UNCUT GEM - EP

As the first new girl group to debut at Starship Entertainment since IVE in 2021, Kiiikiii’s 2025 entrance onto the K-pop scene was much anticipated. <i>UNCUT GEM</i> leans into the debut of it all, launching with the tongue-in-cheek “DEBUT SONG,” which has the group’s members wishing themselves a “congrats on your debut” to the melody of “Happy Birthday.” In “THERE THEY GO,” the members cheekily apologize to their parents for leaving home to join KiiiKiii. It’s a fitting tone for a young group whose name is reminiscent of the Korean-language version of “lol.” At the time of their debut, members Leesol, Sui, Jiyu, Haum, and Kya ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old.

Elsewhere on the six-track EP, KiiiKiii blends rap and EDM for lead single “BTG,” an acronym for “been that girl.” The track is a microcosm of the larger album, which explores softer, more subdued, synth-driven sounds in “I DO ME” and “ONE OFF,” but leans into the hip-hop genre for tracks such as “GROUNDWORK” and “DEBUT SONG.” As the title suggests, it’s all in the heady pursuit of discovering a more polished version of the rookie squad.