Here are my credentials: This is actually a redo of one of the first ever reviews (literally #10) I did in late 2023, before the blog even existed. I was a casual fan at the time, having found Purple Kiss through a great cover of Seventeen’s Adore U. I knew their singles, their names and a little about the members of the group, but I’ll be the first to admit that there’s still far more that I don’t know, and far more that I’m open to learning. So, let’s get started!

(Part One)

EP #5: Cabin Fever

Sweet Juice, at my original time of writing, was Purple Kiss’ most recent release, and actually the song that convinced me to do this review. It comes right out of the gate with such a well-executed creepiness and a far-too-quick-for-my-liking classical sample, before spiraling into an equally tense chorus. I like the sparseness of the instrumental and especially the added atmosphere the girls’ voices have, but I wish that the chorus had just a little more power behind it to make the building tension feel more genuine. I really liked its third rendition, which amplified what was already there without sacrificing its core sound. Like with Nerdy, it’s undeniably a good song, but with just a few changes I feel like it could be great.

From the EP, I enjoyed the acoustic coffeeshop sound of So Far So Good and the laid-back pop of Agit, but like with the Geekyland EP, I have a clear hidden gem: Autopilot. I’m a lover of synth and citypop, and this song’s crying-on-the-dancefloor vibes immediately made it a favorite. Its quiet ending and emotional, acoustic plea add a little bit of heft to its hook of “I feel like a monster, oh, but I can’t stop”, and, given Purple Kiss’ affinity for telling stories of monsters, I choose to read it as a look at the other side of monsterhood: what happens when the kind of self-acceptance they so often sing about isn’t enough? I acknowledge that I’m probably reading way, way too much into it, but Swan’s voice makes me have emotions, apparently. Either way the song’s been in my music library since the first review, and I’m happy to say I like it just as much as I did then.

Single #4: Festa

The first time I listened to 7Heaven, my immediate thought was: this doesn’t feel like a Purple Kiss song. And in a way, I was sort of right; it doesn’t feel like a Purple Kiss title track, both because of its synthy, tailor-made-for-summer sound, and because of its music video (bubblegum pink? Car washes? Bucket hats? What?). It does sound a lot like several of their b-sides, though, like Hate Me Hurt Me Love Me and Autopilot, so you think I’d really like it. But, honestly, I don’t; 7Heaven is good, but without the interesting lyrics that made Autopilot work for them. While I do like the song itself, it’s fairly standard for k-pop and doesn’t distinguish itself like the rest of their catalogue—both the songs I like and don’t—does.

Festa is only a three-song single, and neither of the b-sides, Biscuit and Mistake, really stood out to me. Truth be told, I’m a little annoyed that they didn’t wait another month and a half or so and released another great full EP for Halloween, which would’ve fit their vibe so well and probably felt more complete, while this one feels a little more rushed and very not-them. If it sounds like I’m really ragging on this single, I’m sorry; it’s really not bad, I’m trying to make a larger point and use it as an example for a trend that bothers me, which is something I definitely didn’t clarify in the original, so my bad.

EP #6: BXX

BBB goes back to Purple Kiss’ minimalist witch-pop niche, which of course I’m very happy to hear. It’s outwardly very confident, with a solid beat that works as a great compliment to the rest of the song. It also has a good, creeping pre-chorus…that unfortunately goes into a somewhat anti-drop chorus. (Insert dramatic sigh here). Though I don’t mind it here as much as I did in MemeM, I do feel that it takes what could’ve been a discography highlight and makes it more in the middle. Because the rest of the song is honestly pretty good, especially that bridge. The MV feels like a bit of a spiritual successor to Zombie with its sense of humor, and it got more than a few laughs out of me.

From the EP, BXX, I enjoyed the glitchy, chiptune-inspired Bittersweet (which went right on my rolling skating playlist) andthe synth-meets-R&B sound of Heart Attack. My hidden gem, which will surprise absolutely no one who’s been here a while, was Voyager, with its driving beat and acoustic guitar based instrumental, because I’m a sucker for that kind of sweetly nostalgic sound. I’d say that this EP is actually really strong, second only to Geekyland. It does a great job of innovating on their formula.

EP #7: Headway

I confess that I was a bit worried that On My Bike would be similar to BXX when I first listened to its verses, which are pretty sing-talk heavy. But instead of that, its choruses marry their witch-pop sound with a harsh rock guitar and a masterful instrumental smash. The bridge leading into the final chorus and outro is great too, its second hook not feeling superfluous but like a very natural progression. It’s a great expansion of their sound, still staying true to their roots but pushing them in a new direction too. As for the music video, it’s exactly the kind of dark aesthetic that Purple Kiss excels at: fire, motorcycles, devil wings, etc. (Look, I’m queer, I’m not immune to hot women on bikes.) Seriously though, this is a great song, and I hope they keep going in this direction. 

From the EP, I enjoyed the nostalgic, light footed sound of Sweet Nightmare (my hidden gem), the slowly creeping sound of Encore, and the warmhearted Light The Way. It’s another strong collection from the girls, I’m happy to say!

Single #5: I Miss My

Do Re Mi arrives after almost a year since their last comeback, with a twinkling instrumental and a bright sound that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Studio Ghibli movie. It’s a perfectly lovely song—in terms of vocals especially—but I have the same issue with it that I did with Festa, which is that it just doesn’t sound like Purple Kiss. Anyone could do a song like this; not everyone could do a Purple Kiss song. That being said, I do like this song more than I liked Festa, and I’m open to it growing on me.

From the single, I enjoyed the pulsing beat and racing pop-rock chorus of Lost Of Found, which has quickly become one of my favorite b-sides of theirs.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I got to learn so much more about Purple Kiss and who they are as people than I did the first time. Besides watching their self-filmed MVs for Autopilot, Light the Way, and Hate Me Hurt Me Love Me (all of which are adorable), I watched their video answering Frequently Asked Questions to remind myself of their names as well as a couple of them recording their songs in the studio, which was an informative look into their processes. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know!

My Top 5 songs are Zombie, Love Is Dead, Autopilot, Voyager, and Light The Way, with Lost And Found as an honorable mention. Purple Kiss gets an 8.75/10 from me, because they’re incredibly consistent in tone, style, and quality (except for a few dips), and they’ve done an excellent job carving out a niche. Groups having their own, very clear, identity is a topic I genuinely care about, and something that I feel is becoming less common, which is one of the reasons I mostly stan 2nd and 3rd generation bands.

I’m not saying that I want groups (or the idols in them) to be pigeon-holed, but looking at, say Girls Generation, Dreamcatcher, or Stray Kids, their styles (inspiration from vintage pop, rock, and hip-hop respectively) are very evident while still managing to have variety and keep innovating. Anyway, this was a longer rant than I’d planned, so let’s get back to my final thoughts.

In my original review, where I gave them an 8.25, I said this: “I think that they, like LOONA, often stay in a middle ground of good, not terrible, but also not excellent.”, and you know what, I disagree with past-me. I’d only written nine other reviews at the time so I had no base to go off of for what I’d consider a “great” discography. But now that I do, let me tell you that Purple Kiss have really grown on me in the last couple years. Their songs never feel boring; there’s always something new to the production or the vocals to discover that you didn’t hear the first time. (Or first five) I also didn’t know back then that all of the members are involved in writing their own songs, which is still unusual for the industry. I didn’t become a Plory through this deep dive, but if they come back my way on their next tour, you bet I’ll do my best to grab a ticket and see them.

Next time, we’re onto a soloist. Tschüss!