MUMBAI: Seoul-based collective Balming Tiger has released their new single “Kamehameha” and announced their debut album “January Never Dies”, scheduled for release on 19th October.
A diverse music collective taking their name from the famous Asian ointment ‘Tiger Balm’, Balming Tiger describes themselves as a “multinational alternative K-pop band” with a desire to create an impact globally and carve a uniquely captivating lane for K-pop. The main creative vision of Balming Tiger is to reflect and represent the younger generation of today’s society, aiming to further popularise today’s hyper-expressive Asian youth culture throughout the world, whilst drawing inspiration from a wider spectrum of global influences.
Bouncy and playful, “Kamehameha”s experimental soundscape pays homage to the Korean drinking game of the same name, simulating the light-headed, overconfident experience of being heavily intoxicated. The track is produced by bj wjwn and features vocals and melodies by sogumm. The track’s stripped-back composition varies from previous singles, providing another stylishly diverse addition to the collective’s expansive discography. The AI-inspired single artwork and surreal, cinematic music video were created by Balming Tiger’s visual artist Chanhee Hong.
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This is the fourth single to be unveiled from their forthcoming album, following the widescreen “SOS” in April, the radiant “Trust Yourself” in January and “SEXY NUKIM” in September of 2022 featuring RM of legendary K-pop band BTS, which achieved record-breaking results including reaching #1 on Billboard’s ‘World Digital Song Sales’ chart. The music video for “SEXY NUKIM (feat. RM of BTS)” has surpassed 16 million views.
Balming Tiger consists of performers Omega Sapien, sogumm, bj wnjn, and Mudd the student (who recently appeared on South Korea’s most popular music TV show SMTM, garnering millions of views), producers San Yawn and Unsinkable, video directors Jan’ Qui and Leesuho, DJ Abyss, visual artist Chanhee Hong, and writer Henson Hwang. Each artist in this ensemble expresses a different artistic identity and energy, as well as a wide range of versatility in crafting the group’s distinct visual world.
Founding member and K-pop and K-rap sensation Omega Sapien released his solo EP “WUGA” via LuckyMe last year, featuring incendiary collaborations with GRAMMY-nominated producer Baauer, NUXXE label head Sega Bodega and Vernon of K-pop collective SEVENTEEN. “WUGA” followed the release of Omega’s ‘Garlic and the Mugwort: The Genesis’, a remix album which consisted of tracks from his debut album, ‘Garlic’. The Korean polymath enlisted a slew of producers and collaborators to once again push the boundaries of alternative music, resulting in a bubbling amalgam of digital hardcore, hyper-pop, alt-rap and electronica.
At the iconic annual SXSW Festival in Austin earlier this year, they co-presented, curated and headlined ‘Tiger Den’, SXSW’s first-ever all-Asian lineup which included artists like Shye (Singapore), Tohji (Japan), LØREN (S. Korea), Lunadira (Malaysia) and more.
This year, Balming Tiger will cap off their world tour in Bangkok, Thailand, at Maho Rasop Festival on 2 December.
“Kamehameha” is the latest piece in the puzzle to be revealed from their highly anticipated debut album, stay tuned for more.
