[Dispatch=Reporter Tae Yun Jung] "Like KISS OF LIFE, I want to enjoy our activities."

Summer Queen—that is the first modifier that comes to mind when thinking of KISS OF LIFE. It would be a lie to say there was no burden from that title. But the members found their own way to answer it.

"I think 'Sticky' was able to be loved because we enjoyed and worked happily. We also prepared this new song with enjoyment because we were confident about it. I believe that joy will reach people." (Julie)

Dispatch recently met KISS OF LIFE ahead of their comeback. We heard about the evolution contained in their third single 'SWEAT'.

◆ Summer Queen's Sweat

What raised KISS OF LIFE's public awareness was 'Sticky', released in 2024. It brought an uncommon afrobeat to K-pop. With its trendy rhythm, the Summer Queen modifier began to stick.

With a new album, they are taking aim at Summer Queen once more. The target is not 'Sticky', but the heart at that time. Julie confessed that "because 'Sticky' received so much love, there was pressure to come out with an even better song."

"The reason I think the song itself went well is because we really enjoyed it and performed happily on stage. This time, if we do it joyfully with a song we are confident about, I think many people will follow. We prepared with that thought." (Julie)

Recently at Waterbomb, they briefly showed the new song's chorus. Natti displayed confidence, saying "even though it was a song we heard for the first time, people enjoyed it so much. I felt like 'this is going to work.'"

◆ Sweat in the Preparation Process

'Sweat' is an album that shows an attitude of not deliberately proving one's inner effort and anxiety to others. It conveys confident self-assurance that stems from belief in oneself, rather than flashy appearance.

Led by Belle, the members took on A&R roles. Belle said, "I sourced the songs, and we selected them together with the members. We tried to give something new while not abandoning the afrobeat."

Natti said, "We sweated a lot from the moment we were selecting songs. We listened to hundreds of songs, listened so much our ears were bleeding. Among the songs the company recommended and the songs we prepared, we competed fiercely with opinions, and the current songs were selected." (Natti)

Belle emphasized, "Now we have a standard by which we can feel what music suits us. I think we're in the stage of discovering what it means to be us. At the same time, we're taking on a lot of new challenges. If something strays from that confident feeling, we cut it mercilessly."

Beyond that, they worked on details. Belle conveyed, "Even when arranging or mixing, we communicated and made efforts on the detailed aspects—how the song's progression should unfold to really pop."

◆ Don't let them see you sweat

The title track 'Sweat' is an afro house-based song combining electronic pop and Latin rhythm. The lyrics express traces of effort cultivated within oneself, transcending the surface meaning of sweat.

Natti was confident, saying "if 'Sticky' feels like the hottest midday summer, 'Sweat' feels like a summer song where we dance together at the beach at night and have fun. You'll be able to feel a more mature KIOF."

The members also set the guidelines for the message. Julie said, "Rather than just hot girls, we wanted to include a somewhat deeper message. 'Sweat' was a word that existed since the guide track, and we thought it would be good to keep it and express our honest story."

The core keyword of the new song's lyrics is 'Don't let them see you sweat'. It means don't let others see your sweat. It also refers to the sweat KIOF sheds behind the stage.

Belle explained, "We are people who sweat a lot behind the scenes. That sentence overlapped with us. It's something we're saying to ourselves, and it's also encouragement to our listeners."

◆ Performance's Sweat

The performance boasts an unprecedented level of difficulty. Sky revealed, "It has a free vibe with relaxed power. But it was the most difficult choreography we've ever done."

Julie said, "We completed it so we dive in naturally and express it seamlessly. We tried to express the freedom and ease as we interpret it."

Natti introduced it, saying "in the music video, we dance barefoot on a sandy beach, and that will be our kick. This time, you'll see belly dancing with hip movements. We expressed temperature with our bodies."

The challenge is planned with fellow Summer Queens. Sky conveyed, "The company asked if there was someone we wanted to do it with, so we mentioned people like Sista and Ssak Sswi sunbaenim—people you think of when you think of summer."

B-side track 'WHAT!' is a cooler summer song. Within a direct and free-spirited atmosphere, the members expressed confident energy. It's a vibrant song with a lighthearted and uninhibited energy.

Natti hinted, "It has the complete opposite feel from 'Sweat'. We thought about it a lot because it's as good as the title track. It's a cool-vibed song. It's so refreshing you'll think of 'Igloo' right away."

◆ KISS OF LIFE's Sweat

When asked about their third debut anniversary, the members shared, "We had such a busy time we don't know when it passed. Rather, it feels like a beginning," they reflected.

"There's still so much we want to show, and we're still full of passion. If before was the stage of finding out 'this is our color', now we know exactly what we want to do. We want to grow even more and become amazing singers." (Natti)

What changed most since debut? Julie emphasized, "The weight of thinking about our fans has changed. Before, our hearts were big about 'let's show how cool we are', but now we have a bigger heart to show those fans who support us and to prove ourselves."

The goal is to repay Kish (the fandom name). Julie conveyed, "When we won first place at our last comeback, Kish was so happy. I want to let them feel that emotion again. Seeing how desperately they want it, it's touching and so overwhelming that I'm grateful."

"We are so sincere about music. When the song is good, we get inspired to talk about how we want to express it, and we enjoy participating in the creative process. We know there's no right answer to music. We'll receive all reactions and feedback, focus on what we're confident about, and work with positive energy." (Belle)

▲Natti

▲Julie

▲Belle

▲Sky

<Photos courtesy of S2 Entertainment>