“Rumor” [3:37]
+ Perhaps it’s my Latin background, but K.A.R.D’s latest single “Rumor” is my favorite release of theirs thus far. Something about it takes me right back to the sweaty nightclubs on dirty sixth in downtown Austin, where the rich scent of vomit and booze fill the air and burn your nostrils.
The four-piece co-ed ensemble has been hinting at this style from the get-go, it’s just taken us a few singles to get here. K.A.R.D eased us in through Tropical House, served us some moombahton (a genre I’ve written about already), and now we’ve reached peak hype with an all out reggaeton single.
Or is it dancehall? I’m not 100% sure. There’s some confusion about what genre this is, and honestly, EDM sub-genres can be such a clusterfuck that I don’t even really care at this point other than the fact that the song is a bop. K.A.R.D clearly has an ear for this style of music and it shows in spades.
While I love Somin and Jiwoo’s contribution to this and think they’ve had glorious moments on K.A.R.D’s previous singles, it’s B.M and J.seph who shine best on “Rumor.” The vocal processing on their voices is spot on, stylistically working perfectly for this genre. J.seph steps up his game considerably as he takes full ownership during his verses, sounding like a total badass in the process.
But it’s B.M who I think sells K.A.R.D as a legitimate Latin-inspired K-Pop group through “Rumor”. His deep and aggressive vocals cut really well through the production and give the song that low-end kick that you don’t hear a lot in K-Pop.
If K.A.R.D play their cards right (har har), they could be on to something here as far as crossover potential goes, especially in Latin-American countries with fans who eat this style of music for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Genre: Dance | Release Date: 4/24/17
Is This How You Pop? 
0 comments on “An Annotated Listening: “Rumor” by K.A.R.D”