PURPLE K!SS Thanks Fans with First English EP, OUR NOW
Photo: PURPLE K!SS Official X
When groups head towards their disbandment, their companies normally do not give fans much notice. Fans might hear the news as late as literal days before disbandment, through unofficial social media posts, or groups end up silently disbanding without a final goodbye. Though it pains me to write that PURPLE K!SS will end their group contract with RBW in November, they will fortunately fill their remaining months with new music and concerts. The first of those milestones comes in their first English EP, OUR NOW, which was released on August 31. The dual title tracks “DOREMI -English ver.-” and “WANT U BACK” serve as some of PURPLE K!SS’s last gifts for their fans.
TRACKLIST:
“DOREMI -English ver.-”
“WANT U BACK”
“Unhappily Ever After”
“Ponzona -English ver.-”
“Zombie -English ver.-”
“memeM -English ver.-”
“Sweet Juice -English ver.-”
“7HEAVEN -English ver.-”
The Beginning to the End
PURPLE K!SS made their debut on March 15, 2021 with the EP INTO VIOLET. Originally a seven-member group, the current six-member group has explored many concepts in their career. Their debut song “Ponzona” and other title tracks “Zombie,” “Nerdy,” and “Sweet Juice” followed a quirky, spooky concept that showed a lot of personality. The also tried hard-hitting girl-crush in “MemeM,” showed a classic summer image in “7HEAVEN,” played mischievous rebels in the hip-hop-filled “BBB,” and portrayed fallen angels in “ON MY BIKE.”
Goeun, Dosie, Ireh, Yuki, Chaein, and Swan have also performed many of these songs in English on their past North American tours. These versions finally got an official release on OUR NOW. The inclusion of most of PURPLE K!SS’s title tracks in English makes OUR NOW a celebration of PURPLE K!SS’s history.
“DOREMI -English ver.-”
PURPLE K!SS originally released “DOREMI” on July 16 as the title track off their I Miss My… single album. While PURPLE K!SS have sung ballads in the past, “DOREMI” marked the first time that type of song served as a title track. It carries a nostalgic sound that incorporates trap beats and notes of a music box. The original discusses finding oneself during one “final waltz,” but the English version interprets “DOREMI” as a spell that enchants others into a deep love.
The music video for the English version shows the members coming together after feeling unfulfilled at separate jobs. The group’s situation makes the video more emotional. When the members end up watching DOREMI’s Korean music video together in a theater, the idea of impending disbandment truly sinks in.
“WANT U BACK” and “Unhappily Ever After”
The two original English tracks on OUR NOW, “WANT U BACK” and “Unhappily Ever After,” dig into the wounds of losing the group. Through its electric guitar strums, “WANT U BACK” tells of yearning for a love that causes pain and doubt. As PURPLE KISS outlined in their “Track Story” video, “let the music take you on a journey through love, loss, and everything in between.”
“Unhappily Ever After” responds to the betrayal outlined in “WANT U BACK” and expresses vengeance. “I wanna see you rot like how you watched me die inside / I’mma curse you to a bottomless pit,” PURPLE K!SS sings in its chorus. The emotions feel raw and I can confidently say this is one of PURPLE K!SS’s best songs. The way “Unhappily Ever After” also blends trap with classical strings makes it sound like a classic PURPLE K!SS song from their original concept of witches.
PURPLE K!SS will soon start their A Violet to Remember concerts, which begin in Japan on September 13. They will head across America in October, and will eventually complete their first concert in South Korea before disbandment. Though RBW has not confirmed when PURPLE K!SS’s contract will expire in November, they will get to end this chapter surrounded by their fans.
Edited by Cara Musashi