KARD, a co-ed group formed by DSP Media, is a quartet consisting of J.seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo. They made their official debut on July 19, 2017, with their EP, Hola Hola. This six-track EP became a chart-topping success, allowing the group to embark on their first concert tour, the 2017 Wild Kard Tour, which covered eleven cities across North and South America. Fast forward to 2022, KARD’s venture continued with BM making a solo comeback, LOST IN EUPHORIA. In the meantime, they welcomed J.seph back from his military service and announced their return with the EP Re:, featuring the title track Ring The Alarm. In May 2023, the group released another extended play called ICKY, which finally earned them a special place in the industry. Often described as “undeniably trendy”, their music focuses on contemporary House and Dancehall vibes. While the Korean music scene has been dominated by Electropop, Hip-hop, EDM, and alt-R&B, KARD’s incorporation of Reggaeton and Moombahton surely make them unique in their own rights.  

After six years since their Wild Cat Tour, KARD has finally returned to London with their PLAYGROUND World Tour, taking place at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, which drew huge crowds to the venue. 

The show commenced with a VCR intro, followed by the first song of the night, ICKY. J.seph’s rapid-fire rapping hit like a machine gun, perfectly synchronised with the group’s flawless dance moves. The vocals soared to new levels, and BM brought the heat that ignited the crowd into a Reggaeton craze. The song, fresh from their sixth mini-album of the same name (2023), set the bar sky-high from the get-go. Next up was Without You, a song that blends Latin beats with EDM, presenting the impressive vocal abilities of the group’s ladies, Somin and Jiwoo. J.seph continued to prove his lyrical efficacy, and BM, once again, had the audience eating out of his hands.

Ring The Alarm saw them take the stage as equals, and their balanced mix of vocals and dance moves truly made the crowd go wild. In addition, with a background VCR, their chemistry shone through, and KARD set the stage on fire with their performance.

Hola Hola, a throwback to 2017, charmed the crowd with its simplicity, and the quartet delivered it with high energy. Oh NaNa, another gem from the Hola Hola release, proved that KARD could carry themselves brilliantly on their own, despite the track originally being a collaboration with Heo Young-ji. Their energy reached its peak during Fxxk you, followed by BM’s solo performance of LIE/Broken Me, and the loveable duet Been That Boy with J.seph. A VCR gave us a glimpse behind the scenes of their album and tour preparation, adding a personal touch to the evening. While the VCR felt slightly too long, the crowd seemed unbothered by its length. 

RUMOR and Don’t Recall slowed things down a bit but maintained the group’s signature Latin sound. BREAK DOWN brought a hint of R&B to the mix, showing their versatility yet again. After a heartfelt ment, they plunged into the dynamic GUNSHOT and Bomb Bomb, both of which had the crowd dancing like there was no tomorrow. CAKE and Dumb Litty (2019 release) displayed the group’s rapping skills, with the whole group delivering their lines in a trendy and charismatic fashion. With Dumb Litty blending characteristics of Dancehall, Trap, and EDM, one could see the group’s excellent skills in mixing different sounds in their music.

The encore was a euphoric affair, with the audience cheering on as the group performed Ride on the wind and RED MOON (chosen via a roulette wheel, with the audience’s preference for Red Moon winning out), before the show closed with a final song, ICKY, which brought the night to a full circle.

In the end, KARD’s PLAYGROUND London concert was fun to attend, considering I am not a K-pop fan. Having said that, it’s clear that the group is incredibly talented, and it’s easy to see that they are brimming with a wealth of skills. With their impressive live vocals and engaging stage appearance, I can confirm that if the quartet comes to London again, I will be the first one in the queue.

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Written by Maggie Gogler

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}