K.A.R.D Keeps On Delivering With "Don't Recall"

It's only been two months but DSP's newest project K.A.R.D is back with a new single called "Don't Recall", much to the happiness of fans of the group, myself included. This co-ed group consisting of Somin, Jiwoo, BM and J.Seph made their debut in December last year and impressively so, as they were on of my favorite new groups of 2016 and I'm sure for many other as well. Not only was their concept unique and refreshing but their debut song "Oh NaNa" was pretty amazing as well and won many people over. Their newest single is within the same genre of tropical house and is easily as great as their previous release; it might even be better.

The song does follow a similar pattern of singing, rapping, a chorus and an instrumental breakdown, but the melody and mood of the song is quite different. "Don't Recall" is more mellow with its heartfelt post-breakup lyrics, as we're told the story from two different perspectives; the girl and the guy respectively. She's over him and wants nothing more than forget the times they had together whereas the guy is still hanging on to what's left of the relationship and refusing to let go. I love that they're utilizing the fact that there are both male and female members in the group as a way of telling a story with their lyrics, as it's one of the many strengths of this song.

The MV for "Don't Recall" doesn't do the song full justice but it's definitely an upgrade from "Oh NaNa". I don't know the budget was any different from their previous video release but the way it's shot and edited does make it appear to be of a higher quality. Although it's shot in mostly indoor box sets they've used some clever tricks to make it more dynamic, such as the sharp colors and play with light from different angles.

I enjoy the switch between different shots of contrasting red and blue colors as the vibe goes from hot and fiery to sad and melancholy, as well as the dancing sequences in which both set and the members' clothes are all white. The styling in general is very elegant as the girls are dressed up in fancy clothes and jewelry and the guys in fitted shirts and dress pants, which also adds to a more high-quality feeling of the MV.

There doesn't seem to be much of a plot or clear story to the MV though which would've been nice to see as the lyrics are so telling, but it doesn't matter too much as the emotions of the song still do come across. Paired with another great choreography the video still holds its own well enough. I do find it fascinating to watch their choreographies because many moves do play a lot on them being different genders, but the majority of the moves are the same for everyone which creates a unique dynamic. All of them have very different styles of dancing as well so although they might not be completely in sync all the time it's still enjoyable to watch.

Overall I've been finding this comeback very satisfying as a continuation of their awesome debut, with this one being only the members of K.A.R.D and no hidden ones which I certainly prefer. They have such a unique thing going for them and seeing how big they've already become among international fans I hope it won't be long until they become popular in Korea as well. "Don't Recall" is another fantastic song that plays on their strengths as a co-ed group as do the video and choreography and I can't wait for their next release.

Song: 4,25/5
Video: 3,2/5