Kep1er’s seventh mini-album “BUBBLE GUM” was released August 19, 2025. This is their second Korean comeback as a seven member group. Unfortunately, Youngeun is on a temporary hiatus due to health reasons. So this album is down to six members only.
1. Taste Better
“Taste Better” is a simple and sweet introduction into the album. It’s a minute-long interlude with no lyrics, and is the first interlude they’ve ever included in a release. Even though it’s not a full song, I think it was a decent inclusion and worth a spot on the album.
2. BUBBLE GUM
“BUBBLE GUM” is a solid summer bop. It’s a song with the perfect balance of toughness and cuteness, and is catchy too. It’s about having confidence, and ignoring the judgy looks of others. The lyrics translate to “swallowing up all the uncomfortable stares aimed at me in one bite”. It’s a really playful and rebellious song. Title tracks always have so much hype to be a hit and not a skip, and although not my favorite song from them, it’s not the worst by any means.
Kep1er instrumentals never disappoint, I love the use of cowbells in the verses. I also enjoyed the harmonies they put in the post chorus. That’s one thing I really like about this group, is that they can do the simplest concepts without ever coming off basic.
“Don’t Be Dumb” is probably my favorite song on the album. I love fast-paced pop songs, and this song goes hard. There’s a bit of an emotional tinge in the prechorus, which softens the song in the best way. This is their choreographed b-side song of the album, which they’ve been performing on their “Kep1asia” tour. This could have easily been the title track, and I would have accepted it just as much. It reminds me so much of BLACKPINK’s new song, “Jump”.
4. Ice Tea
“Ice Tea” is a bit more toned down than the other songs on the album. It’s a great poppy song, that picks up in some areas and slows down in others. For a summer release, the theme is perfect. It actually reminds me of BLACKPINK’s song “Ice Cream”, but this one’s a bit more my style. The prechorus and bridge have this slightly emotional vibe to them, that sort of brings out this “summer blues” feeling. It’s the perfect addition to the song, keeping it from being overwhelmingly happy and lacking depth.
“Yum” is Kep1er’s latest Japanese track they released in April. It was a great J-pop release, but it fits them just as well in Korean too. The Korean version actually has a bit of an instrumental break that was never in the original. They performed this at KCON LA and it didn’t disappoint. It’s unfortunate that since they recorded this during Youngeun’s hiatus, she isn’t in the official Korean release.
This EP is their smallest release for a Korean album. They’ve done five-song albums before, but this one is essentially three new songs, an interlude, and a Korean version of a song they’ve already done. It’s impossible for every release to be a good one.
I’d give “BUBBLE GUM” 4/5 stars. It’s a solid summer EP, with some chill, refreshing, and energetic songs. I wish they released this a bit earlier so we could have had the summer to listen to it. But regardless, I’m so excited to see what else Kep1er has in store, with hopefully all seven of them together.