KISS OF LIFE "I Did Well, Proudly.. Aiming to Create a New Miracle" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Girl group KISS OF LIFE (Juli, Natty, Belle, Ha-neul) announced that they are ready to enjoy the hot summer season with confidence as a hexagonal all-rounder girl group.

KISS OF LIFE held an interview with StarNews at a cafe in Sinsa-dong, Seoul on July 29 and shared various stories along with their ambition to embark on activities for their new album.

On the 4th at 6 p.m., KISS OF LIFE released their third career single 'SWEAT' through major online music platforms. The title track 'SWEAT' is an Afro-house-based number combining electronic pop and Latin rhythms. It sensibly captures the heat of the season, rhythmic energy, and the tension of a moment when eyes meet. On top of heavy and sensual beats, the members' soft and charming voices create harmony, hinting at KISS OF LIFE's unique summer sensibility and intense addictiveness. The track 'WHAT!' expresses the members' confident energy in a direct and free atmosphere.

First, regarding 'SWEAT', KISS OF LIFE said, "It contains a deep message, not just meaning that we sweat because it's hot in summer. We wanted to emphasize that everyone sweats while working hard, which aligned with the confident message we want to convey." They added, "We couldn't miss out on this summer, so we came back quickly."

They continued, "This time, we also wanted to show a new concept. The performance arrangement will be a key point. It's a dance routine of easy difficulty. There should be fun in watching scenes like dancing barefoot on sand," they said.

KISS OF LIFE stated, "We pre-released it at Waterbomb, and fans were extremely surprised and gave great reactions, which increased expectations for our comeback activities." They added, "While listening to 'SWEAT', we felt it suited us well, was very good, the genre is hip, and the keywords matched. So, we unanimously decided to select it as the comeback title track."

"Regarding the modulation part of this song, since we were in a pre-release situation where we had to consider many realistic factors while listening to it ourselves, we had some concerns. However, we ultimately decided to keep the modulation because I felt that nowadays, so much diverse music is being released, and many senior and junior artists are making very diverse and cool new attempts. We thought that if we bring in this kind of new challenge, you would feel a sense of freshness." (Belle)

"Actually, as we went through trainee life and came to this position from various backgrounds, we worked hard and endured many hardships. There were words we kept repeating in our minds at every moment. It seems that saying 'we also wanted to look perfect on the outside and be too perfect' resonates with you. We also wanted to show only a perfect image despite being imperfect, and we wanted to convey the message overall that even imperfection is beautiful." (Juli)

Juli continued, "'Sticky' received so much love and attention, so there was some pressure for the next comeback. However, since we were so confident in 'SWEAT' just as we were with 'Sticky', our mindset was to enjoy the stage just as fun as 'Sticky'. We thought the public would recognize us if we did that, so we tried to reduce the burden as much as possible and prepared while immersing ourselves in the song and having fun."

Regarding the difference between 'Sticky' and 'SWEAT', KISS OF LIFE explained, "If 'Sticky' had a refreshing image like clouds in a blue sky or a clear sky, then 'SWEAT' is a slightly more mature concept where you can imagine our members dancing on sand under the sunset. We think of it as a mature woman's concept."

Following the massive hit of 'Sticky' and winning awards at major ceremonies such as the Korean Music Awards, KISS OF LIFE received industry recognition as a "hexagonal girl group." Regarding this, Belle said, "Each member has stats of abilities that are so well-equipped, so I think it shows very well across the whole team." She added, "I still have many shortcomings, and the members also have many things they want to figure out themselves. We have so much more to show, but it feels like each person's talent and various abilities honed over a long time, such as songwriting, are shining."

She continued, "In terms of music, I have been composing for a long time and have increased my imagination and understanding of music. Also, some members excel in key areas, some in performance, and some in internal aspects; each is holding their ground well in their respective positions."

Ha-neul said, "I originally liked band music and bright music, but while being active as KISS OF LIFE, I started listening to more R&B and hip-hop. It seems my ability level has risen with vibey music as well."

Meanwhile, regarding questions about differences in opinion among the members, they said, "When there are differences of opinion, we express ourselves freely about why we think that way and share our opinions with each other." They added, "We understand those opinions, listen to and understand the other person's views, so I think we have done quite well at finding a middle ground."

"Our goal is for everyone to do well together, so determining what is best is the first priority. That is an important part of looking at things from as objective a perspective as possible." (Belle)

"For example, images like singing and dancing under the sunset were images we came up with by drawing our own pictures ourselves. I think we gave many opinions when filming the music video or preparing performances. We spent a lot of time and thought to reflect everything we could participate in." (Natty)

"When thinking about why people like us, they really liked that we truly enjoy dancing on stage, feel something, and get excited. So I think we gave many opinions because we felt performance is very important, such as wanting to try different genres. Surprisingly, the members' participation in even small things was quite high." (Juli)

KISS OF LIFE said, "We are a group that always challenges ourselves in terms of performance or music, so we recognize that trying new things as much as we challenge can lead to divided reactions." They added, "We think there is no single answer in every aspect. While receiving all feedback, we seem to be making efforts not to lose our color and the things we must be confident about."

"One of the colors unique to our concept is confidence. We want listeners and viewers to feel our own confidence just as we do. I think conveying courage always is the biggest message. I hope the public views the confidence that bursts out from within due to self-belief in a positive way." (Belle)

"I hope the public feels our honest selves are confident. We want to convey a message that we know how to acknowledge difficulties, admit mistakes and learn from them, and when doing well, say 'I did well.' Through such human, honest appearances, we always want to tell our fans, 'You look confident because you appear confident.'" (Juli)

KISS OF LIFE emphasized that they are always studying for new challenges and said, "We are filling needs without losing our color."

"Since we are in a position where we constantly try to grasp how recent trends are flowing and what the public is reacting to, we are always aware of many things about songs or artists at the top of the charts. We think, 'We did this too.' While we take the advantages from them, just following them doesn't necessarily make all excellent songs like those. Their strengths might be idealized, which could be why they are ranked so high. I think we worry more about what our strengths are and what strengths we should highlight to get people to see us." (Belle)

"In a way, it seems people enjoy memes that are created naturally rather than forced. So, as we start activities, we will quickly catch those fun points that emerge and try to unfold them in an interesting way." (Juli)

The members mentioned EXO's Kai and SISTAR as artists they would like to challenge together with a challenge if given the opportunity.

Regarding the Summer Queen competition, Juli said, "Rather than thinking of it as competition, I think it's very good that when summer comes, many K-pop artists are actively releasing multiple songs and engaging in a competition that isn't really a competition." She added, "When 'Sticky' came out, we didn't have such pressure or thoughts. But since then, so many people have released great songs, and I feel excited thinking that we can continue to have a very fun summer."

Along with this, regarding their 3rd-anniversary reflections, KISS OF LIFE said, "Three years might seem short, but we spent those three years really meaningfully and hard-working, so people around us were surprised saying it hasn't been that long." They added, "We felt quite proud. It means we have done many things and had many activities. We want to repay the people around us who made this possible. The remaining time has motivated me and spurred me on to show better results and more cool appearances in the future."

The members mentioned topping the music charts as their goal for this activity, answering, "We feel even more grateful for the title 'Miracle of Small and Medium Agencies' now than back then. In the future, rather than just a miracle of small and medium agencies, we hope to create a new, different miracle."

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*This content was translated by AI.