K-Pop Rising Stars: How KARD broke the co-ed group 'curse' and cemented themselves as one of the genre's best
KARD debuted with a splash in 2016. Against all odds, the group remains one of the few successful co-ed groups in K-Pop, a genre notorious for being quite unwelcoming when mixed groups such as these attempt to breakthrough. Yet, KARD hasn't just managed to stay relevant, they have managed to build an extremely solid foundation as one of the most popular groups among the current lineup of K-pop idols.
In 2016, DSP Media unveiled its plans to debut a new group, which was soon revealed to be a co-ed quintet going by the name 'KARD' and modeled after four playing cards in particular: The King card, Matthew Kim or 'B.M', the Ace Kim Tae-hyung or 'J.Seph', and the two jokers Jeon Somin (Black) and Jeon Jiwoo (Color). The 'D' represented a 'Hidden Card', or the idea that with each release, the group would feature something unique. The term would later also come to represent their fandom, stylized as 'Hidden KARD'. BM and J Seph both trained with DSP for several years, while Somin was originally part of DSP's Japan-based group Puretty, before she joined the Kara Project to replace one of the group's members who left -- a role that Young-ji eventually occupied -- before finally debuting as the leader of DSP's girl group April, though she eventually left the group. Jiwoo, having previously trained under FNC Entertainment for two years, moved to DSP in 2016, and two months later, the label shaped them up into the group we now know as KARD.
The group made their official debut in December 2016 with 'Oh NaNa' featuring Young-ji as the 'Hidden Card', earning them recognition from Korean as well as international listeners. In 2017, they landed a spot on Billboard's TOP 5 notable K-pop artistes list. Their follow-up single 'Don't Recall' dropped the same year, and not long after, the group was picked up by LG Electronics to be their global ambassador for the G6 smartphone. DSP, in turn, had all the content for KARD's third single 'Rumor', including music videos, all filmed in collaboration with LG Electronics using the G6. 'Rumor' went on to chart at number one in thirteen countries on iTunes' K-Pop charts and ranked high on the US iTunes charts as well. KARD then embarked on their first tour in 2017 titled 'The 1st Tour 'Wild K.A.R.D'', which hit cities in the United States between May and June 2017. KARD officially debuted with the release of their EP 'Hola Hola' in 2017. The six-track EP included their previous singles in addition to a new title track of the same name. Their 'Wild Kard Tour' was held in 2017, spanning five European and five North American cities. KARD then dropped their second EP, 'You & Me', later the same year with the song 'You In Me' serving as the title track.
By 2018, KARD was riding high. The group's two female members participated in the Super Junior track 'Lo Siento', earning them praise as well as exposing the group to a wider audience. They went on yet another tour, this time in Southeast Asia, performed at South By Southwest (SXSW), and made another comeback with their third EP, 'Ride On the Wind'. Yet, many of their fans continued to feel that KARD was severely underrated, with many looking to sales figures, follower counts, and charting positions as being far less than what they believed the group deserved. But when looked at within the context of K-pop, the group has not just performed quite well, they've set the bar pretty high for co-ed groups while also opening up pathways that didn't exist for such acts before. The South Korean music industry has been generally averse to the concept of mixed-gender groups, and while some acts such as Koyote, Sharp, Roo'ra, and others have had success, labels have generally steered clear of having boy and girl groups mix. KARD's existence and success, both locally and globally, is, therefore, a breath of fresh air, one that proves that co-ed groups can exist in K-pop and can definitely find success.
In 2020, however, the group found themselves in a precarious position. They had just dropped their fourth EP, 'Red Moon' in February before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and derailed their plans. Being from a smaller label, they were significantly impacted by the pandemic, and they informed their fans that they might be in for a struggle. The Hidden KARDs took it upon themselves to try and get their idols the support they needed and patiently waited for more word from the group. Somin took to her YouTube channel to detail the impact the group's comeback had on them, highlighting the toll it took on them mentally and emotionally.
Yet, if one watched the music video for their latest title track, 'Gunshot', off their first single album 'Way with Words', they'd probably never imagine the turmoil that occurred behind the scenes. B.M notably wrote, composed, and arranged the title track, and the remaining members contributed to the album as well, marking a shift towards much greater creative control for the group this time around. The video saw the group tackle some timely thematic elements, including living in an age of hypervisibility and the reality of words cutting deeper than swords and briefly highlighted the acting chops of Jiwoo during the intro and outro sections. Despite the struggle, KARD made a triumphant return and proved once more that against all odds, they are a group that is here to stay.
So just what is it about KARD that has fans holding on to them and refusing to let them drown? For starters, KARD couldn't have debuted at a better time. While most labels were skeptical, DSP noted the demands for greater interaction between idols regardless of age and gender barriers, and quickly took advantage of that. But beyond that, KARD's staying power lies in their ability to deliver strong concepts, unlike anything their contemporaries are doing. From tropical house and EDM music to top-notch choreography to solid vocals and rapping to extravagant concepts, KARD delivers a powerhouse performance every single time they return. Seeing as they rarely overlap with releases from their fellow idol groups, it's safe to say that KARD is rarely competing with anyone other than themselves. And with each comeback, they up the ante just a little bit more.