Even KENZIE Participated in the Production? PLAVE's New Album "HYPERDRIVE" Brings a Few Surprises
Once you hear this rhythm, you won’t be able to stop listening.
Summary
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The lead single "Star Trace" marks PLAVE's first time exploring the EDM dance style, depicting the connection between their unique universe and reality.
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The album features five tracks in total, spanning a rich blend of genres like Bossa Nova, rock, and R&B.
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The b-side track "Rewind" marks their first collaboration with outside producers KENZIE and KZLAB.
Several high-profile boy groups have made comebacks recently, but when PLAVE announced their return with their fifth mini-album, HYPERDRIVE, fans exploded with excitement anyway. Coming about six months after Caligo Pt. 2, what stands out most this time is that they didn’t play it safe, taking on a completely different musical style for the first time.
First attempt at an EDM dance track
If you’ve listened to the new title track “Star Trace,” its intense beat likely left an impression. This is PLAVE’s first venture into an EDM-based pop dance song, with layered synth sounds and heavy beats that make for a thrilling listen. The lyrics continue their unique lore, detailing the connection between their exclusive universe, Asterum, and the real world, Terra—packing everything they want to convey into this “star trace.”
An unexpected, legendary production team
Beyond the fresh vibe of the title track, the five-track mini-album HYPERDRIVE spans a rich variety of genres, ranging from bossa nova and rock to R&B. The upbeat pop track “The Answer Is Yes,” for instance, fits right into any daily playlist.
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Another song, the breezy R&B pop track “Rewind,” hides a major surprise: it marks PLAVE’s first time inviting outside musicians to collaborate. They went big, bringing in legendary producer KENZIE (Kim Yeon-jung) and the songwriting team KZLAB.
If you listen to K-pop often, KENZIE needs no introduction. A Berklee College of Music graduate and veteran producer, she serves as SM Entertainment’s go-to composer, having crafted hit after hit for BoA, Girls’ Generation, EXO, Red Velvet, aespa, NCT, and many others. Lately, she has also expanded to write for non-SM artists like TWICE. Seeing this line-up paired with PLAVE’s distinct vocals is reason enough to fire up your music app and give the whole album a spin.
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