Over nine years since her debut with KARD, the group’s youngest Jiwoo makes her solo debut today. This comes after KARD’s popularity has softened in Korea. They’ve transitioned to a more international career and the sound of Home Sweet Home seems to play into that approach.
The song opens with a sparse beat, shining full spotlight on Jiwoo’s husky voice. From here, things get more dramatic as guitar joins the mix. We seem to be building toward a standout centerpiece, but Home Sweet Home has other ideas. As with so many ill-fated K-pop songs before it, the track collapses into an anti-drop of sorts. While the verses (and especially the pre-chorus) set up a beguiling atmosphere, the first half of the chorus does… nothing, really. The production becomes more skeletal and we’re left with a forgettable “home sweet home” refrain that feels more like an afterthought than a highlight. The second half of the chorus picks things up a bit, but it’s still too little to make Home Sweet Home worth returning to.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7 |
Grade: C-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I don’t understand how a performer has their solo debut after so many years in the industry and chooses a song like this to say Here I am World! Or perhaps This is what I am feeling, This is what I want to say! This isn’t the first or the last of this sort, but it is the one today., and it is just so blah.
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The anti drop style instantly reminds me of 2019-2020 releases now every time I hear it. Even the video reminds me of myself from that time too. I’m over my reservations with the chorus by the end, but this should’ve been a b side
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As a song about a guy coming over to have sex with her, I can’t help but compare this to Robyn’s recent song Talk to Me. That one chose a specific sexual moment and built a sharp track around it. Here we get lots of generic lines and throwaway stuff like “whatever makes me pleased” “do me dirty” “love me all night long.”
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