Kiss Of Life was formed in early 2023 and had a unique debut: each of the four members—Julie, Belle, Natty, and Haneul—were introduced with a solo, before coming together as a group in July of that year. They’ve achieved the title of “monster rookies” already, and show no signs of slowing down.  

Speaking of, here are my credentials: KiOf has been pretty inescapable in k-pop spaces since Sticky came out a few months ago, so of course I’ve come across them more times than I can count. (Hence, the title of this review.) But a viral song does not a good band make, and most of what I know is pretty surface level, so I felt like now was as good a time as any to get to know them better. And, seeing as they happen to be coming to my area in a couple months, I’ve been considering going to see them in concert. So, let’s see what I decide by the end of this!

(Update, 11-16-24: Well. I’ll be seeing them in concert in roughly eight hours, so I guess we know how that turned out! Concert review coming soon!)

Single #1: Sugarcoat (Natty)

Natty was the first of the four members to have a solo, Sugarcoat, which is a citypop track that glides back and forth with no real peaks or valleys, similarly to Yves’ New or some of Taemin’s more understated tracks. This makes sense, though, because Natty is KiOf’s main dancer, and a great one at that. I say often that this isn’t a choreo blog but her movements are so defined yet fluid, and so engaging to watch. But that’s not to say that she doesn’t have a great voice; it’s really her smooth, self-assured performance that makes the track unique. And the music video is a great too, showing Natty practicing dance whenever she has a free moment and trying to live in a city where she doesn’t really feel at home, inspired by her time as a Thai woman in Korea. It’s a pretty flawless first single, and I found myself getting invested.

Single #2: Countdown (Belle)

Belle was the second of the members to have a solo, the forceful pop-punk Countdown. It doesn’t stop for a moment, like the song itself is done waiting and ready to just bolt out the nearest exit. Belle’s an engaging performer too, but in a different way, her jerky and passionate movements matching well with the frenetic pace. Where Natty’s music video had her already living as a dancer, completely on her own, Belle’s shows her standing up to her abusive mother and demanding that she allow her to live her own life and dance the way that she wants to, in what’s a moving (though undeniably over-the-top angsty in some places) display of rebellion that isn’t often seen in k-pop, and almost never in such a new group. Also, I found out that Belle wrote the song herself, which is so exciting!

Single #3: Kitty Cat (Julie)

Julie’s solo Kitty Cat doesn’t go the smooth path of Sugarcoat or the angsty one of Countdown, instead being based on a hip-hop and trap heavy sound. Normally this would be something I roll my eyes at, but its odd beat fits with Julie’s over-the-top confident and flirtatious delivery, like she’s daring the listener to judge her decisions. The music video is also centered around dancing, but this time it’s the kind of body-prominent party dancing that at first seems to be a reflection of her personality but is eventually shown to be not the kind of expression she really wants. This one falls into the category of songs that aren’t my cup of tea but are still good in their own right, and though I don’t like it as much, it’s as strong as the others.

Single #4: Play Love Games (Haneul)

Haneul’s Play Love Games is the last of the four solos, and is probably the poppiest of the four. It’s certainly the most cutesy and the most similar to the k-pop I’m used to, which makes sense because Haneul is the only fully Korean member who was born and raised there. There’s elements of hip-hop and synth in there too, and the last style of dance explored is pop and locking, as the music video shows a shy Haneul being accepted into a friend group who helps her come out of her shell and teach her to dance. This one is the least inventive of the four in my opinion, as it sounds similar to many songs I’ve heard before, but it’s still a good song and rounds out the group very well.

EP #1: Kiss Of Life

Since the beginning of Haneul’s MV, I was wondering how the four girls’ storylines would intersect, and Bye My Neverland is how. They pass by each other randomly, just missing the chance to meet, too wrapped up in their own lives. But Bye My Neverland takes the best of each of the solos—the smooth synths of Sugarcoat, the rebellious spirit of Countdown, the self-confidence of Kitty Cat, and the sense of fun in Play Love Games, and just as they come together, the stories do too, like the song itself is pushing them closer. The song crescendos, declaring that “Neverland” is gone and to grow up, you have to leave your old life behind, as four girls all separately spot the fireworks in the sky and decide that it’s time to start a new chapter in their lives. A chapter that, in this MV’s case, starts with Julie hitting Natty with her car, while Haneul watches out her window and Belle runs out onto the sidewalk.

Shhh picks up where Bye My Neverland left off, all four of the girls in Julie’s house in the aftermath of the car accident, where, despite such a crazy first meeting, they all go to a roller skating rink party together. And together they’ll stay: they all bandage Natty’s arm, they all defend Haneul from an aggressive harasser, they all repair Belle’s crumpled poster, and they all go on the late night road trip that Julie’s wanted since her solo. The song itself is most similar to Julie’s, hip-hop heavy and over-the-top confident, which again isn’t the kind of thing that I usually listen to. I enjoyed the more melodic parts, the bridge especially, but mostly the song’s not for me. To be honest, I enjoyed the music video and the storyline’s ending more than the song, but despite it leaning into my pet peeves, I didn’t mind it that much. As a six-part story all together, it’s practically perfect.

This EP is just these six singles, so I didn’t have a hidden gem, but if I had to pick a favorite, it’d be Bye My Neverland.

EP #2: Born To Be XX

Bad News begins a new storyline in the KiOF universe, if you will, and while it keeps the confidence and sense of danger from their first EP, but this time, they aren’t on the right side of the violence doled out, starting riots, smashing security cameras, and running from the police. This is another song of theirs that’s in this genre of hip-hop / trap that I don’t normally like, but I think that they’re starting to win me over to it. All of their songs add something new to it, and this time, it’s a percussive acoustic guitar and a nearly a-capella chorus that really spotlights their voices. I genuinely liked this one, and I really wasn’t expecting to, but it seems like Kiss Of Life is determined to surprise me.

Nobody Knows is the flip side to Bad News, showing the same four girls’ perspectives of the same events we saw in the first MV, where instead of just committing crimes for the fun of it, they’re taking revenge on a group of bullies and assaulters. And how do they do this? By plotting an incredibly satisfying heist reminiscent of Carrie or, for a k-pop example, BIBI’s fantastic Animal Farm and causing their tormentors public humiliation to ensure that they can’t hurt anyone else. The song itself is sleek and confident, light on its feet just like a cat burglar. The short pops of brass and percussion add an extra layer of interest to what could be a fairly straightforward song. yet relatively understated in comparison to such a dramatic MV. And, of course, it wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t give them a huge shoutout for tackling the huge subjects of bullying, assault, and justice with such an unapologetic and brutally honest tone. As goes the saying, I may be a k-pop fan, but I’m a woman first. When the video ended, I felt like cheering.

From the EP, I enjoyed the smooth hip-hop of My 808 and the classic ballad sound of Says It, but my hidden gem was the flirtatious, confident Gentleman with its call-and-response chorus.

Single #5: Midas Touch

Midas Touch is Kiss Of Life’s first standalone single after two jam packed EPs, and the first to really go viral. From the electro background base to the R & B inspiration to the way the MV is shot, this song sounds like it could have been made in 2004, not 2024. While k-pop’s been dabbling in Y2K influences, Midas Touch just goes for it and that’s a compliment. Though I don’t think I can consider this as good as their storyline-based work, it’s still pretty solid, not to mention a lot of fun. Also, I loved the references to all their solos in the bridge.

Single #6: Sticky

Kiss Of Life were already pretty popular after this year-long blitz of singles, but Sticky’s catapulted them even further into fame, and onto my timeline, as it turns out! Its “how long before we fall in love” hook is understated yet incessantly catchy, in the way of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso, sun-drenched and tailor-made for the poolside. Be warned: once its twinkling strings and strumming Spanish guitar worm their way into your brain, they’re never going to leave. This is how you make a summer song! The way the music video is shot to look like one continuous take is just great, and really makes it feel like a performance, not just a song.

My one big gripe is that it’s based so heavily on sex appeal, in a way that makes you feel like KiOf aren’t the ones in control, but instead some faceless man behind the camera.

EP #3: Lose Yourself

R.E.M. is classified as a prerelease, but after two singles on their own, is a welcome return to KiOf’s two-MV storylines. In this case, the four characters played by the girls go on a road trip together to get over their various heartbreaks. The song itself is woozy, meant to be played on a lazy afternoon or by the poolside, guided by the girls’  It’s also all in English, clearly an attempt to appeal to a Western audience. But despite these, it doesn’t feel like a cop out, instead like a marrying of the more laid-back styles of their singles while keeping with the messages of their first EPs. Overall, it’s not a song I’d go out of my way to listen to, but it’s still a good one.

Get Loud is the official single, and starts with the kind of effortless cool that I’ve come to associate with Kiss Of Life, but still feels like a spiritual successor to R.E.M. I was a bit worried that it would go for an anti-drop, but was pleasantly surprised that the chorus actually is full, funkier than I was expecting with a bit of Latin Pop too. It’s the kind of song that’s confident but is also inspiring to an audience, the kind of song that makes you just feel good about yourself. It’s not my favorite of their singles (I think that that still goes to Bye My Neverland) but I did still like it. Also, I loved the outfits they were wearing, these interesting combinations of traditional hanboks and modern clothes. 

From the EP, I enjoyed the lovely chanting pre chorus in No One But Us, and the coffee-shop Too Many Alex with its slight jazzy edge. But, as is often true for me, my hidden gem was the nostalgic-sounding, quasi-anthemic Back To Me, which feels tailor made for a road trip. So far, I think that this is the album that’s the least my style, but I think that it’s still strong.

Single #7: Kiss Road

Naming a song “Live Love Laugh” in the year of the whatever 2025 is a bit of a surprising choice for such a young group, but it is a special single celebrating the end of their Kiss Road tour, so I suppose it makes more sense. It’s not too different from your typical fan song, with a mix of stages and B-T-S footage from across their careers, and even a bit of animation that eventually bleeds into live action. The song itself is fairly low-key, more like a b-side than a single, but again, that’s fairly par for the course. In my opinion, though, a song more along the lines of Back To Me would have been a better choice than something this toned down, but there’s something missing, and I don’t quite know what it is.

I’d be lying if I said that part of it isn’t what they did during their anniversary live (which was practically blackface without the actual makeup); for a group that’s made a career out of their self-production, creative control, and especially the sounds of hip-hop and R & B, it’s such a slap in the face not only to black fans but to everyone who believed in the messages they tauted. And, at least for me, it makes this song fall painfully flat.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I learned a lot about Kiss Of Life, from the fact that a lot of them have already written and produced music to how they all met and came to Korea. I watched their interview with Eric Nam, a couple episodes of their “KIOF Time” series, and some random behind-the-scenes videos too. I thought I’d end this review as a casual fan at most, but here we are at the end, and a fan I am. And I’m going to do everything in my power to see them live.

(Which ended up being November of 2024, so click here to read about that!)

My Top 5 songs were Bye My Neverland, Countdown, Sticky, Gentleman, and Nobody Knows, with Back To Me as an honorable mention. Kiss Of Life gets an 8.75 out of 10 from me, which isn’t at all what I was expecting. The interwoven storylines of their EPs are some of the best concept albums I’ve seen in k-pop (or in general) in a long time, and their style is so raw and so refreshing in an industry that’s infamous for brushing things under the rug and putting a veneer of perfection over everything. If Sticky really is their Espresso, then I hope that this new flood of popularity encourages them to keep making music, and I hope that I can come along for the ride.

[Edit (4-7-25): After the chaos that was their…horrible live, I can no longer call myself a fan. I regret giving them my money. And, to be honest, all the songs that came after Lose Yourself are tinged with my feelings about that. But mostly, my commentary on their music still stands.]

Next time, we’re onto a two-parter that’s going to be a bit emotional. Tschüss!