It was one of those cold, rainy London days when the city feels quieter than usual. I sat down with a cup of coffee, turned on my speakers, and pressed play on RESCENE’s new mini-album lip bomb. Almost instantly, the music made me feel warm, and it became a charming listening experience.

Released a few weeks ago, the rookie girl group’s third mini-album is coated in so many colours that it makes you want to dance and simply be happy. Built around a “berry” concept, each of the album’s five tracks has its own flavour, yet together they form a harmonious palette that is RESCENE.

The group describes lip bomb as something meant to sink in slowly, much like its namesake. “Just like the ‘lip balm’ concept of this album, we hoped that the music would soak into the listeners’ hearts, like a moisturising balm,” LIV explains. “We wanted the overwhelming emotions woven throughout the album, along with RESCENE’s chic and multifaceted charm, to come across in a soft yet vivid way.” And in all honesty, it’s an image that perfectly conveys the album, gentle in its presentation yet revealing its own inner strength.

For MAY, the heart of lip bomb lies in its sensory detail. “I’d love for listeners to focus on the ‘berry scent,’ which is the core concept of lip bomb,” she says. “We expressed five different berry scents that match the unique mood of each track, so I hope people feel how the scent and emotions shift from song to song while listening.” And I really enjoy how that idea of emotional movement runs throughout the record.

At debut, we leaned more towards cute and pure, but now that purity has been layered with a chic and more mature mood. – ZENA

At the centre of it all is the title track, Bloom. WONI describes it simply but sincerely: “It’s a song about trusting yourself. Through this song, I hope many people can find hope and feel a powerful, overwhelming sense of emotion together with us.” For ZENA, the album is a journey, one that slowly uncovers itself to the listener. “As you follow the five tracks, you’ll feel different emotions with each song,” she says, “ and by the end, I hope the listener looks back and realises that the person they are now is more confident and even cooler than before.” MINAMI ties the message together with RESCENE’s main philosophy: “Our music always delivers positive energy. With this album as well, we wanted to share that energy through our own special colour.”

Bloom represents that spirit perfectly. Built on lovely melodies and an interesting sound that rises towards an energising climax, the song feels really uplifting. Its message is personal as well. Looking back on their trainee days, ZENA candidly reflects, “We supported each other and grew together. Holding onto self-belief and our sense of self-worth during that time naturally became the message of this song.” 

That growth is also shown in their choreography, which has drawn attention for its precision and symbolism. One moment in particular – where the members come together before spreading outwards like a flower in full bloom – summarises the song’s meaning. “Because the tempo is fast and the transitions are really important, that part was the most challenging,” MAY admits. She also points out that MINAMI, the group’s choreography leader, picked it up the fastest. MINAMI laughs but agrees the routine pushed them: “Compared to our other songs, the choreography for Bloom is relatively very difficult, with fast and complex movements. It wasn’t easy at first, but we practised really hard and matched each other’s pace.” WONI, ever honest, adds, “I usually take a bit more time to memorise choreography, so it took me longer this time too.” It’s a small admission, but it speaks volumes about RESCENE’s dynamic. 

Ahead of the album’s release, the group pre-released Heart Drop, giving fans a peek at a chic, slightly darker side. The fans’ reaction was truly heart-warming for the girls. “When fans told us directly, ‘RESCENE has come back with great music again,’ it gave me so much strength,” MINAMI recalls. For LIV, the response was unexpectedly reassuring. “Since the song had a chic vibe that felt different from our usual image, I was really curious about how fans would react,” she says. “It was our first time showing this side, and I was honestly surprised by how positive the response was.”

Our music always delivers positive energy. With this album as well, we wanted to share that energy through our own special colour. – MINAMI

With three mini-albums released in a relatively short time, RESCENE’s evolution has been fast. “With each album, we always ask ourselves, ‘How can we show our charm even better?’” WONI explains. “We challenge ourselves with songs that initially feel unfamiliar and make them work in RESCENE’s own colour.” ZENA reflects on how their image has matured: “At debut, we leaned more towards cute and pure, but now that purity has been layered with a chic and more mature mood.” LIV feels that focus has finally settled in. “The more we promote, the more I feel like we’re moving towards the musical colour that suits RESCENE best. Our direction has become much clearer.”

That direction has gradually revealed itself across the group’s work over the past 22 months. “As trainees, we focused more on individual personalities,” ZENA says. “Since our debut, we’ve been looking in the same direction and building our colour together.” LIV adds, “Because ‘I’ and ‘we’ both existed, our hearts could connect more easily.” MAY believes that connection is visible now more than ever: “As our chemistry grows stronger, our genuine vibe comes through more clearly on stage and in our music.”

Even the album’s challenges became moments of self-expression. MAY found Hello XO demanding because she had to maintain emotional energy throughout the song. ZENA connected earnestly with MVP, saying, “I thought back to my past and sang with those emotions. Since the song feels like my own story, I was able to immerse myself completely, and it was really enjoyable.”

That balance defines RESCENE just as much as their music. When asked to describe themselves as berry-powered characters, most favoured the blackberry: calm, chic, and strong. LIV called herself “a blackberry bringing balance with a calm yet strong presence,” while ZENA, choosing raspberry, described herself as having “unexpected charisma hidden within bright energy.” And in a whimsical survival scenario involving giant berries, ZENA volunteered to befriend them, “I feel like I need to use my friendliness to make everyone get along.” MAY was unanimously voted the accidental source of chaos, and MINAMI would start a berry dance challenge without hesitation.

Off-stage, the members unwind in ways that feel refreshingly ordinary. WONI is learning how to drive, LIV enjoys sleep and city walks, MINAMI relaxes by drawing alone, MAY cherishes quiet time at home with her stickers and diary, and ZENA happily spends hours watching dramas or funny videos. 

Since their debut, RESCENE attracted attention as one of K-pop’s most promising new girl groups, appearing on year-end lists from Billboard, NME, and other major outlets. With lip bomb, they present themselves in a different light. lip bomb is an album that understands growth; it is colourful and rich in feeling, and RESCENE are coming into their own, beautifully and on their own terms.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of THE MUZE ENTERTAINMENT

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}