KISS OF LIFE : Summer Queens

On June 27, KSTATION TV meets the girl band KISS OF LIFE, which is already breaking all records. Discover four talented young women in this article.

The group is composed of JULIE, BELLE, NATTY and HANEUL, and made its debut on July 5, 2023 with the title «Shhh» under S2 ENTERTAINMENT. The group quickly met with great success, with the titles that followed, even placing in the Billboard 200. It is with the title «Sticky» that KISS OF LIFE realizes its comeback on July 1st, and it is during a privileged meeting for an interview that we discover more about the backstage of this comeback. The interview begins with some presentations between the journalists present and the members of the group, before «Sticky» is broadcast. It is with a summer and sweet song that the group returns, changing more impactful titles proposed so far. Another song is then presented, answering the exotic name of «Te quiero».

JULIE starts by talking about this comeback, describing how quickly the group came back only a few weeks after its comeback with «Midas touch». Even if the preparation time was short, they preferred to please their fans and bring them this summer single to announce the summer heat. It is also an opportunity for the singers to show facets of the group that they had not yet explored, via a genre, vocal techniques, a new style. They hope that their fans will warmly welcome this comeback.

If they had to define this single by a particular style, JULIE would choose to give it the term «luminous», distinguishing itself from the strong and sensual performances that they are used to doing this time take pleasure on stage while having fun. Since their previous comeback, it is true that little time has passed, and BELLE admits that it was sometimes difficult to coordinate between the respective schedules of each, but with perseverance they managed to carry out this comeback. That’s why, rather than coming back with a mini-album, they preferred to focus on a single. A journalist points to the fact that BELLE lost a lot of weight in record time, stating that she wanted to have a body that would allow her to wear more beautiful clothes, and to reveal herself without fear for the summer. Finally, the other members say they also underwent a diet to be at their best for this comeback.

While filming the clip for «Sticky», BELLE says she created beautiful memories with the other members, taking advantage of every moment to share them with the girls and make sure that this moment is engraved forever in her memory. She also says she loves this song, and that it is with joy that she projects herself on stage to perform it. JULIE hopes that they will be defined by the term «Hot Girls» during this comeback, and that their musical imprint is recognizable enough, a year after their debut, so that people recognize them just by hearing them. She would like us to define their songs as «hot», warm, comforting, and explosive. It is mainly JULIE and BELLE who lead this interview, NATTY being a foreigner and HANEUL being the youngest of the group. But it is with professionalism that the two leaders answer the questions, taking the time to detail their answers without hesitation on what to say.

Little by little, the group manages to climb steps, accomplish goals and above all, achieve the things they want. NATTY defines moments spent on stage as «gifts», particularly loving the energy they received during their recent performances at festivals in universities. HANEUL considers these performances to be among the most memorable for the group, with students following their movement, shouting to support them, and dancing with them. JULIE says she was overwhelmed by so much support from their audience. In front of so many people, they do not hide their fear of making mistakes, especially BELLE who, as the lead singer of the group, is afraid of making false notes. She feels responsible for much of the success of the performances, which can cause her a little pressure.

« Before we go on stage, we join hands together to support each other, before banging our buts in unison » —BELLE

Each group has a form of encouragement before performing a performance, more or less original, and this way of encouraging oneself did not fail to make the journalists smile. JULIE also talks about the support received by other artists at festivals or music shows, especially senior artists who can give them tips to succeed in their performances, which gives them the feeling of being recognized for their hard work. BELLE hopes to have the opportunity to collaborate with these artists in the future, and especially selects CRUSH, as an R&B fan. If the opportunity arises one day, participating in a OST would be a great proof of success for the young woman, as well as HANEUL who particularly likes dramas.

When the group receives new songs, they take the time to come together to discuss the comeback, the energy to infuse it, and the concept to represent, so that at the end of their meeting, The singers can say that they will manage to carry this comeback high in the charts. NATTY also talks about the importance of interviews, which help make a comeback successful, and show the personality of the members, and who KISS OF LIFE really is. For this comeback, the group’s goal is to win first place on a music show, and also to reach the Billboard 100 with «Sticky», which would prove that even by offering a different style, the group always finds an audience. The artists also intend to put on their different SNS challenges to realize, such as the dance challenges that are found in quantity on TikTok this year.

The journalists are then interested in their clothing and physical style for this comeback, stopping particularly on NATTY who cut her long hair to have a square cut. She says it was her choice, to enjoy this summer concept, and especially not to be too hot performing on stage, allowing to highlight at the same time the change of style of the group for this summer. Whatever the member who answers, all agree that «Sticky» is an opportunity to test new things, and see the reaction of their fans who are used to songs more in the «pretty women» lineage. NATTY, who has been in the industry for a while via survivors for about ten years, is still eager to test new things with her group, because today she is part of a group, which she has not managed to do in previous years. Somehow, she is the one who has the most experience, but remains humble, because says she still has gaps to fill, learning from her past mistakes alongside other members.

« It’s only been a year since we started, and although some may think it’s short, we have already achieved so much that it seems distant » – JULIE

JULIE bounces back, confident that there were times when she wanted to give up when she was a trainee, faced with the difficulty of making her debut. Nevertheless, she hung on, promising that all her efforts will eventually bear fruit, and that once on stage, she could create wonderful memories. To see today what the group has been able to achieve bring balm to her heart and strengthens her in her career choice. For HANEUL, the youngest, growing up with the other three members, and especially with NATTY, Thai, and JULIE, Korean-American, opened her eyes to many things, and made her mature. Having foreign members in the group is a chance because it allows KISS OF LIFE to go beyond borders and find fans all over the world, and hold fanmeetings, and later, concerts, all over the world.

Speaking more about future opportunities that could present themselves to the group, HANEUL hopes that in addition to OST, she could sing on bass sound, even if it has already happened in the past, and above all, be able to act, having a great interest in cinema and dramas, which NATTY joins. Then, speaking of the MV of «Sticky» which has not yet been broadcast, NATTY talks about the difficulty of having filmed it in a continuous take, and the difficulty it represented to coordinate with the other members, but also all the extras present, Most of them were strangers. Even if it was not easy, it is mostly good memories that she created, having found the shooting most fun. For BELLE, the capricious weather was difficult to endure, as it often started to rain suddenly, causing them to interrupt the shoot until the rain stopped, dry their hair, and quickly start again with each thinning until you have the perfect single grip.

We compared the group to SISTAR, considered for a long time to be the «hot girl» girl group of the summer, and consider itself honored to be compared to such a famous and popular group, but affirming that KISS OF LIFE has its own aesthetic, and the singers still have a lot to prove. So don’t expect a SISTAR 2.0 or any other group, because KISS OF LIFE is unique. The focus remains on the sexy and sensual side of the group, which is not a constraint for the members who take a lot of pleasure with each shoot, comeback, and performance. One of the strengths of the group according to JULIE is the diversity of style that all members can offer, which are very different from each other, but which complement each other perfectly. It is an advantage to get along and complement each other, to have a lot of things to present. Adding a goal to achieve, BELLE quotes the Coachella festival, stating that participating in it would be a consecration for their activities abroad.

« We hope to make an impression with “Sticky” which is a challenge for us, but which represents us so much in a certain way. » – JULIE

Speaking of models as singers, NATTY quotes Tina Turner as a big fan of R&B, and BELLE Ariana Grande. BELLE hopes to become the Ariana of Korea, known for her angelic voice, and her neat aesthetics. HANEUL quotes many Korean singers, including IU, and for foreign artists, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. KISS OF LIFE does not yet think of being a group that can become the model of another, but is flattered to be compared to SISTAR. The young women learn a lot from their elders, citing 2NE1, MISS A and SISTAR to draw some of their inspirations, while being careful not to reproduce the same performances to stand out and continue to build their group image. Festivals are therefore formative for them, because it helps them to make themselves known to the public. It is important for young women to make their parents proud with their success, proving that they have chosen the right path.

They are aware that other women’s groups are exploring hot girl/girl power concepts like LE SSERAFIM and PURPLE KISS, but they are confident in the things they have to offer their audience, recognizing the qualities of each group, and of theirs at the same time. Every time they do a four-person project, JULIE only thinks about the fact that she hopes to be able to continue being part of KISS OF LIFE for a long time, and have fun during each project. It is not a fear for them to make a comeback while other groups do it, like STAYC, because they consider they have what it takes to be crowned «summer queen». But when stressed, BELLE likes to drive, while JULIE prefers to have a meal with her parents. HANEUL hopes to one day have the opportunity to take a trip abroad with her family, something she has never been able to do before. NATTY also says she wants to spend time with her family, to which BELLE replies that she looks like a bad girl to have not talked about her family, laughing.

After this long discussion, the interview ends, the group sharing messages of support and love, wishing that everyone remains healthy. Their final goal, if they had to choose only one thing, would be to be known as a multifaceted group, which like a chameleon manages to appropriate many different musical genres. The group thanks all the journalists one last time, before leaving the room.