album specifically feels further genuine as a result of we had been capable of discover a extra big selection of music. We’re simply exploring.”
The album general, as Belle places it, is in regards to the second they “completely lose” themselves. “Some individuals would possibly assume we’re freaks, we’re bizarre, however the music [“Get Loud”] is saying that it’s OK to be a freak,” she explains. “It’s OK to be bizarre, so be artistic. Carry on doing what you’re doing. As a result of it’d convey an incredible consequence.”
Within the midst of placing out new music, Kiss of Life can also be making ready for his or her first world tour. The 18-stop tour has the group making a number of stops within the U.S. and Canada, together with New York, L.A. and Chicago.
Bucking towards the bigger development amongst Ok-Pop excursions within the U.S., the group will probably be visiting much less incessantly stopped at cities like Minneapolis, Boston and Montreal. “We’re tremendous excited however nervous on the identical time,” Belle says. “We’re working towards actually, actually onerous. I’m additionally attempting to maintain my vocal cords wholesome as a result of they should be wholesome.”
The group’s youngest, Haneul, recollects the group’s latest journey to KCON Germany. “That was our first time being on a giant stage in entrance of our worldwide followers,” the 19-year-old explains.
“I noticed a number of the followers dancing to our music and singing alongside, which actually stunned me,” Haneul says. “I really feel like I’m going to cry. It’s going to be so touching to see all of these followers from everywhere in the world,” Belle provides.
Natty, identified on the planet of Ok-Pop even earlier than the group’s debut as a result of her look in two music competitors exhibits, credit these followers around the globe, collectively often called Kissy, for the group’s success. “I’m simply tremendous grateful,” the 22-year-old Bangkok native says. “If it wasn’t for our Kissy, we actually wouldn’t be capable of come this far, and we actually wouldn’t be capable of come again with so many songs at this tempo with out all of our followers assist and love.”
Coming from a smaller leisure company, as Kiss of Life does, can oftentimes add hurdles in a Ok-Pop group’s path. The group was created by and is at the moment signed to S2 Leisure, based by former CUBE Leisure co-founder and chairman Hong Seung Sung.
“It must be a deceive say that it’s not more durable to turn out to be huge from a smaller firm, however I personally assume in the event you put within the effort, nothing is unattainable,” Julie says. “I believe that’s what we saved on pondering whereas making ready for our debut and making ready for every comeback. Nothing is unattainable if we simply take pleasure in our music and simply present everybody what we received.”
Kiss of Life is making ready to embark on an 18-stop world tour this November and December, hitting cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Courtesy of S2 Leisure
Julie says that the group at all times appears on the optimistic facet they usually simply genuinely take pleasure in making music and performing, one thing the 24-year-old believes attracted followers to them. “I believe it’s additionally as a result of our firm at all times tries to hearken to our opinions, so we will make higher outcomes collectively,” Belle provides. “The respect that they’ve for us makes that attainable.”
The singer and songwriter says that the group may be very fingers on in what shapes them as a bunch. “Visually, something, our members are all getting concerned in all the albums popping out,” Belle says. “All of us are at all times attempting to be extra concerned in our music. Even throughout our hectic schedules, there are some days that we go to studio and have classes collectively and make music.”
Even earlier than Kiss of Life’s July 2023 debut, Julie says the group members had been shut with each other. The hectic schedules of music exhibits, recordings and extra introduced them even nearer. “Now we’re similar to sisters. We’re simply finest pals,” she says, noting that the group’s closeness makes them who they’re. “We be taught a lot from one another.”
Because the group continues to develop collectively, they’ve clear objectives going ahead. They are saying they hope to carry out on larger international levels, meet extra worldwide followers and get the prospect to meet all of the small objectives they’ve. “We need to make music that might resonate with individuals from everywhere in the world. Languages are all totally different, however we hope our music might be the medium that might collect everybody in a single place,” Belle says.
Julie jokes that she’s attempting to not take the query of how she needs the world to see Kiss of Life too significantly, saying she needs everybody to see how assured the woman group is, imperfections and all. She hopes to unfold that confidence around the globe and encourages individuals to embrace their imperfections.
“No person’s good. We’re not good. We’re persevering with to develop. That is additionally a journey for us,” Julie says. “Hopefully everybody around the globe sees that, and simply goes on this journey collectively.”
