Ribbon (EP)

Abyss Company announced BamBam's debut as a soloist in South Korea on May 24, 2021.^[2] The following day, they revealed he would release an extended play titled Ribbon.^[1][3] Ten sets of photos were released between May 26 and June 8, centering on the symbolic object of the ribbon.^[4][5] The tracklist was disclosed on June 9,^[6] while the EP and the music video of the title track "Ribbon" were released on June 15.^[1][7]

The theme of Ribbon is rebirth, and the title is a word play with English words "ribbon" and "reborn," which are written as 리본 (ribon) in Korean, and thus homophone.^[8][9] It contains a message of hope, and BamBam's wish to better himself.^[8] Ribbon was also based on the Greek mith of Pandora's box, which spread calamities to the world, but also hope, with the latter symbolized by the ribbon.^[10]

The EP consists of an airy lo-fi rhythm instrumental intro,^[11] produced by Murda Beatz, and other five tracks, with BamBam co-writing all the lyrics. He also took part in the composition of half of the songs.^[12] The homonymous title track, which blends trap and hip hop, was created with the meaning of starting anew as a solo singer,^[10][13] presenting "a hopeful and joyous new version of himself."^[14] Talking about "Ribbon", BamBam said "I wanted to make a song that makes me feel a little better while listening to it in the morning when I go to work. This song goes well with the bright image of BamBam."^[15]

"Pandora" is a hip hop track with a simple bass loop, in which, after opening Pandora's box, BamBam sings about dealing with his enemies without fear to achieve his goals.^[16] "Look So Fine" is a funky dance piece expressing his confidence in front of others, not minding about how the world sees him.^[16] On the other hand, "Air" and "Under the Sky" are more laid back: the first, a tropical house tune,^[11] is completely in English and describes how being in love and missing your lover makes you feel like running out of air,^[16] while the latter is an R&B ballad that sees BamBam expressing the preciousness and gratitude for the past with lyrics such as "The memories I have of those days / The times we cried and laughed / Shaped us into who we are today" (기억 속의 모든 날이 / 울고 웃던 시간들이 / 지금의 우리를 다 만들어 준거라).^[11][17] It was written while reflecting on Got7's departure from JYP Entertainment in January 2021 and the fans' feelings.^[16]

BamBam presented Ribbon and performed "Ribbon", "Pandora" and "Air" during an online showcase aired on June 15 on YouTube, V Live, Shopping Live, and Facebook, and which was watched by more than 740,000 people.^[18] He then promoted the title track and "Pandora" on music shows such as M! Countdown,^[19][20] Music Bank,^[21] Show! Music Core,^[22] Inkigayo,^[23] The Show^[24] and Show Champion^[25] from June 17 to June 27.

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Review scores
Source	Rating
NME	[11]

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Writing for Rolling Stone India, Divyansha Dongre said that the title song "Ribbon" "underlines the rapper's gleeful persona and style with lyrics embodying a strong metaphorical reference to that of a ribbon, subtly hinting towards BamBam's evolution as a musician."^[14] EnVi Magazine noted that each track showcases the singer's versatility.^[16] On the other hand, NME gave the EP three stars out of five, stating that BamBam "still has a long way to go in defining his personal music style."^[11]

Upon release, Ribbon debuted at #2 in South Korea on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart,^[26] while the title track "Ribbon" entered the Gaon Digital Chart at #144^[27] and ranked #17 on Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart.^[28]

It ranked seventh on Gaon Monthly Album Chart for June 2021 with 103,156 copies sold,^[29][30] while it entered the Yearly Album Chart at #77 with 134,845 copies.^[31]

"Ribbon" received the Black Melody Award for Most Downloaded Song in the first ten days of July 2021 from Line Melody Music Charts in Thailand.^[32][33]