TW: discussion of mental health, assault, depression, and suicide
Here are my credentials (again): While I only became a k-pop fan after KARA went on hiatus, I of course heard of them, and have heard a good handful of their title tracks. I know a bit about some of their members, having seen Youngji in the documentary K-pop Generation and having seen Nicole’s solo performances. This is a special review I’m doing to mark the anniversary of Goo Hara’s death; further information can be found on that in Part 1.
EP #7: Day & Night
Mamma Mia was the first song I ever heard of KARA’s, and it’s quite a start, made after their third and final lineup change with Youngji. It’s unusual for a k-pop song now to have so much instrumental preamble, but this one’s all the better for it, soon spiraling into a hell of an earworm that would feel right at home in Saturday Night Fever. Perhaps I’m biased, but I still think that Mamma Mia is one of their absolute best, its pitch-perfect disco rush impossible not to scream-sing along to.
From the EP, Day & Night, though nothing could really eclipse Mamma Mia, I enjoyed the choppy, bright beat of So Good, the brassy hook of Melancholy 24/7, and the very soothing vocals of Story. My hidden gem was Live, with its classically swingy beat and acapella opening.
Album #8: Girls’ Story
Summergic was KARA’s last J-pop release, and like the others, goes down the bubblegum route. However, it has a more synth-focused beat that smooths out what could be an oppressive amount of aegyo, and instead turns it into something pretty fun. It’s probably my favorite of their Japanese work.
For some reason I couldn’t find the album Girls’ Story anywhere, despite spending a solid half hour looking for it. Once I’m stopped, I become twice as dedicated, apparently. And still nothing. Not on Apple Music, Spotify, or even YouTube. So, let me know if you find it anywhere.
EP #8: In Love
Cupid feels a little more like one of their Japanese releases, with its heavy focus on bubblegum pop and overall lighter aesthetic. Despite the more subdued hook, it manages to still be decently catchy, although not in the league as Step, Jumping, or Mamma Mia. It’s not a bad song, certainly, but similarly to Runaway, I don’t think that the sound is a good a fit for KARA as their dancefloor tracks.
From the EP, In Love, I enjoyed the magical feeling of the jazzy Starlight (which I wish would’ve been the single), the mile-a-minute rush of I Luv Me, and even the cutesy delight of Peek-A-Boo.
EP #9: Move Again
Until the song When I Move came out at the tail end of 2022, it was assumed that Cupid was the end of KARA. But seven years later, and seven years older, they returned as five, with all previous members barring Sunghee and Hara, the latter of whom had passed three years before. With all my nitpicking about KARA’s more subdued tracks, I’m kind of surprised that I enjoy this song as much as I do. It’s very minimalistic, the chorus having almost no instrumental, but honestly, I really like it. I think that a part of it is probably about what the track represents, but another is that it still keeps KARA’s core sound and feeling of fun, just updated for a new era.
From the EP, Move Again, there was really no competition for a hidden gem. Happy Hour may not sound like a meaningful song from the title, but the women wrote it to honor Hara’s wish of having all the KARA members share a drink together, and dedicated it to her. It’s a lovely song, a touch melancholy, a touch proud, a touch happy, and all incredibly heartfelt.
Single #2: Hello
Hello isn’t technically a single, but I wanted to give it a paragraph of its own anyway. It was originally recorded as a b-side for Goo Hara, and so recordings of her singing it still exist, meaning that it was possible to use her voice (with her brother’s permission) to let KARA sing as six for the first, and tragically, the only time. The best way I can describe it is that it just sounds…right, and full. I didn’t even consider myself a fan before this review, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up a little. The fact that it’s a song about loss only drives the point home, making it a genuinely moving tribute to a fellow singer, group member, and beloved friend.
Single #3: I Do I Do
I Do I Do is KARA’s most recent release, a single from July 24th of this year, which was two days ago at time of writing but is now likely a week gone. At first, I assumed it would be more in the vein of Hello, with a more laid-back, melancholy sound, but they proved me wrong. Instead, it takes a middle path between Hello and When I Move dance-focused sound, feeling free and joyful but still with the benefit of maturity. If anything, it makes me hope that they keep coming back.
Verdict: TL;DR
I started this review because of Hara, but I ended up becoming a fan of all of the members, not just for their impressive stage presences and their great voices but for their senses of humor and the way they manage to keep her name alive, even five years after she’s passed on.
My Top 5 songs are STEP, Mamma Mia, Hello, Jumping, and Mister, with Damaged Lady and Let It Go as honorable mentions. KARA gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me. I don’t think that there was a single of their title tracks that I actively disliked, and even the ones I liked less could’ve been highlights in a less consistent discography. Their music reminded me why I began Married To The Music in the first place, to discover artists I didn’t know much about and great songs that I never would’ve heard otherwise. And needless to say, I had so much fun.
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Outro: Goo Hara & Mental Health
And speaking of Hara, I’d like to end by saying that she deserves more than just a couple paragraphs in a discography review. She deserves her own. She just didn’t have enough time to keep creating. In her memory, her brother also put some of her oil paintings up for auction, with the profits going to a non-profit organization made to help single parents. I don’t know if any of them are still up, but check around. See if you can make a donation towards people suffering domestic violence or towards the single parent organization.
If you can’t donate, spread the word! But do something. And if all you can do today is survive, then that’s alright! Just know that Hara and I are proud of you.
Next time, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming for a few one-week reviews: (Click here, here, and here), and then onto another three-part deep dive. Tschüss, and take care of yourselves out there, folks.
Let me know your thoughts!