Bad Timing Marks the Bold, Long-awaited Return of Bye Bye Badman
Photo: Bye Bye Badman Official Instagram
Bye Bye Badman (바이 바이 배드맨) broke on the scene as heralds of Brit-pop sounds, but made dreamy tones and synth-driven pop their signature style. And their comeback album Bad Timing, released on April 15, is the latest, most mature expression of it yet. But let’s introduce the band first.
Bye Bye Badman: a closer look
Now made up of vocalist/guitarist Jeong Bonggil (정봉길), bassist Luli Lee (이루리), and keyboardist Gooreum (구름), Bye Bye Badman originally came together in high school, taking their name from a track by Britpop legends The Stone Roses. That influence ran deep in their early sound, especially on their debut EP Bye Bye Badman (2011), which was steeped in that jangly, British-inspired vibe, and that earned them the “Hello Rookie Award” (헬로루키 대상) in 2011 and the “Rookie of the Year Award” (신인상 수상) at the ninth Korean Popular Music Awards (한국대중음악상) in 2012 .
But with their first full-length album Light Beside You (also 2011), the band began branching out, experimenting with new genres and gradually shaping a more layered and distinctive musical identity. Ever since 2012, they have performed frequently in clubs and festivals, as well as held solo concerts. Among their most notable performances so far, surely it’s worth mentioning that they were chosen as the opening band for Noel Gallagher's solo visit to Korea in 2015, then for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. They also played at the SXSW festival in 2016 in Austin, Texas.
After the release of their single “Daisy” in 2018, the band went on an indefinite hiatus, which allowed each member to pursue individual activities. For instance, Luli Lee is also a singer-songwriter in the KNIGHT AIRPORT (나이트에어포트) record label and entertainment agency, which she founded in 2023. While Gooreum also worked as a producer and vocalist with another band, CHEEZE, from which he later walked away. Most notably, he has worked as a producer for Yerin Baek since her first solo album FRANK (2015), and together with her formed the indie rock band The Volunteers, and later was signed to her label Blue Vynyl for his solo projects. The musical partnership with Yerin Back ended in February 2024, when he walked away from both The Volunteers and the musical label.
Only this year, on January 31, Jeong Bonggil, Luli Lee, and Gooreum announced that they had reunited and would resume their activities, with the album Bad Timing marking their long-awaited comeback.
“Bad Timing”
Over the years, Bye Bye Badman honed their distinctive style, now laden with dreamy tones and synth-driven pop, and Bad Timing is the pinnacle of their experimentation so far: it takes their mesmerising and spacious electronic pop and blends darker tones and sharp perspective in it.
The album was anticipated by the track “Zero”, but it’s thanks to “Pigs”, the second song of the record, that Bad Timing was chosen as the #SurpriseOfTheWeek. This song is a social critique masked as a breakup song: there’s no pointing finger at one person in particular, as it would seem at first, but it implicates everyone, and no one. The lyrics dwell on themes of emotional exhaustion, disillusionment, and the slow erosion of both personal and societal structures, weaving a tale of discomfort that makes the listener question their place in the machinery. Yet, the synth-laced soundscape creates an airy atmosphere, and the recurring melody is gentler, almost comforting.
The rest of the album is also equally worth a listen, so… What are you waiting for?