Bare & Rare is the second studio album by South Korean singer Chung Ha. The first part was released on July 11, 2022, under MNH Entertainment and 88rising.
Background
On June 27, 2022, Chung Ha revealed a detailed teaser schedule for the first part of her second studio album, titled Bare & Rare.[1][2] The mood sampler in "Bare" version was uploaded on June 28. It showcased a "dreamy" and "mechanical" sound with a "strange" tension.[3] On June 30, the official photo of "Bare #1" was released, showing Chung Ha in silhouette along with vintage colours and natural styling,[4] while the "Bare #2" was released on July 1. The teaser images for the lead single "Sparkling" were released on July 2, which were said to have an "enchanting" atmosphere.[5] The second image depicts the singer in a red dress surrounded by flowers.[6] The track list for the album was released on July 4, with the highlight medley being released two days later on July 6. The music video teaser was released on July 8 and 9 respectively.[7] Countdown posters were released on July 9 and 10 respectively before the official D-day countdown poster and album was released on July 11, 2022.[8]
Composition
The album consists of 8 tracks, all of which were co-produced and co-written by Chung Ha. The album includes: "XXXX", "Sparkling", "Louder" "California Dream", "Good Night My Princess", "Love Me Out Loud", "Nuh-Uh" and "Crazy Like You" featuring 88rising labelmate Bibi. The album marks Chung Ha's first full comeback after her first full-length album "Querencia" which was released in 2021.[9]
"Louder" is a catchy pop track with bouncy beats and twinkling effects. Chung Ha aims to encourage listeners to stop apologising for the space they take up and start owning their strength.
The lead single "Sparkling" was considered a change to Chung Ha's previous music style.[10]
Conception
At a press conference in Seoul, Chung Ha shared her feelings about the album and reflected on her previous works, citing that she "felt empty for some reason".[11][12]
"I realized that while I've been a singer for the past few years, I had never really expressed my personal memories through my music. So far, I thought of myself as a performer; someone who performs the stage routine and lyrics that others designed for me. For this album, I wanted to fill it up with my innermost stories.
I asked myself what was causing that feeling, and I thought of the times that I sang lyrics that I couldn't relate to, or wanted to change some musical aspects in my songs. So I really wanted to tell my own story this time."
— Chung Ha explaining her thoughts on the album[11]
Release and promotion
Prior to the release of the album, Chung Ha performed "California Dream" on June 25, 2022, at the Seoul Waterbomb Festival 2022.[13] The album initially was announced as a double album, with a second part of the album being scheduled for release in late 2022.[13] A release of the second part of the project failed to materialize in 2022. Chung Ha's departure from her label MNH Entertainment was announced in January 2023, her contract with the label expired in April 2023.[14][15] The status of the project is unknown.
Tanu I. Raj of NME gave 3 out of 5 stars while stating that "the K-pop soloist's second studio album stumbles occasionally but displays her complexity and commendable desire to grow".[17]
