KISS OF LIFE “Controversy over suggestiveness? There’s no right answer… If you’re confident, do it with confidence” [Interview②]

[OSEN=Reporter Ji Min-kyung] KISS OF LIFE, who have established themselves as the "summer queens," have become even stronger, armed with more solid performances and confidence as they bear the weight of the crown.

KISS OF LIFE recently sat down for an interview at a café in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the release of their third single, 'SWEAT,' and discussed various stories about their new album.

Having earned the title of "summer queens" through their summer promotions, including 'Sticky,' KISS OF LIFE said, "We are so grateful that you have given us the title of 'summer queens,' and just as we have to act in accordance with the weight of the crown, we also thought and worked harder while preparing for this comeback. Rather than simply giving off the feeling of hot summer queens, we came out with a story and narrative embedded in the album itself," adding, "We worked hard to prepare in a way that lives up to the title of 'summer queens,' so we ask for your great anticipation and interest."

After the hit success of 'Sticky,' they must also have felt considerable pressure to be different from before. Julie explained, "It would be a lie to say there was no pressure. Since 'Sticky' received so much love and attention, thankfully, we thought a lot about what new side we could bring out. In the end, I think the reason 'Sticky' received so much love was that the public recognized how genuinely we enjoyed and were happy performing that song. This time as well, regardless of what changes we made, we thought that if we showed our confidence and sincerely enjoyed the music, we might receive that kind of attention and love again. With the mindset of 'Let's do our own thing again,' we prepared for this release."

Outstanding live singing and powerful performances are KISS OF LIFE's greatest weapons. Belle shared her philosophy toward the stage: "In this day and age, I think that not only listening but also watching can be part of music. If what you see lacks vitality, it can feel insufficient. Since performance is our group's strength and we prepare with sincerity, we prioritize the importance of both music and performance. To strike a balance, we take a calculated approach on live stages, deciding where to showcase our vocals and where to use our movements so that we can maintain the energy without becoming boring. We distribute and plan everything according to the character of each stage and practice accordingly."

Having previously been embroiled in a controversy over suggestiveness because of the choreography for 'Who is she,' they also offered cool and mature responses to the various assessments. Julie stated her conviction: "I don't think there is one right answer to every reaction. We listen carefully to and accept feedback, but we prepared with the conclusion that if we are confident in ourselves, showing it confidently is what KISS OF LIFE would do."

NATTY expressed confidence in the performance for their new song: "I think taking on new challenges is our team's appeal, and I think we had a lot of fun preparing this time. When I heard the song, I felt that we had conveyed its message and put its overwhelming energy into the choreography, so it will also be fun to watch. This time, we prepared a performance that everyone will enjoy, and we are confident in it, so I hope you will definitely watch us on stage."

Belle explained the secret behind KISS OF LIFE's unique "refined confidence": "We think that the confidence and assurance radiating from our inner belief amplify our instinctive appeal and sensuality. It is not sexiness intended to show off something more; rather, I think elegance can emerge from the confident aura that radiates from within us."

Recently celebrating their third anniversary since debut, they have garnered extraordinary popularity, enough to be called "the miracle of a small-to-medium-sized agency." The members expressed their gratitude to their fans: "Both the people around us and we ourselves say, 'Has it only been three years?' It feels like we have spent the time completely filled to the brim. We felt really proud when we heard people say that. It made us feel that we had truly spent our time meaningfully, and we are very grateful to our fans and the people at the company who made it possible."

When asked when it began to feel real, they laughed and said, "We do not spend much time at our headquarters, so we did not really feel it. But recently, during a meeting, we went up to the CEO's office for the first time, and it was really well furnished. The CEO said, 'I can be here because of all of you,' and that was when I thought, 'We really have grown a lot.' Since our headquarters looks so impressive, we thought we should help him move to an even higher floor," adding, "The look in the CEO's eyes has changed. He looks at us as if he is gazing at 'my little ones,' with affection dripping from his eyes like honey. I think it feels different starting with that look."

Their eyes, never knowing limits, are already fixed on even higher places. Expressing her endless thirst for the stage, Julie revealed an ambitious dream: "I think we are really well suited to outdoor stages. Every time we perform at one, the members' potential explodes, and we become immersed as we show energies we have never shown before. That is why I want to perform at Coachella."

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[Photo] S2 Entertainment