Song Review:: Kiss of Life: KISS ROAD- Live, Love, Laugh

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  • Release date: 2025 May 07
  • Album tracklist: Live, Love, Laugh; W.House; Live, Love, Laugh (Inst.)
  • Album runtime: 10 minutes

 I recognize that choices on the part of the group have been happening recently, making some people disinclined to listen to them. I am going to be putting this song on Underage Protocol to limit the amount of my impact, but this review is generally for anyone but specifically for those who would normally listen to it, but are as aforementioned disinclined to because of choices that have been made, but also are curious about what the song entails so I will go in as much detail as possible for that group of people. As a reminder, Underage Protocol is one listen for the instrumental paragraph, one for the vocals, and then a maximum of two views on the available music video. The irony of the title is not lost on me, but it is what it is.

Opening piano and what sounds like a brass instrument being played very out of tune, obviously deliberately. Or maybe it's more accurate to describe it as a really old record that has deteriorated. We've also got some gospel blues going on attached to the hip hop beat, to create an intriguing blend of old and new. The song is also bookended with the solo piano, which I really like. It's those kinds of satisfying details that are making me a little annoyed about the song. Although now that I'm thinking about it, and now that the song is paused so I can ruminate on what I was hearing, what I thought was a brass instrument may have been the organ instead. It's a really good mix of sounds, ranging from the feel-it-in-your-bones to soaring elegance. 

Initially, I wasn't super sold on the vocals because of the speaking at the beginning reminded me too much of the accursèd Wonwoo AI cover of Magnetic, and going from that immediately into rapping was not a good combination for me. What was a good combination was how annoyingly gorgeous their vocals are once they start singing, and how well the rapping . Here too, they sound quite gospel-y, so I don't know how you all want to interpret that, but it is gorgeous and the vocal runs send me. The big one that moves into the belt? The harmonization at the end? Rich, stable vocals that are all so incredible and I'm so annoyed by this. It's fine. It's a song that gives them enough time to actually show off and flex across the board. Also the strength of the vibrato. You know I had to mention it. 

It was interesting starting the music video off being animated and then transitioning into slice of life and performance clips. It feels rather effectively done, that combination. I really like it and it feels like a good wrap-up to the end of this chapter, moving on to the next, whatever form that may take. I'm feeling like this may be a song for the fans to thank them for the support over the years, from pre-debut up until now. And, yes. It is both a a song and a music video that I really like. 



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