JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
EXCLUSIVE: Balming Tiger on self-defining K-pop genre, collabs with BTS’ RM and SEVENTEEN’s Vernon
Alternative K-pop collective Balming Tiger sat down with Pinkvilla on the heels of their hit release SEXY NUKIM to dish on finding their unique colour.
Balming Tiger was fresh off of a live reaction, the first from them, for the SEXY NUKIM music video feat. RM of BTS, however, our pile of questions awaited, and kind as ever the seven of them were ready to answer them all.
Alternative K-pop band
Standing out from the rest, Balming Tiger defined themselves as “A Multi-National Alternative K-pop band and Asian Arts & Culture Collective.” On asking, the group uncovered the very reason they decided to use Alternative K-pop as their genre- they wished to be free from the shackles of set norms and put themselves under an umbrella that would allow them to continue making music of all kinds. Genius, we think.
Growing influence
Balming Tiger is very well aware of the millions riding Hallyu and in this storm of interest, they wish to make themselves and others like them constants in world music. Their goal? Longevity in the influence of Korean culture. And to take a step in the right direction, they brought in inarguably one of the most crucial elements characteristically anchoring the Korean wave - BTS - and worked with leader RM to be able to reach a wider audience and they’ve done just that as the song rocked atop multiple music charts.
Working with other artists
Collaborations come very naturally to the group, whose Omega Sapien shared the details of his solo work ‘Wrecker’ with SEVENTEEN’s Vernon. They’ve been friends for a while and a random meeting saw him suggest the idea to the same-aged K-pop star who happily agreed to be a part of the release.
On the other hand, roping in RM may not have been a tough mountain to climb either, as the collective’s leader, San Yawn, rubbed elbows with the very acclaimed producer, Supreme Boi, who has been credited for superhit tracks like ‘Dionysus’ and ‘Idol’ by BTS, and ‘Cat & Dog (English Version)’ by TOMORROW X TOGETHER, to name a few. San Yawn and Supreme Boi belong to the same alumnus that both decided to drop out of, a fact we cheered about during our talk. They’re both doing fabulously well, after all.
Their charm
Balming Tiger is not unknown to the Korean crowd who have previously grooved to their domestically viral release ‘Kolo Kolo’, which also happens to be our personal favourite. One look at their discography and you can easily notice that they’re quirky, full of ideas and oozing with talent- a part of which the unversed were able to witness through SEXY NUKIM.
During our conversation, the group dished about the many secret details of their collaborative song- how it was to be shot in another country originally, how they reacted to RM’s first try on his SEXY NUKIM verse, how different each of their experiences was while shooting the music video and how they acknowledge that this is only the start for them.
Over an hour of deep conversations, laughs and cultural exchange later- the collective was ready to hop on the plane for their show the next morning and we parted ways with their fascination about us deciding to “입덕” (ipdeok) aka stan them!
Hardly, it was very natural, just like their collaborations.
Watch the interview below.
Stay updated with the latest Hallyu news on: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat
ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Alternative K-pop collective Balming Tiger talks SEXY NUKIM with RM of BTS, future plans
Latest Articles
