Continuing their autumn release streak, Billlie made their second comeback this year with a single album. The October 23 release, called side-B: memoirs of echo unseen, sees two new firsts for the group. It is their first single album since their debut in 2021, with two new songs and their English versions. Members Moon Sua and Suhyeon are also absent due to health issues. With these changes, the remaining pentet delivers two fresh tunes to warm up this breezy season.

A Party Just For Us

Ahead of the single album, Billlie released “BYOB (bring your own best friend)” on September 27. Fans (known as Belllie’ve) were gifted with a snippet of the song on TikTok just four days earlier, much to their delight. The snippet’s catchy hook caught people’s attention, and the video currently sits at about 2.1 million views. 

“BYOB (bring your own best friend)” is a soft disco pop track that opens with slightly muffled strings, evoking a sense of nostalgia. Despite the 20th century music influences, its lyrics are decidedly Gen Z: stop overthinking about your love life and putting your friends aside. This anachronistic mix is also present in the music video, as we view the members’ fun day out through grainy filters. 

My Own B-Side

“DANG! (hocus pocus)” completed the group’s single album almost a month later. The track, written by Daniel Caesar, Ludwig Lindell, Ellen Berg, and Cazzi Opeia, is upbeat and dominated by electro pop influences. Its lyrics may remind listeners of their 2022 comeback “GingaMingaYo (what a strange world),” since the members sing about their confusion in both tracks. This time, though, their wonder is directed internally.

The shoutout to “GingaMingaYo” doesn’t end there. In the music video, Billlie once again encounter a mysterious ‘90s personal computer (or a typewriter, in the case of “GingaMingaYo”). Constantly shifting from a large all-pink hallway to subtly bizarre streets, they try to uncover the whimsical world around them. Eventually, they discover who they are and find that the answer lies within themselves.

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Looking for the latest K-pop comebacks? Head over to our coverage of IVE’s first mini album, I’ve Mine, here.

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