KiiiKiii – Delulu Pack (The 2nd EP)

Love delulu and the title tracks

Album was overall okay !

Mungnyang is my initial favourite.

I love all the contrast throughout Underdogs. But I think as a whole song it hinges on a melody that isn’t quite as easy listening as mungnyang.

Dizzy feels a little unremarkable right now but I can tell once the initial rush of adrenaline from these other songs settles, it’ll probably be my favourite from the mini album lol.

Mungnyang is soooo good! I also love Underdogs. I love the slight hyperpop vibe 5th gen groups are bringing to their music.

Also, is it just me, or is Delulu electro swing mixed with house a little bit? Love it.

Okay, I’ve really enjoyed KiiiKiii up to this point but they hadn’t really stuck with me for an entire project yet (I’d really liked select songs on the 1st EP but other songs were hit or miss for me and id only added like a couple songs to my Playlist) but ive finished this and WOW.

This is such an overall improvement over their music up to this point and I REALLY enjoyed this. Need to let it sit but this is a strong ep and im really excited to see where they go from here. Not really any skips for me which is a GREAT THING. Dizzy is probably the weakest song on here but it was still cool and I still enjoyed it over lots of the older music.

since i can’t sleep here in EST, might as well do one of my album yaps right now since i’ve been anticipating this release, even as a casual KiiiKiii listener!

album: Yet again, KiiiKiii delivers nothing but bold consistency. Already an early contender for my personal album of the year, filled with nothing but no-skips. That being said, To Me From Me’s inclusion here feels a little bit like a filler decision… but it’s not enough for me to discredit the other 5 tracks. Full sending on their campy vibes from previous releases and blending them with unique sounds and overall well-executed production, this was a cohesive album that starts off high-energy, peaking with the stellar title track, and gradually brings it down by the end, all the while carrying an experimental, fun mixture of electronic genres with R&B. I hope this gets nominated at end-of-year awards this year; even being a casual listener/fan of KiiiKiii, i cannot understate just how impressive this album is. 9/10

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Delulu: Oh my god this is… yes. Just enough camp, just the right beat, and just the right amount of delicate arrangements to capture one of THE truest snapshots of Minimal Tech House in K-Pop. I haven’t heard it executed this well since f(x). 8.5/10

404 (New Era): This TT is SO GOOD!!! it’s executed just as well as Delulu, but, instead, with more of a British Tech House/UK Garage influence to spice it up and add a bit more bouncy color with the mixture of campy lines and airy vocals. It’s so… authentic to its influence, it has me SHOOK- like it never left the late 90s or early 2000s. (P.S. speaking of f(x), LDN Noise is credited as an arranger on this track, who were the primary producers behind 4 Walls: so the connection is REAL) 9/10.

UNDERDOGS: A heavy lean into Trap R&B, drum n’ bass, and even a sprinkle of what sounds like a bit of Hyperpop arrangement in it (especially in its melodic/harmonic structure and composition). it’s such an intricately balanced, complex mix with INCREDIBLY high quality, with the vocals being equally as high quality: the balanced blend of shouty vocals, smooth riffs, and airy prechoruses really showcase incredible versatility. i also have to give an honorable mention to the sound design, every production choice from the hyperpop lead synths to the varying hi-hat arrangements to signify genre switches was INTENTIONAL AND CLEAR… i thought 404 wouldn’t have been topped, but i stand corrected. THIS is my personal favorite song on this album. 9.5/10

MUNGNYANG: A playful, airy-textured Industrial track that implements quite pleasant synth design that I wished they really incorporated/used more into the track, as I felt they would’ve complemented the airy adlibs/melodies in the choruses well (as teased in the outro). That being said, it feels like this exists as BTG’s mature, chilled-out cousin, and I still appreciate it on this album nonetheless- it’s actually quite a fun and borderline campy track, and quite easy to listen to. 7/10

Dizzy: If you had me listen to this song without me knowing that KiiiKiii was a K-Pop group, I would’ve instinctively assumed they were a KRnB artist- this track heavily leans into the modern melodic KHH/KRnB style of boomy trap over a lofi-inspired beat (think Royal 44 or Penomeco) and adds a bit of K-Pop structure in layered harmonies and an intimate vocal mix. it’s delicate in vocal delivery and mix despite the harder-hitting choruses, but i think they actually complement each other quite well. Only real gripe is with the length of the track, but, otherwise, really fun and decently laid-back track! 7.5/10

To Me From Me: (felt the need to include here, even though it’s an older release, it’s still part of the album) I hear the TABLO influence so strongly- he has a specific side chaining in his percussion that makes it characteristically punchy in sound. A nice bedroom-y blend of an R&B chord structure, delicate and nostalgic retro pop synth design (maybe even a bit of Rhodes i’m hearing?), and a driving, lofi-drum arrangement overlaid on top of a groovy 808 bassline. Quite a vibey Y2K-esque track, and I am always here for more keyboard leads in K-Pop (as a keyboardist myself LOL) 6.5/10