KISS OF LIFE Share Secret To 'Sticky' Hit, Preview Upcoming World Tour

With international chart success this summer, KISS OF LIFE are ready to take an explosive year to the next level with their first world tour.

The girl group's upcoming Kiss Road World Tour continues the momentum Julie, Natty, Beauty and Haneul hit the global stage with the infectious single “Sticky”, helping the K-pop act's debut to many Bulletin board charts: The Afrobeat-inspired summer single has reached No. 7 on the South Korean Songs chart so far, entered the US-based Global Digital Song Sales chart at No. 10 in July, and also spent six weeks on the Billboard Global 200 after the hit at No. 87 and 10 weeks on Billboard Glocal Excl. US chart after a No. 47 peak.

With promising early results just over a year into their career, alongside the quartet's international makeup and range of industry experience, KISS OF LIFE are proving they're not just an up-and-coming K-pop rookie – they're becoming a global pop force to all their own.

“We love the song 'Sticky' so it was a real honor for it to hit the charts,” says Julie, the group's dynamic Hawaiian-born frontwoman, speaking to Bulletin board for their first interview on an international show. “We really put a lot of effort into the choreography and the music itself, so it's exciting to see our hard work pay off. We all hugged each other when we heard the news.”

Seattle-raised Belle, who previously worked as a songwriter for other top K-pop groups, believes their authenticity plays a huge role in why global fans connect with them: “We honestly try to be ourselves throughout. music we release. By being authentic, I think our fans and listeners can resonate more with the excitement we feel when we sing and perform.”

Youngest member Haneul, who was born and raised in Korea, adds that the diverse backgrounds of KIOF members fuel their art. “We just respect each other,” says the 19-year-old. “We recognize our differences and the path we've taken to get here so we can learn from each other and grow.”

The upcoming Kiss Road Tour kicks off in Seoul with two shows on October 26th and 27th before coming to North America for an extensive 18-date trek starting in Minneapolis, Minn. on November 10. “We're pretty confident in our performance skills,” teases Thailand-born Natty, who K-pop fans have watched grow up on K-pop competition shows such as Sixteen and Idol school before officially debuting in the K-pop scene as an artist. “Fans can expect a high-energy show and we're excited to bring our best selves to the stage.”

Meet Julie, Natty, Belle and Haneul of KISS OF LIFE as the members share more about their process, outlook, world tour plans and messages to their fans, affectionately known as Kissys, along with exclusive photos below.

I want to start congratulations on winning your first Bulletin board chart entries with “Sticky”. What were your reactions?!

Julie: We couldn't believe it! We love the song “Sticky” so it was a real honor for it to hit the charts. We were so happy that people liked it as much as we did and felt so grateful! We really put a lot of effort into the choreography and the music itself, so it's exciting to see our hard work pay off. We all just hugged each other when we heard the news. As hard as we've worked, we also know that we really couldn't have done it without the support of our fans — love you, Kissys!

KISS OF LIFE has been on the rise since your debut last July, but “Sticky” was a real standout: Top 10 in Korea, charts in the US, your biggest hits in Bulletin boardWorld maps of. What do you think are some factors that made this a success?

Beauty: I think we honestly try to be ourselves in all the music we put out. By being authentic, I think our fans and listeners can resonate more with the excitement we feel when we sing and when we play as well. I feel like this song in particular really suited all the members, and you could feel that all the members were just having fun and having fun while recording and performing the song. Also, in terms of graphics and performance, we focused on just feeling ourselves and being confident, which goes well with summer. I mean, it's summer, why not have a little fun with it?!

I also love your latest B-side, “Te Quiero”, written by Belle. What did you want to show with “Sticky” and “Te Quiero” that you hadn't shown before on KISS OF LIFE?

Natty: We wanted to show everyone our summer translation! The cool and refreshing side but also the hot side! We just wanted to send good vibes and make sure everyone could enjoy the summer with us. Both “Sticky” and “Te Quiero” are actually our interpretations of summer: “Sticky” would be the exciting, fun aspect of summer where you enjoy yourself to the fullest. “Te Quiero” would be the cooler, cooler and more relaxing version of summer that is just as enjoyable. I don't think we had a master plan of what we wanted to show with these pieces. We sincerely wanted everyone to enjoy the music while enjoying their summer. You work hard, you play harder!

“Te Quiero” is also important as another English B-side track, like “Nobody” with “Midas Touch”. Is there a more important reason to include these tracks, even the English version of “Bad News”, in your larger plans as a group?

Julie: Naturally! We always want to keep our international fans a big part of our music. For Kissys around the world, we want to keep making music that everyone can enjoy and listen to. We are adamant about making sure our international fans know they play a big part in our music. Again, we don't have a master plan of how or a bigger picture of what we're strategizing about. We really want everyone to feel a part of our music, wherever they are and whoever they are. We just want to make music that everyone can enjoy and listen to without overcomplicating things.

Have you started preparations and rehearsals for your Kiss Road World Tour? What are you waiting for the most?

Haneul: We are very excited about the tour. Definitely looking forward to meeting our Kissys, who have been supporting us throughout our journey. We have been working hard with our team in planning the show so that we are able to give all our fans an amazing experience. There's a bit of pressure to show our fans the best version of ourselves, but we promise we won't let you down. I think the most exciting part of the tour is really feeling everyone's positive energy!

Natty: Well, we are actually quite confident in our performance skills so fans can expect a high-energy performance. We love what we do and are blessed with so many people who support us while we do what we love. In return, we want to give them the best version of us, so I hope everyone is looking forward to it.

Something I always respected about KISS OF LIFE is that you shared yourself through solo songs from your debut album. Will we see more solo scenes on the tour?

Beauty: I don't want to give away too many spoilers so…I think we can say, “maybe?!” We've got some new stages lined up so be sure to stay tuned for that.

With this KISS OF LIFE has also become known for your covers. Your cover of Brown Eyed Girls “Sixth Sense” is officially out and you've covered songs by 2NE1, Ciara, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, BLACKPINK, Doja Cat, the list goes on…Any special or new covers for tour?

Julie: We are always singing, rapping and dancing with so many different artists everyday [basis]so hopefully we'll get a chance to show it to everyone on tour. We just love all different styles and categories of music. For us at the moment it's quite flexible to explore a lot of different genres of music and experiment with sounds so that [can] create our own particular style. Some days we focus on singing, some days we rap and some days we just dance, but we're always working to improve, so I hope we get a chance to put it out there for the world to see!

The four of you come from very different backgrounds and debuted as adults. Sometimes, it can be difficult for adults to pursue their dreams or even make new friends. How did you all connect and learn from each other to make KISS OF LIFE work as cohesively as it is?

Haneul: We just respect each other. We recognize our differences and the path we took to get here so that we can learn from each other and grow! A key point in any relationship is trust and respect. Respect comes from acknowledging the other's past experiences that led them on the path to being here. I believe that because we are able to share our respective experiences with each other, we can learn from each other and grow as a team, not just individually. We all have something to learn from each other and respect where that knowledge came from.

Do you have any other messages for international fans waiting to meet you?

Julie: We always want to thank you very much for your love and support. Even though we may be far apart, our hearts are always close! We look forward to meeting everyone in person and I hope the time comes soon. I love you guys so much and see you soon!!!