As one of the earliest purveyors of K-pop’s tropical trend in 2017, KARD quickly developed a signature sound. That’s since shifted as they’ve explored a variety of approaches over the past five years. Hip-hop has been a notable touchstone and their results with the genre have been mixed. New single Tell My Momma takes a more subdued approach but fails to make its mark.
New-gen K-pop is often accused of sounding too much like Western pop, and Tell My Momma definitely fits within this trend. To put it bluntly, the song is dull. Its textures are generic and muted, feeling like a grab bag of every pop song you’ve heard on the radio over the past few years. The melodies are inert and repetitive, lacking the range or warmth that might compel attention. It’s just a slog to get through. There’s no lift or bounce and the rhythm feels stuck at half-time.
Jiwoo and Somin are the winners here, as they work to buoy the song’s so-so hook. Their vocals are strong and refreshing, but kept at a distance. Meanwhile, the studio effects on the rapped verses remove character in favor of a slurred, sleepy sound that’s been overused by male popstars in pretty much every country of the world.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 6 |
| RATING | 6.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
it’s boring and disappointing for me.
7.5/10 for me
(can’t wait for KARDSTAN to come at me and say “ummm it’s not boring she innovative and ur jealous lolz)
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aww you remember me 😉 sorry for speaking the truth
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I love a good ULTIMATESTRAYKIDSDEFENDER + KARDSTAN crossover
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Coming up next in the KARDSTAN x ULTAMITESTRAYKIDSDEFENDER K-Drama: KARDSTAN shits on the next Stray Kids comeback ULTAMITESTRAYKIDSDEFENDER loves and gives a 10/10 (they gotta live up to their name, yk! /j), to the annoyance of the latter, to get back at them!
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Meh, nothing new. Rating’s the same.
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how dare you, it’s a 10/10 song, all of KARDS songs are. They are gods of music, you just dont want to accept them because they’re not mainstream.
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Eh, it’s not bad but it’s not very good either. I did like the rapped verses, though I agree the heavy vocal effects are not helping the song in any way. Big downgrade from Icky (a certified KARD banger)
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i hope Kard can get back to their earlier stuff….i have always like them, but in the last couple of years, I just not have been able to get into their releases….
-KP
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