Biography
The mixed-gender South Korean ensemble Kard crafts driving, razor-edged pop by weaving electronic trap, moombahton, and hip-hop elements into its pounding anthems. Assembled in the late 2010s, the four-piece issued a consistent run of favorably received mini-albums, among them the 2016 debut Hola Hola that reached the Korean and U.S. Top Three and the 2018 follow-up Ride on the Wind that landed inside the Top Ten. Re: placed at number 12 on the Korean chart in 2022, while ICKY in 2023 and Where to Now? (Pt. 1: Yellow Light) in 2024 also registered on the rankings.
DSP Media assembled the Seoul-based act in 2016, uniting rappers J.Seph (Kim Tae-hyung) and BM (Los Angeles-born “Big” Matthew Kim), who had initially intended to form a hip-hop duo, with vocalists Jiwoo Jeon and Somin Jeon, the latter a former member of Puretty and APRIL. The quartet unveiled its first single, “Oh Na Na” featuring Heo Youngji, near the close of 2016. Early the following year came “Don’t Recall,” which the group also cut in English; months later the third single “Rumor” preceded the debut EP Hola Hola. That set climbed to number two in Korea and number three on the Billboard World Albums chart, after which the members embarked on a promotional trek across the United States and Europe. Following a soundtrack contribution to Lovebird: First Year Season 2, they closed the hectic year with the second mini-album You & Me.
Kard opened 2018 with the third EP Ride on the Wind, another Top Ten entry on both the Korean and U.S. charts. In addition to a brief Asian tour that year, the quartet appeared at SXSW. Although only two singles—“Bomb Bomb” and “Dumb Litty”—surfaced in 2019, the group returned in 2020 with the fourth mini-album Red Moon and the three-track single album Way With Words, which included the hit “Gunshot.” Late that year J.Seph began South Korea’s mandatory military service, leaving Kard as a trio, while BM launched a solo career in 2021.
J.Seph rejoined the lineup in April 2022; that June the group issued its fifth release, Re:, which reached number 12 on the Korean Circle Albums chart. Both 2023’s ICKY and 2024’s Where to Now? (Pt. 1: Yellow Light) again entered the Top 30. During a December 2024 tour Kard introduced the non-album single “Detox.”
DSP Media assembled the Seoul-based act in 2016, uniting rappers J.Seph (Kim Tae-hyung) and BM (Los Angeles-born “Big” Matthew Kim), who had initially intended to form a hip-hop duo, with vocalists Jiwoo Jeon and Somin Jeon, the latter a former member of Puretty and APRIL. The quartet unveiled its first single, “Oh Na Na” featuring Heo Youngji, near the close of 2016. Early the following year came “Don’t Recall,” which the group also cut in English; months later the third single “Rumor” preceded the debut EP Hola Hola. That set climbed to number two in Korea and number three on the Billboard World Albums chart, after which the members embarked on a promotional trek across the United States and Europe. Following a soundtrack contribution to Lovebird: First Year Season 2, they closed the hectic year with the second mini-album You & Me.
Kard opened 2018 with the third EP Ride on the Wind, another Top Ten entry on both the Korean and U.S. charts. In addition to a brief Asian tour that year, the quartet appeared at SXSW. Although only two singles—“Bomb Bomb” and “Dumb Litty”—surfaced in 2019, the group returned in 2020 with the fourth mini-album Red Moon and the three-track single album Way With Words, which included the hit “Gunshot.” Late that year J.Seph began South Korea’s mandatory military service, leaving Kard as a trio, while BM launched a solo career in 2021.
J.Seph rejoined the lineup in April 2022; that June the group issued its fifth release, Re:, which reached number 12 on the Korean Circle Albums chart. Both 2023’s ICKY and 2024’s Where to Now? (Pt. 1: Yellow Light) again entered the Top 30. During a December 2024 tour Kard introduced the non-album single “Detox.”
Albums
Singles
