I promised you all that I will get around to review Donghae and Eunhyuk’s most recent Japanese release, Sunrise, this weekend and that is where we find ourselves today. Donghae and Eunhyuk have had a few Japanese comebacks since their return from the military but I forgot about most of them. But I put this one on my agenda in hopes of making it up to you all. Sunrise was released approximately one month ago and is part of their 3rd full-length album in Japan.
Like ‘Bout You (their Korean comeback), Sunrise attempts to bring the duo back with sounds that are more relevant to the industry right now. And they do a pretty good job at it. The song does have the same flaws as I had written about yesterday, including repetition and standard chorus with nothing to offer. I am not sure why they put autotune over their own voices, which felt very unnecessary. I understand that it is electronic music but it just doesn’t feel natural and unique anymore (as everyone does it). What I did like about the song, however, was how clean it felt. It didn’t feature any awkward corners or background vocals that felt unwanted. Instead, the song just flowed nicely, which I thought made the song decent to listen to.
The music video, for this song, was really high quality and it felt like I was watching something out a sci-fi movie. Removing the choreography scenes and their closeup in the forest, the duo finds themselves running towards a light structure in the middle of the forest, which I think is the start of every alien based movie. When the chorus kicks in, we are thrown to the choreography shots, purely done in a studio but it looked spectacular, especially with the LCD background. It is a cool video, irrespective of the song, in my opinion.
It was a cool video but it would have been nice to see something a little different. The same comments from yesterday still apply here. They are trying extra hard to fit in with the young crowd, which is a little disappointing. I am quite sure (not referring to the hammer hand dance) that some of the moves were seen in their Korean comeback as well.
Song – 7/10 Music Video – 8/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.1/10
Berry Good is officially back after over a year’s break with Green Apple and their first ever full-length album, Free Travel. This very underrated group promoted Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo back in May last year. It hasn’t technically been a long break for some of the members as the group did launch a subunit, Berry Good HeartHeart (consisting of Taeha, Sehyung, Gowoon) who debuted back in Crazy, Gone Crazy back in April of this year.
Berry Good just never sticks to one style of music. Instead, they change it up every single comeback. And while I can see this as being very confusing for some people, I like the breath of freshness that they always bring to the table with their different styles. Green Apple is another cutesy song but done very well. It feels bright and bubbly, mainly due to the synths that are present throughout the song. It stays consistent but it doesn’t feel repetitive at all, which is a huge relief. The chorus is quite catchy, being somewhat explosive in nature. The song is quite dynamic and while that can be attributed to the instrumental, I think the vocals play an even stronger part in the song’s appeal. It feels like a cute conversation rather than the girls’ singing every line. I think this makes the song more approachable and intriguing.
The music video is essentially a guy trying to woo some girls with apples. He has red apples though, whereas the girls enjoy green apples. He adapts to their desires and offers them ‘poison’ green apples (similar to the one that knocks Snow White out). And as payback, they take all his green apples (assumingly to stop him from doing the same thing to everyone else) and make him run around, while also having some fun on the beach. That is my take on the video. I thought it was good, fitting for the song.
The choreography balances cute and sexy, which I think it also quite fitting for the song (and season of Summer). Apart from that, I don’t much else to say in regards to the performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 7.3/10
Hyolyn made a surprise comeback with Bae. The announcement of this comeback was out of the blue as she only released See Sea a few weeks back. But I am not complaining because it isn’t Summer without a comeback from any Summer Queen and I will gladly accept multiple if the opportunity comes up.
Bae is another song to add onto the Summer playlist. It isn’t the most experimental or unique track, opting for a more traditional dance-pop style song featuring very Summery and vibrant instrumental. The song itself doesn’t take any moments to relax, going straight in with a consistent and energetic tune. And the consistency isn’t a flaw here, with the song’s melody being a major driving force that made me enjoy the song. The song didn’t feel repetitive whatsoever, which I thought was interesting, given how consistency tends to make songs repetitive. I think Hyolyn’s vocals make the song feel different during each section, as she fits perfectly into the song. No flaws or awkward moment presented itself making this another amazing track from the widely known vocalist. Her rapping was also quite unexpected but felt very needed halfway during the song, which gave the song a little texture. In summary, Hyolyn aced Summer, once again.
I saw a few articles today which described the music video was retro. And many elements within the video were quite retro. From the diner and the roller skating rink, that element is visibly present. However, what I liked within the video as well, was how well they made sure to emphasise that this is a video within the present time and that it was modern. I think that is partly due to the people within the video (including Hyolyn herself), who dressed in outfits that aren’t retro but more of this era. I thought that was quite cool and made the video quite nice, overall.
The choreography to this was quite nice. There isn’t a live performance but I would love to see her and the backup dancers perform at the bar, exactly like in the video. It looked awesome and is my pick for the best part of the dance. Furthermore, I thought her chemistry with all the dancers were quite nice, adding an extra element to the video.
Song – 9/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 9/10 Overall Rating – 9/10
With an impending comeback expected from the legendary Super Junior (with the return of Ryeowook, who recently came back from his military enlistment) very soon, Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk have returned as a subunit with ‘Bout You. The new song features of the unit’s second mini-album, which also shares the same name. This is the unit’s first comeback since their release of Growing Pains, back in 2015. They have been active in Japan since their return from the military in 2017, with their latest Japan comeback to be reviewed tomorrow.
‘Bout You is duo’s attempt of reinventing themselves to fit into the different music industry that they were last in. Even Super Junior jumped on board with the recent Latin-inspired sound with Lo Siento. ‘Bout You features a tropical inspired instrumental that fits perfectly into both the recent (and ongoing) tropical EDM influx and the Summer season that is supposedly wrapping up soon. And for the most part, the song is quite good. The vocals throughout the song were quite good and the rapping was quite decent. I liked the layering of the piano within the bridge, which was my favourite part overall. The chorus was pretty standard and doesn’t offer much of a hook to really get into. But that isn’t the thing that irks me. It is the fact that they used their autotuned vocal to provide some background effect to the instrumental. It just felt so dated and quite out of fashion, particularly the way they presented it. But overall, it was a good song.
Like most KPOP videos nowadays, they take the camera to the US for their music video. And while it is a Donghae and Eunhyuk music video, the way it was shot reminded me of the way Winner’s music videos are given to us. I am not too sure what the plotline of the video because it doesn’t really establish match except for she is a singer and Donghae warns another guy to not make any moves. Eunhyuk is a third wheel and part way through the video, the girl and Donghae kisses. I also thought the singing scene (where she gets on stage and lip sync to their song) really awkward.
The choreography also fits in with what seems to be on trend in the industry at the moment. The hammer hand dance makes an appearance, alongside the dab and other moves. Not that makes a bad video (their choreography isn’t too bad) but it does make them look like they are trying to fit in extra hard.
Song – 6.5/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 6/10 Overall Rating – 6.6/10
I was not aware that MXM made their comeback yesterday. It did not appear in my subscription box at all and only saw their release while I was browsing Twitter in bed (Yes, I have a Twitter – Follow it here!). So apologise for this day late review. But MXM is officially back with their first-ever full-length album, More Than Ever, and the title track, YA YA YA. They previously promoted with Gone Cold and Diamond Girl earlier this year.
As soon as it starts, you will notice YA YA YA has a playful tone to it. I personally thought Diamond Girl was pretty playful but this song has a more light-hearted feel to it, which makes it likeable from the get-go. I like the brightness of the song, which aided in that light-hearted feel just mentioned. The song takes on a hip-hop sound. The instrumental is very typical but I liked how it doesn’t employ too many synths nor does it feel heavy. I liked the use of the pipes, which gave it an intriguing side. The rapping was quite good and the vocals were pretty nice. I particularly liked their ‘YA YA YA‘ hook throughout the song. It is plain and unimaginative but its simplicity makes it work and stand out. The odd sample of classical music (my brain isn’t registering what the piece is but it very familiar sounding) was a rather unexpected turn but it wasn’t necessarily off-putting. Overall, YA YA YA was a very enjoyable song.
The music video contains very cool graphics. I applaud the people behind this video because it looks very unique and cool. It gives a modern look to the video, despite it being shot on a basketball court and in plain coloured rooms. Besides that, it was a light-hearted video, fitting for the song. However, it lacks interesting moments, making it a tad dry after a few replays.
The performance was literally a massive smile from start to end. And that really makes you want to smile along to the song (and their performance). I feel like they could have put their backup dancers in something a little nicer than tees with the name of the song printed on it. The chorus showed cool footwork and I don’t think they rested one bit during the performance.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 7.7/10
Prepare yourselves as this year’s monster rookies are making their first ever comeback today. HANN, which translates to Alone, is the first digital single released by the girls. This comes after the group dominated charts with their debut track LATATA a few months back, which directed a lot of attention towards the group and earned them a very large following.
HANN is one interesting song. I think the expectation was for the group to come back with a similar track to LATATA to consolidate their following and position within the industry. So, it was a little shocking to hear a completely different sound. HANN is a lot less in-your-face that LATATA, opting for a melodic approach for their chorus. I personally do not find this song as catchy as the hook doesn’t seem to be that strong. But who knows, maybe the song will grow heavily on me as time passes. However, it is how exotic the song sounds that makes me drawn to the song. The track seems to be Latin-influenced unlike any other we have heard thus far. The verses had this tango vibe to it, which I liked. The rapping was awesome and the vocals were decent. I particularly like the verses, especially the way Soyeon started off the song (that tango vibe was amazing!). A little unexpected but still a decent step forward.
The first thing I thought of in this video was vampires. I liked the concept a lot and this is definitely an amped up version of Volume Up (by the now disbanded Cube Entertainment girl group, 4MINUTE). I like the dry setting where the video was set (though I am thinking it was shot in a studio – but it is the idea that counts). I liked the overload of charisma the girls had which really paid off, for me at least. Overall, the video showed off a very strong side of the girls without the need for a powerful song, which was something I liked.
The music video showed a few scenes of choreography, which I thought were quite good. Per usual, I liked how it was incredibly fitting for the song. There was definitely a consistent exotic vibe throughout their choreography, which they also had going on during their debut video. Might need to wait for a full performance but I think it is it going a smashing performance.
Song – 7.5/10 Music Video – 9/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8/10
SF9 made their very impactful comeback two weeks ago week with Now Or Never. They have also topped the Weekly Music Charts post for this week (thank you for all the retweets and likes on Twitter! My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing this afternoon). Fun fact (and I am not making this up) but I actually planned to review this album prior to its release. I was so drawn to the album by just listening to the highlight medley. I even fast-tracked the album review release, as well. Hence, why we are here today. Onwards with the review!
2. Different(달라) – This is the type of sound that I associate with Summer when it comes to KPOP. It is a very upbeat, vibrant and colourful song that feels just right. And while the song isn’t as mind-blowing as the title track, the song does a good job of maintaining the same level of energy and power, which I think it totally awesome. The song features a catchy chorus and showcases really good vocals, as well. The rapping is also equally as good but I felt they were too short. (8.5/10)
3. Unlimited – The start of this song is a tad underwhelming, given how the song progresses. It feels like a start to a slow yet dramatic song, not an upbeat dance track. Once the song does pick up (mid-way of the first verse), I was very impressed with the quality and intensity of the sound. I personally liked the prolonged drop into the choruses. Once again, there was great vocals and raps. I did notice the bridge of the song featured the guitar instrumental that was heard at the start. While I thought it as a start was underwhelming, its presence within the song was more appreciated. Overall, another good song. (8/10)
4. Photograph – Following the characteristics of the previous tracks, Photograph also takes on a bright sound and is another dance track. It is the type of KPOP song that you listen to yet smile to because of its energy, despite not knowing what the lyrics mean. I didn’t like the slow down they used for the pre-chorus, which felt a little awkward for me. It just felt like something more towards the end of the song, rather than before a decent drop. The chorus, made up of the ‘My Photograph’ hook and the twinkling instrumentation, was also quite catchy and was my pick for the highlight of the song. Overall, it was still a decent song. (8/10)
5. Shadow – Interestingly enough, the album ends on a more serious note which was a surprise given their brightness level on the album so far. And that is also why the song stands out. The song also follows a different formula, opting for a dragged-out chorus consisting of the rapping only. It is a little different from what we heard so far, making the song unique and interesting. On top of that, the vocal and rap sequences outside of the chorus gave the song an extra punch of impact, which I thought was good. My most favourite part is the vocal/rap combo for the bridge, which really brought together. Overall, it worked really well and ended the album on a unique note. (8.5/10)
Welcome back to another edition of the weekly charts. Today, we are looking back at the ranking for the 2nd Week of August 2018. I just want to inform you that the next few weeks will be a little awkward as I am trying to finish a number of assignments and study for tests. I will still try to review all the new releases but do not be alarm if I randomly disappear for a few days.
If you scroll down below, we have a brand new song sitting at the top of the charts. SF9’s Now or Never is the chart-topping song of this week and this was expected given how mindblowing the song is. Seventeen continues their run in the top 5, rising back to the second position on the charts. iKON’s Killing Me (the other mindblowing track from last week) lands in the third position. And wrapping up the top 5 is Red Velvet’s Power Up and DIA’s Woo Woo.
For more of the charts, scroll down below.
5th Aug – 11th Aug 2018
Title
Artist
Status
1
Now or Never
SF9
(▲ 5)
2
Oh My!
Seventeen
(▲ 2)
3
Killing Me
iKON
(▲ 9)
4
Power Up
Red Velvet
(new)
5
Woo Woo
DIA
(new)
6
My Pace
Stray Kids
(new)
7
1,2,3
Seungri (Big Bang)
(▼ 5)
8
favOriTe
LOONA
(new)
9
Between Us
Laboum
(▼ 8)
10
Egotistic
Mamamoo
(=)
11
Dance The Night Away
TWICE
(▲ 14)
12
Always You
ASTRO
(▲ 5)
13
Love U
Kim Chungha
(▼ 6)
14
Ride On The Wind
KARD
(▼ 9)
15
She Bad
MYTEEN
(▲ 6)
16
déjà vu
NU’EST W
(▲ 25)
17
Shoot Me
DAY6
(▼ 8)
18
Touch & Sketch
Leo (VIXX)
(▲ 8)
19
SoulMate
Zico (Block B) ft. IU
(▼ 5)
20
Sorry For My English
IN2IT
(▲ 19)
21
I’m So Sick
APINK
(▼ 18)
22
Falling In Love
Woo Jin Young & Kim Hyun Soo
(▲26)
23
Retro Future
Triple H
(▲ 1)
24
Twenty Something
Jeong Sewoon
(▼ 1)
25
Page 0
Taeyeon (SNSD) & MeloMance
(new)
26
Is Who?
Minseo
(▲26)
27
Basic Instinct
VROMANCE
(new)
28
DDU-DU DDU-DU
BLACKPINK
(▼ 10)
29
Only One For Me
BTOB
(▲ 23)
30
Sunset
Kim Dong Han
(▼ 3)
The following songs will not be present on the charts starting next week:
I Want You – SHINee
The Feeling – BTOB
Clover – LONGGUO
Grapes – Busters
Falling In Love – Woo Jin Young & Kim Hyun Soo
DDU-DU DDU-DU – BLACKPINK
Thank you once again for reading this week’s post for the charts! I (hopefully) will see you all the same time next week!
Monsta X is back with another original Japanese release. Livin’ It Up was released two weeks ago and is the group’s 4th Japanese single to date. I was going to review another artist’s Japanese song this week but decided to go with Livin’ It Up because it was a far more interesting song. The group previously released their first full-length album in Japan (Puzzle was the title track of the album) and are currently on their world tour, if I am not mistaken.
What is becoming evident is that some groups (including MONSTA X) are releasing more intensified EDM songs in the Japanese market. And the release of Livin’ It Up confirms this. The song falls into that EDM category, mixed with some hip-hop vibes and a groovy instrumental. Note that it isn’t retro groovy built does give the song a more light-hearted energy, opposed from something a little more hard-hitting you expect from EDM. Jooheon and I.M’s raps definitely give it some roughness and edge from their deeper tone, while the vocalists bring some melody in their parts. Overall, I thought the song was rather appealing. I feel like if the song chorus had a stronger hook, I would have picked up the song a lot sooner (as I thought it was relatively plain when I first heard it).
The music video was mainly made of choreography shots and some close-ups. Some of the dance shots gave me Beautiful vibes, mainly due to the platform they were performing on. I have to be honest though, but I thought the video was rather plain. I didn’t really feel the energy like some other videos from watching the video, which left it underwhelming. If the camera work showed some more energy and punchiness, it would have matched the vibes of the song a lot better.
The choreography was good. It wasn’t as intense as I hoped for but it was a perfect balance between that level of intensity that I wanted to see and the lighthearted sound that came from the groovy nature of the track.
Song – 8/10 Music Video – 7/10 Performance – 7/10 Overall Rating – 7.5/10
SM Station is back and they are delivering us with songs from a brand new project known as Station x 0. While I am not sure of the difference between this project and SM Station itself, 6 new songs will be unveiled (starting today) of collaborations between various artists. We will see Chanyeol and Sehun from EXO collaborating with each other, Baekhyun and Loco releasing a track and a 4 member single performed by Red Velvet’s Seulgi, GFriend’s SinB, Chungha and GI-DLE’s Soyeon, just to name a few. However, kicking things off today is Taeyeon (from SNSD) and chart-topping duo, Melomance.
Their song is Page 0 and I am totally digging it. I thought they would go with some boring ballad route but their song ended up being very vibrant and cheerful, which I really liked. It can also be described as refreshing, which fits neatly into the Summer releases we have been getting. Melomance’s signature vocals to the song, which automatically lifts the energy of the song up. Taeyeon sounds amazing, per usual. I thought their harmonies were amazing throughout the song. I really like the keyboard in the instrumental, particularly the keyboard-only start for the second verse. The chorus was really catchy, making me sing along within the first few listens of the track.
The song shares one simple message, to take on the world as it is your own life. And that is what we are shown here. It shows people comfortable in their own skin, regardless of whoever they are. And I think that is something we are all striving to do, making sure the world is a better place for everyone. For that, I think it is a really beautiful video. I like how the video makes your smile, which goes well with the sound of the song, overall.
Song – 10/10 Music Video – 10/10 Overall Rating – 9.6/10
DIA joins the Summer comeback rush with a brand new mini-album, Summer Ade. Featuring on their 4th mini-album to date is the title track Woo Woo. The group was previously meant to make their comeback last month but ultimately delayed it to August to ensure a higher production quaility. This is DIA’s first comeback since Good Night was released and the departure of Eunjin. Some of the members of DIA also participated in The Unit, with only Yebin making into the project group, UNI.T.
Woo Woo is a very Summery song with the instrumental providing a very refreshing feel. Initally, I thought the song was quite boring. However, within a day, I can say it is quite catchy and can potentially become addictive. It isn’t their strongest release to date but it does a good job trying to catch up to their strongest release (Can’t Stop). I thought the chorus had a nice melody and the ‘Woo Woo‘ hook was really cute. On top of that, I really liked the vocal sections of the song, which were quite itneresting section. I thought the rap sequence was rather dry but did like the incorportation of Lee Hyori’s famous line of ‘Just One 10 Minute‘ from 10 Minute. Overall, I thought the song was good and as I said, I think the song has potentially to be replaying in my head (it has already started).
When you think of Summer, you think of the beach. And that is what the video starts off with. There seems to be a mini competition embedded in the music video where you have to find some items (like a scavenger hunt). Something similar popped up in Momoland’s BAAM but I don’t there were any prizes invovled. It progrsses into a very typical music video shot on sets we have seen many times and the overall feel doesn’t relly allow it to be differentiated much. There were a number of cute scenes that I thought were nice, such as the hiding from pizza scenes at the end. I am a tad confused with the ringing telepohone at the end. But other than that, it was a fair video.
I thought the choreography for this comeback was quite nice. It falls into the cutesy category but it works well with the song, especially the moves for the hook. Furthermore, I really thought the dance break was really cool.
Song – 8.5/10 Music Video – 7.5/10 Performance – 8/10 Overall Rating – 8.1/10
I usually publish my album reviews on Thursdays and Sundays. However, I am a day late due to the release of the Dream Catcher music video theories yesterday. Today’s album review will focus on KARD’s recent comeback and Ride On The Wind. The album cover, shown below, is probably my pick for one of many unappealing covers to do date. It looks so plain and the image of them looks like it was just pasted on it. But we are not here to talk about the album cover but rather the songs on the album. So let’s get going! (Per usual, I have left off their Humming introductory track).
Ride On The Wind Album Cover
2. Moonlight – What this song does nicely show a fair amount of contrast between the female and male members of the group. Jiwoo and Somin have higher pitch vocal parts which pair well with the usual deep tone of BM and J.Seph. I like how it is very easy on the ears as the song relies on a softer instrumental, compared to their past releases. I have to admit the song does lack something, which I cannot determine the nature of. I feel like with an additional element, the song could have been kicked up a notch. Also, I felt the song was repetitive but it wasn’t too bad. (8/10)
4. Knocking on Heaven’s Door – Like the first song, Somin and Jiwoo had their parts at a higher than normal pitch and the male members had their usual rap. What is different, however, is the amount of energy that comes from this track. It makes the song so much more comfortable. Not saying that the first song was uncomfortable but the feeling is so much more present here. What also draws my attention (and possibly everyone else’s) to the song is the autotuned ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ line just before the chorus. I thought it was rather cool and makes the song quite addictive. I also liked how the ladies added their own twist to that same line at the end of the song, which gave us a little something different at the end. (9/10)
5. Dimelo – Dimelo means ‘Tell Me’ in Spanish. And it is a good song overall. However, it was very typical for the most part. And it would have remained typical if it didn’t include that really uncomfortable high pitch synth which can be heard during the post-chorus/second verse rap. The vocals and raps were decent. Just that one synth could have been forgone. Besides that, there isn’t much else to talk about. (7/10)
Welcome to my latest attempt at interpreting music videos. I will be posting 4 posts for Dream Catcher’s horror-themed music videos, which are all interlinked. I will be posting the theories in the order in which they occur in chronological order (Fly High > You & I > Chase Me > Good Night) throughout the day. Like Monsta X’s review, I have a special code when I mention the members to make it easier to write.
Jiu – JIU
Sua – SUA
Siyeon – SY
Handong – HD
Yoohyun – YH
Dami – DM
Gahyeon – GY
Setting The Scene
The video opens up with the guy in his office, which seems to be filled with research into ghosts and darkness. It makes me think like he is some sort of evil destroyer, seeking out evil spirits and removing them from their setting.
The Forest
We then see YH and SY running throughout the forest in coloured dresses. It seems like they are running away from someone (it is shown to be the guy – I think). However, they don’t seem to be hiding from whoever they are running from. Instead, SY looks like she is checking something. Halfway during the video, we see him get a little too close to them. So YH and SY create 3 stick people and hang them in the tree for him.
The Book and The Mirrors
The guy has a chained book on his shelf. He takes the book and proceeds to unlock it and read it. In the book, it shows how the girls are trapped inside in the book. Their ghost may be bound to the mansion but the evil beings are shown to be inside the book. GY is seen inside the book, falling into darkness. SUA is shown to be held onto by shrunken hands. All of these shows how the members are trapped. Some of them seem to be stuck in mirrors, which show the parallel universe to the one the guy is in.
Opening the book may have been a bad idea, as the girls start to reappear around him within the mirrors. He approaches the mirror, where he sees JIU once again.
We then see 3 girls (DM, JIU and HD) staring back at him. They do another ritual, allowing DAMI to enter the universe the guy is in and steal the locked book. They take pages out of the book and burn them, setting the trapped members free. (Sua doesn’t burn but the leaves and hands on her do). The passing of leadership might be present here as DAMI is in charge of saving the members.
Freedom
The final stage of their plan is to switch places with him. They somehow distract him by messing up his place, dropping the dream catcher in the process. He goes over to pick it up and realizes that is a mistake (he remembers the 3 stick figures from the forest). He suddenly becomes trapped in the mirror, while the 3 girls are free. Once they are free, they don black cloaks with gold lining.
At the end, we see all them together once again. Each wearing the dame black cloaks. JIU has returned to be a leader and one of the girls end up dropping the book. It is safe to assume that they transferred him out of the mirror and into the book. Dropping the book in the forest where nobody would find it seems to be an excellent way of getting rid of their problem.
And that is it. All 4 music video theories and how they are interlinked done. Apologies for how delayed this is. I had to postpone it due to a busy workload and once again for finetuning purposes.
So, do you agree or do you think there is something else?
If you have yet to read the other theories, click the links below!
Fly High Music Video Theory
You & I Music Video Theory
Chase Me Music Video Theory
Welcome to my latest attempt at interpreting music videos. I will be posting 4 posts for Dream Catcher’s horror-themed music videos, which are all interlinked. I will be posting the theories in the order in which they occur in chronological order (Fly High > You & I > Chase Me > Good Night) throughout the day. Like Monsta X’s review, I have a special code when I mention the members to make it easier to write.
Jiu – JIU
Sua – SUA
Siyeon – SY
Handong – HD
Yoohyun – YH
Dami – DM
Gahyeon – GY
Please note that I believe the scenes are somewhat jumbled and I have rearranged them to fit in with what I think is going on.
Setting The Scene
Many, many centuries/decades passed. The camera in You and I and camera in Catch Me is proof of this.
The guy checks into room 808. From the start, it is known that he is a paranormal investigator and that he is investigating the haunted castle, where the girls are bound to (JIU closed the gates to the mansion in the Fly High video). As he struggles to get into the door, the lights flicker, and we see JIU standing in the hallway, holding a doll dressed in red. He sees her but when he directs his camera to her, she cannot be seen in the camera view.
Once he does get into his innocent looking room, he takes out his files that he had compiled on the girls and started to mark down that he saw JIU. However, his pencil broke and had a bloody nose. No doubt that the girls caused this time. He decides to take a rest, as a result.
The picture he had acquired is the same as the girls shown in Fly High and You & I, confirming that they are dead and that they have been dead for a very long time. I also remembered that they wore their kimonos in the reverse order, which is commonly associated with the dead.
Let The Scaring Begin…
During his rest, he is hypnotized by SUA. (The way she swung the pendant was like how she rang the bell in Fly High). He wakes up knowing she is there but after turning back, she is no longer there. The hypnosis seems to be the start of something as he starts seeing that his reflection is delayed, and he starts getting nightmares when he sleeps.
We are then shown a ritual scene, where DM is lying on the ground and all the members are surrounding her. One of the items around her, of interest, is the red doll, which JIU was holding onto (SUA is also in the middle). Their plan, whatever it is at this stage is taking into effect. As mentioned previously, JIU was leader after she became possessed/evil in You & I. The use of her doll in this ritual might be a transfer of leadership to another member. This will be important in the next video.
Each member takes a turn at tormenting the guy. SY holds the door in place, GY throws books onto the ground. JIU floats in the hallway. YH changes all the room numbers to room 808, confusing him in a later scene.
The Ending…
At the bridge of the song, we see him inspecting the surveillance system, which I assumed he installed himself. He sees confronting images of himself crawling away from something or someone. It isn’t shown on camera, but we see a flashback to JIU walking towards him. This convinces him that enough is enough, and he brings an axe to his room. He starts swinging the axe, the main goal being to break down the door and hotel, one step at a time.
However, when he steps back into the room, we do not see his room. Instead, we see a warm coloured room, shown as one of the rooms the girls used to play in. On the wall is that old picture of the group, enlarged. He smiles in the room, which I am not sure why he does so.
And that is my interpretation of the video. What do you think happened or do you agree with me? There are still many gaps that I am not sure of and despite looking into some other theories, I can’t think of anything that may fill up those gaps.
I will be posting my Good Night Music Video Theory after this one (The Final Part). If You haven’t read the theory for Fly High, CLICK HERE or if you haven’t read the theory for You & I, CLICK HERE.
Welcome to my latest attempt at interpreting music videos. I will be posting 4 posts for Dream Catcher’s horror-themed music videos, which are all interlinked. I will be posting the theories in the order in which they occur in chronological order (Fly High > You & I > Chase Me > Good Night) throughout the day. Like Monsta X’s review, I have a special code when I mention the members to make it easier to write.
Jiu – JIU
Sua – SUA
Siyeon – SY
Handong – HD
Yoohyun – YH
Dami – DM
Gahyeon – GY
Please note that I believe the scenes are somewhat jumbled and I have rearranged them to fit in with what I think is going on.
Setting The Scene
The events of the You & I music video is YH’s nightmare. She was possessed (in my mind) when she killed the spider but this could have been a weak curse (as the spider had to be killed before the full curse got to the other members), so the spider’s hold onto YH was weak. So when she is transferred to the nightmare, the curse is lifted and she follows the rules set by the other members (who were strongly possessed). For example, she follows SY and becomes a photographer (as she didn’t know how to get out). There is also a change in leadership, as SY was also the leader. This could have occurred during the forest trip in Fly High.
Once each member was possessed, they get transferred to the nightmare (an alternate reality) alongside SY. We don’t see much of the others except for DM, JIU, SY and YH. HD is bound, GY interacts with her reflection, SUA is around. Not sure why some members are shown in a limited way and why they are where they are.
Dami & The Glass Dome
For DM, her inexperienced magic powers cause her to become stuck in the dome. As her magic matures, she magicked up a stick and broke the glass.
Yoohyun’s Retransition to Evil (again)
While taking a picture, YH encounters a lady, who turns out to be the spider. Proof that YH had her curse lifted is that she became scared of the presence of the spider. She is knocked out. She then wakes up again with the evil inside her.
JIU at the start is running through the halls. I assumed she had some ‘good’ within her because as she ran around, she looked genuinely concerned and scared. She stops at a spinning top, clearly not want to stop it spinning. Why she stopped? Nobody knows but it seems like she does – as if stopping the top will cause something bad to happen. One of the scenes showing an evil spirit almost getting to her, but we don’t see the aftermath of that close encounter.
It seems like JIU is helping YH by doing some ritual that allows YH the chance to run to a portal that would get her out of the nightmare. That is what we are made to think. But in reality, the dark spirit got to JIU (as I said, we didn’t see the aftermath) and caused her to become fully evil. She baits YH into thinking this plan might work and that she can escape. My question is why would JIU help YH become free while the rest of the members are standing around them and not doing anything? SY is the ring-leader (she is the one in charge of the photos), so why doesn’t she stop them? Because JIU is evil and is tempting YH. Everyone else knows about the plan, everyone besides YH.
The evil spirit is lifted (temporarily) allowing YH to run towards the now closing portal (I think this is linked to the top. If JIU stopped the top, she would have closed the portal and therefore she could not convince YH that this will work).
The leader consistently changes, with JIU becoming the leader after she becomes evil. Hence, why nobody stopped her.
YH runs towards the portal but it closes. And at the same time, the evil returns, latching onto her. As a result, she passes out and the members surround her once again, waking her up.
And that is my interpretation of the video. What do you think happened or do you agree with me? There are still many gaps that I am not sure of and despite looking into some other theories, I can’t think of anything that may fill up those gaps.
I will be posting my Chase Me Music Video Theory after this one. Good Night will be published soon after. If you haven’t read the Fly High theory, the start of this story, CLICK HERE!
Welcome to my latest attempt at interpreting music videos. I will be posting 4 posts for Dream Catcher’s horror-themed music videos, which are all interlinked. I will be posting the theories in the order in which they occur in chronological order (Fly High > You & I > Chase Me > Good Night) throughout the day. Like Monsta X’s review, I have a special code when I mention the members to make it easier to write.
Jiu – JIU
Sua – SUA
Siyeon – SY
Handong – HD
Yoohyun – YH
Dami – DM
Gahyeon – GY
Please note that I believe the scenes are somewhat jumbled and I have rearranged them to fit in with what I think is going on.
Setting The Scene
The girls were once happy and cheerful girls, shown in the very sunny and bright lighting at the start of the video. They seem to be living in this old mansion, which seems to be a boarding school.
How The Girls Became Evil?
The video starts off with JIU finding a spider in the courtyard while on one of their outings. She traps it in a jar and brings it into the mansion to keep as a pet.
After this time, the girls start becoming possessed one by one. We are not shown why this is case until the end. After JIU brings her new spider friend into the house, YH comes over with a magnifying glass and burns the spider alive, killing it. This somehow unleashes the spider’s cursed spirit (an important detail in You & I video), possessing the girl’s one by one.
YH might already be possessed prior to killing the spider as the way she moves in her solo closeup. While it was shown later on, YH spent a lot of time alone while in the mansion (her throwing the paper plane). It was likely during one of the lonely moments she came across the mirror in the garden, which drew her attention. Once she made contact, she becomes possessed, shown by the black paint dripping down the mirror afterwards.
The cursed spider spirit caused GY and HD to become possessed. GY was strapped to the bed. Soon after, we see someone’s hand cover her eyes. As for HD, one moment we see her in a bathtub alive, the next, there is a slight tinge of pink in the water and hands are motionless. Possibly, the same person who possessed GY possed HD as well.
Sua, Siyeon, Dami
SUA seems to be the leader in this video, as she is always sitting at the end of the table and attention is drawn to her at all times when they are together.
I don’t know how SY fits into my theory. She appears at the very start, holding her bunny doll looking towards the mansion as if she knows what is going to happen (and if that is the case, she was the very first member to be possessed, though I do not know how). She, along with SUA venture into the forest and obtain books (2 from of them, from the image below). It is during this adventure that SUA becomes possessed, as they come back wearing black cloaks.
DM most likely became possessed due to the books she was reading. DUA seemed to be holding two books and these books were placed onto the shelves. DM used those books to study music but they might have been cursed and caused her to become possessed also.
Member of Interest – JIU
The video focuses on JIU as the final unpossessed member. Unknown to her, the curse has already created an evil persona (shown when JIU walks in on herself playing the piano). This causes her to run.
As she is running out of the mansion, she constantly checks behind herself, as if she is scared. HOWEVER, I personally think that the evil version is running away from the good version. (Note the navy outfit she was wearing. It is the same as the navy outfit in the choreography shots, which is paired with gloomy skies. And gloomy skies occur because the brightness has disappeared – i.e. darkness arrived). Once evil JIU gets to the gate, she closes it (instead of running out), effectively sealing her and everyone else within the mansion.
I think if JIU, if she was 100% evil or 100% good, she would have kept the gate opened and ran out. Instead, there might be some good in JIU, leading to her thinking that closing the gate will be better for the rest of the world (and her friends). We see a shot of her standing on a white cliff, with blue butterflies flying about. They end up burning but the white setting remained, representing that some good is still within her.
The Ending
SUA is seen cutting into their image with a knife. Don’t know the significance of this scene.
We then see the members playing around in the garden before it is shown the members standing still. Seems to show the before possession and after possession.
And that is my interpretation of the video. What do you think happened or do you agree with me? There are still many gaps that I am not sure of and despite looking into some other theories, I can’t think of anything that may fill up those gaps.
I will be posting my You & I Music Video Theory after this one. Chase Me and Good Night will be published soon after.
KPOPREVIEWED 