BIBI releases sophomore album ‘EVE: ROMANCE’ with philosophical edge

South Korean singer BIBI arrives for the red carpet of the MAMA Awards in Osaka, western Japan, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae), File)

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean artist BIBI released her highly anticipated sophomore album “EVE: ROMANCE” on Wednesday, delivering a project that blends her signature genre-defying sound with philosophical twists.

The singer, songwriter and actor, who moves fluidly between pop, R&B, hip-hop and electronic music, has built a reputation for her bold, unapologetic presence in an industry often defined by careful image management. Her latest album features 14 tracks, including six new songs alongside previously released hits like “Bam Yang Gang” and “Derre.”

In an interview with The Associated Press, BIBI explained the meaning behind the album’s lead single “Apocalypse,” which carries a more poetic Korean title meaning “The Apple Tree of the End Times.”

“I thought, if there was the fruit of knowledge of good and evil at the beginning, then this would be the apple tree at the end of times,” BIBI said.

 “You know that saying — when asked what you’d do if the world ended tomorrow, some say they’d plant an apple tree, others say they’d have an orgy. ... But to me, they felt like the same thing. Both are, in essence, acts of planting seeds.”

Her interpretation, merging ideas of creation, pleasure, and existential finality, may come across as provocative in a conservative South Korean society where open discussions about sex remain rare and often taboo.

“In reality, everything has an end, and what each person chooses to do in that moment is their own,” she added. “It can’t be labeled as good or bad. After all, isn’t the very idea of good and evil ambiguous?”

One of Korea’s fastest-rising stars with a growing international presence, BIBI reflected on the surprising success of “Bam Yang Gang.” The song, which means a chestnut jelly snack in Korean, became a viral sensation in South Korea last year while she was too busy to notice.

“I was filming two dramas simultaneously, so I was really busy,” she said. “I couldn’t really feel it at that time. Actually, I felt it more this year because people introduce me saying, ‘Last year was the year of Bam Yang Gang.‘”

Despite her growing popularity, BIBI aspires to maintain an element of “ambiguity” in her artistry.

“I want to be a mysterious artist. Like ‘Gacha!’ — that kind of feeling. Like you don’t know what you’ll get from a Gacha machine,” she explained, referencing the Japanese toy vending machines known for their randomized collectibles.

The album includes “Pygma girl,” a track that reimagines the Greek myth of Pygmalion by reversing traditional muse-artist dynamics, suggesting the subject is the art itself rather than merely inspiring the creator.

“Midnight Cruise,” another standout track, was written after she dreamt about her late grandfather before her Coachella performance in 2024.

BIBI will kick off her first global tour in Seoul on May 16, before heading to the United States and Canada. She will then continue across Asia, with stops including Hong Kong and cities in Japan. The tour will conclude in Australia and New Zealand this October.

“EVE: ROMANCE” is out now.

Juwon Park, The Associated Press