Element Review

 

Element is the first EP by BM, member of the Kpop band KARD. It was released on May 7, 2024, with "Nectar" serving as the album's title track. My overall ranking is as follows:

1. "Loyalty"
2. "Embers"
3. "Nectar" ft. Jay Park
4. "Badboy Badgirl" (ft. Somin of KARD)
5. "Motion"

I listened to the tracks out of their listed order, although I did begin with the title track “Nectar”, which honestly not as raunchy as I was expecting considering the subject matter. Granted, the bar for what counts as "raunchy" from BM is pretty high if his previous single "ATAP" and guest verse on KOALA's RSVP Remix (also featuring Jay Park, CHIO CHICANO, and Lil Boi) are concerned. I'm honestly a little surprised KBS banned "Nectar" when KARD's “Icky” and “Cake” got through the censors. The song is catchy and seductive, thanks in large part to its Afrobeats sound. With Jay Park featuring, I was expecting something explicit, but his verse was surprisingly tame...although maybe that's because he spent about 50% of it just saying the word 'baby'. An unexpected and slightly blander title track from BM, but a boppy one nonetheless. 

“Badboy Badgirl” was the second song I listened to, although it actually comes last in the track listing. Despite the feature, there was barely any Somin on this track. If you have ever listened to KARD or BM, you'll understand what I mean when I say the lyrics were as expected. The outro appeared to be designed specifically for audience participation during concerts (a la Diplo’s infamous “twerk team”). I really didn't like the sound for the pre-chorus, and found the lyrics surface level overall. Also, the mixing sounded pretty rough, especially from the second chorus on. The third rap was the best part, in my opinion. It almost sounds like a callback to something I’ve heard before in early 2000s? Will report back if I figure out what it reminds me of.

Moving on to “Embers”--I like the vibe a lot, but again, the mixing sounded a tad rough, like volumes aren’t balance. Similarly to "Nectar", it was not as raunchy lyrically as I thought it would be, and in my opinion was not worthy of a KBS ban. I appreciated seeing a little more nuance from BM on this track, with the scales tipping more towards romance than just animal attraction (although there was definitely a sexual component, as there usually is with his work). 

Now, “Motion” was the NSFW material I was expecting. By far the raunchiest on the album, I would speculate that this song alone was absolutely responsible for the full KBS ban. To be honest, this was my least favorite. The majority of the sound was very noise music-esque, and the lyrics were repetitive and chaotic to the point where it came off as a warm-up freestyle rap. Of all the songs on the EP, this one felt the least polished, more like first draft. I actually did enjoy the shift in sound on the second chorus, but unfortunately that’s also when the lyrics got worse, so...respectfully, "Motion" is not for me, lol. 

Now for my favorite song on the EP: “Loyalty”. BM has mentioned being inspired by B2K for this track, and I could definitely see the influence here. While at time the volume levels seem off (again), the R&B style and the catchy melody made me happy, and created a nice flow from rap to vocals. 

Lyrically speaking...am I crazy, or are there small indicators of a growing maturity here? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a BM song through and through (sexy lyrics, a playfulness that sails past flirty into full on bravado) but the question of whether the subject’s loyalty is solid coupled with his assurances that he can do more than just f--- her right (i.e, that he can be worthy of that loyalty) reveals a hint of insecurity behind his playboy facade—the question followed by his usual raunchy chaos appears like he is covering up hurt or loneliness with party-boy antics. Asking her to show [him] love and promising that at the end of the day, [complete loyalty] is all that [he] need[s] could be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hint that contradictory to his stage persona, BM might no longer be looking for just a one night stand, but something deeper and more emotionally involved. We know from “Broken Me” that there is depth to BM, pain lurking under the horny fun—this song feels more subtle in the reveal of that, but to me, it’s there. 

The above statement is also reinforced in the lyrics for "Embers": 

Baby, it's so much more than lust; 

Hoping this'll move forward from a lil crush; 

And if you really want, I could be your one

"Nectar": 

[I'd] show you something different if you'd let me in

and "Badboy Badgirl" 

This might be something more than lust

Interestingly, the lyric above shows more hesitancy towards deepening a relationship than the other examples listed here, yet the song also comes last on the album. Is the EP a story of growth, or of a man burying his yearning for companionship and vulnerable exchange in favor of one-and-done sex (with “Motion” acting as a purposefully over-the-top retreat to what’s expected)? Is it a marketing scheme, building on both the Somin/BM rumors and the comparative success of chaotic raunchfests like “Cake”, “Icky”, and “Lowkey” over the quieter reception of the more vulnerable “Broken Me”? Is it indicative that falling in love after lust is simply a part of the cycle—attraction, affection, adoration, separation, and repeat?

Maybe BM's ultimate goal is as simple as he says in “Embers”: I just wanna be the one you want.