Song Review: KISS OF LIFE – Sugarcoat (Natty solo)

Upcoming girl group KISS OF LIFE (quite an interesting name if you ask me) is releasing solo songs for every single member pre-debut. The first of the series is sung by NATTY, who is already a familiar face among the more hardcore/long-time K-pop fan. She first appeared in SIXTEEN, the survival show that created TWICE, but she was eliminated in the very final episode. She was a formidable contestant, but it might have been a blessing in disguise that she was eliminated as she was quite young at the time (13 if I am not mistaken), which would subject her to a lot of unneeded pressure. Now at 21 years old, she is finally making a debut with a group, and it was really about time for all her years of hard work to come to fruition.

‘Sugarcoat’ is not the first time Natty has released solo music, though her last two works were under another agency in her short time as a solo artist (which were strong songs on their own right) failed to bring her mainstream recognition. Competition within solo artists in the K-pop industry is even more brutal than groups. Hopefully, under KISS OF LIFE, she can finally make her mark. By the sound of ‘Sugarcoat’, I have high hopes for the sound of the actual group.

‘Sugarcoat’ fully leans into the 90s RnB style. Its groove is slick and engaging, complemented by a lush instrumental that is surprisingly well-arranged. I’m particularly a fan of the violins that come in the chorus, as well as the solid vocal harmonies and adlibs that decorate the track like what one would expect of a song of this style. For a song of this style, there is little else I would ask for it. Perhaps a bit more variation of its instrumentals would have pushed it to the very top.

As for its hooks, I see its appeal, but I think that it needs to be a bit more engaging. In the K-pop context, the likes of NCT Jaehyun’s ‘Forever Only‘ would be what I would consider a success among K-pop RnB songs in terms of creating very effective hooks in spite of being quite faithful to the style it is emulating. To be fair, ‘Sugarcoat’ is a more faithful emulator than the latter, but I think a tad bit more melodic variation would have benefitted the song nevertheless. It isn’t in the spectrum of being ‘not engaging’. It just could have pushed further. Something that would have me singing the song to myself after playing it. Something like the iconic ‘Weak‘ by SWV. It is a lot to ask, considering how strong the latter’s hooks, probably one of the strongest among every song I’ve ever listened to, but it is living proof that it is possible to take the quirks that makes 90s RnB unique and fuse it with all-killer-no-filter melody to make something truly special.

On the other hand, the vocal delivery of ‘Sugarcoat’ is an easy standout. It feels confident, self-assured, and even from a technical standpoint, the riffs and the runs were executed in an above average proficiency within the K-pop sphere. Natty is not a vocal God like D.O (who is the king of vocal agility in K-pop), but I think this is easily one of the most convincing vocal performances I’ve listened to in a song attempted in this style. Natty’s years of training and experience as a solo artist comes to absolute fruition here. Well done.

With a song like ‘Sugarcoat’, I think the most important part that the song holds it together is its production. Some songs were created to be pleasant listens ‘in the moment’ and I think it is one of them. It is also the most flattering to think of this song in this view. Hence, to compensate for the lack of rap, I will double the points from the production when taking the overall rating of the song.

Overall, ‘Sugarcoat’ is well-executed 90s RnB style track that adds something fresh to the current K-pop soundscape. I eagerly look forward to what the group song will sound like. I will also review the other solos if I find myself coming back to them.

Hooks – 8
Production – 9
Vocal Delivery – 9
Overall – 8.75