There have been a lot of comebacks these past few months that I haven't had time to write full reviews about but still wanted to include somehow. Most prominently has it been the somewhat unfamiliar boy groups that have dominated May and June, but of course in the background, and I wanted to give these groups a chance in winning me over because I need some fresh material to get stuck on.
MYNAME is a bit too old of a group to still be called rookies, as they debuted in late 2011, but they are still relatively unknown to the public and to K-pop fans. I have personally no idea what kind of group MYNAME is, and I went into watching this MV having no idea what to expect. They are slowly, I believe, returning more and more the Korean scene after having spent time in Japan (and been fairly successful over there as well), and are probably hoping to gain some more fans in Korea this time around.
The premise of the lyrics for "Just Tell Me" is about trying to understand the thoughts of the person you're seeing, as they are seemingly upset about something and you just want them to tell you. I get it, it can be difficult to try and read someone else's mind, and sometimes you just have to ask in order to work things out. Judging by those words it would seem this video would be at least a little bit on the sensible side, but that's quite the wrong idea to get.
The video has the five members dancing and getting all hot and bothered with some sexy ladies, who by the way seem to be totally into them and not at all irritated or anxious. Not only does it not make any sense but the way the women are portrayed is objectifying and off-putting, as they're basically only there to look hot whilst touching the members seductively.
The rest of the video is quite bland as well. The sets are very unoriginal, the "props" such as an expensive-looking car, a cheap sofa and an elevator are gimmicky and uninspiring, and the styling is a bit strange. In some scenes they wear quite attractive clothing and in the next they go full on faux-hiphop with baggy trousers and gold chains. I also don't have much positive to say about the choreography, as the tiny portions of which it's shown doesn't make much of an impression on me.It's easy with this MV to understand why they haven't received more popularity over the years, because it's not really that impressive. The video is mediocre and I don't really get what kind of concept they're going for either. Having an established identity is key to getting some kind of recognition, and I'm not sure even the boys themselves know what they're trying to be. Of course I could be wrong because this is literally the only MV I've seen by them, but this alone is very anonymous. This could very easily be any other boy group trying to make in the industry. However, I will have to say that the song isn't terrible and the members are quite good-looking, so I might be looking into them for that sake alone.
Song: 2,75/5
Video: 2,5/5
History is a slightly newer group, not so much that I would call them rookies, but they haven't been in the game for too long as they debuted in 2013 with "Dreamer", a song and video which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, they didn't stick to their initial concept very long and started to try out many different things, none of which I found as appealing, and thus my interest faded out. Now they're back with "Might Just Die", and yet a new concept.
The plot is quite nicely done too, as the members are faced with their current state of despair whilst looking back at the times where all was good. In some scenes taking past in the present the woman appears in the frame but is invisible to the members, showing that she's still in their thoughts and that her presence still echos long after she's gone. It's not a particularly ground-breaking plot nor haven't we seen in before in some form, but it's well-executed anyways and it matches with the lyrics so that only makes it all the better.
I will have to say that I quite enjoyed the experience of watching this video as a whole, as it both had a plot worth following, good sets and cinematography and amazing styling on the members part. The entire product is enjoyable, as it provides a great example of a video that's still very stereotypically K-pop by all means but is still a quality production.If this is the kind of concept they're going for now then I'm all for it, and I'm quite frankly a bit obsessed with their clothes in the MV. It seems logical that they debuted wearing suits and now they've returned to it but in a more casual state. The choreography is also hugely impressive, and they way it matches the desperate tone of the MV with every move is perfect.
If I were to voice a complaint however, it would be that the song is kind of frustrating. I actually like the melody a lot, especially in the chorus, but the production is messy to the point where you can barely hear the melody. I don't know if it was on purpose or if they just over-produced it by accident, but it's not such an enjoyable experience for the ears as it is for the eyes.
Song: 3/5
Video: 3,9/5
Last but not least for this first part of short reviews is Halo, which I still think can be considered a rookie group as they debuted last summer. I literally don't know anything about this group nor have I listened to them or watched one of their MV's before, so to say I went into watching "While You're Sleeping" with no expectations would be putting it mildly. I do, however, remember them catching my eye last year when they debuted because I found them to be quite cute, so at least they have that.
The video features a female actress who I'm assuming is playing the love interest, a.k.a the one they're betraying their actual girlfriends with, and it does indeed take place at night while the other one assumingly is sleeping. They meet at a bar and in a club, and the members are seriously intrigued by this woman. They say that their girlfriend is still the love of their lives, but that's a pretty bad excuse in my opinion. It's certainly still cheating.
Unfortunately I can't be as mad about the aesthetic value of the video, because I do think it's quite a pretty MV. It's actually a pretty low-budget video if you evaluate it closely, but they've managed to disguise the cheap sets and locations to make them look much fancier than what they actually are. The lightning, use of color and various filters and effects all come together and make a pleasing visual experience.Another positive aspect is the choreography, which suits the song well and is at a matching level for the concept I believe they're going for, which is kind of a boy-next-door style. They all seem quite cute and harmless and all look very young and boyish, but they still have a bit of an edge and aren't relying too much on just being pretty and youthful. As for the members, there are definitely some cute ones, but none of them really stood out for me in terms of both appearance and talent. I can see potential in this group, definitely, but the competition is huge and they're from a small company so I guess we'll only see how lucky they become in the future.
Song: 2/5
Video: 3/5
My conclusion from watching these three videos is that I would probably want to get into History the most, at least if they stick to this kind of concept and release a song with better production. I have been kind of looking at History before and have found myself liking them, but their music hasn't been up to par. Hopefully now they're heading somewhat in the right direction. As for MYNAME I don't think I will be listening that much more to them, but the members definitely provide some eye-candy. Halo is a group I simply going to wait and see how they develop, but right now I'm not planning on getting into them.
Now I want to know who you like the best out of these three groups! Also, stay tuned for the second part of this two-part series where I will be discussing Speed, Boys Republic and High4.
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