Blaming Tiger is a k-pop Frankenstein, an experiment in limitless and borderless creativity. Less of a cash-in supergroup and more of a artists’ collective pushing the boundaries of not only what k-pop can be, but of what pop can be.

The whole dang crew took to the White Stage Saturday afternoon in matching navy blue polo shirts and white pants. Shocking in their understatement. Their opener UP! was a good encapsulation of their MO generally, politically conscious and aggressive (hate the system, wanna get out), but also playful and genre bending, almost jerking back and forth between smooth pop and thrashing metal. The mix of languages on top of styles further showed their commitment to being a global act, not simply a Korean one.

As the set thundered through Sudden Attack, it was clear that we once again live in a world where pop bands can be abrasive and provocative, but unlike ‘music is politics’ big siblings like RATM, Balming Tiger looked and sounded like they were also having a very, very good time. Quite refreshing to be honest.
The barrage carried on, sometimes hard, sometimes sexy, sometimes just plain catchy, but at all times unpredictable and hard to take your eyes away from.

The set was all a bit like the Tiger Balm from which they nicked their moniker, having the power to soothe pains, stings a bit (but in a good way), highly addictive and internationally loved and respected. Rub on, Balming Tiger. Rub on.