P1Harmony Keep “Killin’ It”!
Why P1Harmony’s music keeps improving and resonating.
After releasing six mini-albums and making an impact on U.S. Top 40 Radio, P1Harmony have finally released a full-length album, one that shows an uncompromising vision and boasts the members’ writing credits on all ten tracks. Read on to learn what makes Killin’ It both a celebration in itself and a celebration of how far the group has come!
Killin’ It is imbued with an infectious spiritedness, and the best examples are “Everybody Clap” and “Countdown To Love.” The former is a stomp-along-worthy song with fun raps, moments that seem primed for live-show call-and-responses, and lyrics like “If you’re happy and you know it.” The final lyric is one final encouragement for listeners to clap along with them. “Countdown To Love” is a delight for similar but non-identical reasons, including “Ooo”s and “Yeah yeah”s and lyrics like “Love will win over hate.”
P1Harmony’s songs have always been both playful and meaningful, but what makes them even more so now are their clearly sharpened musical instincts. There is a new level of ease with which they pause at unexpected moments (like the nanosecond when the music stops except for a “Beep beep” sound in “Emergency,” and the pause for another member to start talking after saying “Hold up” in “2Nite”), and in the ways their voices work together (like when crooning moves to the background of “I See U” to make way for talk-rapping to shine, and when rapping occurs while a high note is extended in “Emergency”). Additionally, their voices seem to know how to work with instrumentals more intuitively than ever, like when the return of a bouncy beat is prefaced with a rugged-voiced line in “2Nite,” and when vocals perfectly cue up the funky synthesizer’s move to center stage in “Let Me Love You.” Sound effects, vocals, tempo changes, and instrumentals all work together like a well-oiled machine, keeping each song surprise-filled and jam-packed.
A few of the songs on Killin’ It slow things down, but they are anything but dull. First of all, they are spread out, serving as breaks between dance sessions more than an awkward intermission! Second, the group proves that chill songs can also be full and joyous ones. “I See U” is a sweet and sway-worthy fan song, and “Love Story” holds onto interest with vocal variety and cute lyrics like “‘cause I love you every day.” Whether a relatively slower or faster song on Killin’ It, each one includes a smile-worthy sentiment and a penchant for peppering could-be-monotonous moments with twists and turns.
Compounding the song’s high energy are pivots from lower to higher registers and back again, pre-choruses that rapidly raise momentum, and changes between head-spinning and relatively slower rap verses. P1Harmony show clear excitement over getting to show off the infinite tricks up their sleeves, and that excitement matches the earnestness of their expressions. It is a very on-brand choice to dedicate the album’s last song, “I See U,” to the fans, thanking them for their part in P1Harmony’s success. Also apt is the choice to end the song, and therefore the entire album, with the lyric “One thing that I love is… you.” The group is unapologetic about both flexing their musical might and showing a soft, romantic side. They take music seriously, but not too seriously!
The colorful character of each P1Harmony song matches the expectations of a movie character, which is akin to what they are in this album’s corresponding videos. The “HARMONY” series centered on characters who discovered the traits that make them “hidden heroes.” This new era picks up where the “HARMONY” series left off, as the members sing about pride in their personal superpowers and go on surreal, sometimes literally out-of-this-world adventures that prove even the sky isn’t their limit!
P1Harmony’s superhero story fits perfectly with their mood-boosting songs. They not only bring their vision to life literally and musically, but they also maintain interest in that vision metaphorically, always changing things up in ways both subtle and overt. With P1Harmony, what people see is what they get, but they never quite know what new forms that will take!
That fact that P1Harmony are indisputably “killin’ it” is even more apparent when considering their live-show success. The “P1USTAGE H : P1ONEER” Tour took them across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America (as first-time headliners!), North America, and Europe. Next, they’ll take the stage at The Governors Ball in New York on June 8. Online engagement is also impressive, with the “JUMP” music video surpassing 20 million views in one night!
Killin’ It is a present made all the more special when knowing how deserved the group’s acclaim is. By rising in popularity while sticking to a genuine and consistent vision, P1Harmony are becoming living proof of their music videos’ “Dream big” and “Celebrate yourself” messages!
With so much acclaim, enhanced musical instincts, and an inviting image, P1Harmony are poised to keep on their earned and upward trajectory.
Check out Killin’ It here and past 17 Carat K-Pop P1Harmony coverage here!
Photos courtesy of FNC Entertainment.