“Mama Said” to Check Out KickFlip’s Long-Awaited Debut
JYP Entertainment’s newest boy group KickFlip, whose lineup includes finalists from the survival show LOUD, finally made their debut. On January 20, Kyehoon, Amaru, Donghwa, Juwang, Minje, Keiju, and Donghyeon released Flip it, Kick it!, their debut EP. KickFlip’s debut comes four years after LOUD ended in September 2021.
TRACKLIST:
“Mama Said”
“Umm Great”
“WARRIORS”
“Knock Knock”
“Like a Monster”
“See You On Tomorrow”
KickFlip’s Journey to Debut
KickFlip began from J.Y. Park and PSY’s survival show LOUD, which saw the two K-Pop legends assemble their own global boy groups. The show aired from June 5, 2021 to September 11, 2021. Six of the trainees who PSY selected—Kyungjun, Taehun, Hyunsoo, Junhyeok, Hwi, and Sungjun—made their debut as THE NEW SIX (now TNX) on May 17, 2022. However, the finalists under JYP Entertainment took a couple of years to debut: Kyehoon, Amaru, Keiju, Donghyeon, and Yoon Min won, but updates came slowly. Yoon Min eventually left JYP Entertainment, and made his solo debut in August 2024 with the digital single “Slob.”
With Donghwa, Juwang, and Minje added to the lineup, the company finally dropped their first image teaser for KickFlip on November 22, 2024. The members released digital diary entries for five weeks leading up to their pre-release, “Umm Great.” The group planned to release promotional material starting January 1, but postponed it following the tragic Jeju Air plane crash and its subsequent national mourning period. “Umm Great” came out instead on January 6, two weeks before KickFlip’s official debut.
The Pre-Release: “Umm Great”
KickFlip finally got to showcase a preview of their music through “Umm Great.” The message of “Umm Great” fits the group’s long road to debut: its lyrics talk about an unbreakable spirit that persists even through unexpected obstacles. This hip-hop song places a heavy emphasis on raps in the verses and an instrumental-heavy chorus.
The “Umm Great” music video treats viewers to sleek transitions and creative edits. The members zoom past on skateboards, and a failed attempt at a kickflip—a skateboard trick where the board rotates 360 degrees in the air—guides the group out of the first chorus. By dressing up the members in neon colors, they stand out among the white sets. The boys give their own splash of colors to the song.
The Title Track: “Mama Said”
KickFlip makes themselves heard loud and clear in their debut title track, “Mama Said.” The song draws on teen boys’ often rebellious nature towards nagging from their parents. KickFlip wants to leave the future up to luck, shaking off what “Mama Said” about lazing around.
The group shares the message that whatever greatness they achieve, it will happen through their own actions rather than through parental pressures. The “Mama Said” music video follows KickFlip on troublemaking antics. Even if they mess up, they show that everything will work out in the end.
If “Mama Said” and “Umm Great” capture your attention, check out the rest of Flip it, Kick it! for a continuation of KickFlip’s carefree concept. DAY6’s YoungK wrote the EP’s third track, “WARRIORS,” which rallies friends together with a soft rock sound. “Knock Knock” has an addictive hook that climbs up keys, and the percussive beats of “Like a Monster” bring back old-school hip-hop. The group’s tomorrow appears bright when Flip it, Kick it! ends with another hopeful rock song, “See You On Tomorrow.”
Edited by Cara Musashi