I think I’ve mentioned a few times here that a way to not get “burned out” in K-Pop is to cast a wider net. This industry is so saturated that there could be groups that put out great material, but you never get to hear more about them because they’re probably disbanded right before they stage a comeback. It is for this exact reason that one of my favorite Twitter accounts is @nugupromoter because they provide a platform for less popular groups to have some clout, so to speak.
Which brings me to the main character of this post – RockingDoll. This four-piece group from SRP Entertainment might be barely a year old but they are already showing out with a discography that can shut down a lot of more prominent groups right now.
Their first EP, Survive, is a cornucopia of sounds and styles from different groups executed really well. Now this does not really help with establishing the group’s distinct style but what it can do is that it will help people remember their overall body of work as a diverse collection of tracks brimming with quality – even for a group of smaller scale and influence.
Here’s a breakdown of the teas they are giving with each track to help you get into the RockingDoll gig. The new queens of pop are also generous enough to drop an MV for every track in this album. When will your faves?
Grey – A spacey, retro-tinged dance-pop number. Think of Everglow La Di Da or Twice’s I Can’t Stop Me.
Survive – The title track for this comeback. Probably the weakest out of all of the tracks. A little aespa x Dreamcatcher crossover…but not quite. This MV though…what is a Kwangya???
PomPom – A personal favorite! This is a relentless, funky masterpiece which is giving Red Velvet’s Rookie (a masterpiece) meets Jessie J’s Bang Bang. I love how the song is always *up there* – like did they even do this in one breathing? It’s that good.
I Just Wanna Be With You – If PomPom, is serving red Red Velvet, this one is on the Velvet spectrum. In my French vanilla fantasy, this style could be their bread and butter. A chic, grown-up sound would set them apart from a lot of their contemporaries.
Drop Down – Closing the album is Drop Down, a track screaming 90s girl groups which is another potential niche they can also explore. Nostalgia sells well if done right and it sounds like there can be something here.
What’s more interesting is that the whole thing is recorded in English which means they are probably targeting a more international crowd rather than establishing a local fanbase. A bold move from their company but if you follow their whereabouts, RockingDoll is actually booked and blessed! From appearing at Venice Film Festival to walking at the New York Fashion Week, it’s giving global superstars!!!
S/O to their fierce AF CEO though, I mean look at her!!! She be having these connections (looking like that) that I hope she prepped the girls with elevator pitches about their record to the big honchos! Who knows, we’ll probably get RockingDoll world domination sooner than we thought and I for one would like to see it!!
Stream the Survive EP here: