"Sexy Nukim" | ||||
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Single by Balming Tiger featuring RM | ||||
Language | Korean, English | |||
Released | September 1, 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2022 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 3:49 | |||
Label | Balming Tiger | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Balming Tiger singles chronology | ||||
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RM singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Sexy Nukim" on YouTube |
"Sexy Nukim" (Korean: 섹시느낌; RR: Seksi Neukkim; lit. Sexy Feeling), is a song by the South Korean music collective Balming Tiger featuring RM of BTS. It was co-written by group members BJ Wnjn, Omega Sapien, and Mudd the Student, who appear on the track, and RM. Groupmate San Yawn produced the track alongside BJ Wnjn. Released as a digital single on September 1, 2022, the song is the group's first new music since 2021's "Loop",[1] and their first to feature another artist.[2]
Background and release
[edit]Balming Tiger last released new music as a group in 2021, with the singles "Just Fun!" and "Loop". They focused on individual activities after that, before deciding on a group comeback for 2022. Members BJ Wnjn and Leesuho began working on "Sexy Nukim" a year prior to its release. Member Unsinkable also worked on the song's arrangement, marking the first time in the group's history that all of their producers had participated in the creation of the same track.[3] The single was released globally on September 1, 2022.[2]
Per a DIY Mag interview with the group, published the day of the single's release, the song's message is that "the artist's 'sexiness' is not something that can be bought with money". It "contains a mind set that wants to be 'one and only' with their unique personality, not just pursuing material things." The group's intent was to "show the world 'Asian Sexy' and 'Asian Cool'" through the song.[3]
Music video
[edit]The music video was directed by Japanese director Pennacky, who worked with Balming Tiger on previous projects.[2]
The video portrays Bj Wnjn as a doctor overseeing Omega Sapien and Mudd the Student receiving electroshock therapy at a medical facility.[4] After each session, various scenes from inside their minds are shown as they rap their individual verses, including them at an asylum and a sauna surrounded by a large group of people—these are actually other members of the Balming Tiger collective[2]—dressed in white.[4] RM appears next, as his verse begins, at an old mechanical repair shop filled with pedestal fans, owned by an elderly man.[4] He rides over a toy Ferrari on the ground with his bicycle—a reference to some of his lyrics—and raps the rest of his verse inside the store. San Yawn sporadically appears throughout the video, including during RM's verse. The visual returns to the Balming Tiger members at the sauna then sitting in a pool of water, surrounded by the same group of people from the beginning. It closes out with a rotating shot that alternates between the group of people standing outdoors, surrounding Omega Sapien and Mudd the Student—the latter holds a matching balloon—who are now both dressed in red, and RM standing amid the fans at the repair shop also holding a red balloon.
NME described the video as "eclectic",[4] while PopSugar called it "psychedelic" and listed it as one of the sexiest videos of the year "for how refreshingly experimental it is".[5]
A performance version of the music video, featuring the Balming Tiger members and a group of backup dancers—RM does not appear in the video—was released a week later.
Live performances
[edit]Balming Tiger and RM performed the song together for the first time at a charity event hosted by W Korea on October 28, 2022, in support of its Love Your W breast cancer awareness campaign. They also incorporated "synchronised dance moves" (seen in the performance version of the music video) into the performance during the chorus.[6] RM performed an abridged version of the song during a commemorative music event for his debut solo album Indigo (2022) at Rolling Hall in Seoul on December 5.[7]
Accolades
[edit]NME included the track on its list of the "25 best K-pop songs of 2022", at number 23, with writer Carmen Chin calling it "a stroke of brilliance in an already remarkable oeuvre".[8] It was nominated for and won Collaboration of the Year and Music Video of the Year at the 2023 Korean Hip-hop Awards.[9][10]
Personnel
[edit]Adapted from Melon Music. Dolby Atmos mixing by SOUND360 Studio.[11][12]
- Chris Athens – mastering (at Chris Athens Masters)
- Harrison Holmes – assistant
- Bj wnjn – production, songwriting, arrangement
- Christopher Botta – mixing (at Fer Sound)
- Jung-hoon Choi – immersive mixing
- Hyunjae – guitar
- JNKYRD – sound supervision
- Haneul Lee – immersive mixing
- Leesuho – production
- Mudd the Student – songwriting
- Omega Sapien – songwriting
- Unsinkable – production, arrangement
- RM – songwriting
- San Yawn – creative direction, production, arrangement
Charts
[edit]Chart (2022) | Peak position |
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New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] | 33 |
South Korea Download (Circle)[14] | 23 |
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[15] | 60 |
US Rap Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] | 4 |
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[17] | 1 |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | September 1, 2022 | Balming Tiger | [18] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Watch Balming Tiger perform 'LOOP?', 'JUST FUN!' and 'CHROMEHEARTSRING' with Lil Cherry for NME Home Sessions". NME. May 11, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Benjamin, Jeff (September 1, 2022). "BTS' RM Joins Korean Musical Collective Balming Tiger for 'Sexy Nukim'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ a b ""This Track Was Made Naturally Among Many Strong Energies": Balming Tiger Talk Linking Up With BTS' RM On New Track 'Sexy Nukim'". DIY Mag. September 1, 2022. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Chin, Carmen (September 1, 2022). "Alt K-pop group Balming Tiger unveil new single 'Sexy Nukim' featuring BTS' RM". NME. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Devoe, Noelle (December 12, 2022). "From Doja Cat's "Vegas" to Lizzo's "About Damn Time," Here Are This Year's Sexiest Music Videos". PopSugar. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Daly, Rhian (October 28, 2022). "Watch BTS' RM perform 'Sexy Nukim' with Balming Tiger live for first time". NME. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Bowenbank, Starr (December 15, 2022). "RM Performs Intimate Set Filled With 'Indigo' Songs for 'Live in Seoul' Concert: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Assis, Tássia; Chin, Carmen; Daly, Rhian; Juvet, Aedan; Morales, Ivana E.; Raj, Tanu I.; Tan, Derrick; Webster, Abby; Yeo, Gladys (December 20, 2022). Tan, Derrick (ed.). "The 25 best K-pop songs of 2022". NME. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ 후보 소개 [Candidate Introduction]. www.koreanhiphopawards.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Jae-hoon (March 11, 2023). 박재범, '한국 힙합 어워즈' 올해의 아티스트…바밍타이거 2관왕 [Park Jae-beom, Artist of the Year at the "Korea Hip-Hop Awards"...Balming Tiger won two awards]. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ 앨범 정보 [싱글] 섹시느낌 (feat. RM of BTS) – Balming Tiger [Album Information [Single] Sexy Feeling (feat. RM of BTS) – Balming Tiger]. www.melon.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ 곡 정보 [싱글] 섹시느낌 (feat. RM of BTS) – Balming Tiger [Song Information [Single] Sexy Feeling (feat. RM of BTS) – Balming Tiger]. www.melon.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Hot 40 Singles 12 September 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "Download Chart 2022 Weeks 36". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100: 09 September 2022 - 15 September 2022". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "Rap Digital Song Sales (Week of September 10, 2022)". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "World Digital Song Sales (Week of September 10, 2022)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Jae-lim (September 1, 2022). "Hip-hop crew Balming Tiger to release new single featuring RM of BTS". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.