~ EXCALIBUR: Kingdom's strong debut ~

Members from left to right: Ivan, Dann, Jahan, Arthur, Mujin, Louis, Chiwoo.

I wasn't planning on making an article about KINGDOM's debut (hence why I am publishing this article way after their debut), but someone requested it and I thought: Yeah, why not? So yes, we're doing this, and surprisingly enough I have a lot to say about this debut!

KINGDOM is a new 7-membered Kpop boy group under GF entertainment (a company I've never heard of) and debuted on February 8, 2021 with the song "Excalibur" (you can watch the official MV here). Every member is supposed to represent a king in history; which is a concept that has never been done before and that I find kind of clever. 

Before we dive into the actual debut, let's get familiar with the members (why do I feel like I'll feel old when finding out their age lol?)

Stage Name: Dann

Birth Name: Jung Seungbo

Position: Leader, Lead Vocalist

Birthday: November 1, 1997

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 64 kg

Fun facts: He was born in Ilsan, South Korea but moved to Dubai when he was 10, he was a translator for KCON Dubai when he was 19, he can speak four languages (Korean, English, French and Arabic), his role models are Jooheon from Monsta X, Jay Park and Jimin from BTS, he likes Italian food, he is a good swimmer, and he was a contestant on MIXNINE. 

 

 

Stage Name: Arthur

Birth Name: Jang Yunho

Position: Main Vocalist, Main Dancer

Birthday: April 15, 2000

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 57 kg

Fun Facts: He's good at street dancing and urban choreography, he learned to dance by being in a street dance crew, he's good at girl group dances, he would like to be a mentor on dance-related programs, his favorite artist is BTS's Jungkook, his habit is touching his lips, shaking his head to flip his hair, and crossing his legs when he’s on his phone, his favorite clothing brands are sports brands, his motto is: “let’s not postpone to tomorrow the things we can do today”, and his ideal type is "a  shot woman with lots of aegyo".

 

Stage Name: Mujin

Birth Name: Go Sungho

Position: Vocalist, Rapper

Birthday: November 20, 2000

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Fun Facts: Mujin's MBTI is ENFP, his favorite sports are soccer and swimming, he likes mint chocolate, he's a night owl, he helped compose part of their debut album, his mother majored in music, he claims that the maknae line plays a lot of pranks on them and he can’t control them, he got into JYP, but his phone broke, so he found out about his acceptance when it was too late, his role model is G-Dragon and he wants to collaborate with him, he sings and snores in his sleep, he has a cat named Cheolsoo and he has a habit of bobbing his head.

 

Stage Name: Louis

Birth Name: Yang Dongsik

Position: Vocalist

Birthday: April 8, 2001

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Fun Facts: His MBTI is ENFP, he wanted to be an idol because of the thrill he got when he was on stage, his favorite foods are meat, fast food and sushi, he is one of the mood makers in the group, he likes to go out driving alone, he has been training for 3 years, his role models are BTS and Big Bang, he was the first member to join GF entertainment, he has a habit of talking in his sleep and Dann described Louis as having a fiery personality, but a good heart.

 

 

Stage Name: Ivan

Birth Name: Park Yoosung

Position: Vocalist, Visual

Birthday: October 12, 2001

Height: 182 cm

Weight: Unknown

Fun Facts: His specialties are Taekwondo and Bowling, his favorite colours are black and sky blue, he enjoys spicy food, he wants to be in a web drama, he began his trainee career when he was a freshman in high school, after being cast by a large agency, he joined Kingdom after being cast by Louis, his role models are the groups SEVENTEEN and BTS, he snores in his sleep, his nicknames are Prince, High-Pitched Machine and Positive King, he is camera shy, and Mujin described Ivan as having a bright personality, very passionate and always kind.

 

Stage Name: Jahan

Birth Name: Lim Jihun

Position: Vocalist, Rapper

Birthday: August 1st, 2002

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Fun Facts: His specialties include popping dance and beatboxing, his hobbies are listening to music and shopping, he has been dancing for about 7 years, he taught himself BTS's choreography for "I Need U" and practiced it 5 hours a day, Jahan and Ivan trained at the same academy, so when looking for members, Ivan suggested Kingdom to Jahan and he ended up joining, his role models are BTS's J-Hope and Jungkook, he loves Justin Beiber’s "Nothing Like Up", he has a habit of sniffling constantly and Chiwoo said that Jahan is bad at lying, as he is too honest.

 

Stage Name: Chiwoo

Birth Name: Guk Seungjun

Position: Rapper, Maknae (Youngest)

Birthday: September 2, 2002

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Fun Facts: Chiwoo is a big fan of the variety show called "Knowing Brothers" and has watched every episode, he claims to be the mood maker of the group, he has a habit of rubbing his face because of his sensitive skin, he likes cats and fantasy movies, his role models are Jungkook and V of BTS, his favorite foods are shrimp and grilled clams, he was casted by the head of GF Ent at the Yeouido Dance Competition, and he had wanted to be a soccer player at first, but after watching BTS's DNA performance, he wanted to become an idol.

 

Excalibur: My thoughts on the Music Video

According to the legend, Excalibur is a magical sword that had been sealed with some sort of magic. This sword belonged to King Arthur who managed to remove it from the ground and to break the magic. Which is why, throughout the whole MV, Arthur is at the center of attention, and becomes the king at the end.

This music video was to say the least astonishing (and this is still an understatement to me). You can feel how much work was done to produce such a short movie, because that's what it is, a short movie. It tells the story of a man who becomes a king after sacrificing himself and becomes in possession of the sacred sword. The epic atmosphere was carried from start to end, thanks to the sets, the props, the special effects, the costumes, the choreography, the music, and everything else.

I really want to praise the team behind this music video, because not only is it well executed, it is also very creative and innovative. It is at the extreme opposite of the era we're living in, and this is what makes it so powerful! Take Black Mamba from Aespa, the perfect representation of the digital era we're living in. It didn't have that much of an impact on me because we know it by heart! We know A.I is coming for us. But the Kingdom era seems so far behind, unattainable and mystical, that it fascinates me even more.

Excalibur: My thoughts on the Song

I would be lying if I said that this song is as amazing as the music video. If you're listening to the song while watching the MV, you'll find yourself focusing on what's happening in the MV more than on the song itself, and when this happens you have to listen to the song alone. So this is what I did, and here's what I thought: The song is an 8/10.

I really like how the song starts. The godly vocals followed by more or less heavy percussions makes an impact. I also like how after the first verse they don't go straight into the chorus. What I also like is the lyrics, because it's coherent with the Kingdom and King concept they've been going for. However, what really kills this majestic vibe for me is this heavy electronic sounds in the chorus. And the bridge? A big no for me. What the hell were those weird vocals?  It's like we switched to another song in the bridge and came back to the original song when going into the last chorus. 

Excalibur: My thoughts on the Performance

This performance is everything I expect a debut performance to be. Let me elaborate: Nowadays, the standards are SO HIGH that they want everything to be perfect, especially performances. But hey, are you forgetting that they are humans and can make mistakes? I didn't forget and I'm just glad that this performance wasn't perfect.

The costumes were amazing and so was the makeup, the stylist deserves a praise. The dancers did a great job too. However, something I was afraid would happen actually happened: The epic vibe from the MV didn't translate into the performance. For the performance to be as epic as the MV, I needed to hear some live vocals. But, because the industry has been trying to focus SO MUCH on the performance, the vocal aspect tends to be neglected, and here it was clear that they were lip-syncing. Just stop making them jump all around in the live performance when what we need is just powerful moves (the energy put into the moves can be enough to make them seem powerful, no need to jump around) and some live vocals!  

And here my friends is where I'll stop! I won't comment on the whole album simply because I haven't listened to it (I will listen to in when I'll have the time and maybe update you on my Instagram, so go ahead and follow me there!). Now, this was my own personal opinion, and I'm really curious to know what were YOUR thoughts on this debut! Feel free to leave a comment down below ;) I really look forward to their comeback, because this group really sounds promising. They debuted with such a strong concept so I wonder if they will keep it and create a story line or totally change the concept for the next album they're going to release. 

Take care and I'll see you all soon!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: Allkpop, Wikipedia, Kprofiles