MV Review: Taemin's 'Press Your Number' Misses the Mark

Last week, Taemin’s MVs for "Drip Drop" and "Press Your Number" were released on the SMTown YouTube channel, and those of us who have been waiting for a follow up to "ACE" fell over ourselves a little bit. As one of my favorite solo artists, Taemin’s tracks are something I have been waiting impatiently to enjoy for months now. You could say I’m biased, and honestly I couldn’t really argue with that.

So, my bias being what it is, my reactions to the music videos are somewhat surprising to me.

The MV for "Press Your Number" is, putting it lightly, a mess. What they were trying to do is easy to see; there are some beautiful shots, the dancing is great, and this song has been stuck in my head for three days so you know I like it. Obviously the aim was to cut some clips together and put them out of order so that we get the sense that Taemin has found himself in some mysterious circumstances that need unravelling. This hasn’t, however, panned out. What we’ve ended up with is a confusing video with some things that make sense on their own but not as a whole. It doesn’t make the statement it clearly wants to make, and it’s a shame.

The plot (if it counts as a linear plot) is thus: Taemin is in a car with some friends, makes his way into a grocery store, and pulls a gun on the cashier. Then he simultaneously finds himself in a crashed car, a hotel room, and the set of Amadeus with some guys who are throwing money at each other (with me so far?). Taemin then receives a phone call, and then the cashier from the store is tied up and lying underneath a table, spliced with flashes of Taemin tied up in her place. Then some dancing on a rooftop, some running, and Taemin’s friends get captured. Taemin himself gets away, although his jacket takes on some magical disappearing-reappearing powers. We then see Taemin drop a blue rose into the Los Angeles River, and trading a roll of cash for a briefcase full of roses, so either Taemin was tricked or he has really specific, really expensive floral tastes. Then we see Taemin in the car with another Taemin, Taemin walking through the desert, and then more dancing in the desert. The final image is of Taemin dousing the car with petrol and flicking a lighter on, followed by credits.

If that seems a little confusing, then it’s because it is. I have no idea what the plot of this music video is, and honestly I’m not completely convinced it even has one. But in case I’m being unfair, I do also have a list of things I like about it. For one, Taemin is wearing a normal outfit instead of looking like SM threw half an H&M store on him and let him loose, which is something they have done to their artists in the past. The shots are gorgeous, and I love those blue roses. So that’s at least three things.

More than anything, I love the dancing in "Press Your Number." So I feel completely spoiled that there are two performance videos to go along with the full MV for "Press Your Number," as well as the performance video for "Drip Drop." I’m very partial to dance videos – I love dance practices, and so to have three performance videos is, to me, a great thing. Taemin is an incredibly dancer, and that’s so clear that I might as well be saying that the sky is blue. But watching him dance is hypnotic in the way that watching anybody who does something incredibly well is. The video for "Drip Drop" is great, and so is the second version of the "Press Your Number" Performance Ver. The first one is very pretty, but I have a couple of issues with it – the first being that I have no idea why Taemin seems to have snuck into his dad’s closet and stolen his clothes from the seventies. The second is that Taemin dancing in water makes his precise movements less easy to follow, and ruins the effect somewhat.

All in all, Taemin’s current MVs are very enjoyable, and both songs are jams that I’m going to be listening to for weeks. They may have missed the mark in some ways, but they fit Taemin and his particular brand of oily-jointed dancing and mature pop songs. Plus, he has that sweet waistcoat.

Helen Edworthy is a Sociology undergrad from England who got lost in the K-Pop machine five years ago. When not talking about K-Pop, she's talking about video games and lipstick. Her biases are VIXX, Royal Pirates, NS YoonG and Taemin, but she loves Epik High most of all.

Two Minute Review: Teen Top Advises You to Upgrade Your Speakers with 'Warning Sign'

Teen Top are perennial producers of quality Kpop, frequently breaking into the top ten charts on Gaon with recent hits like “Ah-Ah,” “Missing,” and “Rocking.” But something has shifted in the musical structure of their latest single, “Warning Sign,” from the new EP, Red Point. If you’re not listening on a quality sound system, you’ve likely already written this release off as not worth your time. But why is that? Let’s break it down in 120 seconds.

First of all, let’s describe the sound that we’re hearing in “Warning Sign.” The song is driven by a very old-school, double bass sound that operates at a lower frequency (way down to the 41 Hz range) than the standard drum kits heard in most pop music, and it comes with a much richer tonal quality to boot. That means a double bass can create a very interesting sound, but it’s also nearly useless on cheap speakers and earbuds. That’s a real risk that Teen Top is taking, because if you’re anything like me, a good 95% of your music listens are on buds. No judgment. But for “Warning Sign” to sound anything like it was intended, you’re going to need to plug Teen Top into your sound system to get access to the right range of frequencies.

If you don’t have a chance to listen in the right audio environment, you’ll likely notice what many fans have already pointed out: that “Warning Sign” sounds muted and altogether unspectacular. On sub-par speakers, the double bass blends into white noise so easily that within a few seconds only the vocals will be registering. All of which makes it seem as though “Warning Sign” is severely lacking in power. Everything feels soft, timid. There’s no danger. It’s not until you listen on decent speakers that “Warning Sign” begins to suggest a darkness that threatens to envelope you if you stand too close. Surely, the fans who have applauded Teen Top’s new direction with this release are plugging into their A/V systems.

But it's a big risk! Pop music succeeds by becoming ubiquitous, and rule number one is to create a low barrier of entry. Forget being the boldest and the brightest, a large number of casual listeners to this single will hear only a muffled bass line with soft vocals over the top. It’s a more mature release, and a change from their previous Brave Sound music, but it’s almost as if Teen Top didn’t want to be noticed.

Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.

Review: Don’t Count on Anda’s ‘Taxi’ to Jump-Start 2016

With the coming of the new year, Kpop fans all over the world rejoice! The previous year (and whatever concept our favorite stars collectively beat into the ground) is over. The new year is a blank slate, a canvas waiting for the right brush stroke. But January is also famously slow and devoid of big releases, and therefore defined mostly by anxiety for the new year. A new single from Anda is sure to heat things up, right? Maybe.

On January 6, Anda released “Taxi,” adding one more voice to the cultural zeitgeist of taxi romance in Asian pop music. However, the song has a darker feel than most taxi-obsessed songs (for whatever reason, taxis need bubblegum pop like flowers need the sun). Anda’s rap segments operate a few octaves below her usual singing, showcasing a new sound for the artist in this, her seventh single. Coupled with a drum beat that makes your knees wobble and drop a few inches, “Taxi” approaches the boundaries of hip-hop. Tonally, the song recalls Anda’s earlier single, “It’s Goin Down,” but “Taxi” feels much more like a new direction for Anda than a rehash of what’s come before. January artists operate in the unique realm where all possibilities are open to them. But while “Taxi” provides a way for Anda to move forward as a music artist, it’s a mess in terms of visuals.

As a music video, “Taxi” begins with Anda being picked up by, you guessed it, a taxi. But really, the video opens, closes, and is everywhere in-between made up of uninspiring clips of Anda hanging out in the back of the limo. She sort-of dances (as much as anyone can dance while reclining on leather seats. She seduces. She changes outfits once or twice. There are even a few shots that are clearly from a modeling shoot (outside the taxi!), but they are so short as to go unnoticed. And that’s it. As a way to start the new year, this is a disappointment, especially considering the dual facts that that there is a fun and fully developed choreography for “Taxi” and that Anda just so happens to be a phenomenal dancer. Waste is the word that comes to mind.

Now, before you get all in a huff, dear reader, and accuse me of ignoring the fact that Anda lacks the budget of the big three, I’d like to point that sentiment out for the nonsense that it is. Anda, who originally debuted as “Andamiro” (literally translated to “so much that the cup runneth over”), joined Emperor Entertainment Group in 2015, and since that time she has released two brilliant music videos in “Touch” and “Mastering.” Neither of those videos betrayed any lack of funding. I’d even go so far as to argue that both were standout videos for Kpop in 2015.

“Touch” was full of clever camera tricks (yes, those cost money) that keep the viewer feeling uncomfortable even in extremely sexual situations. A series of repetitions leave Anda’s lip-syncing unaffected while everything else around her duplicates or multiplies grotesquely. It’s such a fun experience, but most importantly, Anda is fully realized as a pop idol within the MV. Both “Touch” and “Mastering” feature a fun Westernized choreography which Anda performs flawlessly. “Mastering” may not be the most innovative MV ever created, but it gets two things right: Anda is an obvious star, oozing sexuality (there’s even some “Blurred Lines” vibes), and there is always something on screen to watch.

The main issue with “Taxi” is that Anda, with no help from visuals, from choreography, from a story line, is allowed to run out of charisma. That’s not a knock on Anda - anyone would run out of charisma if forced to sit on screen long enough with nothing else to riff on. But this isn’t an issue of money. Compare “Taxi” to her first break-out single from 2012, “Hypnotize,” which was co-produced by two agencies, one which was already struggling and would fold soon after, and another that had to crowdfund just to upgrade their recording studio. But “Hypnotize” contains visuals, choreography, and a story, and it absolutely succeeds. Even without the help of financial backing, Anda has demonstrated that she can create exciting MVs to match her music. Unfortunately, “Taxi” isn’t one of those times. With only Anda and Dal Shabet to judge by so far, 2016 hasn’t started with a bang. In deference to “Taxi” being a fun song, I give this release a B-.

Zander Stachniak is a southern-born, Chicago-based writer who first discovered Kpop through ShoutCast Radio. His biases are f(x) and Block B.

Review: VIXX's Evocative 'Chained Up'

Over the past three years, VIXX has been rising fast as one of Kpop’s most impressive and most polished boy groups, and has carved out quite a name for themselves with their intense concept-based brand of music videos. Their most recent MV for the single "Chained Up," off their second full-length album (also titled Chained Up) is still easily recognizable as a VIXX MV, but enough of a step away for all those who were beginning to tire of the goth concept.

As a track, "Chained Up" is musically fairly different from VIXX’s other recent offerings. It doesn’t have the almost chromatic melody of tracks like "Hyde" or "VOODOO," but it also doesn’t have the bubbly, cutesy tones of "G.R.8.U" or "Love Equation." "Chained Up" has a definite groove, though, with a nice amount of EDM going on, and to me seems closer to a track like "B.O.D.Y" off the group’s first full-length album VOODOO. On a personal level, I really enjoy "Chained Up" – because, honestly, I loved the gothic concepts to begin with, but I never managed to become a big fan of "Error" or "Eternity" I wanted something that was a bit smoother to come my way. "Chained Up" is my jam, unashamedly – on my way to university this morning, I listened to it five times in a row.

As for the actual music video, "Chained Up" is a step away from the usual VIXX fare in some respects. There’s still the incredibly well-fitted suits, the heavy eye make-up and general lack of lighting. However, there doesn’t seem to be a cohesive story that a video like "HYDE" had. In "HYDE," the VIXX members were clearly struggling with their inner demons and trying to hold onto some semblance of their usual outward demeanors. In "Chained Up," there is clearly a very loose overarching plot of the members being imprisoned in some way – either surrounded by literal chains like Leo, trapped in a box like Ken, or in an incredibly shallow pit of water like Hongbin. There are definite points for trying with the symbolism there, but in terms of being "Chained Up," none of the VIXX members would have any trouble freeing themselves from their prisons (save for Ken, who doesn’t seem to have any way out of his extremely pretty flower cage). Ravi, for example, is just hidden behind some hospital curtains…and I’m pretty sure he could just burst through those at any time like he does towards the end of the MV. But that doesn’t even cover youngest member Hyuk, who just kind of looks at a set of stairs for a while and then sits down on them briefly.

However, the fact that the VIXX members could easily move from their prisons and choose not to is reflected in the lyrics. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the lyrics, while not explicitly sexual, have a definite sexual tone. The members of VIXX sing about how an unnamed person is their "love" and "controller," and how they’re "like a beast completely trained by [you]." So there’s a definite dominance/submission tone throughout the song. VIXX being stuck in situations which they, to an extent, don’t want to leave then starts to make more sense.

Either way, the symbolism of VIXX standing around and staring broodily off into space is lacking – but honestly, lack of symbolism doesn’t bother me one bit. I don’t think this MV has any great philosophical meaning, but I do think it works in an evocative manner. The MV is pretty, VIXX look great, and I thoroughly enjoy the song. I love the choreography, and I’m absolutely LIVING for those suits. I think attempting to argue that VIXX’s "Chained Up" doesn’t have any kind of plot or meaning is false - but music videos don’t always need to be Spielberg-worthy productions. Sometimes a jam is just a jam, and a video is just accompanying imagery to make the experience more enjoyable. That’s what I personally get out of "Chained Up," and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

Plus, just look at those shoulder wiggles.

Helen Edworthy is an English Sociology undergraduate who got lost in the world of K-Pop five years ago. She tweets at @captain_helen and her biases are UKISS and NS YoonG.

Exploring Realities in Infinite's 'Bad'

Amongst the onslaught of girl group releases this summer, there is still a shimmering hope that 2015 will regain its title as “Year of the Boyband.” With only the smallest hint of bias, I would like to turn your attention the newly released Infinite music video, “Bad.” In an increasingly popular Kpop-marketing strategy, Woollim released two versions of the MV. I know what you're thinking, “so a dance version and a story version?” Not quite. Instead, what Woollim has done is introduce the world to the first ever Kpop music video filmed with 360 degree Virtual Reality technology.

Standard Version

But before we wow you with that, let's take a look at the boring, regular, non-360 VR music video for “Bad” so that you can truly appreciate just how deep into the wormhole the VR version goes.

The first sequence of the video sees Sunggyu running from a figure dressed identical to himself, which we can assume is his duplicate since the rest of the video is full of mirrors and reflections. This leads us into the great symbolism of “duplicity,” rather than “duality.”

Duality is the concept of “doubleness,” or two contrasts between one subject, i.e two sides of one coin where neither has a value greater or less than the other. Duplicity is inherently deceitful, and the lyrics (and title itself) heavily reflect this, as the members sing into a broken mirror, again, illustrating that the “perfect reflection” is shattered, and broken:

“Your eyes have grown cold again/Your sharp tongue digs/into me, please stop/I can’t take it anymore.”

The video then cuts to Woohyun, singing into the camera, which pans out to reveal he is actually singing into a mirror, which draws the question of which reality is the “real” one. Is the real Woohyun the one inside the mirror, or outside of it? But there are so many other mirrors, too, so where are the Woohyuns inside the other mirrors? Why is only one of them reflecting back?

This symbolism continues throughout, especially when the viewer sees only the arms or the reflection of whoever is in the mirror, leading to the question of what, exactly is on the other side or whether or not we are on the side of the real world. This trope of the world behind the mirror is a popular one, as it creates a feeling of discomfort and curiosity. Mirrors are often used as portals for entirely different dimensions, where the other side may look completely the same, totally different except for only the reflection, or eerily similar with slight differences. This is especially evident when Sunggyu finally catches up to himself and watches his reflection turn away. Given the theme of duplicity, it’s not a stretch to believe that only one of the reflections is the “true” and “good” one, and the other must be evil or “wrong.” But these differences are subjective, depending on which side of the mirror we look through.

This concept is what makes the VR version of “Bad” so riveting. The whole point of this type of video is to click and drag (or use the ASWD and +, - keys) in order to see the entire 360 degrees of the scene that you're watching, putting yourself inside of the video. Its this immersion that brings you, as the casual observer into the role of the active participant. Initially, the effect can be dizzying as the scenes cut very quickly, and it's hard to focus on what to watch, but eventually the use of this technology adds another complex layer of symbolism into the media itself, which in this case, is the music video.

360 VR Version

There are some scenes missing from the VR version, simply because they would not fit the filming style, and because the message possibly wouldn't translate accurately. Because the concept of the video is rather commonplace, the introduction of the 360 degree perspective allows us to actually see what is on the other side of the mirror and symbolically travel into that “different” reality. Every cut will lead to a different frame depending on where you stop while watching the previous frame. Each viewing will be completely unique, perhaps in the same way that each view through a mirror will be. If you watch the entire video from the perspective facing downwards, you will notice that the two scenes on either side of the mirror are, in fact, different. Mind-blowing, right? You can watch the trailer as well, which illustrates this a little bit more clearly. Of course, you'll have to watch the MV multiple times to really notice all the minute differences in scenery and choreography.

In the 360 VR version of “Bad”, the viewer is now the mirror that was heavily featured in the non-VR version into which the group was singing, both the literal broken mirror, and then again as a figurative mirror in the hallway shots. In this way, the viewer becomes the subject and maintains control of all these “realities.” Now we can decide which reality we want to watch, and in a way, can also decide which one is good, and which is bad.

My favourite scenes are the pink hallway ones, where different members are in 4 different hallways, and by the action initiated, there are hidden images and thus a greater sense of depth. Another is the split second scene where a hand appears on all the mirrors and frames inside the blue room, except for the mirror on the floor, which reflects empty mirrors. Could this be a technical limitation? Most likely, but it completely works within the context.

Aside from being symbolically dense, the VR video also gives fans a unique experience each time they watch the video, meaning viewers will return time and time again to see what other hidden nuances are visible from different angles. Of course this is great for companies, as it increases viewership and therefore, popularity. There's also the potential to focus solely on a single member, during group scenes, providing a new type of fan service that is less intimidating (and sexually aggressive) than the “eye contact” video.

Hopefully more groups will adopt the concept of a VR MV, letting fans feel like they belong to the world of Kpop, rather than just ingesting its media. It would even be exciting to see this type of video done for concerts (Beck already proved this was possible with "Sound and Vision"), especially when international fans have difficulty getting to them. Could this open up an entirely new market and revenue stream? Potentially yes! Girl group Bambino also used the 360 VR technology in several of their dance practice videos, but the intent in those videos is, obviously, much different and perhaps saved for a different conversation. I can only hope that companies embrace the new potentials of storytelling that this technology provides and release more concepts that fully embrace 360 VR technology. In other words: this is so dang cool!


'L' lives in Ontario, Canada. She is a pop culture and media junkie and has helped organize kpop parties and events across Ontario. Her biases are BTS, Block B, M.I.B and Infinite.

S.O.S. - Save Our Sistar!

Mayday, Mayday. This is an emergency broadcast. Sistar is in danger. We repeat, Sistar is in danger. This is not a drill. S.O.S. Save Our Sistar, because they are sinking!

Sinking? Wait, how can Sistar be in trouble? They’re one of the biggest names in Kpop! Sistar won the MNET Best Female Group award and a Digital Bonsang for “Touch My Body” just last year! Which is funny, actually, because those awards cover up the disturbing truth: Sistar’s sales in recent years have been all ebb and no flow.

Take a look at Sistar’s sales from their last six albums, and the digital downloads from their lead singles. Sure, their singles peak at number one (for the week, which isn’t that impressive), and they win awards. But the steady decline in sales does not lie. Neither does that fact that in 2014, the year in which Sistar was supposedly the Best Female Group in Kpop, their album came in at number 100 on the yearly Gaon chart. That’s right; they barely made it on the chart at all. Unfortunately, and at the risk of overusing our nautical puns, Sistar is a sinking ship.

How did this happen? Let’s rewind a few years to the early days of Sistar, when their potential seemed unlimited. The group’s breakout album So Cool, had put them on the charts, and Alone, the follow-up EP, solidified their place as superstars. But it was after that, in 2012, that Sistar attempted their first true summer-fun release with the single, “Loving U” (to call it an album would be over-generous; Loving U contained two new songs and five remixes of older material). There’s little doubt that this was a money-making strategy; most summer singles are designed to increase the bottom line and give the artist extra exposure without overly taxing the group. And “Loving U” was no different. It was their first time working with Duble Sidekick, and it was a hit! The album (sic) sold over twenty thousand copies and the single was downloaded over three million times. These numbers were similar to Sistar’s full-length album, So Cool. Such success from a release that was clearly surplus to requirements was unfathomable. The management at Starship must not have known what to do with themselves.

For Sistar’s next album, the full-length Give It to Me, they went back to Duble Sidekick (prior to “Loving U,” Sistar worked mostly with Brave Brothers), hoping for more of that amazing success. But the magic was gone. What had been an upward trend was reversed. The album sold hardly more than their two-song summer album, and digital downloads dropped by more than half. Clearly it wasn’t Duble Sidekick alone that was responsible for the success of “Loving U.” As it turns out, what Sistar had managed to sell in the summer of 2012 was not music, but the very idea of summer itself.

It was at that moment that Sistar and their management team made a very important decision. They could either try to restore Sistar to the group’s former glory (which would mean experimenting with new music and concepts, and a long road filled with a lot of hard work), or they could throw the towel down, find a nice spot on the beach, and work on their tans. Sistar chose the latter, and they’ve been stuck in an everlasting summer ever since.

In 2014, Sistar released two EP albums, Touch N Move and Sweet & Sour (with a total of eight new songs between them). And they timed their releases for July and August, the middle of Summer. This wasn’t a fluke. Sistar was actively trying to recreate their success with “Loving U.” Times two! The format was simple: 1) find a light-hearted and fun song by Duble Sidekick or similar; 2) find a gorgeous summer location for a music video, like Hawaii or Saipan, or just a really nice pool; and 3) show a little summer skin and do a summer butt-shake. It was a great idea, in theory. But in practice, Kpop fans quickly grew tired of the routine. Summer should be fresh and fun, never formulaic.

Sistar, it seems, hasn’t gotten the memo yet. By all counts, “Shake It,” their latest release, is following the same dull format. The song sounds like all their others (a light-hearted and fun song by Duble Sidekick). Just listen to this medley performed on Yoo Hee Yuel's Sketchbook to see what we mean! The women of Sistar show some skin and do a rather unenthusiastic butt wiggle. The biggest difference between “Shake It” and previous summer releases is that there’s no beach or pool in the entire video! A pink, leopard-print fire truck, however, still screams summer. Actually, the art direction is the only positive thing going for “Shake It.” We love the colors, especially in the comic styling when Sistar dances in the box (and unfortunately, that’s the only reference we get to the early teasers of comic book villains). If Sistar had produced a song with anywhere near as much creativity as they got from their music video director, we’d be having a much different conversation right now.

Is “Shake It” going to buck the downward trend and re-establish Sistar’s dominance? Absolutely not. This is yet another disappointing release from a group that has been coasting (another nautical pun!) on their success since day two.

And that’s why we’re ringing the bell. Sistar is a ship in distress. Once a brilliant and talented Kpop group, it would be a real shame for Sistar to fade away now. But if they don’t make some big changes, and soon, we’ll be waving goodbye to Sistar as they slowly sink into irrelevance.