[Herald Interview] Purple Kiss hopes to illuminate music world with 4th EP

As a playlist of upbeat tunes sets the mood for the summer, girl group Purple Kiss returned with its 4th EP titled “Geekyland,” released Monday evening, to thrill listeners with warm-weather vibes.

The band didn‘t wait long between projects, with a surprise return just four months since “memeM,” released in March.

Ireh expressed her excitement about releasing a new album, saying the process of preparing new music and performance was a joy.

“It seems like the four-month period went by really fast. We’ve devoted so much of our time and effort to the new album, so I hope you‘re excited about it,” she said in a group interview with local reporters in Seoul on Thursday.

Go-eun said the new EP is an extension of the band’s witchy universe.

“Our previous album talked about witches, and the same concept is on ‘Geekyland.’ The album is also brimming with more musical diversity, and we hope our fans enjoy it. We all tried our best to show our full talent,” she said, smiling.

Purple Kiss aims to paint the music world in their trademark purple. Signed to RBW, the group released two pre-debut digital singles, “My Heart Skip a Beat” in November 2020 and “Can We Talk Again” in February. The band made its official debut in 2021 with “Into Violet.” 

The witch concept has become an integral part of what Purple Kiss does. In the video for “memeM,” the band transforms into seven witches, giving off creepy but perky vibes, which the band thinks is the Purple Kiss aesthetic style.

As the title suggests, “Geekyland” is a fictional place where outsiders live. It‘s a place where those who are considered “eccentric” or “weird” are admired for what makes them different, the band says.

“Nerdy” leads the six-track package and is a song about loving and living as yourself, not how others want you to be. Chae-in says this track best suits Purple Kiss’ musical style. “Our sound has always been either bright or dark, but ‘Nerdy’ is a combination of those two,” she added.

Swan said the first thing that came to mind after hearing the tune was: “The song itself really reflects Purple Kiss.”

“When I first heard the demo version, I knew it would work well for us because it‘s the type of music people might not have heard before. It’s unique. We‘ve also added some of our eye-catching moves to our performance,” she said.

Dosie added that the band’s choreography and performances play a big role on the new album. 

“At first, the instruments sounded strange because I felt a lot of classical elements and worried about how our performance would turn out. But there was no need to worry because the dance moves were superb,” she laughed.

Other tracks on the album are: “Intro: Bye Bye Bully,” “FireFlower,” “Can‘t stop dreamin’,” “Love Is Dead” and “SuMMer RaiN.”

Among the many themes of the EP, the idea of being a “geek” is at the forefront, according to Swan. But the band has their own interpretation.

“Our definition of ‘geek’ is not something weird, but it‘s just a person who is different from others. And when these people come together, that’s when they can make a difference,” she added.

“The geeks we‘re referring to are people who are alienated,” added Go-eun. “It’s about those who don‘t have the courage to open up about themselves.”

Chase-in also expressed hopes that the new EP would help people feel more comfortable expressing themselves.

“The message is ’don‘t be afraid to take the initiative, and be yourself.’ Hopefully, those who feel left out will be able to gain courage from our music, be confident and love themselves.”

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)