Music Review: KPOP Kast ReKording Komes Klose, But No Kick For KPOP

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week’s album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from the now-defunct musical extravaganza KPOP, which opened and closed at Circle In The Square Theatre late last year, having run a scant 17 performances from opening night to closing night. One might have assumed that would be that for this noble, fully BIPOC-backed and created effort, but shortly after its closing, the show’s cast album was announced for release in February of this year… then it was pushed back… then it was pushed back again and just when you might think KPOP’s Broadway Bubble had KPOPPED entirely, this OBC landed in stores and streams a couple of weeks ago. Not having seen the show, owing to its too-short run, Bobby came to this album review a bit blind, hoping there would be clues within the Harvey Mason, Jr. produced album about the show’s story and the characters’ struggles, relationships, and needs. Unfortunately, this is not one of those cast albums in the vein of the hit SOME LIKE IT HOT OBC, even though it, too, is an original book musical, written by Jason Kim with music and lyrics by Helen Park and Max Vernon.  In the end, though the cast of Min, BoHyung, Kevin Woo, Marina Kondo, Joshua Lee, Lina Rose Lee, Zachary Noah Piser, Eddy Lee, Julia Abueva, Major Curda, Jinwoo Jung, Jiho Kang, Amy Keum, James Kho, Jully Lee, Timothy H. Lee, Abraham Lim, Kate Mina Lin, Aubie Merrylees, Patrick Park, John Yi, and bonafide KPOP star Luna brought some memorable vocals to Bobby’s rainbow ears. 
 

TBH, my dear readers, at first, we thought that KPOP was the name of a band (Bobby’s old… don’t hate) and that this musical was about one intrepid musical group making their way in the world. It is, though, about 2 bands (RTMIS & FB) and a solo diva, MwE, rehearsing for a concert. KPOP, as we were to find out, is the Americanized abbreviation for Korean popular music, and is the genre of groups like BTS, Black Pink, EXO, and Twice. Looking up these bands, one can assume that being supermodel gorgeous is a criteria for KPOP, across the board. All the members of these groups are almost unbearably beautiful young people, and in looking up this particular show, the same can be said of this Broadway company - GORGEOUS and all with gorgeous voices, as one can hear on their album.  Each song is either lovely or danceable, and each performer brings their all, vocally, in both Korean and English. EVAN HANSEN history maker Zachary Noah Piser was fresh off his casting as the first ever BIPOC lead in that show’s long run, and it seems a little unfair that his very next project suffered so at the box office, given his fine singing on HALFWAY. Luna, the KPOP veteran, also turns in fine performances on SUPERSTAR, STILL I LOVE YOU, & WIND UP DOLL, with this last song showing off her superb pop vocals with rhythms that made this grandpa chair dance. 
 

Each of the three music entities in the show has numbers well-tailored for their vocal compositions and particular styles, and since the recording does not give indications of what is going on with them when not singing (ergo their reasons for singing) one is left to grapple with music and meaning. In the end, what you have in the cast album of KPOP is a fine KPOP album with lots of fun, danceable music being sung by Broadway-caliber voices, and that ain’t so bad. Is this music Little Bobby’s cup-o-tea? Some, yes, and we do feel that a few more listens and dances around the living room will endear it even more. The fact that we are still clueless about the show after hearing its score is a bit of a letdown, Bobby’s not gonna lie, and Bobby’s gonna give this one a gentle…

2 ½ Out Of 5 Rainbows

You Can See And Hear Everything About KPOP On The Webbysite: HERE

And You Can Put KPOP In Your Spotifies: HERE

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