After dabbling in hip-hop, R&B and rock, "hot girl" group Kiss of Life is all-in on yet another genre: Britney.

"Songs of Britney Spears, like 'Toxic,' were a heavy influence,' said member Natty when discussing the group's first single, "Midas Touch," during a showcase on Wednesday at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, ahead of its 6 p.m. release.

"We did a lot of research on the style, feel and vibe of such music, and we reinterpreted it," Natty said.


Kiss of Life was arguably the most prominent rookie girl group to debut in 2023. The group first gained attention via Belle — the daughter of Shim Shin, a singer who was popular in the '80s and '90s — and Natty, a familiar trainee seen on audition programs “Sixteen” (2015) and “Idol School” (2017). But all four members soon grabbed the attention of both K-pop fans and the general public with the solid, but distinct skills displayed in their debut EP. By recalling the popular music of the early 2000s, they hope to evoke a sense of nostalgia for older generations while introducing younger audiences to the beloved genre from before their time.

The title track of “Midas Touch” features signature sounds and synthesizers from the 2000s. B-side track “Nothing” is a medium-tempo R&B song inspired by the same era.

“'Midas Touch’ sings about love at its very early stages, while ‘Nothing’ is about the love reaching an end — love that changed and the lack of emotion in relationships,” Julie said.

“The four members and our company all believed that the general public is in need of something that can bring back the nostalgia from [pop music of the 2000s]. We all felt like that’s what they want to hear from us,” Belle said.

“It’s [the type of music] that you don’t often see, and we think people will enjoy it.”

“I personally really like songs of that era," said Natty, citing singers Lee Hyo-ri and BoA as her role models. Her solo track from the band's debut EP, "Sugarcoat," was based on 2000s R&B.

Kiss of Life members said that they felt a bit of pressure — a “positive pressure” as Belle described it — as they prepared for their third release, due to the high expectations from its fans and the public. But the four members were nevertheless confident in their new music and more importantly, themselves. That's why they call themselves "hot girls."

“We four members are known to have four very distinct styles and we are all very confident and worthy of the title," Belle said. "Our skills show how much of 'hot girls' we are."

They hope that confidence will shine in their art, as well as their aesthetic.

“We love being on stage; we were born to be on stage,” Belle said. “We are trying to express [ourselves] to the public with our music and our performances, and that shows a glimpse of the artistic side of us.”

“Looking at how members are so knowledgeable about their own style makes me feel like we are artists," Julie said, adding that "the desperation of our members, trying to do better, proves that."

Which genre — or decade — will the group tackle next? The sky's the limit, members say.

“Kiss of Life is a group that keeps taking challenges: ‘Shhh’ and ‘Bad News’ were based in hip-hop and now we are showing the vibes of the 2000s," Natty said. "I hope you look forward to what we can show in the future."

“We can do this and we can do that; we can pull off so many different genres,” Haneul said. “So the possibilities are limitless, whatever our next release will be.”

To find out more about KISS OF LIFE, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]