K-pop girl group KiiiKiii is trying something new with their latest release, “To Me From Me.”
The track — produced by Korean hip-hop artist and producer Tablo, of the trio Epik High — is a more emotional, ballad track, a departure from the group’s signature upbeat pop. It’s a new path for the five-member girl group, comprising members Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum and Kya.
“Our fans usually think of KiiiKiii as always having this kind of bright and energetic energy in all of our past songs. But with this kind of ballad, we think that we’ll be able to show them a different kind of vocal tone and style, ” Kya tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom from the Seoul headquarters of their label Starship Entertainment.
The single soundtracks the group’s first web novel, Dear.X, featuring characters inspired by the members of KiiiKiii. “We spoke with the writer, face-to-face, and talked a lot about our own stories,” Jiyu says. She explains that the writer took the stories from the group and used them to create the world within the novel.
“When I saw the illustrations for our web novel, at first, I was so surprised that they captured each member’s appealing points,” Jiyu adds. Leesol continues, “Taking part in a project outside of music was such a new and exciting experience.”
For Tablo, a veteran of the Korean music industry, his own daughter, Haru, was a big reason why he signed on to produce the track. “The youngest member (Kya) is actually the same age as Haru,” Tablo explains, gathered on the Zoom with KiiiKiii. “I’ve always wanted to try something or work on a project that would speak to her. I thought that KiiiKiii, as a group overall, speaks specifically to that audience.”
Tablo’s daughter didn’t just serve as an inspiration for him taking on the project, she also participated in its creation. “She actually wrote the lyrics with me,” he explains, noting that he realized he hadn’t been that young in a while. “I wanted to look through the eyes of KiiiKiii. Also, because this is related to a web novel, I wanted it to represent the thoughts and worries and hopes and dreams that are present within someone like Haru’s mind, someone that is KiiiKiii age.”
Siu says that she felt comforted when she first read the lyrics. “When we heard that Tablo was talking to Haru while writing the lyrics, we were very inspired by the fact that he was taking everyday life and thoughts and making that into music,” she says.
Tablo also thought about how this style of song would fit into KiiiKiii’s overall image. “I’ve had such a long career, so I understand how all songs in a musician’s discography play an important role… I’ve had certain songs that I never imagined would become the most important songs for Epik High or for me. They somehow just end up that way,” he explains.
“I believe that that’s why it’s important for artists to try different things and to tell different stories. Sometimes even when fans don’t expect it or particularly want it because it fleshes out the world that KiiiKiii is,” Tablo continues. “I hope that KiiiKiii, with their next album too, try different things and the dots will connect way later. I would always say to young artists, try different things.”
Trying new things seems to be on the top of mind for KiiiKiii as well. “We have always said that we want to try a lot of diverse concepts, especially because we’re still rookies,” Haum says. She reinforces what her group members said, that “To Me From Me” has been a track where they’ve been able to explore.
KiiiKiii debuted on the K-pop scene earlier this year with their first release, “I Do Me,” which felt like a breath of fresh air. The song is infectiously catchy, a fitting soundtrack for a slumber party or an outdoor adventure. The music video opted for an effortlessly fun and youthful feel, trading in glossy, big sets for scenic mountain views.
“We never expected that we were going to gets so much love and support from so many people,” Jiyu says of their debut year. “We still have many things to learn and experience, so we’re dreaming a very positive future. We’re going to keep working even harder.”
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