Purple Kiss – Into Violet
Title: Into Violet Artist: Purple Kiss Label: RBW Entertainment Release: March 15, 2021
Purple Kiss was by far my most anticipated debut in four years since Blackpink. Purple Kiss is a seven member girl group from RBW Entertainment home of Mamamoo, Oneus, Vromance and Onewe. The members are:
- Park Jieun – Born: Sept. 4, 1997 ~ Vocalist, Visual
- Na Goeun – Born: Sept. 3, 1999 ~ Vocalist, Dancer, Center, Face
- Jang Eun Seong aka Dosie – Born: Feb. 11, 2000 ~ Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper
- Cho Seo Young aka Ireh – Born: Apr. 30, 2002 ~ Dancer, Vocalist
- Mori Koyuki aka Yuki – Born: Nov. 6, 2002 ~ Rapper, Dancer, Vocalist
- Lee Chae Young aka Chaein – Born: Dec. 5, 2002 ~ Vocalist, Rapper, Dancer
- Park Su Jin aka Swan – Born: Jul. 11, 2003 ~ Main Vocalist, Maknae
Note: The official positions of main/lead/sub etc. Have not been announced besides Swan’s which is pretty obvious.
Words can’t express how excited I was for this debut. I needed the day to listen and sort through my feelings. I have watched these girls since pre-debut as 365 Practice for almost two years now along with the Banana Act (rip) girlies. So it was natural for me to review this mini album. I loved the roll out that they did for this group with the predebut singles and all the various activities. I liked that RBW was not just relying on Mamamoo as the selling point for these girls.
Title Track – Ponzona
I didn’t know that this was the vibe that they would take with the song based on the visuals and teaser, but it works so damn well. Apparently this was a song that Swan wrote along with Yuki and Goeun as a trainee evaluation which became their debut title. I enjoy the violin backdrop throughout the song because it gives this eerie feeling which works really well with the visuals. Y’all know I love me some songs with actual choruses because everyone be doing beat drops and it is annoying. One of the best things about this is the visuals within the MV. I love love LOVE Jieun’s shot with the spider. This was really such a good debut song. It stuck to the trends that we’re seeing, but still held a certain uniqueness to it. It has the appeal of something that can work in both Korea and Internationally. Good job.
B-Sides
Intro: Crown
It’s a really great introduction track. They came to tell you that they are running for the crown meaning they are coming for the 4th Gen positions! The comparison to Billie Eilish is obvious and doesn’t need to be stated. I have always enjoyed electropop and synths. I know it is an intro, but I would’ve killed for it to be longer. The performance video helps to enhance the visuals.
Can We Talk Again
Swan’s voice is like a gentle caress. I am a sucker for a slow and soft rock sound especially with nice fierce vocals. The visuals are also so pretty in this one. I can appreciate Yuki’s rap as well, proving how her flow works well with this style.
Skip Skip
A nice reggae trap song. It has the energy to get you up and dancing. The best part is the production at the end of the song. The additional up tempo elevates it from being just average.
Hello
THIS SONG IS AMAZING. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. It is so simple, but the vocals are so great here. A soft pop ballad really works in favor of Jieun, Goeun and Swan’s voices. I keep repeating the song because I am that obsessed with.
My Heart Skip A Beat
I’m not going to lie, my first time hearing this song was the album because I was salty that Swan wasn’t available during this predebut release. Overall, I can see the comparison to Dreamcatcher because it is rock and trap beats infused song. I enjoyed it, but I do miss Swan’s voice.
Period
As is standard for most KPOP albums, we end with a ballad. This one is a softer style compared to Hello and equally as sweet. However, it doesn’t quite strike me as memorable in the long run in comparison to the rest of the songs.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think that I have enjoyed a debut work this much in recent years from a girl group since maybe EVERGLOW. Is it because this mini was in my taste and style why I enjoyed it so much? Was it the way Swan’s vocals are so stunningly unique that you can get literal chills when she hits a note? Of course there isn’t anything new that these girls have brought to the table, but there is something that just works. They perform really well and can only grow as time goes on. I also look forward to seeing them on more varieties and getting their names out to the public more. I am so excited to see how everything goes for them because there is so much star potential here.
Concept: 4/5
Vocals: 5/5
Raps: 4.5/5
Cohesiveness: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Unbothered Unnies 