KiiiKiii Debuts With a Treasure Trove of Songs in UNCUT GEM
On March 24, a new gem of a group made their debut: KiiiKiii is here. Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum, and Kya form Starship Entertainment’s latest girl group, the successors to IVE. After undergoing pre-debut promotions for a month, the quintet has released five songs as part of their debut EP UNCUT GEM.
TRACKLIST:
“DEBUT SONG”
“GROUNDWORK”
“I DO ME”
“THERE THEY GO”
“BTG”
“한 개뿐인 (ONE OFF)”
The First Pre-Release: “I DO ME”
Released without any prior notice or teasers, “I DO ME” came out as a surprise drop on February 16. Its pop instrumental implied a possible cheery and carefree concept for the group. Together with a gorgeous music video filmed in the New Zealand countryside, this combination spelled out a fresh, unique introduction.
As its title implies, “I DO ME” spreads a message of listening to your heart. “I do me, I do me right / just do me, I do my way,” KiiiKiii sings in the chorus. KiiiKiii promoted “I DO ME” on music shows between the end of February and mid-March.
The Second Pre-Release: “DEBUT SONG”
When KiiiKiii dropped “DEBUT SONG” on February 23, it still was not their actual debut. Instead, “DEBUT SONG” showcased the group’s personality through a creative take on “Happy Birthday.” This trap genre song uses a musical interpolation of “Happy Birthday” to congratulate KiiiKiii on their debut.
The song, nor its lyrics and music video, tries not to take itself too seriously. The video sees KiiiKiii partying in the streets of London without a care in the world. If the Kim Possible reference in “DEBUT SONG” does not feel like enough of a throwback, the video’s sparkly edits and bright graphics will likely do the trick.
The Title Track: “BTG”
KiiiKiii throws a curveball in “BTG,” a rap-focused EDM song. KiiiKiii says goodbye to the poppy sound of “I DO ME” for the teen crush sound of “BTG.” They confidently repeat, “I’ve been that girl,” the one that everyone looks at in awe. This earworm accomplishes what it sets out to do—I’ve certainly had that phrase stuck in my head—and it gives KiiiKiii’s debut another surprise factor.
Its music video continues with a Y2K aesthetic: the Gap hoodies took me back a couple decades. That vision comes from creative director heyone, who has previously worked with IVE and XG. Some of that lax, zany environment of “DEBUT SONG” still shows up in “BTG.” I doubt anyone expected to see a dance party within a greenhouse, but stranger things have happened in K-Pop videos.
The rest of UNCUT GEM leans more into hip-hop. The bass and synths of “GROUNDWORK” and “THERE THEY GO” make “I DO ME” the shocking outlier of the EP. Producer Ryan Jhun, among other producers like Dem Jointz, contributed to most of UNCUT GEM’s songs. The one exception, “한 개뿐인 (ONE OFF),” closes the EP on a relaxed note. All in all, KiiiKiii’s debut subverts expectations using unexpected genres. I cannot wait to see how the group evolves in the future as they continue polishing their craft.
Edited by Cara Musashi