KARD is finally here! Well let's not kid ourselves, this is a debut the same way EXO's "Mama" was their "debut." Three other MVs and a world tour before this moment hardly make it a debut, but I digress. KARD have been sensational since "Oh Nana," and even though they don't have Youngji in the ranks, the complete lack of coed groups make this squad a refreshing team to watch and listen to. Their vocals are good, rapping is strong, dancing is exciting, what more could you need? Let's hope "Hola Hola" continues to deliver the hype.
This song is definitely a sort of fusion of their previous releases. I love callbacks and references to other songs in general, so I was especially delighted to hear the callback to "Oh Nana." They even did the same point move of the dance, too! Somin's voice seems very flexible: she can hit notes from all ranges on the spectrum and easily carries the group vocally. Granted there's only two real vocalists between her and Jiwoo but that isn't to say Jiwoo is bad. In fact her versatility was shown off like never before in "Hola Hola," which is awesome. She got the usual healthy dose of singing lines along with a rap / rap-singing verse. The potential for Jiwoo to be the next big jack-of-all-trades is there, and it's up to DSP to use it. Can we also enshrine that "uh" before Jiwoo's rap as one of the best in the business outside of Jessi herself?
In terms of the rapper boys, I like J.Seph's style more but BM's voice is unquestionably top tier. The kicker is that both members get solid raps time and time again so it's like a pick your poison...or maybe the opposite of pick your poison. If you dig the deep voices a la Yongguk and T.O.P (hopefully this isn't too soon given recent news...) then BM is your man. If you're into the intricacies of rapping then J.Seph is probably more appealing. This bridge was way too short! Somin's voice was a little reaching but didn't sound too uncomfortable and I wouldn't have minded if they repeated another measure like that before going back to the chorus. "Ma l u v" is a tad awkward but I suppose it was the most appropriate way to end the song
As expected, we're treated to a fresh and lively choreography from KARD. Their choreographers always manage to find and hit that elusive sweet spot that incorporates so many different elements together. Sexy, fun, refreshing, etc. It's a beautiful blend that both members and backup dancers use well. Eye candy all around I say. That's the strength of a coed group: everyone has someone to cheer for. The interactions in the dance are carefully done and it's more about each individual member than two (loose) couples. Also can't forget that everything matches the beat and pace of the song very well, too. It's been a while since a group has really made me pay so much attention to their choreography but it's seriously well done. They're all solid dancers in their own right and "Hola Hola" continues to flaunt their skills.
KARD MVs generally are all about the dancing, so it's both appropriate and nice to see something that wasn't entirely box shots and close-ups for the "debut" video. "Hola Hola" has a little of everything: sports, pillow fights, nature, fooding, the city, even videogames. And of course playing cards. Symbolism and imagery are everywhere in this video and while it may not be a memorable watch, it certainly is pleasant on the eyes. I'd say the only thing bad about this MV is the resolution, made so by those obnoxious white bars. Somin looks surprisingly good in the blonde and the denim representation is strong in this video. While not in complete uniformity, the bright hair colors go nicely with the rest of the scenery throughout the various shots. As far as songs that I've reviewed for this blog go, "Hola Hola" has one of the more enjoyable music videos I've ever seen. I'm someone that isn't huge into MVs but I can appreciate the effort that went into this one.
If this album was anyone's first exposure to KARD, you'd rate this as one of the best mini albums of the year and one of the best debuts period. The strengths of the group flow from one song to the next and culminates with "Hola Hola" as the title track. Combining their coed structure, really strong rappers in BM and J.Seph, addictive choreography and music, and you have the recipe for success that KARD have been thriving off of since the beginning (you know, their actual debut heh). It's difficult to find fault in this song except for the absurdly short bridge, and thus the extremely high score. I hope that KARD sparks the industry to have some more coed groups in future years.
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