KARD Bids Farewell with First Full Album Where To Now? (Part.2): Nowhere
Photo: DSP Media
It’s a bit of a bittersweet moment to have gotten to this point with KARD. From watching their pre-debut in 2016 to following their journey through their career, we have always wished for more success for this co-ed group that was managing to break the negative precedents set by previous co-ed groups. It was an ambitious project back in the day, not to mention particularly taboo, and it is remarkable that they managed to remain active as long as they have given the general consensus in Korea surrounding co-ed K-Pop groups. Jiwoo recently made a statement regarding the online reaction to their “indefinite hiatus” announcement: “Looking at the articles and comments, I ended up having a selfish thought: “You could have paid this much attention to us before.” That certainly sums up the sentiment many of us have had over these ten years. Many talented groups are overlooked in favor of more popular or viral acts.
Title track “Back to Life” is a tried-and-true track that follows the musical formula that built KARD’s popular discography through the years. Tropical house as a genre has delivered them a lot of their hits, so it’s nice to see them bring it back one last time ahead of their hiatus. The song carries a hopeful sentiment, a heartfelt farewell to fans, a theme common to final releases. At two minutes and 43 seconds, the track is brief, though its concision suits the farewell tone of the release.o minutes and 43 seconds, which does feel too short, but I suppose it’s fitting for the situation.
The music video is fairly simple, just an upbeat party scene to showcase a celebration and joy, interspersed with choreography performance. The video is mostly used to drive home the lyrics of the song, an effective visual representation of the entire release.
While it is truly sad we’ve reached a point where they are wrapping up activities, it is a blessing in disguise that we are getting a straightforward statement and answer on their direction. Many, if not most, of the struggling K-Pop groups simply fade into oblivion, never to be heard from again but never really stating what happened with them. To be able to wrap up this chapter with one last hurrah feels like a sweet parting gift from the quartet for those of us that have supported them in their journey. And hopefully, even if this era is over, we’ll still be able to follow along with each of them on their next journey. Thank you again for a wonderful ten years, KARD. We bid the four of you the best of luck on your future endeavors.