The Flawless Ladies of Lovelyz Say "Hi"

I love this group I kid you not. Although their debut song was a bit too lukewarm for my taste there were so many positive aspects about Lovelyz, both as a group and as a concept. I instantly thought they gave off more J-pop vibes and that their take on cute and innocent was fresh and exciting, but what drew me in most were the members themselves. Not only were they all stunning (seriously, what a visually appealing group of ladies) but they seemed to lack a black hole, something most groups are troubled by more or less.




It doesn't feel like it's been that long since they had their debut, but being a rookie group it's indeed important to have somewhat frequent comebacks to try and stay in the public eye. When I saw the teaser photos for "Hi~" I thought they were gorgeous, and the members' individual pictures blew me away by how beautiful they were. As "Candy Jelly Love" was a very aesthetically pretty video (same can't be said for the content though), I thought this video would follow the same type of pattern and I guess I was kind of right, but this one is way better.

The song, "Hi~", is about a girl's confession of love, and the struggle that is gathering the courage to do so. She wants to tell them how she feels and that she's in love, but it's not so easy to put your feelings out on the line. As for the video, it's not entirely plot-based in the sense that it follows the members' path leading up to an actual confession, but there are some clues here and there. The balloons attached to member Mijoo, for example, seem to have some deeper meaning. At one point they lift her of her feet, as to imply that she's trying to confess, but she falls back down as if she didn't quite have the courage yet. Later she actually cuts them, which could mean that she's finally telling her true feelings.

There are some signs however, that perhaps the meeting didn't go as well as hoped. The lyrics near the end say: "Stop doing that, what’s so funny? Stop doing that, I’m serious here" as if the person on the receiving end isn't taking them seriously or even making fun of them. Yein's drawing of a happy face on the foggy window is seen shedding a tear as well as the countless bubbles that were released earlier in the story all burst in the girls' hands, and I might be wrong but it could symbolize that she was in fact rejected. However, as the hints are as subtle as they are there actually isn't much real action going on and thus the video drags on a bit at parts. If it had been a bit more eventful I'm sure the overall impression of the plot would have been more dynamic and exciting.

Visually, this video is enjoyable to watch, and I think that if you're going to stick with a cute concept you should at least have videos as aesthetic as this one. I'm in love with the scenery, the cinematography and the styling, and although it's cutesy it doesn't feel forced or gimmicky. The lightning throughout the entire video is gorgeous, as it's just like the sun is setting but without the red tones. In fact, the color palette is relatively pale and cold, especially at the end of the video which is why the overall feeling the video gives off is more melancholy rather than ecstatic.

The sets used in it are pretty marvelous as well, and all the various props (such as the balloons, the bubbles and the flowers) are all details that although small provide much more depth and meaning to the video. You can tell that there's been though put into what this video would include and that everything has been evaluated from an visual standpoint as well. Overall, this video is nothing short but pretty and I can almost assure you that whenever you might hit the pause button, the image on your screen would be beautiful.

I actually almost wish that this would have been their debut instead, as not only is the video a thousand times better but the song is much better as well. "Hi~" is pretty, feminine and melodic and although not as dynamic as i might have wanted, a massive improvement from their lackluster debut track. Other noteworthy points are the styling, which I think is more than flattering for the girls, as well as the choreography which is great too, even though I know the girls have more skills than what they're given to show. As a whole I would argue that Woollim has done a good job with this comeback, and I hope that like their labelmates Infinite they will continue to grow steadily and one day become on of South Korea's most beloved groups.

Song: 3,75/5
Video: 3,8/5