Group KARD, returning with a new song 'Touch' after 11 months, spoke out about the music video.
On the 30th of last month, an interview was held at a cafe in Gwangjin District, Seoul, to celebrate the release of KARD's mini album 'DRIFT'.
KARD is a four-member co-ed group that debuted in December 2016 with the project single 'Oh NaNa', consisting of BM, J.seph, Jeon So-min, and Jeon Ji-woo. Even before their official debut, they received a flood of love calls from overseas, holding a world tour covering South America and North America, and have been actively touring ever since.
In this album 'DRIFT', KARD carries on the answer to the question 'Where do we go from here?' following the 'thoughts and perspectives at a moment frozen in time' conveyed in their previous mini album. This journey also showcases KARD's global presence, flexibly crossing boundaries of genres amidst uncertain flows. 'DRIFT' captures the present of KARD confidently moving toward an unknown destination.
In particular, the title track 'Touch' adds lively percussion to a trendy reinterpretation of 2000s emotions, making it naturally rhythmic. A strong and assertive message is highlighted in the lyrics, 'If you can't have me, the regret is yours.'
On this day, the members first expressed their feelings about their comeback. Jeon So-min said, 'It has been 11 months since we returned, and I think we can show KARD's confidence and intensity with a concept that is a bit different from last year. I hope all five tracks included can offer a fresh feeling.'
J.seph said, 'I'm happy about the comeback, but I also feel sorry since fans have waited for 11 months. During our long hiatus, we collected and wrote good songs to deliver. I hope many people enjoy them.'
What specifically did Jeon So-min mean by the fresh feeling of the song? BM mentioned, 'To introduce this track, the title song 'Touch' reinterprets the 2000s emotions, combining a sexy vibe with a lively feeling and a substantial synth. It captures the feeling of someone captivatingly drawing attention at a party, saying, 'If you can't have me today, the regret is yours.' The goal was to show what we hadn't been able to display in our unique way by reinterpreting the 2000s sentiment.'
What was the reason for the 11-month gap between the release of the last mini album and this comeback? BM revealed, 'I think this has always been KARD's issue. The hiatus is long. We always go through the process of obtaining songs after releasing an album and doing a tour for 3 to 4 months. Obtaining songs takes a long time.' Jeon So-min added, 'We receive a lot of songs. It's difficult to find songs that fit KARD 100%, and because it's a co-ed group, it's challenging for them to write songs.'
This album marks KARD's return with songs that exude sexiness. When asked to express KARD's sexiness in one word, BM said it is 'effortless sexiness.' He explained, 'When a person wants to be cute, sexy, or cool, at first, they have to put in effort. But I think there's a look that comes off after putting in a lot of effort. That's what I feel.'
So who has become the sexiest member compared to when they debuted? J.seph said, 'I personally don't think it's me. I believe BM has become much better physically and has become more handsome visually compared to the early days.'
J.seph added, 'The first moment I saw him, he was 21. Looking back at his debut, Matthew (BM's real name), wow, he looks sharp now. He used to have some extra weight. So, at some point, I think he has become very sharp. I feel like he's upgraded now.'
BM also agreed, saying, 'I feel the same. Just watching the videos from our debut, I can't stand looking at myself. I'm wondering why I did that, what's with that expression; there's so much of that. I strived too much. Now, looking back, it shows that I was trying too hard.'
In the music video preview shared with the press before the interview, the members' sexy side was emphasized. When asked if there were any related episodes, BM noted, 'If you watch J.seph's part, he's surrounded by female dancers who are trying hard to twerk, and I'm witnessing that. I felt really awkward and didn't know how to react; it was an interesting scene.'
Regarding the filming situation at the time, J.seph said, 'It was tough to shoot. I became a post. I was standing straight. I had to play this role and push through, and when they yelled cut, the camera wouldn't turn away. That was when I felt most breathless. It was tough while doing it, and it was also really hard to just stand still after the cut. Managing my gaze was difficult too; I was just looking at the behind-the-scenes camera.'
With the song and performance being provocative, didn't the members have any concerns about it being 'too much'? Jeon Ji-woo remarked, 'Personally, I didn't think it was 19+ or inappropriate. But there was a concern that it might be unpleasant from the public's perspective. But I think if you look at the concept, everyone will understand.'
With the music video receiving a rating of not suitable for minors, when asked if there were any plans to lower the intensity, Jeon Ji-woo replied, 'There are no such plans.' Rather, Jeon So-min noted, 'I never imagined it would be rated 19+. For us, as we looked at the song, music video, and performance, what we expressed was love, and we expressed it naturally through physical contact. I didn't expect it to be rated 19+. I believe KARD's charm lies in not trying to hide it and expressing it honestly. I think it would be nice to consider expressing those things honestly.'
BM also added, 'Since we can express adult sexuality at this age. We have male members over thirty, so that's why we attempted provocative sexiness.'
Meanwhile, KARD's mini album 'DRIFT' will be released today (the 2nd) at 6 p.m. on various streaming sites.
[Photo] RBW, DSP Media
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