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SuperM’s Kai debut album ‘KAI’: Will it have a dystopian theme? Release date, concept, tracklist and all you need to know

The album seems to portray a dark genre of R&B with a splash of pop and catchy grooves

K-pop legend Kai has been reigning the South Korean K-pop genre for almost a decade but it is only now that Kai will be finally venturing towards his solo project along with SM Entertainment’s various groups that he is part of. 

Kai aka Kim Jongin who is a part of SM Entertainment’s SuperM, EXO, and various subgroups of EXO, will be launching his first debut album ‘KAI’ with the title track ‘Mmmh’ on November 30. Prior to the album release, SM Entertainment has been teasing the fans with teaser photos and a teaser of the title track's music video was released on November 26. The album seems to portray a dark genre of R&B with a splash of pop and catchy grooves. The teaser photos depict a dominating color palette of neon green and blue portraying a dystopian world along with cyberpunk vibes. According to Korean media, the album will have six songs across the genres.

Kai debuted with Exo of SM Entertainment in 2011 and since then, acquired the title of ‘King of K-pop’ mainly for his suave dance moves. Exo also achieved the feat of being the first Korean group who sold one million copies of a single ‘Growl’ back in 2013 with their first debut album.

There’s been a lot of buzz regarding Kai’s debut solo album as fans believe, it has been a long time coming. Here’s all you need to know about the album.

Release date

The album is set to release on November 30, 6 pm KST worldwide. 

Concept

The album will likely have more than one theme as the teaser photos portray. The album will tell a story of a nostalgic past while also exploring the dark alleys of existing pain in the present. The MV teaser takes the viewers to a number of universes where Kai is standing alone in a post-apocalyptic world or dancing in a glass room, completely shut out from the world. A brief intro of the tracklist also shows that the music will have an upward groove which will start with R&B and pop mix and go toward R&B trap and groovy beats. The details of the tracklist is mentioned below.

Tracklist

‘KAI’ consists of six songs.

'Amnesia'
‘Hello Stranger’
Mmmh' (titletrack)
'Ride Or Die'
'Reason’
'Nothing On Me'

‘Amnesia’ is said to be an R&B trap song with catchy grooves and melody. The song refers to a fleeting feeling of love, a moment where every other memory fades away while you try to only live with the lover’s presence. ‘Hello Stranger' will have an acoustic background with progressive R&B vibe. The title-track is to be a straight-cut love song while 'Ride Or Die' will teleport listeners to a world of fantasy, a feel-good song with its root in R&B. 'Reason' is a progressive R&B song composed by famous American producer Mike Daley which would have really groovy beats and 'Nothing On Me' will be all about heavy bass, a burst of the explosive sound while it leads to the chorus.

What’s the pre-buzz?

Kai stans are super excited for the album as they have been waiting forever for this day to come. Prior to the release, a fan stated, “I swear I can't stop watching Mmmh teaser I am already addicted to it.” Another said, “Exo kai is always watching over us. he's a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Dark Knight.” Another said, “I cant imagine it a whole kai album with just him. im getting hyped aF.” A Kai fan also commented on the themes stating, “The contrasting touch of cyberpunk and dystopia in the concept is so amazing. big brain!! it's so obvious that they really took the time and effort to dwell on this album—so much to tell about the preparation!”

Where to stream?

The album will be available on all major streaming platforms for international listeners including Apple Music, iTunes, and YouTube. The physical copy can be pre-ordered which comes with a flipbook, CD-R, postcards, photocards, and a poster.