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NYC Goes ‘Wild’ Over K.A.R.D in Part 2 of Their First American Tour

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It seems like it was not so long ago that K.A.R.D was only just wrapping up the final leg of their Wild K.A.R.D Tour – the group’s first fanmeet tour in America – and now they are already back with a part two. This time, the global quartet is scheduled to hit five major cities, including New York City where we were able to catch them at their show on September 20th at the Playstation Theater.

Between the expected start time of 8:00PM to when the lights finally dimmed half an hour later, fans eagerly awaited inside the venue to welcome the members who were (mostly) visiting the Big Apple for the first time. An introductory video was followed by momentary, awkward suspense that evoked laughter from audience members when the co-ed group was nowhere to be seen. When the group figured they had teased everyone long enough, however, their familiar silhouettes entered on stage from the side and stood, poised and ready for the English version of “Don’t Recall.” During this “hidden version” of the trop-house single, lead rapper BM proved that there was no such thing as too early to get excited on stage when he ardently went off in his raps. The same could also be said about the ladies of K.A.R.D, Jiwoo and Somin, who mastered the twerk on the subsequent dancehall track “Oh Nana” to much fanfare. Wild(in’) K.A.R.D Tour was right.

by Katherine Villalon

Before K.A.R.D could go on with the rest of their setlist, the official MC and translator for the tour Danny Lim took the time to go through a round of fan-submitted questions and answers with the members. BM professed how he would like to be Superman since the hero is married to Wonder Woman (we will give him that one even though they’re not) while another question prompted Jiwoo to admit how she would like to have main rapper J.Seph’s sense of dark humor.

Also on Kultscene: The ‘Wild K.A.R.D. Tour’ in São Paulo was as wild & hot as expected

But aside from simply acquiring pieces of edifying trivia, this segment also enabled the members to show fans a #relatable side to themselves that would have otherwise have been absent at a traditional concert. J.Seph expressed that dark humor that Jiwoo so admired in his self-deprecatory remarks about how the others excluded him from eating Halal Guys together the day before. Then the innovator BM saved a dying trend and taught the crowd how to “mini-dab.” Even the MC had to acknowledge how the intimate arrangement of the venue allowed for the meaningful interactions between the idols and fans. According to him, it was one that rivaled that of any other fanmeet that the group has done thus far on the tour, which surely pleased the New York crowd.

by Katherine Villalon

Once the Q&A was over, K.A.R.D took the stage yet again, this time to reveal a range of covers and unit stages. Of course, considering how the act was touring with only a mini album under their belt, this was expected. Starting from their rendition of Rihanna and Eminem’s “Monster,” where Somin’s impeccable vocals and Jiwoo’s swag really propelled the song, to Jay Z and Alicia Keys’s classic East Coast anthem “Empire State of Mind,” the group obviously selected songs that would best fit the kinds of vocal colors that a co-ed group demands. Another charm of being co-ed is that they also have more opportunities to play up performances, as was the case when J.Seph and BM tag-teamed for an original, hip-hop styled number “Right Now” or when Jiwoo and Somin united in Bruno Mars’s baby-making slow jam “Versace on the Floor.” And with their dub-stepped reimagination of “I Can’t Stop,” a song originally released by DSP Entertainment’s early 90’s co-ed group ZAM, and a rendering of Ariana Grande’s “Side to Side,” the group performed an impressive six songs back to back. With a much needed rest, the group gathered for the highlight of every fanmeet – game time.

by Katherine Villalon

Four preselected fans were called onto the stage to participate in a corner called “Roll Your Wish,” a giant dice game with a simple objective. For every number that these fans rolled, the genie-like members would grant the request corresponding to it. There was nothing competitive about it, and in fact if anyone had thought that this “game” was only implemented as an excuse to conjure finger-curling fanservice, they would not be wrong. One of the fans voiced how it was her birthday, and after everyone in attendance sang her “Happy Birthday,” her fave J.Seph had the final honor in serenading her with a heart-fluttering verse from Crush’s “Crush on You.” As for the others who all happened to roll the number they wanted (thanks to the MC’s divine intervention), they too were spoiled with prizes that included Polaroid photos, selfies, and personalized wake-up calls. The revelry eventually came to a close though, with a hilarious photo session that had Jiwoo play contortionist in a variety of high fashion model poses and BM bringing back his “mini-dab.”

As the fanmeet neared its inevitable end, K.A.R.D thanked fans for coming and made sure to give their final words of appreciation before moving on to the last couple of songs left. Jiwoo pointed out how her brother was also present that evening, cueing the spotlight to cast its beam on her family hanging out in the reserved seating. After, the foursome rounded out the show with the reggaeton-influenced “Rumor” and their official debut single “Hola Hola.” It’s amazing how the entirety of summer can be sonically reified in a few tropical house beats, and it was with these good vibes that the group decided to conclude their set with.

Also on Kultscene: K.A.R.D’s ‘Hola Hola’ song & music video review

At this point, the members trivially went through the motions of departing the stage only to be reinvited by the love calls of the fans chanting encore. No surprise there. K.A.R.D would return with the Korean version of “Don’t Recall” and their special “thanks to” track “Living Good,” especially since the two were the only remaining songs left on their debut extended play. Dressed in casual tees, the members appeared the most comfortable they had been that night, delivering organic performances even if it meant performing without an in-ear (cough, J.seph, cough). The atmosphere felt magnetic, percolating with a kind of unrestrained youthful energy that you would only find at a karaoke party on a Wednesday night in with friends.

by Katherine Villalon

Ultimately, the music did wind down, and the members had to bid farewell to the many earnest faces that they just spent the past hour and a half with. Although the setlist was not much different from the first part of the tour, the dynamic between the members and fans did more than make up for it. Not many rookie groups who had just made their debut can boast of an international tour and dedicated overseas fanbase, but K.A.R.D has just that. Hopefully in a few albums time the group will be able to come back with a full concert experience, blessing New York City once again with big stages and even bigger talents.

Did you go to or will you be going to WILD K.A.R.D 2017 The First Tour in America Pt.2? Let us know in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

4 things we can learn from K.A.R.D’s racist incident in Brazil

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k.a.r.d kard brazil racism racist incident gil

[Disclosure: This article was written from the perspective of a born and raised Brazilian who still resides in the country.]

While in Brazil during their first tour overseas in early July, co-ed group K.A.R.D had a busy schedule that included lots of interviews for magazines, and appearances on Youtube channels and a TV show called Programa do Raul Gil (The Raul Gil Show). What was supposed to be an amazing experience for K.A.R.D, and their first TV appearance in the country, ended up catching more attention than expected due to a racist incident involving the host and members B.M., Somin, Jiwoo, and J. Seph.

After surprising a group of kids who were appearing on show to perform a dance cover of K.A.R.D’s song “Don’t Recall,” the K-pop group was interviewed by Raul Gil, the host of the show, with the help of a translator. Although the questions were as simple as asking how long they had been on the road since the tour began, things got rough when Gil interacted with the crowd and made inappropriate remarks. Invoking Asian stereotypes, Gil pulled on his eyelids and made jokes about how K.A.R.D can’t open their eyes, and impersonated what he perceived as a Japanese accent.

The group’s appearance on the show trended on Twitter, due to Brazilian fans’ excitement over watching a K-pop act on a local TV show, which is a rare occurrence. But after American media outlets reported on the episode, Korean fans took note of what happened, though it seemed like K.A.R.D didn’t even notice since the translator didn’t translate the racist jokes. A war between Brazilian and Korean fans then ensued on Twitter, with each side pointing out previous racist behaviours of the other, mostly through memes and surprisingly aggressive comments.

So now that the dust has calmed down, it’s time to discuss the issue a little bit more seriously. As a Brazilian and a K-pop fan, this is what I believe we all can learn from this unfortunate event.

Also on KultScene: K.A.R.D’s ‘Hola Hola’ song & music video review

1. Racism Doesn’t Have To Be Aggressive & Deliberate To Be Valid

Sadly, some people just did not understand why Gil’s behaviour towards K.A.R.D was problematic. Some people said “racism” is a word too strong to describe what happened; others even said that he’d only be racist if he had directly insulted K.A.R.D; and some thought he was just being funny.

But at the end of the day, as much as he was only trying to be funny and didn’t seem malicious, here’s the thing: whenever you reduce someone to a stereotype based on a generalization of their race or automatically make assumptions of someone based on their race or, for whatever reason, do not give someone the right to be who they are just because you think they are a certain way due to their biological features, you are being racist. Comedy is irrelevant; jokes can be racist. It doesn’t have to be violent or even ill hearted because racism is embedded in societies systematically.

It might sound obvious and unnecessary, but nowadays there are still people who think racism occurs only with black people and no one else! But that’s simply not true. Both Brazil and Korea are countries whose people often get discriminated, stereotyped, and ridiculed —although also loved and praised by many, too— but one behaviour does not cancel out the other. So, even with all the love and gifts K.A.R.D received on Gil’s show, they shouldn’t had been belittled to common Asian stereotypes.

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo somin j.seph jseph

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

2. Yes, There Is Racism In Brazil

Like many other colonized countries, miscegenation played a major role in the formation of Brazilian people. First came the European colonizers when they took over the native lands of the indigenous Brazilians, which then brought the forced influx of Africans due to the slave trade. Some time later, people from Japan and the Middle East migrated. The diversity of cultures and ethnicities makes it difficult to pinpoint one’s race in Brazil.

Even so, racism is still a serious problem in the country. Living in a multicultural environment doesn’t absolve Brazilian people from racist beliefs, unfortunately. Even though we do not like being confused with other Latinx people (seeing ourselves as Latinxs is an entirely different discussion) nor being mistaken for Spanish speakers, some of us sometimes perpetuate stereotypes about other races and cultures too — even within Brazil itself and our own people.

For example, Brazil nowadays has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, but Japanese people and their descendants are still often victims of racist attitudes from some native Brazilians who think “all Asians look the same” and make jokes about the way they look, act, and talk. I’m not of proud of stating that, but the so-called “jokes” made by Gil with K.A.R.D are a perfect reflection of this.

3. Yes, There Is Racism In Korea Too

If you follow Korean entertainment news, you certainly can recall one or two (or three, or four!) episodes in which Korean TV shows featured black face as a gag— those are well documented. The Twitter war over the incident in Brazil, however, exposed other nuances of Korean racism, when Korean fans insulted Brazilians.

Brazilians fired back by pointing how fighting racism with racism makes no sense.
Of course, the behaviour of those Korean Twitter users, in addition to other racist patterns frequently seen in Korean media, is not an excuse for Gil’s actions, nor those from Brazilian fans who made disrespectful comments. However, since the subject here is racism, it is important to take an honest look at how this issue may be rooted in diversity, or the lack of it, and how being a victim of racism does not always prevent you from reproducing racist speeches as well.

Also on KultScene: Is K.A.R.D the future of K-pop?

4. Respect & Education Is A Must For Both K-pop Acts & The Fandom

It’s really unfortunate that this incident might have left a dirty mark on the overall good experience of K.A.R.D in Brazil, and I personally believe that we can get through this with accountability. However, we all should be aware that racism and other culturally related issues can probably happen again, especially now that K-pop is getting so much worldwide recognition and so many acts are touring more countries than they used to. K.A.R.D alone will come back to South America for another leg of their tour, and will also visit Europe and the States.

So, for both K-pop acts and foreign fans, respect, education, and acknowledgement can go a long way in order to avoid the typical problems that might happen when you put two different cultures together. Right in the beginning of the Wild K.A.R.D Tour, for example, the group was involved in a controversy for supposedly have said the N-word during a performance of Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money,” which later was found not to be true. The members clarified the incident at a later show and stated that they would never say anything that would offend fans — a very rare action in K-pop where artists almost never properly apologize for problematic behaviour. (Though we are seeing it a bit more frequently as of late).

It makes me wonder how many K-pop acts are prepared to deal with other cultures, since many artists still appear to be ignorant about how offensive such attitudes can be. But, since I’m speaking from the perspective of a fan and consumer, I can only hope that we, the fans, can improve our sense of cultural intelligence too, and not perpetuate the same problematic behaviours just because we were offended first.

As a Brazilian, I do not think Brazil owes an apology to K.A.R.D, because Gil’s actions do not represent the feelings and beliefs of the entire country. For the most part, K.A.R.D was treated with love and respect during their stay in Brazil, which, by the way, has one of their largest fanbase of supporters.

That being said, I hope the group does not take this incident as a pattern to judge our country, just like I hope people here and everywhere will stop using stereotypes and jokes to mistreat Koreans and all other races. We have a long way to go and it definitely isn’t something we can fix overnight, but we can at least start by acknowledging our own problematic actions and keep educating ourselves. After all, we all are fans of foreign artists, and said artists have foreign fans who contribute to their success, so we should always strive to understand one another’s culture.

What’s your take on the racist incident K.A.R.D experienced? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

The ‘Wild K.A.R.D. Tour’ in São Paulo was as wild & hot as expected

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k.a.r.d. kard wild kard brazil sao paulo tour

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

After going to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, K.A.R.D. headed to Brazil for the final leg of the Wild K.A.R.D. Tour, their first tour in America and also out of Korea. The group had successful fansigns in the Brazilian cities of Fortaleza, Salvador, Recife, and Rio de Janeiro before two concerts in the city of São Paulo. We went to the second and last concert on July 2 at Tropical Butantã, and it was everything you would expect from K.A.R.D., especially in Brazil.

The group has a big appeal to the country, to the point that it was necessary to schedule an extra concert, since the first one literally sold out in less than five minutes. For this reason, you would think the concert would be absolute madness. And you’re right. We’ve already said that K.A.R.D. distinguishes itself from other K-pop groups not only for their sound and for being a co-ed group, but also due to their mature and relaxed posture, which makes them very appealing to western audiences. And being in Brazil, a country whose musical styles the group draws a lot from, of course it would be taken to the highest level.

Brazilian fans go hard and they get even more excited when their love is returned. K.A.R.D. took notice of that and delivered an extremely entertaining concert, showing love through their appreciation of Brazilian music and culture, impersonating Brazilian memes, and even singing a full song in Portuguese.

They opened the concert with “Rumour,” their latest single, followed by the English version of “Don’t Recall.” And even though they performed two thirds of their songs within the first few minutes, the rest of the concert was never boring.

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo somin j.seph jseph

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

Also on KultScene: KCON 2017 NY’s ‘M! Countdown’ Day 1 Concert Recap

The MC of the night was singer and YouTuber Iago Aleixo, who hilariously introduced K.A.R.D. to famous Brazilian dances such as “Ragatanga” (a 2002 hit from Brazilian girl group Rouge) and “Passinho do Romano” previously in a video, this last one containing the funny move called “Sarrada,” which B.M. would do spontaneously in the concert and later would be requested by the crowd to be repeated.

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo bm b.m. matthew

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

This wasn’t the only moment in which K.A.R.D. demonstrated their knowledge about Brazil and their special preparation for that concert. There were random moments, like when Aleixo called a fan named Viviane to join the stage for a game, and J.Seph played with her name saying the name of Viviane Araújo, a Brazilian actress. There were also moments of respect, like when the members were asked how they felt about being in São Paulo, and super adorable Jiwoo mentioned the 40th anniversary of the bilateral treatments between the city and Seoul. And of course, there was a musical cover moment, and that was one of the highest points of the night.

Cute as always, the members said that in order to make Brazil feel loved, they had to study and understand their culture. For this reason, they prepared a surprise: a special performance of “Sim Ou Não,” a song by Brazilian superstar Anitta featuring Colombian reggaeton star Maluma. As the song choice would obviously drive everyone crazy, the usual scream and wildness of Brazilian crowds were stronger due to Jiwoo and Somin’s perfect Portuguese pronunciation and the extra sexy choreography performed by the group — which was probably their boldest ever, with its highlight being Somin going down, twerking, and doing a split during an interaction with B.M. that shocked pretty much the entire audience. But that’s what’s special about K.A.R.D.: they do sex appeal so naturally that it never seems that they are trying too hard or being vulgar.

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo b.m. matthew bm

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

Other highlights of the night were the games played by the members with fans, the cover of Eminem feat. Rihanna’s “The Monster” (revealing Jiwoo as an awesome rapper too), and the special units. In a softer moment, Somin and Jiwoo performed Bruno Mars’ “Versace On The Floor,” showcasing their great vocal range, which was followed by J.Seph and B.M. showcasing their rap skills, performing “Right Now.”

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo somin

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

Also on KultScene: Inside KCON 2017 NY [photos]

The last song was “Oh NaNa,” but they came back to perform “Don’t Recall” in Korean for the encore, leaving the stage under cries for more. B.M. and Somin, very kind (and very hot), presented some lucky fans with their shirts, taking them off and throwing at the crowd, leaving everyone crazy. Overall, the name of the tour was perfect and was even more appropriate when held in Brazil, for it was wild from start to finish.

k.a.r.d. wild kard tour brazil sao paulo j.seph fans

by Ana Clara Ribeiro

But it wasn’t all about the party. The greatest thing about all of this is that K.A.R.D. and DSP Media showed that they take their foreign fan base very seriously (if the very fact that they’ve toured in America and will tour in Europe after their debut doesn’t say enough). We could tell it by seeing the group’s effort to sing in Portuguese (which is not an easy language at all, and is even harder when compared to Korean), to immerse in Brazilian culture and to interact with fans (specially B.M., who teased the crowd all the time, smiling, waving, and doing funny moves).

This was the last K.A.R.D. concert before their debut, marked for July 19, and overall, it was everything you would expect from an act like K.A.R.D. in a place like Brazil: warm, fun, cheeky, and full of love and energy.

Are you excited for K.A.R.D.’s debut? Let us know in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

KultScene’s 2017 Artists to Watch

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Chungha Sam Kim KARD Jung Seung Hwan

New year, new Kpop. As 2017 begins, we are watching closely for artists both new and old to stand out with better music and performances. And especially following the 2016 Kpocalypse, nothing is entirely predictable. Anything can make your fave popular — a funny variety appearance, a trendy CF, or a “Sha Sha Sha.” So we ask: Who will be the trend in 2017? KultScene’s writers Anna and Kushal break it down across Male, Female, and Coed lines to give you our prediction of 2017’s rising stars.

MALE Artists to Watch in 2017: Jung Seung Hwan, Sam Kim (Antenna Music)

Of K-pop Star fame, these two singers made their much anticipated debuts in 2016 and while their styles of music are different, they both have equal potential to make it big in 2017. Beginning with Sam Kim’s pre-release single in March with “Mama Don’t Worry,” he then made an official debut in April with his full-length EP I Am Sam.

Each of his songs are so musically inspired and creative that they bring a new life and freshness into the K-pop industry and “No Sense” illustrates that completely. The fact that he’s only going to be 19 this year just means that he still has a lot more room to grow as a musician in the future. Most recently, he also released an amazing OST (“Who Are You”) for popular airing drama Goblin and has been gaining a lot of recognition for the soulful track.

Jung Seung Hwan on the other hand, only made his debut recently in December with his album Voice. He achieved an “all-kill” on Korean music charts with the release of his album, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise for the singer since he had previously topped charts with the covers he sang during his stint on K-pop Star. His naturally emotional voice makes him the perfect choice to sing sorrowful ballads and OSTs, as proven by the successful sound tracks he has been releasing, even before his official debut. In particular, his OST for Oh Haeyoung Again hit the right notes with the Korean public and has achieved a long-staying popularity even with the many other releases of 2016. (I heard the song playing in shops at least 5 times when I was visiting Korea in December.)

Ballads aren’t new in K-pop, but the way these two artists reinvent the genre in their own ways keeps their music interesting and strengthens their individual identities as musicians. Here’s hoping that they’ll discover their well-deserved success in 2017!

FEMALE Artist to Watch in 2017: Kim Chungha (M&H Entertainment)

Originally one of Produce 101’s underdogs, Kim Chungha quickly rose to fame last year as a member of the trendy, nation-produced I.O.I. Among many younger, cuter members, Chungha’s sexier, more charismatic image immediately stood out to I.O.I fans looking for a member with an edgier side. While she rose to fame as a dancer and choreographer, she is by no means a weak vocalist. Chungha has impressed fans left and right with her dancing skills, from improvising “Partition” during her first Produce 101 audition in January to performing on Mnet’s dance show Hit the Stage months ago. The crowning achievement of her tenure as an I.O.I member, however, is the choreography to the group subunit’s song “Whatta Man (Good Man),” which she herself crafted during the summer.

Without a strong company behind her, Chungha’s rise to relevance was largely unprecedented, but definitely welcomed by fans throughout the K-Pop world. While she has enjoyed success as an I.O.I member, many were worried about her future after the group’s upcoming disbandment at the end of January. It was announced at the end of 2016, however, that Chungha would debut as a solo artist under her label M&H Entertainment in the first half of 2017. The decision to give her a solo debut was probably one of the smartest things her label could do, given that 2017 is already going to be flooded with newly successful girl groups and newly debuted girl groups that have yet to find success. The oversaturated nature of the market makes her solo debut something the Korean public and international fan community will quickly embrace — no new members to learn, no new group name to start stanning. In a world of cutesy and energetic girl groups, Chungha’s charisma will likely stand out, giving her another edge in the intensely competitive market of female K-Pop artists. Chungha is definitely multi talented, and her ability to handle multiple skills and concepts puts her immensely ahead in K-Pop game this year.

COED Artist to Watch in 2017: K.A.R.D (DSP Media)

While they haven’t officially debuted, the four members of K.A.R.D have already made huge waves in the K-Pop universe with their pre-debut track “Oh NaNa,” which was released early last month. Voted by KultScene’s contributors as the 5th Best Song of 2016, the track has yet to chart in Korea, but has remained near the top of worldwide K-Pop charts for almost a month. Their music video has also accumulated over 4 million views, and their YouTube channel has over 180,000 subscribers (keep in mind that they have already overtaken their label DSP Media in subscriptions, which is the channel with every single KARA music video ever…).

With the kind of international attention the group is receiving, it isn’t long before they get similar love in Korea. The inclusion of masculine male rappers and infectious female vocals creates the ultimate mix of boy group and girl group fans alike. Instead of competing for the top spot among boy groups or girl groups, they amalgamate what makes each type of group work in a co-ed unit that stands out. While rising groups like Cosmic Girls and fellow DSP artist APRIL are trying to stand out in the girl group world this year, and new boy groups like VARSITY and Top Secret look for success on the other side, K.A.R.D has relatively no competition. They have entered a niche of K-Pop that hasn’t been touched in years, and with the kind of visuals, talents, and musical quality with which they’ve started, it’s only a matter of time before they become a force to reckon with in the K-Pop world.

Additional content courtesy of Anna Cheang. 

Who do you think will be Kpop’s rising star this year? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Weekly K-Pop Faves: 12-18

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exo-playlist-sunday

Only two weeks left of December, and K-pop 2016 isn’t anywhere near slowing down. (Although our writers are, as busy as they are with the holidays and finals!) This week, we talked a little about an EXO song and K.A.R.D’s debut. Take a listen below and let us know what your favorite song of the week was.

EXO “Winter Heat” (Released Dec. 18)

Each year, EXO’s special winter album is one of my favorite EPs. Their recently released For Life album isn’t doing it for me as much as last year’s Sing For You did, but the b-side “Winter Heat” is a groovy house track that I’ve been listening to all day on repeat. (Or at least since I listened to the album for the first time around 11am in NY.) The song provides some of the album’s more upbeat moments, and some of the group’s most melodic vocals this year that overwhelm the electric rhythm of “Winter Heat.” If you’re looking for a sultry song to heat you up on a cold winter day, well… “Winter Heat” could melt Antarctica.


–Tamar

Also on KultScene: 2016 K-Pop Inspired Gift-Giving Guide

K.A.R.D “Oh NaNa” (Released Dec. 13)

DSP Media’s new co-ed group K.A.R.D debuted this week with hard-hitting vocals, raps, and visuals, delivering a well-rounded combination of skills and charm in their first release. The song “Oh NaNa” is, frankly, much stronger than any of DSP Media’s recent releases (and by recent, I mean from the past two years). With strong influences from hip-hop, EDM, and mainstream K-Pop in general, the song fits the K-Pop mold while also incorporating some incredibly unique features — namely, a co-ed lineup. If KARD does well, maybe we’ll see more co-ed groups in the future? Only time can tell. For now, I respect DSP for this largely experimental release, and hope to see more of this quality from them in the future.

–Kushal

What was your favorite song of the week? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.