BIBI Releases New Genre-Defying Album EVE: ROMANCE
South Korean singer-songwriter BIBI released her long-awaited second full-length album, EVE: ROMANCE, on May 14.
The 14-track album expands on her genre-defying sound and introspective lyricism. It includes a blend of new songs and previously released singles, creating a layered narrative that spans years of creative work.
The track list includes:
- “Apocalypse”
- “Hongdae R&B”
- “Meat”
- “Pygma Girl”
- “Scott and Zelda”
- “Sugar Rush”
- “Derre”
- “Burn It” (featuring DEAN)
- “Real Man”
- “Midnight Cruise”
- “Bam Yang Gang”
- “Hangang Gongwon”
- “Bluebird”
- “Winter”
Several of these tracks, including “Bam Yang Gang,” “Sugar Rush,” and “Derre,” were released as singles in prior years, often accompanied by music videos.
Notably, “Bam Yang Gang,” released on February 13, 2024, became a major breakout hit for the artist, peaking at number one on the Circle Digital Chart, marking BIBI’s first chart-topping single. The song also received a Real-Time All Kill (RAK), and its popularity led to a dramatic boost in sales of yanggaeng, the traditional Korean jelly it references.
Dreamscapes and Dual Realities
The official video for the lead single “Apocalypse” premiered on the same day as the album, offering a visual centerpiece that encapsulates the album’s central motifs. The music video opens in a bright, whimsical setting—lush green hills, a beautiful white tree, and dreamy visuals that allude to the Garden of Eden. These scenes portray a seemingly idyllic relationship between BIBI and a man.
However, when BIBI bites into an apple, she is transported into a more grounded and emotionally raw reality, revealing tension and heartbreak, including a scene where she discovers a suspicious text on her partner’s phone. As she alternates between these imagined and real worlds, the video highlights romantic relationships’ emotional highs and lows, symbolizing the blurred lines between fantasy and truth.
BIBI’s visual presentation further emphasizes this dreamlike quality. She evokes innocence and ethereal allure with soft makeup, sparkling face jewels, long peach-toned hair, and a baby pink outfit adorned with flowers and a tutu skirt. These aesthetic choices reinforce the biblical and symbolic references woven throughout the song.
Desire, Doubt, and Defiance
Lyrically, “Apocalypse” draws heavily on the story of Adam and Eve, reinterpreting it through a modern and sensual lens. Lines like “Wrap your arms around my waist / See this fruit / Ripened so temptingly” and “Why weigh good and evil / If you don’t take a bite, it’s your loss” reflect the temptation and thrill of love, even when it defies conventional morality.
The Korean title of the song, translated as “The Apple Tree of the End Times,” underscores this reimagining. BIBI has explained, “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,” suggesting a poetic symmetry between creation and destruction.
Sonically, the track carries a whimsical pop sound and balances a light, dreamy ambiance with emotionally intense lyrics, creating a unique listening experience. “Apocalypse” captures the fleeting nature of intimacy and the human impulse to seek meaning, even in moments of impending loss.
Opening the Garden Gate
With EVE: ROMANCE, BIBI delivers an artistic statement that weaves philosophy, sensuality, and storytelling into one evocative package. From the symbolic visuals of “Apocalypse” to the varied emotional textures of each track, the album invites listeners to reflect on the nature of love, choice, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive them.
Listen to BIBI’s new album, EVE: ROMANCE, now.
