What's next in the KARDs?
KARD is hitting a milestone—seven years in the game—and they’re doing it with a bold, new direction. Their latest mini-album, Where To Now? (Part 1: Yellow Light), breaks away from the hard-hitting intensity fans are used to, embracing a “less is more” approach. But don’t get it twisted—this shift doesn’t mean they’re slowing down. BM, J.seph, Somin, and Jiwoo are exploring fresh sounds and ideas, all while staying true to the energy that made them stand out.
In this exclusive interview, the group opens up about their creative evolution, what it’s like to navigate their “next phase,” and the personal challenges they’ve faced behind the scenes. With a world tour on the horizon, KARD is ready to deliver something new to both seasoned fans and newcomers. From revealing their dream travel destinations to dropping hints about Part 2 of the album, KARD is proving that they’re far from predictable—just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they switch things up.
So, Where to Now? Well, wherever the beat takes them—and they’re not looking back!
POPMACHINE: Hi, KARD! Your new mini-album "Where To Now? (Part.1: Yellow Light)" marks a big moment in your career—your seventh anniversary! Congratulations! How do you feel this album reflects the growth and transformation of KARD over the years?
BM: It's definitely a shift in sound and vibe. Different from what we normally go for but it's a
great time also to showcase how we do with “less is more”.
J.seph: I feel that I've grown in terms of experience and controlling the intensity of my
energy on stage. As my stamina has decreased, I've been training to manage my energy
more skillfully.
Somin: Thank you for your congratulations. This album made me realize that we can create
a concept with our own unique color. Many people think of us as always having a strong and
energetic presence, so it was a great opportunity to show a new side of ourselves!
Jiwoo: Thank you for the congratulations. As our first album released at the time of our
contract renewal, it holds a special meaning for us. I believe it's an album that gives us time
to discuss what new directions we can explore together through fresh attempts.
POPMACHINE: You’ve mentioned that this album highlights KARD's "next phase." What does that phase look like, musically and creatively? What themes or messages did you focus on when crafting these new tracks?
BM: A lot of this phase was KARD putting trust in our label and testing the waters with what
we felt could be more appealing to the masses. When it comes to creative and music
participation, J.seph and I always write our own raps and the girls always design their vocal
tone.
J.seph: After taking a break, there's a clear attempt to move toward a definite destination.
While I can't share the detailed plans yet, we will undoubtedly be taking steps in an exciting
and great direction.
Somin: We focused on easy listening while working on this album! Some people have
mentioned that our songs can be a bit difficult, so this time we really thought about how to
make it easy for everyone to listen to!
POPMACHINE: If you had to introduce KARD to an audience that has never heard K-Pop before, which track from your new mini-album would you play for them? And which song from your debut era would you play next to get them hooked?
BM: Definitely would introduce SPIN. Very fun vibe with a bit of sexy! Something that KARD
loves to show.
J.seph: Recently, I had some time to practice our debut song Oh NaNa, and it felt really
good. I hope many people listen to it and recognize it.
Somin: I’ll go with SPIN and Oh NaNa. Personally, I really like SPIN, so it was the song I
pushed for as the title track.
Jiwoo: For those who know us for the first time, SPIN is a track that feels like the kind of
song and performance KARD excels at.
POPMACHINE: Your YouTube series, KARDist, offers fans a glimpse into your personal musical tastes and creativity. How has that project allowed you to express yourselves in ways that KARD’s usual discography might not?
BM: We were able to cover some of our favorite songs and showcase a different side of us!
J.seph: It seems like we were able to offer a chance to experience various genres, and
people seemed to enjoy it. I’m glad we could showcase different sides of ourselves by trying
out multiple genres.
Somin: I had the chance to experience various songs, and even the ones I already knew, I
usually just hummed along without really singing them. I'm happy that through these
opportunities, I've been able to sing many songs and practice on my own!
Jiwoo: I want to connect with people a little more through music, and I find some of the
questions in the interview to be fresh, as they touch on topics I’m discussing for the first
time.
POPMACHINE: We heard that you have a world tour coming up! Can you share any spoilers about the dates or cities you'll be performing in?
BM: We will be performing all our new songs on our album! Hope our fans are ready to
party hard!
J.seph: The choreography for the tracks came out really great, so I think the fans will have
a lot of fun enjoying the performances.
Somin: We're planning to meet many fans as we tour the U.S., Europe, and recently added
Germany as well!
Jiwoo: All the tour dates have already been announced. I'm excited and can't wait to go!
Right now, we're fully focused on tour rehearsals, and I'm thrilled to not only showcase new
songs but also perform for fans in cities we haven’t visited in a while. I feel so excited.
POPMACHINE: Circling back to your YouTube content, you’ve reinterpreted songs from other artists in such phenomenal ways. If you had to do a KARD-style cover of a completely random song—say, the theme from SpongeBob SquarePants—how would you make it work?
BM: We would probably add our vibe by remaking the beat into something hard hitting and
very danceable!
J.seph: Although I’m not very familiar with SpongeBob, I do know the line, “I love money”,
so I think I’ll highlight that part.
Somin: I've really never thought about it, but if we were to change it to KARD's color, maybe
it would include some rap and become a bit more hip, right?
Jiwoo: Um... the original song's charm and playfulness feel a bit childish, so I think I might
change up the beat a little.
POPMACHINE: Relating to the album's title track, "Tell My Momma", what would you like to tell your momma right now? Whether it's your mom or any parent figure you look up, what would you like to tell them at this very moment?
BM: That I love her very much. That everything will be okay and we have a great life ahead
of us.
J.seph: I think I'll say that I miss you and love you. It’s been a long time since we last saw
each other. I’d love to grab a drink!
Somin: I want to say that I hope you stay by my side for a long, long time and stay healthy.
It really hurts to see my parents start to have health issues here and there, and I just want to
do better for them and hope they are always healthy.
Jiwoo: I want to tell both my mom and dad that I truly love and respect them. I’m also sorry
for not being able to go on a proper trip together because of my busy and unpredictable
schedule.
POPMACHINE: The title of your mini-album, "Where to Now?", strikes a chord in more ways than one. KARD has been all over the world, and we're curious, if you could go anywhere in the universe no matter the time, place, or even if it's imaginary, where would you go right now and what would you do?
BM: I want to try the 80’s in the US and see what the hippie era was like.
J.seph: Pluto. I want to travel as far away from Earth as possible. Just thinking about
space travel gives me a thrill.
Somin: I want to go back to the time of KARD's debut. It feels like time has flown by so
quickly that I can't even grasp how it's passed until now, and I feel a bit regretful. If I could go back to that time, I would want to do better and work even harder.
Jiwoo: Anywhere.
POPMACHINE: Over the seven years that you have been together as a group, what is the best thing and the funniest thing you have discovered about one another's personalities?
BM: Everyone’s got a funny part of themselves for sure. But J.seph is definitely the most
comical character.
J.seph: I appreciated how well we kept our time commitments, and I have fond memories
of laughing a lot during the 6-hour live content session.
Somin: I really like that when discussing the album with the members, our opinions often
align, and we show a lot of consideration for each other! Since the members understand
KARD's essence and direction the best, it seems like we really click.
Jiwoo: None of the members have conflicting personalities, which I consider a great
blessing. Everyone is considerate, observant, and no one is extremely selfish or rude. When
we all get together, there’s hardly anything that causes tension. We end up laughing a lot,
especially because BM and J.seph make us laugh so much. I’m really grateful for our
members; they are truly wonderful people.
POPMACHINE: What is your biggest fear and your biggest wish? Would you be willing to face your biggest fear today in order to have your biggest wish come true tomorrow?
BM: Biggest fear is slow death in a small space (I’ve become a bit claustrophobic these
days). Biggest wish is for everyone I love to be happy.
J.seph: I'm afraid of the present, and I try not to think about the future, so I don't envision it.
Instead, I focus on quickly adapting to the current situation.
Somin: If there's a wish greater than my biggest fear, it's that I hope more people come to
know KARD. And if that wish can come true, I'm ready to face my biggest fears.
Jiwoo: My biggest fear is that I might fade away, be forgotten, not be able to make music,
and struggle. My wish is to widely share our name and music, to establish myself, my
music, and to have a stable life. I'm not ready to face my current fears. Even though they are
right in front of me and I am prepared, I don't want to confront them.
POPMACHINE: Where to next, KARD? What does the last stretch of 2024 hold in store for KARD and the fandom?
BM: A lot of touring and preparing for part 2!
J.seph: I hope we can look forward to Part 2 and enjoy the tour with a positive mindset!
Somin: I think we'll be able to communicate a lot with many fans while touring! :) I can't wait
to see everyone! Please look forward to Part 2 as well! :)
Jiwoo: I plan to communicate with many people during the tour and will greet everyone
again in Part 2.
POPMACHINE: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! Before we wrap things up, do you have a message for HIDDEN KARD and the PopMachine readers?
BM: We love you very much and can't wait to see you on tour! And for our new
performances!
J.seph: Thank you to everyone who supports KARD. We will show even more amazing sides
of ourselves in the future, so please look forward to it. We love you!
Somin: I sincerely thank our HIDDEN KARD for always waiting for us and supporting us. We
will continue to create our music and stages without disappointing you. Please keep
watching us. I love you!
Jiwoo: To our HIDDEN KARDs, thank you for always waiting for us for such a long time, for
your love, and for conveying such deep affection that we could never repay. I’m at a loss for
words... Honestly, I feel more and more unable to show my face and get overwhelmed with
guilt. But thanks to our HIDDEN KARDs, we exist, we've come this far, and we're able to
pursue the music we've always wanted to create, with you being our strong support. I’m
truly grateful and thankful. I hope my sincerity reaches each and every one of you. May your
every day be filled with happiness and good health.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO LOBELINE COMMUNICATIONS
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