‘Sup, k-dreamers? Sorry for no review last week. But with July teeming with exciting comebacks, I had a feeling that I would have plenty to review this week. Surprisingly, it was “Karma” by Kingdom that caught my eye. This is their first comeback after debuting in February. Dare I say, this song is certainly worthy of the term “comeback.” Let’s take a look!
Kingdom clearly did their literature homework.
The first thing that drew my attention about “Karma” was the lyrics, particularly the reference to “Shangri-La.” It sounds like the name of some swanky hotel in Las Vegas, but it’s actually a fictional place in the book Lost Horizon by James Hilton. In this place, people age slowly and live a peaceful existence. However, there is a twist: anyone who chooses to leave Shangri-La will age quickly and die. I mean, if this place is so perfect, why would anyone want to leave? But then again, is it really a paradise if you cannot come and go as you please? Sounds more like a prison.
Past the eyes of complete desire
There is an oasis
The starlight of ecstasy
Tells me of my nemesis
Hurry and open the door
I can take anything
The message of “Karma” seems to make reference to the concept from Lost Horizon. The members of Kingdom don’t want peace. Their desire for more takes them beyond the boundaries of their utopia and they are willing to face the consequences.
Why don’t I ever like debut songs?
When Kingdom first debuted, I wasn’t sold on “Excalibur”. Even though it sounded interesting musically, the vocal range was a little too shrill for my ears. With “Karma” they have brought down the range considerably while still sprinkling in some musically interesting parts. I especially like the chromatic descent of the melody when Jahan sings “Endlessly pushes over” (I think this counts as text painting). They also change up the third chorus, which makes the song less repetitive, and even managed to squeeze in a high note.
If you think about it, a debut song is almost like a “test run” and the comeback is like a “revision.” You release the product, you receive feedback, you implement the improvements, and you try again. I didn’t really like TO1 and Pink Fantasy when they first debuted but I’ve enjoyed their subsequent title tracks since then. This is why you shouldn’t always trust your first impression of a group. Whenever I don’t like a group’s debut song, I wait until they have a comeback before deciding if I like their music or not. I’m weird.
Honourable Mentions: 2PM – Make It, Epik High ft. Colde & Younha – Rain Song, LOONA – PTT (Paint The Town), ONEWE – Veronica (Man, ONEWE has been knocking it out of the park lately!)
If you like this song, check out: Dreamcatcher – What (2018), GOT7 – Eclipse (2019), Verivery – Thunder (2020)
I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this way about debuts and comebacks. Did “Karma” put Kingdom on your radar? Let me know in the comments!