KAI continues his self-exploration with Rover
By: Adriana Chavez
A year and a half after his last release Peaches, EXO’s KAI is bringing back his sultry vocals and intense choreography with his new mini-album Rover. While his first two mini-albums featured heavy R&B melodies, Rover is a fresh new take for KAI showing a playful side, further cementing him as one of the top well-rounded performers.
The mini-album kicks off with the title track of the same name “Rover.” Here we see KAI’s new concept take shape. Telling a story of not caring about what people think, “Rover” allows KAI to play around with a new persona freely. The upbeat dance track comes to life in the music video as we follow KAI taking on different identities as he navigates as a wanderer. Throughout the scenes, we see his iconic dancing which allows him to further express the meaning of the track through movement.
Rover’s tracklist jumps into the hip-hop track “Black Mirror.” The mysterious song is a fun addition to the mini-album keeping up with KAI’s versatile direction. Not fully departing from his R&B roots as heard in his previous mini-albums, KAI shows off his soulful voice in “Slidin’.” The track is about longing for someone and how messy those feelings can be.
”Bomba” comes in with a blast as one of the livelier songs on Rover. The Latin-inspired dance song expresses the desire to be loved. Landing in the middle of the album, it’s a fun break that shows KAI in a new way. KAI also shared that “Bomba” was in the running to be the title track of his second mini-album Peaches.
“Say You Love Me” brings it back to a slower R&B vibe. Still trying to keep a lighter hip-hop melody, the song is about begging someone to love them back. Rover finished off with “Sinner.” The slow, sulky track has the moodiest lyrics in the album and serves as a perfect ender as the music builds up concluding all the experimental elements in Rover.
After the release of his self-titled mini-album in November 2020 and Peaches a year later in November 2021, Rover stands on its own as a new route for KAI. The mini-album brings in new elements that we haven’t heard from KAI before showing his growth as a solo artist. We can still hear his strong soothing R&B style, but we get to see him explore new genres making Rover a fun listen.
Get your hands on Rover over at the SM Global Shop! With three versions to choose from, the albums show the visual inspiration of what KAI is trying to convey. The photobook version comes in two different covers, a booklet, a postcard, and a folded poster. The sleeve version comes in one look and features a folded lyric poster. The digipack version features a folded poster and each version comes with a photocard. Get one or get them all!
