Girl group Kiss Of Life has yet to debut, but we’re already familiar with Natty from her solo work. She released a couple of solid singles back in 2020 before cutting her solo career short. It seems fitting, then, that this new group’s rollout begins with another solo track.

Sugarcoat captures my 90’s r&b heart. Its instrumental is super nostalgic, delivering a groove that’ll get you head nodding. The synths in the chorus are a big standout, but the entire track benefits from a lush arrangement that compliments Natty’s smooth vocals.

It’s a shame there isn’t a stronger song attached to this production. Sugarcoat gives Natty plenty of space to showcase different parts of her voice and the backing vocals add heft to her performance. The sound is exquisite, but I’m not hearing a melodic hook that would send this into the stratosphere. The chorus is a bit monotone and the verses seem more focused on riffing than developing a melodic framework worth getting lost in. Still, I’m happy to see a K-pop act leaning fully into this sound.

Grade: B-