KARD Ramps up the Intensity in New Single “GUNSHOT”
It’s been six months since we heard from the successful co-ed group KARD! The quartet has returned to the K-Pop scene with their first single album, Way With Words, after their latest show in Seoul, and title track “GUNSHOT” brings a more intense outlook on love than we’ve seen in previous releases.
Title Track: “GUNSHOT”
KARD has always had a Latin musical influence in their title tracks (minus BM’s composed “Dumb Litty”) and that reigns true with this new single as well. The opening melody is somewhat haunting, and it is initially difficult to decipher what direction they’re going, until the opening beat drops. Somin kicks off the verses with strong autotune, proclaiming, “Love, damn four letters,” and setting the tone for a powerful, yet painful message in the track. Her higher register is contrasted by BM, who cuts in with a robust rap, driving home the point of pain in the referenced relationship. Jiwoo builds up tension into the chorus, creating goosebumps to the drop, which comes in fiercer than expected as Somin states, “Your words are like a gunshot, I’m bleeding love.” Much of the song is in English, so even upon first listen it is clear that this track expresses the intense emotions of an abusive relationship, where the members feel controlled and emotionally manipulated by their partners. J.Seph’s rap has a bit more bite to it than BM’s and is placed at the second verse to help drive home the overall intensity that was felt in the chorus. The anger of the lyrics culminates into a full breakdown near the end of the song, where the members are seen fully expressing that rage in the video. It definitely has a harder vibe than the recent titles KARD has put out, but it is a welcome change.
Jiwoo gets the spotlight for the music video this time around, with her character’s story centering the entire composition. The video opens with her appearing to zip up a body bag in a desolate location, very heavy imagery that sets the tone for the track. The clothing and main color scheme of the video is black and white accompanied by splashes of color, particularly the red highlighted in the wounds of each member. Even when colors are introduced into the composition, the atmosphere remains dark, easily seen in BM’s fire set and Jiwoo’s lone speaker and mic location. The end of the video brings the intro full circle, as we see Jiwoo confront a different version of herself and shoot her, explaining what exactly was in the body bag in the beginning. The interpretation of that imagery is up to the reader since it can certainly hold a litany of different meanings.
The Album
Way With Words features three new tracks including the title, quite a treat for a single when we often get only the title and one B-side. “ㅏㅣㅑ (AH EE YAH)” kicks off the album with the chill reggae vibes that KARD has touched on in their previous mini-albums. It’s an interesting contrast to title “GUNSHOT” as it has a much more relaxed and even light vibe in comparison. If KARD had two sides, “ㅏㅣㅑ (AH EE YAH)” would be one and “GUNSHOT” would be the other.
After the title comes “HOLD ON,” a track that seems to blend the feeling of the previous two tracks. It has a brighter feeling, but with a rhythm similar to “GUNSHOT” and is somewhat of a nice cleanse for the heart after the emotional intensity of the title track. “HOLD ON” has title potential, as it has all the elements of popular music these days and will likely be enjoyable to most.
KARD’s future is somewhat undetermined at the moment, given that J.Seph will have to enlist in the military this year. He will likely go after these promotions, which means that it may be a good while until we hear from them again, at least as a full group. KARD has certainly blazed the trail for co-ed groups and the possible success groups like this can have, especially considering that any co-ed groups of the past have not been able to do as well in comparison. For fans of more powerful tracks, “GUNSHOT” will be a new favorite. It does stand out from previous work and helps add more depth to their musical repertoire. Be sure to check out the group promotions as they unfold!