April 2016 in Review

We made it through April! How did you all like the A to Z Challenge?

Here are ten music videos to sum up the month of April. I can’t say whether or not they are the best that came out in the last month, but rather they are the ten music videos for which I have the most to say.

EXO’s Chen x Heize “Lil’ Something“

• Song: 4/5
• Story: 5/5
• Cinematography: 4.5/5

Chen and Heize are staff members of a fashion show, and as they prepare for the show, the video follows Chen’s attempts to get the attention of Heize. His initial futile attempts to help her out are cute, and their teamwork in the end is even cuter. I can totally imagine something like this happening in the real world, and I appreciate how realistic and natural the video portrays the romance. It isn’t overt or too focused. It’s natural and subtle, and that is it’s charm. The song it pretty decent, and has a very nice mix of singing and rap. I’ve got to say, this is one of the more impressive SM Station releases thus far.

Overall Final Score: 4.5/5

J.Y. Park “Still Alive“

• Song: 3/5
• Cinematography: 5/5
• Dance: 3/5

I admit I am not a fan of the song or singing style, simply because I don’t find it to be very interesting, but the video is a whole other story. The video is entertaining enough, but the lyrics add a new layer of symbolism and meaning. The song is about how even though JYP debuted years ago, back when songs were sold on cassette tapes, he is still a leader in entertainment. Rather than try to act cool like most other singers, he rose to fame simply by being himself. There are a lot of references and throwbacks in this song, all perfect in demonstrating just how successful JYP has become. The year is not even half over, but I know this is definitely a video I will always remember and appreciate.

Overall Final Score: 3.7/5

Block B “Toy“

• Song: 4.5/5
• Cinematography: 5/5
• Dance: 4.5/5

I so badly wanted to write a full review of this mv if I had the time. In the video, the members of Block B are all lifeless toys being thrown away by the girl. Throughout the video, they eventually realize that they are toys, try to break free from the prison, but then give up and embrace their roles in a way to mock the girl and her behavior. It is a meaningful message that is demonstrated so vividly in the acting and sets. Even the dance scenes reflect the direction of the story, with having them first simply sitting in chairs and then doing the full dance at the end of the video. The song is also very nice. There is such an interesting mix of instrumental, rap and singing.

Best video of the month. Easily.

Overall Final Score: 4.7/5

Jeong Eun Ji “Hopefully Sky“

• Song: 4.5/5
• Story: 4.5/5
• Cinematography: 4.9/5

Aww! Big Sister relationships! This video is pretty much Eunji taking care of a little girl while her father isn’t around. She keeps the girl company when she is feeling lonely, and acts as the adult figure that the girl needs in order to stay hopeful and cared for. It’s a unique concept in the music world, and one that is very appreciated. The whole video is put together really nicely, and I really wish they would have included some sort of backstory of why Eunji took such a fascination in this girl.

Overall Final Score: 4.6/5

Yesung “Here I Am“

• Song: 3.5/5
• Story: 4/5
• Cinematography: 4/5

The song is decent, though in my opinion a little bland, but the highlight is easily the story. Yesung ends up showing his apartment to the family of his ex, and through showing them parts of the room, he and the ex both relive moments they shared in the apartment when they were together. In the end, when he thinks they are going to reconnect, she ends up leaving him hanging as they both recall the reason for their breakup. Everything about the video is really good, except for the sudden emotion at the end. I find Yesung’s crying scene to just not fit with the somber atmosphere of the rest of the video.

Overall Final Score: 3.8/5

BTS “Young Forever“

• Song: 3.5/5
• Cinematography: 4.5/5

And the saga of the Misfits comes to an end. I didn’t review Run because it is hard to comment on that video independent of BTS’s other comebacks, and while this one is similar in that nature, I see a lot of it as very fulfilling when standing alone. The symbolism behind the set is pretty profound. Throughout the whole video, while the members are running through a maze of gates, unable to reach each other, though they are isolated, they are still together because they are all within the same structure struggling with the exact same problem. It is such a perfect metaphor to the message of the Misfits story: though they all have their independent struggles, they find strength in being together. The video is accompanied by a song that could be a great anthem for BTS.

As for how this chronologically fits into the Misfits story? Maybe I Need U was their death, Run was them during death as they reminisce about their lives before I Need U, and Young Forever is their postmortem existence in which they reflect upon the whole journey, reunite, and move on together.

Overall Final Score: 4/5

VIXX “Dynamite“

• Song: 3.9/5
• Cinematography: 3.5/5
• Dance: 4.5/5

This video is filled with both amazing and meh. The song is alright. I actually really like the verses and find most of the instrumental to be pretty cool and unique; it’s just the chorus that is so painfully generic and unmemorable. The video is a hodgepodge of scenes of the VIXX members looking cool. Some of the sets are really cool and creative, like that of Ravi, Leo and Hyuk. However there is a huge difference when it comes to the scenes of the other members, who get blank colored walls. I didn’t find a real story in here either. However, the dance pretty much blew me away. VIXX came back again with performing so perfectly as one dance unit. The footwork is really impressive.

Sidenote: I didn’t realize until this video how much solo shots of N dancing was needed in VIXX videos. They had a little bit in this one, and I so wish we could have seen more.

Overall Final Score: 4/5

Lee Hi “My Star“

• Song: 4/5
• Story: 4/5
• Cinematography: 4.9/5

Lee Hi always has such a nice singing style. Despite this song being the type to normally turn me off, she sells it really well. The video is cute. Lee Hi goes on a movie date and imagines herself and her date in each of the movie scenes. The editing and set work is done really well in this one. They really make it look like a mix between a movie and a dream. It is really cute to see Lee Hi project all of her fantasies onto the movie and be so into it while her date has no idea what is going on. I expected one of them to pop the question for real by the end of the video, so the ending of them simply kissing unfortunately seems anti-climactic.

Overall Final Score: 4.3/5

LOVELYZ “Destiny“

• Song: 4/5
• Story: 4.5/5
• Cinematography: 3.5/5
• Dance: 4.5/5

This is actually a really cool concept. Taking a page out of Inception, the video shows what happens when destiny and free-will clash. I see a lot of symbolism in the circles and rotating objects, initially being a symbol of the force of destiny, but once the circles become less balanced and routine, free-will enters the picture. At the end of the video, we get that ever-frustrating unclear ending of whether or not the tops are actually rotating or if they will finally fall and submit to the free-will of the members of Lovelyz. This whole video was really refreshing to see from Lovelyz. The dance is beautiful and the song is finally something with a little more substance than the overly cutesy stuff they debuted with.

Overall Final Score: 4.1/5

April “Tinker Bell“

• Song: 4/5
• Story: 3.5/5
• Cinematography: 3/5
• Dance: 2/5

Okay, you really can’t help but feel happiness when listening to this song. The video features the fairies of Tinker Bell’s world as they welcome their newest fairy into their ranks and teach her the ways and charms of being a fairy. It is cute, and I really love how authentic their Tinker Bell outfits are – but there are no wings! While I like the idea of the concept, actually watching it was a struggle. Dear God, I am so sick of these overly cute and overacted concepts.

This may be the American or tomboyish culture talking, but I really wonder how these ladies are able to perform such a childish dance with a straight face.

Overall Final Score: 3.1/5

That’s it for April! Haha, get it? April – like the group? No? Ok.

I’m thinking of doing BTS’s Fire for my next review. What do you think? I was very close to doing a fangirl post for that MV, but I don’t think BTS has gotten quite there yet. They’re close though. I think within the next couple of music videos I’ll have fangirled enough to dedicate and entire post to it.

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Question of the Day:

Do you see a story in VIXX’s Dynamite? Anyone care to share their theory?

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#NowPlaying: Queen by History. I didn’t review the music video, but I think this was my favorite song to come out this past month. I haven’t ever gotten HISTORY, but now I feel like I’m really missing something.

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Wanna talk K-pop? Follow me on Twitter @mystification86!