Music Monday | KARD — DÍMELO

HAPPY MONDAY MY BAYOG LUVLIES~ We here again. It’s time for another Music Monday post~ We’re still in our summer themed Music Monday posts. I was in the mood for something that screamed summer vibes and also made me wanna dance. But I also didn’t want anything too crazy. I was still feeling for something a bit more chill, but also had a bit of hot summer vibes. So I was going through my summer playlist, and I was just reallllly feeling KARD. Maybe I was a bit homesick since their music reminds me of Miami. Anyway, I ended up really feeling ‘ DÍMELO”. It’s a b-side track, so I feel like it might be a bit underappreciated. So I wanted to show it some love~ It’s a dance track that combines EDM with reggaeton.

KARD (카드) is a 4 member co-ed group consisting of J.Seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo. They were formed under DSP Media, the same company known for artists like SS501, KARA, Fin.K.L, Lee Hyori, Rainbow, A-JAX, and April. KARD made their official debut on July 18, 2017 with their EP Hola Hola. Obviously, the group’s concept follows playing cards. BM is the “King” card, J.Seph is the “Ace” card, Somin is the “Black JokeR”, and Jiwoo is the “Color JokeR”. BM (Big Matthew), or Matthew Kim, is Korean-American and from Los Angeles. He moved to Korea in 2011 to audition and participate in the first season of [K-Pop Star]. He made it to the top 50, but was ultimately eliminated. Apparently his Korean wasn’t too good, so he had a tendency to forget the lyrics. After K-Pop Star, he ended up being recruited by DSP Media. I find him to be hilarious. BM is also famous for being the leader of the [“Big Tiddie Committee/Gang”]. Somin had previously been a member of Puretty, DSP’s Japan-based girl group. However, they disbanded after 2 years. She then joined KARA Project and competed to be [a member of KARA]. She ended up finishing in second place. Heo Young Ji won and became the new member of KARA. However, she did later end up being featured as the ‘hiDDen kard’ on their first KARD Project, [‘Oh NaNa’]. KARD is an interesting group. First of all, they’re a co-ed group. Co-ed groups are seen in K-Pop, but they are pretty rare. From what I’ve also seen since I’ve been into K-Pop (that’s around 2001-2003, y’all), co-ed groups tend to be very short-lived and unsuccessful. Many are seen as just temporary projects, or just quickly fizzled after not being able to garner enough attention. KARD has kept up their popularity even after 5 years. Now another thing that makes KARD stand out is that their signature sound is heavily influenced by Latin-American music. Their musical style tends to use electropop, hip hop, EDM, and alternative R&B. They’ve also used synth, trap, and EDM. However, they have a clear signature sound of using Latin dance music. You get a lot of Latin music sounds and vibes like moombahton, reggaeton, dancehall, etc. They also actually use Spanish in their songs too. Aside from that, we also got some tropical house going on too. So honestly, KARD is a perfect group for summer jams. But back to that how Latin sound thing… it’s definitely gotten more in trend with K-Pop in recent years. I would say that K-Pop labels have been really interested in the Latin market and audience. We’ve seen several international collabs, but we’ve also seen more of these Latin-sounding tracks in K-Pop. We’ve seen the use of actual Spanish. So I would say KARD was on top of their game for that. They’re pretty popular internationally, especially South America, because of that. Somin and Jiwoo were also featured on the Korean version of Super Junior’s [‘Lo Siento’], another heavily Latin sounding track that originally features Leslie Grace. Anyway, J.Seph is on hiatus as he quietly enlisted for his mandatory military service in October 2020. KARD has continued promoting with the remaining 3 members for the time being. Meanwhile, BM just made his solo debut with [‘Broken Me’] back in June 2021. Aside from that, he was also hosting [DIVE Studio’s Get Real] podcast since July 2020 with Penial of BTOB and Ashley of Ladies’ Code. Although, he won’t be joining season 2 as he focuses on his solo. In the meantime, Junny was added as a new host during BM’s absence.

For me, I was sleeping on KARD at first. However, I ended up really getting into their music after hearing [‘Oh NaNa’] and [‘Don’t Recall’]. I liked the sound and choreo. Again, I grew up in Miami and different parts of South Florida. So it was totally my kind of style. Some of my other favorites would include: [‘Hola Hola’], [‘Rumor’], [‘Bomb Bomb’], [‘Red Moon’]. ‘Bomb Bomb’ is good for when I’m in the mood for something that goes a bit harder hehe. Another favorite would also be [‘Don’t Recall (Hidden Ver.)’], which is basically the English version of ‘Don’t Recall’. Honestly, I love listening to KARD when I’m in the mood to dance or work out~ Also, their music makes for some great summer jams. So I listen to them a lot on my summer playlists. They just have such a fun and upbeat vibe.

Alright~ ‘DÍMELO’, Spanish for “Tell It to Me”, was released on Ride On the Wind, KARD’s third EP. The title track was actually [‘Ride On the Wind’], which I do like. It’s a very summer-esque sounding track. However, I like ‘DÍMELO’ more, even if it’s a B-side track. It just feels more my style. It’s a more slightly chill-sounding track when compared to ‘Ride On the Wind’. It’s a dance track. It combines EDM (hello tropical house, my old friend) with reggaeton. I like the mellow vibes that still got me grooving to it. Then it kicks it up around the chorus, and it just makes me want to dance along. Shake that booty and do them body waves~ WOOO~ It also has some sprinkling of Spanish within the lyrics too. So yeah, it makes me feel right at home~ It’s just a really catchy track, and seems like a fun track to dance to. Lyrics-wise, it’s a bit of a bittersweet and somewhat sultry track. It’s basically about how a lover seems to be leaving, but wanting to hold on to them.

You can listen to ‘DÍMELO’ and KARD’s RIDE ON THE WIND EP on Spotify, here:

You can listen to ‘DÍMELO’ on YouTube, here:

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Yeah, the official video for this is one live performance of it. The choreo seems fun, and you can tell that they definitely took some movements from Latin dances. It fits it very well. Although, I guess my only complaint is that the outfits don’t seem coordinated with each other lol. BM and J.Seph look like they were just wearing their everyday clothes and suddenly went up on stage. lol Somin and Jiwoo are more dressed up, but their outfits also don’t seem to have a coordinating theme. It’s still fun performance though. As for the lyrics, again… it’s like a bittersweet track in a way. There seems to be some ambiguity in the relationship, and it seems like their lover is leaving. But they want them to stay, and hold them. Basically, they want to tell that person that they want them, and they want that person to say that they want them too. Y’all can check out the translations from [Color Coded Lyrics].

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WOOO~ Well, that’s it for today y’all. What did y’all think? Y’all fans of ‘DÍMELO’? Are you guys fans of KARD? What are YOUR favorite KARD songs? Or, what are your favorite Latin-inspired K-Pop tracks? Let me know in the comments, my socials, or the BAYOG discord server!

Not going to lie, I’ve been kind of exhausted. Just struggling to get everything done. So sorry for the rushed post. I’m still working on finishing stuff up, and finding a balance. BAYOG is also working on getting the podcast up and running again. So y’all will be hearing me in an episode with Nick ( @rokutsu ) soon. I also promised to work on a webtoon post for someone. Still doing it, but give me some time~ I’ve just been super slammed with everything. I haven’t even had time to catch up on my reads. I’m also still doing subbing stuff. Speaking of, I also I have a novel post I need to work on. Anyway, yeah… I swear I’m working on more content that’s not music-related. I just gotta try to organize my thoughts and find time to do everything. I appreciate your understanding, patience, and support though~ Anyway, it’s been hot AF this summer. If it weren’t for this pandemic, I would literally be snorkeling or chilling on the beaches of some island in Thailand. So mentally, I’m still on my 2019 trip to the motherland… Anyway, y’all stay hydrated and cool! Take care, stay safe, and I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week!

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Stay safe and healthy out there, y’all.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co

STOP ASIAN HATE

As an Asian-American, racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes against AAPI isn’t new. It’s always been around. Unfortunately, misinformation and the pandemic has caused an insane surge in racism and xenophobia. There has also been an insane rise in hate crimes. More recently, we’re seeing a surge of hate crimes against the Asian elderly. Particularly in the California and New York areas. Some cases even leading to injuries and even death. The sad thing is that many cases do not get alot of attention, or are just looked passed. It breaks my heart and is cause for concern since it affects our community. Since some of the BAYOG Crew (including myself) are Asian-Americans ourselves, I wanted to use our small platform to help in anyway. Hate, racism, and xenophobia is an ugly thing. We’re friends, in the same community, and against the same social injustices. So be kind and let’s fight these things together.

You can also check the following for more information, ways to help, & to donate:

• http://hateisavirus.org
• https://gofundme.com/AAPI
• http://advancingjustice-aajc.org
• [Donate to Different Organizations to Support AAPI Communities]
• https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
• https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/

Please report hate crimes at Stop AAPI Hate:

• http://stopaapihate.org

Volunteer
You can see if your community has a volunteer chaperone or neighborhood watch/patrol program.
Some examples:

• Compassion in Oakland @ Oakland, California| http://compassioninoakland.org
• Safe Walks @ NYC, New York| https://safewalx.com/en/welcome
• Guardian Angels| http://guardianangels.org/volunteer
  They’re well known patrol volunteers in NYC, but they do have other branches too.

Volunteer at any other organizations that provide assistance to Asian-Americans; Particularly the elderly.
Some examples:

• Heart of Dinner @ NYC, New York| https://www.heartofdinner.org/
  An organization that supports local businesses and provides meals and care packages to the Asian elderly in NYC.