Kep1er Faces a New Path with Their Eighth EP
Photo: Kep1er Official X
Kep1er has faced many challenges in their career. Shifting management teams and losing three members often creates worries. Despite this, Kep1er continues forward by discovering another part of themselves. After trying out the girl crush concept in their last comeback with “BUBBLE GUM,” Kep1er embraces this image in “KILLA (Face the other me).” The song heads their CRACK CODE EP that came out on March 31. This EP also marks the group’s first release after the departure of Youngeun on March 6.
TRACKLIST:
“I am Kep1”
“KILLA (Face the other me)”
“MIC CHECK”
“Lowkey”
“Addicted 2 Ya”
It could be argued that Kep1er never settled on one singular concept. They scattered bits of the girl crush image in the boisterous “We Fresh,” but they only fully attempted the concept last year. Kep1er releasing “BUBBLE GUM” after “TIPI-TAP,” a cutesy pop song about crushes, created a type of tonal dissonance. It caught many people in the fandom off guard, similar to when Kep1er released “We Fresh” after the summer track “Up!” “KILLA (Face the other me)” is the first title track to build upon a pre-established girl crush concept.
The lyrics depicting dangerous women, the drawn out “Killa” with vocal fry, and imagery of the music video all include aspects of girl crush. Kep1er shows up in black leather outfits, destroys objects with a baseball bat, and dances with wall structures crumbling around them. As explained by the members, they break cubed objects that represent “uncomfortable emotions or aspects” of themselves. Kep1er literally and figuratively smash their fears apart. The electronic hip-hop instrumental that accompanies the song gives off a foreboding atmosphere—the scream sample is no joke.
Personally, this direction isn’t for me but I can acknowledge it is a step up from “BUBBLE GUM.” The concept comes off more cohesive, it sounds more vocally diverse than its predecessor, and visually displays a deeper meaning. It remains in the air whether Kep1er will keep the same theme in subsequent releases.
The other songs packaged in the EP affirm the idea of settling into a new sense of self. With pounding drums and an industrial sound, “I am Kep1” functions as both an epic intro and as a declaration. The hip-hop song “MIC CHECK” comes with many sounds and effects to look out for. The elevator ding, the bell chime (akin to the ones starting a boxing match) and the selective reverb on the vocals make the song more complex.
“Lowkey” may not be as unique as the other B-sides, but it satisfies an R&B craving. The final song, “Addicted to ya,” carries itself in a similar vein to 2000’s pop. It serves nostalgia without taking from overused sounds. The B-sides on CRACK CODE perform stronger than its title track, and the songs prove that music quality has not been compromised. While the girl crush concept comes far from Kep1er’s earlier concepts, CRACK CODE helps shape the group’s interpretation of what strength means.