Kiss of Life (Korean: 키스 오브 라이프; RR: Kiseu Obeu Raipeu; stylized in all caps), also known as KIOF, is a South Korean girl group formed by S2 Entertainment in 2023. The group consists of four members: Julie, Natty, Belle, and Haneul. They debuted on July 5, 2023, with the extended play (EP) Kiss of Life.
Name
According to S2 Entertainment, the name signifies their ambition to "breathe a new life into the music industry with their music and charm."[1] Reflecting on their name, the group's concepts revolve around the different stages of life, adolescence and young adulthood.[2]
History
2015–2022: Pre-debut and formation
Belle is known as the daughter of the veteran Korean singer Shim Shin [ko]. She used to work for SM Entertainment as a songwriter. Natty was a contestant on the South Korean reality survival shows Sixteen and Idol School, that led to the formation of Twice and Fromis 9, respectively. In both shows, she made it to the final episode, but was ultimately not chosen for the final line-up of both groups.[3][4] In 2020, she debuted as a soloist with the single album, Nineteen. Julie was a trainee under The Black Label, a sub-label of YG Entertainment from 2017 to 2020.[5][6]
On July 12, 2022, Natty signed an exclusive contract with S2 Entertainment.[7] In December 2022, Natty was featured in a British documentary about K-pop trainees along with Julie, Belle, and two other unknown trainees. It was speculated that they were the alleged members of the company's upcoming girl group. On December 27, S2 Entertainment announced they were preparing to launch a new girl group in 2023.[8] Later in February 2023, it was discovered that the agency had applied to trademark Kiss of Life and that they had opened SNS accounts of the same name for the group.[9]
2023: Debut with Kiss of Life and Born to Be XX
Kiss of Life at their showcase in July 2023
On May 12, 2023, S2 Entertainment released the first teaser of the group in their SNS accounts. This revealed that the group was hoped to be debuting on July of the same year.[10] Natty was the first member to be revealed on May 15. This was followed with Belle, Julie, and Haneul in the next consecutive days.[11][12][13][14] On May 26, Lee Hae-in was confirmed to be the creative director of the group.[15] On June 12, another teaser was released, announcing the group's debut on July 5, with their self-titled EP.[16]
Beginning with "Sugarcoat" by Natty on June 18, solo music videos of "Countdown" by Belle, "Kitty Cat" by Julie, and "Play Love Games" by Haneul were officially released in the following days.[17][18][19][20] On June 27, the music video of a B-side of the EP "Bye My Neverland" was released,[21] along with the music video teaser for the official debut single "Shhh" on July 3.[22] On July 5, they officially debuted with the release of their EP and music video for "Shhh". They also held a press showcase at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, Seoul on the afternoon of the same day.[23]
On September 28, S2 Entertainment released a teaser announcing the release of the group's second EP, Born to Be XX on November.[24] On October 13, another teaser was issued revealing the official date of release, which was November 8.[25] The EP was released on the planned date, along with the music video for "Bad News", one of the lead singles.[26][27] A week later, on November 15, the music video for the other lead single, "Nobody Knows", was released.[28]
2024–present: Lose Yourself
On March 15, 2024, S2 Entertainment released a poster announcing the release of their single album titled Midas Touch, which was released on April 3.[29] On June 21, it was announced that the group would be making a summer comeback with the digital single "Sticky" on July 1.[30] On July 23, "Superpower" was released in collaboration with Riot Games, which served as the theme for the 2024 Valorant Champions tournament.[31]Natty and Julie provide vocals along with Got7's Mark Tuan, and they performed the song live before the tournament's grand finals between Edward Gaming and Team Heretics at Seoul's Inspire Arena on August 25.[32]
On August 26, S2 Entertainment and Kiss of Life announced "Kiss Road", the group's first world tour, with shows in South Korea, the United States, and Canada taking place from October to December.[33] On September 25, S2 Entertainment announced that Kiss of Life would be releasing their third EP Lose Yourself on October 15, with "Get Loud" as the title track.[34] The pre-release single "R.E.M" was released on October 4.[35] The "Kiss Road" tour started on October 26 and 27 at the Olympic Hall, which featured the unreleased song "Winehouse" in its set.[36] A European leg of the tour was added for February and March 2025.[37]
Artistry
Influences
Julie stated in an interview that the group has been greatly influenced by the music of Blackpink, 2NE1, and BigBang.[38] The members additionally mentioned that they listen to a lot of R&B and hip-hop music, being strongly influenced by artists such as Ariana Grande, SZA, Rihanna, and Rosalía as well.[39] Individually, Julie cited Blackpink and 2NE1 as her role models,[40] Natty cited BoA and Yerin Baek as her role models,[41] Belle cited Sabrina Carpenter as a musical inspiration, and Haneul cited Olivia Rodrigo as her role model.[2]
^"Bye My Neverland" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 155 on the Circle Download Chart.[60]
^"Countdown" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 199 on the Circle Download Chart.[60]
^"Says It" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 178 on the Circle Download Chart.[61]
^"TTG" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 184 on the Circle Download Chart.[61]
^"My 808" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 195 on the Circle Download Chart.[61]
^"Gentleman" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 200 on the Circle Download Chart.[61]
^"Nothing" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 54 on the Circle Download Chart.[62]
^"Te Quiero" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 46 on the Circle Download Chart.[63]
^"Chemistry" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 71 on the Circle Download Chart.[64]
^"Too Many Alex" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 72 on the Circle Download Chart.[64]
^"Back to Me" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 59 on the Circle Download Chart.[64]
^"No One but Us" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but peaked at number 64 on the Circle Download Chart.[64]
^The Korea First Brand Awards is hosted by the Korea Consumer Brand Committee and the Korea Consumer Forum. Awards are based on a nationwide survey held in South Korea.[95]
^Kim, Min-ji. '식스틴' 출신 나띠, S2엔터와 전속계약 체결 [공식] [Natty, a former 'Sixteen', signs an exclusive contract with S2 Entertainment [Official]]. News1 [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022 – via Naver.
^Myeong, Hee-sook (May 16, 2023). 키스 오브 라이프, 두 번째 멤버는 벨...도시 속 맨발 소녀 [Kiss of Life, the second member is Belle... A barefoot girl in the city.]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Ji, Min-kyoung (May 17, 2023). '신인 걸그룹' 키스 오브 라이프, 세 번째 멤버 쥴리 공개 ["New Girl Group" Kiss of Life, the third member Julie is revealed.]. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Myeong, Hee-sook (May 18, 2023). 키스 오브 라이프, 마지막 멤버는 하늘 '매력적 비주얼' [Kiss of Life, the last member is Haneul. "Attractive Visual".]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Park, Yun-jin (May 26, 2023). 이해인, '아이돌학교' 아픔 딛고 'S2엔터 新 걸그룹' 크리에이티브 디렉터 변신 [Lee Hae-in overcomes the pain of "Idol School" and transforms into a creative director of "S2 Entertainment New Girl Group."]. My Daily [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Noh, Han-bin (June 12, 2023). 걸그룹 키스오브라이프, 7월 5일 데뷔 확정...4인 4색 매력 [Girl group Kiss of Life confirmed to debut on July 5th... Four of us, four different charms.]. My Daily [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Jo, Hye-jin (June 19, 2023). '재데뷔' 나띠, 솔로곡 'Sugarcoat' 뮤비 오픈 ["Re-debut." Natty's solo song "Sugarcoat" music video opens.]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Naver.
^Myeong, Hee-sook (June 20, 2023). 키스오브라이프 벨, 솔로곡 '카운트다운' MV 공개 [Kiss of Life Belle, released solo song "Countdown" music video.]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Naver.
^Myeong, Hee-sook (June 21, 2023). 키스오브라이프 쥴리, 솔로 뮤직 '키티 캣' 공개 '올라운더 인증' [Kiss of Life Julie, releases solo music 'Kitty Cat'. "Certified All-Rounder"]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Naver.
^Myeong, Hee-sook (June 22, 2023). 키스오브라이프 하늘, 톡톡 튀는 인플루언서로 변신 '막내美' [Kiss of Life Haneul, transformed into a pop-up influencer 'The Youngest Beauty'.]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee, Seul-bi (June 28, 2023). 신인 걸그룹 키스오브라이프, '안녕,네버랜드' MV 공개 [New girl group Kiss of Life released "Bye, Neverland" music video.]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim, Min-ji (July 4, 2023). '데뷔 D-1' 키스오브라이프, 신곡 '쉿' MV 티저 공개 ["Debut D-1" Kiss of Life releases MV teaser for new song "Shhh".]. News1 [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Naver.
^Hwang, Mi-hyeon (October 13, 2023). 키스오브라이프, 11월8일 컴백 확정...X에 담긴 정체성은? [Kiss of Life confirmed comeback on November 8th... What is the identity in X?]. News1 [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Seul-bi (November 15, 2023). 악행 저질렀던 키스오브라이프, 빌런이 된 진짜 이유? [Kiss of Life for misdeeds, real reason to be a villain?]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Chae-yeon (June 21, 2024). 키스오브라이프, 서머퀸 대전 합류..7월 1일 'Sticky'로 컴백 [공식] [Kiss of Life joins Summer Queen Battle..Comeback with 'Sticky' on July 1st [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Naver.
^Seon, Mi-gyeong (September 25, 2024). 키스오브라이프, 10월 15일 컴백 확정..대세 판도 굳힌다[공식] [Kiss of Life confirms comeback on October 15th.. solidifying the trend [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Naver.
^Jeong, Seo-hyun (October 4, 2024). 키스오브라이프, 선공개곡 'R.E.M' 발매 [Kiss of Life releases pre-release song 'R.E.M'] (in Korean). Newsis. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Mi-young (August 17, 2023). [조이人] ① 키스오브라이프 "실전 강해...신인 같지 않다는 칭찬 감사". JoyNews24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023. We were greatly influenced by the music of Blackpink, 2NE1, and Big Bang.
^Chu, Seung-hyeon (August 12, 2023). [인터뷰]키스오브라이프 "우리 무대, 상상보다 더 멋있더라고요" [[Interview] Kiss of Life 'Our stage was better than I imagined']. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023 – via Naver.
^나띠 "보아·백예린, 닮고 싶은 롤모델" [Natty 'BoA and Baek Yerin, role models I want to emulate']. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. May 7, 2020. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
^Maeng, Sun-mi. 키스오브라이프, 'Sixth Sense' 재해석...실력파 걸그룹 저력 입증 [Kiss of Life's cover of 'Sixth Sense' proves the potential of the talented girl group]. BizEnt. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
^Born to be XX (EP) (photobook). Kiss of Life. South Korea: S2 Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment. 2023. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Lost Yourself (EP) (photobook). Kiss of Life. South Korea: S2 Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment. 2024. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Lost Yourself (EP) (photobook). Kiss of Life. South Korea: S2 Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment. 2024. Credits.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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^Lee, Da-gyeom (January 10, 2024). NCT 드림, '2023 써클차트' 디지털 앨범상...올해의 가수상은 20팀(종합) [NCT Dream won the '2023 Circle Chart' Digital Album Award... Singer of the Year Award goes to 20 teams (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). Maeil Gyeongje. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Naver.
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