Having a successful year after heavily focused Japanese promotions, iKON are back for their final release in the “New Kids” chapter. The complete repackage, released on January 7th, is a compilation of “Begin”, “Return”, “Continue” and “The Final”, alongside the new single – “I’m OK”. In total, it comprises of the 23 tracks released over 2017 to 2019.
It could be said that iKON and their songs are being milked to the max by their record label, YG Entertainment. Perhaps most notably thanks to the popularity of “Love Scenario”.
“Love Scenario” is regarded as one of the best K-Pop songs of 2018 by those such as PAPER and Billboard, while also winning Song of the Year at the 2018 Melon Music Awards and 33rd Golden Disc Awards. The song’s immense popularity in Korea had it banned from some schools due to the catchiness and content within the song’s lyrics. It is a surprisingly upbeat song in relation to the lyrics, detailing on a the reflection of a breakup.
The latest “I’m OK” is the complete opposite of “Love Scenario”‘s happy feel, turning away to a more deadly melancholic side of a breakup. The music video itself is explosive, filled with car wrecks, dim lighting, and an ever growing sense of existential dread with the members.
Listening through other songs, it did feel a little dated having B-Day and Bling Bling finally featuring in an album. All in all, The New Kids era was a major turning point for iKON in their success, but felt as though they were maybe a little riding too much on the success of one song to be doing four comebacks in the space of a single year.
3/5
