KISS OF LIFE Returns With First Comeback Born to be XX
KISS OF LIFE is back with their latest title track, “Bad News,” a Wild West-esque track featuring acoustics and addictive vocals that leave you wanting more.
The four-member girl group accompany the track with seven-track EP Born to be XX, with the seventh track being the English version of “Bad News.”
Tracklist:
“Bad News”
“Nobody Knows”
“My 808”
“TTG”
“Gentleman”
“Says It”
“Bad News (ENG Ver.)”
The music video sees the members as self-appointed vigilantes in a city where chaos seems to be following them.
On this project, the R&B sound that the members debuted with is swapped with one aligning more to a Salt-N-Pepa “Whatta Man” country-style song. “Bad News” reflects this through the playfulness of the vocal lines as well as the playing style of the acoustic instruments. The song is addicting with the most striking part being the “We got the moves” line, which changes each time it appears!
KISS OF LIFE members Julie, Natty, Belle, and Haneul made a very strong first impression with their debut single “Shhh,” with each of their solos gaining popularity, too. As their first EP showed each of their individual colors more, Born to be XX gives a clearer vision to the group’s color in this era.
“Nobody Knows” introduces itself with the first unofficial line being “second track.” The old-school atmosphere surrounding this track feels very reminiscent to the ‘90s girl groups. The members' chemistry shows a lot within their harmonies, particularly in the bridge with how each of them bounce off of each other and shine on their lines. The slight dialogue moment in the second verse creates another fun element in the track that intrigues their listeners.
“Nobody Knows” is a perfect continuation of the group’s R&B, vocal-heavy image. The swing beat is easy to bop along to, making it my personal favorite track on Born to be XX.
The EP continues with “My 808,” with its pulsating synth that fades in and out throughout the song. “My 808” sounds like the carefree summer song of your dreams, with its classic pop sound that catches you singing along to its chorus by the end.
Born to be XX drops you into a warm atmospheric sound with “TTG,” with its bouncy melody and addicting chorus. One part that stands out to me was Julie’s use of her head voice to adjust her rap tone to better adjust to this song. “TTG” leaves you feeling like “that that girl” by the end of the track.
“Gentleman” brings back the Wild West vibes that appeared at the beginning of the EP. The whistling throughout the track plays a prominent role within the beat, with it possibly embodying the gentleman in question. “Gentleman” feels almost camp on this project, bringing the country-style guitar and bass to its peak in a way that shakes up the mood of the EP.
Ending this project is “Says It,” an all acoustic guitar song that allows listeners to pay attention to the members’ voices. “Says It” would be such a pretty song performed live, as each member has lines that shine on their own.
Born to be XX showcases KISS OF LIFE’s potential in covering a variety of genres, freeing themselves from all labels. I’m excited to see what KISS OF LIFE has in store for us next!
Born to be XX is available now on Spotify and all streaming platforms.
Edited by Aleena Faisal