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'Gunshot': KARD make triumphant return with comeback single, fans feel they might finally bag their first win

The song is both a departure from and a culmination of the group's sound and style, seeing as they experiment outside of what they've done before while also retaining what makes them unique

Co-ed K-pop group KARD made a powerful comeback with a music video for their new single 'Gunshot'. The group previously dropped their fourth mini-album 'Red Moon' in February, and since then have connected with their fans via social media updates, vlogs, and YouTube videos. Following the Covid-19 pandemic's onset, whispers began floating about the group's potential disbandment, leading their fans to launch campaigns online to help keep them afloat. It appears they can all rest easy now, seeing as the group looks and sounds better than ever on this release.

KARD announced they would be returning earlier in August, stating the title of their upcoming single album would be 'Way with Words'. The group then began sharing teaser images in preparation for their comeback. On August 25, the group dropped a teaser for their upcoming music video for the album's title track 'Gunshot'. The teaser instantly drew interest from fans and non-fans alike, owing largely to the group's revamped look and sound, and soon social media users started speculating as to what their concept would be this time around. KARD has more often than not favored electronic, dancehall, and tropical sounds, veering into pure hip-hop music now and then, and one criticism that has been raised against the group is that their sound doesn't vary widely enough. They have, however, experimented with their style more and more through the years, oscillating between intense, dark concepts on songs such as 'Dumb Litty' and 'Red Moon' and brighter concepts like 'Hola Hola' and 'Ride On The Wind' with ease. Yet, no one could have predicted they would sound quite as different this time around. As one fan noted, "If you think KARD using dark concept most of the time, think again, this one is THE REAL DEFINITION OF 'DARK'."

The group soon shared a keypoint video to showcase the choreography for 'Gunshot' and many fans began to notice that they changed everything this time around, from their look and sound to their choreography and the visuals in the video. After the song dropped, it was evident fans were right: KARD had completely revamped their concept, but they have managed to do it in a way that retains everything their fans loved about them from the beginning. One fan shared, "I love it!!!!!! Omg, the song, the dance, the visuals everything!! Thanks for always bring us this quality content STREAM GUNSHOT OR I'M GOING TO THROW HANDS!"

'Gunshot' appears to revolve around the notion of hypervisibility in a technologically advanced society, focusing especially on the power words have to make or break a person. The lyrics speak of a love that serves only to hurt. Musically, 'Gunshot' leans more into slow reggae as its base style, building on that with elements of the harder hip-hop KARD has been steering towards with their recent music. The standout sections of the video are undoubtedly the intro and outro, both of which feature Jeon Jiwoo's unflinching gaze that wordlessly hammers the song's point home, and fans are already commending the idol's acting chops which culminate in her shooting herself. In other words, while the song speaks of external harm, ultimately, it's we who have the power to make or break ourselves, and Jiwoo conveys that notion flawlessly. One fan, commenting on Jiwoo's acting, shared, "GIVE HER AN OSCAR."

In addition to Jiwoo, J Seph is also seeing a lot of love for his rap. One fan shared a snippet of the idol's section from the video, adding, "I got STRAIGHT goosebumps here." Aside from his rapping skills, though, J Seph's visuals also earned plenty of praise. One fan said, "Jseph be killing me," while another noted, "JSEPH ON THE THUMBNAIL AS HE SHOULD BE."

Despite seeing a growth in their fandom and receiving praise all around for their work, KARD is yet to bag any major awards since they swept the Rookie Awards in 2017 and 2018. And while they did nab the Asia Rising Star Award at the Korea-China Management Awards in 2019, fans cannot help but notice that the group is yet to win any of the music show awards. Given how much of a hit 'Gunshot' has turned out to be among the group's fans as well as with non-fans, it's not hard to see why many are already predicting the group will finally be awarded for their efforts. Several fans stated, "KARD FIRST WIN," and one pleaded, "Pls pls pls 1st win pls my babies are UNDERRATED!!!"

Check out the video for KARD's 'Gunshot' below.