K-Pop Double Take: Korean Rap Trio Rubber Soul Carve Out A Unique Sound For Themselves On 'Life' Featuring Mad Clown [VIDEO]

K-Pop Double Take is a weekly column highlighting recent releases that have yet to receive the attention we feel they deserve.

Hot off an appearance on last week's "Saturday Night Live Korea," the freshly debuted all-female rap group Rubber Soul is turning heads and breaking down boundaries with their new single "Life," released on Friday.

With some advanced recording studio techniques, including the creative use of panning, and four rappers (including guest star Mad Clown) that each have their own distinct style, "Life" is proof positive that great things happen when inventive producers and performers come together.

Sure there are shades of other performers here; Missy Elliott's elastic song forms, angelic background vocals dialing in 1990s all-female acts like Luscious Jackson or Cibo Matto and even the innovative drum power of Lorde. There are strong nods to hip-hop infused K-pop girl groups from 4Minute to 2NE1. There are even shades of pop divas like Mariah Carey or Beyoncé, particularly in the a cappella breakdown of "Life."

But the way in which Rubber Soul, Mad Clown and producer Mad Soul Child intermingle these textures that came before them with something different and new, is something that is exciting to behold.

With every year adding to the already unfathomable collection of rap groups attempting to inject new life into the genre and create textures the world has never heard before, the fact that Rubber Soul has even been able to cut through the noise is certainly worth something.

This is undoubtedly at least somewhat due to their model good looks. But this is the rare case of an artist that is better than their cover girl image might imply. The sound conjured up by Rubber Soul on "Life," like the classic 1965 Beatles album the band is presumably named after, is breaking new ground.

Make sure to keep an ear out for them.

Watch the new music video from South Korean rap group Rubber Soul entitled "Life" featuring Mad Clown RIGHT HERE

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LIFE
K-Pop Double-Take
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