South Korean group has been gaining media attention since 2022 and is preparing for its first North American tour
Balming Tiger (or BT, for the intimate) is a collective created in 2017, which defines itself as a multinational alternative K-Pop group, with members who have different perceptions about musical production, making their songs have a unique style and stand out in the South Korean music industry.
The group currently has 11 members, namely: DJ Abyss, Henson Hwang, Jan’ Qui, Leesuho, Mugg the Student, Omega Sapien, San Yawn, Sogumm, Unsinkable, Chanhee Hong and BJ WNJN.
In 2020, BT caught the public’s attention after its single Kolo Kolo became viral on TikTok, and in 2022 the group returned to the charts with its hit track Sexy Nukim, in partnership with RM (Kim Namjoon), the leader of BTS. To tell you a little more about its history and production processes, BT gave an exclusive interview to Entretê, just take a look:
Entretetizei: What has changed in the Balming Tiger songs from 2017 to now? What paths did you prefer to follow in the music industry?
Balming Tiger: We’ve joined many new members since 2017 when we graduated. Each time 11 members come together, each member adds their own color, and our music gradually becomes a new color. We wanted to follow our own new path, not the typical mainstream K-pop market or the local underground music scene. And yes, the ‘alternative K-pop’.
E: Last year you released Sexy Nukim, in partnership with Kim Namjoon (RM) from BTS. How did this proposal happen? And what was it like working with a world-renowned idol and one of South Korea’s greatest songwriters?
BT: We felt like we needed a new energy to complete this song. So far, only our members have worked on this, but for the first time, we felt the need to be outstanding artists. We thought RM was the right person to instill a new presence in our music and contacted him through a nearby producer. He gladly accepted and recorded it quickly and sent it to us. He’s a very humble and highly capable friend. We learned a lot from each other working together.
E: Sexy Nukim, in addition to being an addictive song, also has a music video that draws attention. All the elements are very well placed, and you can see that he has a good sense of cinema in his production. Whose idea was it to produce the music video? And what was it like to record it?
BT: We mainly used the first recorded version. That’s because it was the best feeling. Also, we used the file as it was because the first version of RM recorded and sent was so perfect. The music video was directed by Penacky, a friend and partner who has been working with us constantly. He thought about how to express our music, and we think he expressed it best by paying attention to detail. Check out the other music videos by Armadillo, Kolo Kolo and Trust Youself, directed by Penacky.
E: Since last year, Balming Tiger has been breaking the indie and alternative K-Pop barrier and reaching an audience in the K-Pop bubble. What does that process look like for you?
BT: We think we’re very thankful to be able to make music in this era when K-pop is gaining worldwide popularity. We are thankful that our work can receive more attention. We’re different from the typical K-pop look and style, but we don’t think it’s a typical indie sensation. We feel that we are taking two paths at the same time, or we are taking a new path, not those paths. Many people may not be familiar with our style, but thank you for the growing number of fans who like our colors.
E: You recently released the single Trust Yourself. Which for me is the perfect song to throw everything up and jump. How was her production process? Do you intend to include it in an album?
BT: Yes, this track is a pre-release of our first studio album. We wanted to sing about trust. Especially in Korea, there are many cases where people care too much about the eyes of others. They often follow other people’s opinions rather than their own. The lyrics to this song are also words for ourselves. We wanted to convey a message that we should focus on the sound of our own heart and not on the outside, and we incorporated it as an active sound.
E: Speaking of an album, you’re producing one now. How are things going? Do you have a release date yet? Could you give us some spoilers about what to expect from this album?
BT: Yes, we are planning to release an album in the first half of this year. The exact date has not yet been decided, but there is not much time left. It’s our first full-length album in over five years since we formed a group. So far, we’ve only shown our colors as a single, but we’re happy to finally show what an 11-member mixed color will look like. It will be an alternative K-pop album in which each personality is harmonized and various genres are mixed.
E: You have done a lot of shows, and I believe that the demand for the group has grown considerably in recent months. Do you have plans to embark on a world tour?
BT: We feel that the demand for our presentations abroad has increased even more recently. We are planning to go on a world tour with the release of the album this year. Of course, there are some countries that cannot go, but we want to visit more countries and introduce ourselves as time goes by. We can’t wait to meet the Brazilian fans.
E: What do you plan to achieve in the coming years as a collective? What are the plans that you want to put into practice?
BT: After our first studio album, all the members who haven’t released an album yet will release their own albums. After the group color, we think that the color of each member will be revealed. Our plan is to spread our energy and love around the world. Love is our mission!
E: What can we expect from the Balming Tiger in the coming months?
BT: We are focusing our energies on preparing the group’s first studio album and on a worldwide tour to play it live. Please wait for that.
Recently, Balming Tiger announced their first North American tour, which is the starting point for a possible world tour. Is it too early to order come to Brazil? It doesn’t hurt to try!
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*Featured photo credits: reproduction/NIKOLAI AHN