From Afar, KARD's Dedication To Their Own Sound Never Failed To Impress Me

When you're into mostly groups in K-Pop that are doing something different or are not from the Big 4, I feel like you tend to appreciate a group's longevity and achievements more. The things that are mostly taken for granted by more popular groups, like awards and music show wins and opportunities, are all treated a bit more like gold by those that don't often see the spotlight that often. Most of all, if a group continues doggedly onward, even as they know what they're doing might be a little too different to be accepted by the general K-Pop listening public, it makes the fans they do have appreciate them all the more.

I don't know that I could ever really call myself a "Hidden KARD", mostly because I'm a listener who drifted in and out of KARD's releases over the years, appreciative of their unique dynamic and the musical house and tropical/Latin pop style that would become their signature, but never diving deep enough to begin following them closely. But that doesn't mean that I didn't recognize the unique niche that they've carved into the K-Pop industry over almost a decade. Like my ults, Dreamcatcher, KARD represented that unapologetic, maybe even defiant stand that many groups that do not follow the standard, popular concepts and music take. I see it as a kind of flag-planting that, despite a much smaller fanbase and perhaps not as much attention, declared that they were here, and here to stay for as long as they could.

I found KARD almost entirely by accident - it was a mistaken click on YouTube when I was searching for a song by girl group KARA, and who were both under DSP media, that one-time powerhouse of 2nd generation K-Pop. Curiosity about "Oh NaNa" turned to interest, as I realized the group that was on the screen was not a single gender unit with backup dancers or extras but a co-ed group, pretty much a rare unicorn in the industry.

There are lots of theories about why there aren't more co-ed groups, from fear of the drama behind possible romantic relationships, to the difficulty of marketing parasocialism with both men and women, to just the simple logistics of dressing room and living arrangements and more. But if you ask me, I think it's just that both general K-Pop fans and companies find comfort in the standard and uniform when it comes to group makeup and music - especially when there's money to be made and that money should be more certain in its ability to be acquired than not. That's not necessarily something that I'd call bad, per se, but it does limit, to some extent, the wide variety of what we could get with more groups featuring men, women, or non-binary folks in K-Pop.

A couple years later, I somehow missed out on "Bomb Bomb" and how it might have been hailed as KARD's breakout hit, but did catch "Dumb Litty", a hard-charging, EDM, Hip-Hop, and Trap hybrid that told me that this was a group that was not messing around when it came to their identity and what they wanted to do. Through tropical pop had apparently been what brought them attention among their fans, this added an edge to their music that reminded me of my younger days closing down clubs and spending many nights in bass-heavy beats and jumping crowds that seemed to never run out of energy.

The inevitability of South Korean military service and its effect on groups is part of why I'm not into more boy groups in K-Pop, and I didn't really check in with KARD after "Dumb Litty" because of member J.Seph's stint in the army. So when KARD returned in 2022 as a full group with a new mini album, I came back as well, and wasn't disappointed. It was like they'd never taken a hiatus, and even though the numbers weren't as high, none of that seemed to matter to a group that had stamped its identity as not only a group more popular internationally but one that had a style and sound that was very much theirs.

As it is, it isn't a surprise that KARD has made their bank and their sustainability with lots of tours and shows, and whether it was North America, Europe, and especially in Latin and South America (who arguably make up the core of KARD's fanbase given musical affinity, among other reasons), they've always put on good, high-energy performances with lots of memorable moments. I've only been to a single KARD show, and while I'm already pre-disposed to enjoying a smaller-scale show, I was still impressed with the group's ability to play off of the crowd, be funny, and even a little unhinged without it getting too wild, and of course, fill their sets with lots more than just the tracks that made a name for themselves.

That name, I think, should continue in K-Pop lore far beyond the end of KARD's contracts with DSP/RBW, which was announced recently in tandem with their first full album, which features all of the group's recent solo work along with a bunch of new songs, one of which, "Back To Life", departs a little bit from their trademark sound to deliver a heartfelt, emotional message to fans and, perhaps, to each other. They'll engage in one more tour to see fans before they wrap things up and enter into that post-exclusive contract era that seems popular with older groups these days, and the news has afforded me the chance to catch up on all their music over the years, with tracks like "Red Moon" and "Fireworks", and revisit fun earworms like "Icky", whose promotions crossed over with Dreamcatcher and have led to some fun appearances and shorts together.

But like Dreamcatcher, the group's bond seems to transcend any contract length and there's a decent chance, I think, that we will see KARD again all together in the future. Until then, they've left behind a legacy and a stamp on the industry that, though not as huge as their more popular peers, is nevertheless a footprint that isn't easy to fill. That's in part because of how they never seemed to waver from their sound, presentation, and from one another, and even as a casual fan, I can't help but respect that level of dedication in an ever-shifting industry. The news of the end of their group activities has brought with it many K-Pop fans, including myself, who might have watched their dedication from afar but never really got a chance to get acquainted with them or their music, and I'd hope that folks do more than listen to the last songs and engage in kind appreciation. KARD is worth following along in whatever they do next, and to add to your playlist tracks that provide not just something different, but something dedicated and passionate to the craft, unafraid and bold, and most of all true to a consistent, decade-long musical vision.