KARD and the “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” Comeback
On March 27, 2019, KARD released the digital single “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” along with a music video. Written by member BM and track producer 24, “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” features the group’s signature EDM and reggaeton foundation, but also introduces an almost Middle Eastern vibe, giving the group a new sound to explore. The track relies heavily on the beats and rap verses throughout, with the chorus serving as mostly a dance break to make “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” the perfect club banger. Leading up to the release of the single, five teasers were released: one for the music video and then one for each of the four members.
The Music Videos
The music video for “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” starts out with a tribal-like instrumental with close-ups of each member before transitioning into the track. The opening choreography sequence takes place in a circular building with intricate tapestries on the wall, continuing with the Middle Eastern influence heard in the song. It is nice to see though that while that influence is in “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” and represented in the opening setting, that’s pretty much where it stops. The members aren’t seen appropriating the culture in any way in the music video, something other K-Pop artists have been confronted by fans for in the past.
The lyrics for the track talk about a fun night in a club and exchanging glances with a stranger, with the members embodying different types of sensuality. J.Seph and Jiwoo are a bit softer, playing up the enticing and coy kind of flirting while showing vulnerabilities, with J.Seph’s use of the red scarf to hide his face at times and Jiwoo revealing her back at one point giving off an air of trust. BM and Somin are much more straightforward with their sensuality, both members looking right into the camera without anything obscuring their faces, with BM opting to go topless and Somin wearing a black nighty at one point.
The choreography version of the music video was released on April 1, 2019, with the members dancing in an empty room with wood floors, white walls, and flowing white curtains. While the choreography video doesn’t focus on the sensuality of the track like the main music video, there is something incredibly attractive about the four members in comfortable outfits, serving prime boyfriend and girlfriend looks.
KARD also released two special music videos for “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” featuring half the group in each, with J.Seph and Somin’s video being released on April 15, 2019 and BM and Jiwoo’s video being released on April 16, 2019. It is interesting these pairings were used—rather than going with the same types of sensuality represented in the same video, both special videos display one of each.
The Comeback Performance
KARD had their comeback performance on March 28, 2019 on M!COUNTDOWN. The stage design paired with the Middle Eastern influence in the track much in the same way it did in the music video but with an oriental flair to it as well, with the members of KARD wearing outfits seen in the video. The performance opened with a dance break performed to the opening of the music video and once the chorus dance break hit, flames erupted at the front of the stage. The stage screens displayed red, orange, and yellow graphics and flame graphics at different times throughout the performance, continuing the sensual theme of the music video.
The Legacy
While “Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” didn’t take home any music show wins or nab KARD any award show nominations, the track is one of the group’s most popular. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard U.S. World Digital Songs Sales Chart, marking their seventh entry on the chart and their fifth Top 5 hit after tracks “Oh Nana” and “Don’t Recall” peaked at No. 5, “Hola Hola” peaked at No. 4, and “Rumor” peaked at No. 3.
“Bomb Bomb (밤밤)” also topped the iTunes Top K-Pop Songs Chart in 21 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Brazil, Mexico, France, and Spain. The track peaked at No. 20 on the iTunes Worldwide Chart and No. 44 and No. 69 on the iTunes Singles Chart in the United States and Great Britain respectively.