SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� South Korean artist BIBI released her highly anticipated sophomore album 鈥淓VE: ROMANCE鈥� 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 鈥淏am Yang Gang鈥� and 鈥淒erre.鈥�
In an interview with The Associated Press, BIBI explained the meaning behind the album鈥檚 lead single 鈥淎pocalypse,鈥� which carries a more poetic Korean title meaning 鈥淭he Apple Tree of the End Times.鈥�
鈥淚 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,鈥� BIBI said.
鈥淵ou know that saying 鈥� when asked what you鈥檇 do if the world ended tomorrow, some say they鈥檇 plant an apple tree, others say they鈥檇 have an orgy. ... But to me, they felt like the same thing. Both are, in essence, acts of planting seeds.鈥�
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.
鈥淚n reality, everything has an end, and what each person chooses to do in that moment is their own,鈥� she added. 鈥淚t can鈥檛 be labeled as good or bad. After all, isn鈥檛 the very idea of good and evil ambiguous?鈥�
One of Korea鈥檚 fastest-rising stars with a growing international presence, BIBI reflected on the surprising success of 鈥淏am Yang Gang.鈥� 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.
鈥淚 was filming two dramas simultaneously, so I was really busy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really feel it at that time. Actually, I felt it more this year because people introduce me saying, 鈥楲ast year was the year of Bam Yang Gang.鈥樷��
Despite her growing popularity, BIBI aspires to maintain an element of 鈥渁mbiguity鈥� in her artistry.
鈥淚 want to be a mysterious artist. Like 鈥楪acha!鈥� 鈥� that kind of feeling. Like you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檒l get from a Gacha machine,鈥� she explained, referencing the Japanese toy vending machines known for their randomized collectibles.
The album includes 鈥淧ygma girl,鈥� 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.
鈥淢idnight Cruise,鈥� 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.
鈥淓VE: ROMANCE鈥� is out now.
Juwon Park, The Associated Press
