KISS OF LIFE’s Bad Live Singing Performance Receives Negative Comments

In June, KISS OF LIFE released their new music video for “Sticky,”joining the competitive music scene. Keeping with the summer theme, “Sticky”is an energetic and celebratory song. The group’s MV, featuring daring choreography and impressive displays of their bodies, was a sizzling 100 degrees. Despite their bold comeback, the response from viewers was divided, with some finding the group’s image and choreography too provocative and suggestive.

Despite the high expectations and being compared to “BLACKPINK 2.0,”the group was unable to avoid the “live singing crisis.”

Despite causing controversy, “Sticky”became a hit song for the group. Following their performance at Waterbomb, KISS OF LIFE gained widespread recognition. The song steadily rose in popularity, eventually reaching the top 10 on MelOn and trending throughout Asia. Thanks to “Sticky,”KISS OF LIFE was awarded their first music show trophy.

The K-pop fan community took notice of KISS OF LIFE after hearing their hit song “Midas Touch.”Their release of “Sticky”marked the end of their “nugu”(unknown) status and solidified their place in the industry. The group’s four members, known for their striking visuals and unique concepts, have received much acclaim. They have even been compared to their predecessors, BLACKPINK, and fondly nicknamed the “2.0 version”by fans in Korea.

In September 2023, S2 Entertainment debuted their highly anticipated group KISS OF LIFE, consisting of members Julie, Natty, Belle, and Haneul. These members have trained at renowned companies such as The Black Label, JYP, and SM, which adds to their talent. Despite the “live singing crisis”that many new-generation K-pop groups face, KISS OF LIFE is viewed as a standout group.

KISS OF LIFE performed an encore of “Sticky” on Show Champion on July 17, 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPodmUYe_1E

Despite their recent success, KISS OF LIFE has faced criticism for their live performances. During two encore stages for their song “Sticky,”the group’s singing received poor ratings. The members’ voices trembled and they struggled to hit high notes, even with minimal dancing. This was especially evident in Bella, the main vocal, during their encore stage on Show Champion.

On online K-pop communities, there was extensive discussion among netizens about KISS OF LIFE’s singing prowess. A particular post titled “My thoughts on KISS OF LIFE’s talent”gained widespread attention, amassing over 80,000 views. The author of the post thoroughly analyzed KISS OF LIFE’s live singing abilities and shared their frank critiques.

“Despite having two encore performances, both were deemed subpar by critics. Fans, however, came to their defense citing their poor physical condition and overwhelming nerves after their initial win. Once again, fans pointed to their busy schedule as the cause for their lackluster singing.”

“It is apparent that all groups that have won music shows are occupied with their schedules. Is it being claimed that KISS OF LIFE is exceptionally busy? I find it hard to believe. While this group has gained the most attention from the recent dispute over live singing abilities, I personally consider them to be the weakest among the three groups that have gained from it,”the post stated.

Following their two encore crisis performances, KISS OF LIFE is facing criticism and doubt from audiences. This has caused some to question the initial positive reviews of the group, who were initially hailed as the “new generation BLACKPINK”for their impressive vocal, rap, dance, and songwriting abilities.

Despite their recent performance, KISS OF LIFE has failed to impress. There are even claims that KISS OF LIFE is overrated and fails to live up to its hype. In comparison to BABYMONSTER and NMIXX, it is clear that KISS OF LIFE is not on the same level.

There is currently a lot of mixed opinions on KISS OF LIFE’s live singing abilities on social media.

“They are talented but not at the level of BABYMONSTER and NMIXX. I think they would also be disliked if they claimed to be the successors of BLACKPINK.”
“I don’t think people would care if they didn’t advertise themselves as highly skilled. But again, I’m not sure they would succeed as much without doing that.”
“It’s not that they lack skills, but they don’t have enough skills to promote themselves as a highly skilled group… I don’t think any group is better than NMIXX… I thought they were on par with NMIXX because people kept praising them, and I was shocked when I heard them.”
“Everyone winning music shows is busy.”
“It’s funny that they went viral after LE SSERAFIM’s Coachella disaster, only to find out that they also lack skills.”
“Does KISS OF LIFE have that many haters?”

Origin: K14