A new K-POP group is here to take over your minds because their debut is off to a ‘Loca’ start!
I present to you, TRI.BE (pronounced try-bee), which debuted to make international history as Universal Music Group Korea’s very first K-POP idol group! Upon the long-awaited debut that K-POP trainees have to work towards every day, TRI.BE made theirs with the release of a two-song debut album, TRI.BE Da Loca, consisting of ‘DOOM DOOM TA’ and ‘Loca’!
Their name is a combination of the words ‘Triangle’, representing a perfect shape, and ‘Being’. This collaboration of words symbolises perfection as your true being, as reinforced in their empowering slogan, “We are perfect as we are”.
Their album’s tracks have been produced by one of the world’s most famous K-POP producers, S.Tiger! His notable projects have involved K-POP phenomena like IU, EXID, HyunA, MOMOLAND, and many more! He didn’t just want to create a unique sound for TRI.BE, he wanted them to own it.
And he succeeded.
Personally, genre-wise, their music is unlike any K-POP song I’ve heard before, and this is coming from someone who’s heard enough K-POP music to pass this judgement. Their music has a sound that easily sets them apart. It’s new, it’s fresh, and they aren’t afraid to show it. That’s confidence.
And being confident despite being different is one of TRI.BE’s key concepts, and it’s interesting to see the little details connected – from their name to their slogan, to their music style and one other thing about them I haven’t even begun to tell you about – TRI.BE is the first-of-it’s-kind quadrilingual group! They speak and sing in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese. But do they pass the test for their music video? Read on to find out!
Their intoxicating concept of ‘Girl Swag’ is truly shining in their debut, and we can’t wait to see more of it!
Their title track is ‘DOOM DOOM TA’, with very empowering lyrics that show what it really means to own yourself, and be confident no matter what happens. Seeing K-POP songs with such a profound and positive message is rare nowadays, so bonus points for that. Make sure you crank the volume up for this one because this catchy chorus is bound to get you jumping!
They start off with a hypnotic “TRI.BE Da Loca!” chant that electrifies any room. You hear it, and you know what’s coming for you. The first verse mixes rap and sweet vocals as you start drumming your fingers and shaking your leg to the beat. Then, the vocals in the pre-chorus kick in, and your jaw drops a little when you hear the background harmonies accompanying the vocalists’ crisp and honey-like voices. Then, the rhythm speeds up.
And the chorus begins! You don’t know whether to watch the perfect dance routine unravelling right before your eyes or to look away and create your own! It was a great experience, and such calibre coming from a rookie group? It does make you look at K-POP’s trainee system with awe.
Well, while I am a sucker for catchy choruses and amazing vocals, I’m not quite sure if I would listen to this on repeat all day. Maybe more suitable for a little jam session with your friends or a midnight bedroom concert, their fresh sound may just get a little much for you sometimes. Or maybe it’s just me! I guess you’ll have to listen to it yourself to find out!
The music video is interesting, as well. From a pop of colours to industrial machinery to wild animals, to lots of triangles (from their name!), a lot is going on.
That’s exactly my point. There’s so much going on that their well-connected concept that I was raving about earlier, just didn’t shine. It is indeed ‘Girl Swag’ and unique for sure. TRI.BE pulled it off really well too. But the message in the lyrics of their song didn’t reflect well in the music video for me. Something that is so connected, as seen in their slogan and their name and even their genre, it’s a shame that it was a miss in their debut music video itself.
‘Loca’, the second song in the debut album, is different from ‘DOOM DOOM TA’, and it just made me happy. The song shines a greater light on TRI.BE’s vocalists as their youthful and harmonious vocals worked magically together. In a word, the song makes me feel “free-spirited” (yes, that’s one word, shh). Still starting with the addictive chant “TRI.BE Da Loca!” and with a fast-paced rhythm in the chorus and upbeat background, this song was a treat to hear!
TRI.BE has worked hard for this debut, and it shows! Kudos to the teams that worked hard on this debut album, because it’s such a hit. TRI.BE has definitely shown that they’re not here to play and that their new, explosive presence in the industry is not to be messed with!
While I was a little underwhelmed by the music video’s concept and overwhelmed by the intensity of ‘DOOM DOOM TA’, I guess it all balances out! There’s always room to grow, and they have a long journey of growth and opportunities ahead of them. In fact, according to Forbes, TRI.BE will soon be setting foot in the US market as well, with the guidance of Republic Records!
Make sure you show TRI.BE lots of love! Check out their ‘DOOM DOOM TA’ music video, and catch them on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
Remember their message – take every step with confidence and pride, because you are perfect the way you are.
If you have the time, check out our previous impressions on other K-POP music as well!
Visuals courtesy of Universal Music Singapore.
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