Lowlife Princess: Noir is the debut studio album of South Korean singer Bibi. It was released on November 18, 2022, through Feel Ghood Music and 88rising. It consists of twelve tracks, including five singles: "Animal Farm",[1] "Motospeed 24", "Sweet Sorrow of Mother",[2] "Bibi Vengeance", and "Jotto".
| Lowlife Princess: Noir | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 18, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:18 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | ||||
| Producer | Bibi | |||
| Bibi chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lowlife Princess: Noir | ||||
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Theme
editThe album "tells the story of the fictional Oh Geum-ji–inspired by the protagonist in Park Chan-wook’s Lady Vengeance" against the dystopian backdrop of the year 2044.[3] Oh Geum-ji was abandoned as a child and wants to be loved even though she is a bad bitch.[4] "As pollution and scarcity ravage Seoul and people fight for control of an underground society à la Sin City, she rises from the depths of despair to become the queen of this lawless land."[5]
Music and lyrics
editBibi tells a story that represents people with low social status.[6] "The production mimics the record’s lyrical ferocity, offering an invigorating mix of sounds from dark pop ("Jotto"), futuristic EDM ("Blade"), pop-rock ("City Love"), Latin-inspired beats (“Bibi Vengeance”) and alternative R&B ("Animal Farm") to name a few."[7]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| IZM |   [8] |
| NME | [5] |
| Rhythmer | [6] |
Yeom Dong-gyo of IZM rated the album 3 out of 5 stars. According to him, "Bibi, who has both skills and charisma, laid the groundwork with honest lyrics and sensuous sounds and solidified her identity with her new album. She appealed to Generation MZ by unraveling a story without hesitation while swinging back and forth between R&B and hip hop."[8]
Tanu Raj of NME rated the album 4 out of 5 stars. According to him, "Bibi claims her place as one of K-pop’s most engaging and evocative storytellers" on her first full-length album.[5]
Kim Hyo-jin of Rhythmer also rated the album 4 out of 5 stars. According to her, "Bibi is definitely a solid storyteller" who "fleshes out a character and fascinates listeners at once with specific settings and appropriate word choices."[6]
Year-end lists
edit| Critic/Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genius | 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 38 | [9] |
| NME | 25 Best Asian Albums of 2022 | 16 | [10] |
| Rhythmer | 10 Best Korean R&B Albums of 2022 | 7 | [11] |
| Rolling Stone India | 15 Best Korean Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2022 | 2 | [7] |
| Time | Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022 | Ranked | [3] |
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Bibi, except where noted
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | The Need | The Need | The Need | 1:07 |
| 2. | "Blade" (철학보다 무서운건 비비의 총알) |
| The Need | 3:10 | |
| 3. | "Bibi Vengeance" (나쁜X) |
| The Need | 2:45 | |
| 4. | "Animal Farm" (가면무도회) |
| The Need | 3:23 | |
| 5. | "Motospeed 24" (모토스피드 24시) |
| The Need | 2:13 | |
| 6. | "Sweet Sorrow of Mother" (불륜) |
| Cho | 1:06 | |
| 7. | "Loveholic's Hangover" (featuring Sam Kim) |
| Welcome Ian | 2:48 | |
| 8. | "Wet Nightmare" |
| Max & Kyle | 2:58 | |
| 9. | "Witch Hunt" (마녀사냥) |
| The Need | 1:14 | |
| 10. | "Lowlife Princess" |
| The Need | 2:31 | |
| 11. | "Jotto" (조또) |
| Purple | 3:13 | |
| 12. | "City Love" |
|
| 3:13 | |
| Total length: | 30:18 | ||||
Charts
editSales
edit| Region | Sales |
|---|---|
| South Korea[13] | 18,711 |
References
edit- ^ Choi, Yun-jeong (September 27, 2022). "비비, 오늘 '가면무도회' 발매…느와르 액션 연기 첫 도전" [Bibi, releases "Animal Farm" today... first attempt at noir action acting]. Newsis (in Korean). Nate.
- ^ Jang, Su-jeong (October 22, 2022). "비비, 정규 앨범 두번째 조각 풀린다…24일 더블싱글 발매" [Bibi, unravels second piece of studio album... releases double single on 24th]. Dailian (in Korean). Nate.
- ^ a b Moon, Kat (December 13, 2022). "The Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2022". Time.
- ^ Lee, Jae-hun (November 18, 2022). "'나쁜년' 비비, 난 야하고 다정한 사람…"아팠으니, 다음엔 행복할거야"" ['Bad bitch' Bibi, I am a sexual and nice person... "I will become happy later as I went through pain"]. Newsis (in Korean).
- ^ a b c Raj, Tanu (November 18, 2022). "BIBI – 'Lowlife Princess: Noir' review: a visceral tale of pain, heartbreak and revenge". NME.
- ^ a b c Kim, Hyo-jin (December 20, 2022). "비비 - Lowlife Princess: Noir". Rhythmer (in Korean).
- ^ a b Chakraborty, Riddhi; Dongre, Divyansha (December 19, 2022). "The 15 Best Korean Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2022". Rolling Stone India.
- ^ a b Yeom, Dong-gyo (December 2022). "Lowlife Princess: Noir". IZM (in Korean).
- ^ "The Genius Community's 50 Best Albums of 2022". Genius. December 31, 2022.
- ^ Yeo, Gladys (December 23, 2022). "The 25 best Asian albums of 2022". NME.
- ^ "2022 국내 알앤비/소울 앨범 베스트 10" [2022 Korean R&B/Soul Album Best 10]. Rhythmer (in Korean). December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 48, 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "Circle Album Chart – November 2022". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 10, 2022.