Balming Tiger - “SEXY NUKIM” (feat. RM of BTS)

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 10

Pairs Well With…BROCKHAMPTON, Jay Park, BTS

Returning to SXSW now with a major hit to their credit, Balming Tiger show off a balance of K-pop hooks and deep, experimental hip hop with their latest singles including “SEXY NUKIM” featuring RM from BTS. Grabbing a BTS member is a great way to expose Balming Tiger to a huge fanbase and “SEXY NUKIM” does a precise job of showing that connection while being unabashedly themselves. The middle ground here between catchy and weird give Balming Tiger ample space to show off their creativity while drilling earworm melodies in your head. Lookout for a “Balming Tiger” night at a shared venue much like they booked for SXSW 2022; several members are already on the roster as solo artists with collaborations in mind. (Kevin McStravick)

2022 Review: Korean hip-hop collective Balming Tiger blast genre expectations across their introductory group singles, indie rap and eclectic K-Pop finding communal space in a fun and interesting sonic stew. Rappers and vocalists Omega Sapien, Mudd the Student, Sogumm, and Wnjn are joined by producers San Yawn, DJ Abyss, Jan’Qui, Henson, and Leesuho (many of whom are also performing their own SXSW solo sets this year) to form Balming Tiger, a bastion of collaboration that is expectedly diversified given each artist’s unique lane. In terms of proper Balming Tiger tracks, the band shifts from full-on funk (“JUST FUN!”) to industrial trap (“I’m Sick”, “LOOP?”) to old-school rap conversation (“Armadillo”), morphing within their tracks as well without experiencing fusion overload.