Kep1er returned at the end of summer with their fifth mini-album Magic Hour! The nine-member girl group are back with five new tracks for fans, each of which represent different colors and sides of the global girl group! 

Tracklist:

1. "Galileo" *title

2. "The Door"

3. "Love on Lock"

4. "Tropical Light" (Sung by Yujin, Xiaoting, Youngeun, Yeseo)

5. "TAPE" (Sung by Mashiro, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih)

"Galileo" is the first new track of the EP and the title for this new era! There is an energy that continues to rise as this song progresses and ultimately leads to a fun pop track that listeners could expect from Kep1er. The “Ga-a-li-le-eh-oh” part in the chorus creates such a fun way to play around with the song title and shows how comfortable the members are now with playing around a beat. The bridge and dance break sections are so fun with the electronic instruments in it!

The music video starts out with all the Kep1er members together helping each other to figure out the meaning of love. During this process, they visit a museum during the “magic hour,” and find themselves being transported into the portraits. The bright colors within the portraits complement the members and help create a fun video for fans to enjoy!

“The Door” follows soon after with its fun, easy to follow, call-and-response style verses! The call-and-response parts sound almost isolated which is a nice contrast to the usual chant-like responses in most K-Pop songs. “The Door” sounds just like what you’d imagine the end of summer to feel like: it’s warm and lovely, and leaves you wanting more but accepting that the duration is coming to an end. All of the members’ voices stand out and are the reason why this is my favorite track on Magic Hour.

It's not easy to predict which path "Love on Lock" will go down when it starts; from the off-beat chords that start off the song, to the upbeat bass in the pre-chorus, to the drum and bass in its chorus. The second verse pushes more down this experimental route. As a fan of Kep1er, I wish the producers expanded more of the drum and bass section to create a more cohesive track that would be easier to follow along with; however, listeners can hear these influences slowly flowing into the bridge making the track feel more fluid.

"Tropical Light" is the first unit song we hear in Magic Hour featuring members Yujin, Xiaoting, Youngeun, Yeseo. The tangy guitar, clicks, and whistles in "Tropical Light" are enough to make you feel the light summer notes within it. Each of the girls carry the song with their voices and fans can easily follow along what they’re singing about. Fans are looking forward to seeing future performances with the “Tropical Light” members together!

The last track of the EP, "TAPE," features members Mashiro, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, and Huening Bahiyyih on a more bass heavy track with a different take on the end of summer vibes. The beat holds a more bouncy feel to it while the members' raps and vocals complement each section of the song. The blend of the electronic instruments and the real keyboard creates a nice fusion within the chorus and leaves Magic Hour ending on Kep1er’s signature, addictive sound. 

Magic Hour is available now on Spotify and all platforms, and we can’t wait to see what's more to come from Kep1er!