Rainbow Find Their Colors In "Whoo"

Not going to lie, I was pretty excited when I heard that Rainbow were going to make their comeback, and the fact that it was a said to be a title track similar to the legendary "A" made me even more thrilled. Although their latest comeback with "Black Swan" was alright (the mini album was brilliant, though) it wasn't by any means amazing and not at all justifiable to their skills and talents. With newest MV "Whoo" it does feel like Rainbow has gone back to their roots and their earlier days of glory, and above all they've finally truly embraced their group name as their colors shine brighter than ever.



First of all I think the song is a huge step up from "Black Swan" as a title track, as this one does suit the group better and I think the members are all more comfortable with a song like this. Unlike their previous title this one is fun, energetic and very uplifting, and draws obvious inspiration from retro pop music to create a playful and bright sound. The lyrics aren't anything special, being about a love interest without much depth or complexity, but they do suit the song's cheerful vibe and the members' vocal performances. I don't think it is as good as "A" and not even that similar, but it's a great tune and above all it's more true to Rainbow's original style and sound.

Even the video feels more like a classic Rainbow MV, and I suppose it's partly due to the song, but this theme does suit them a whole lot more than "Black Swan" (although that was a beautiful video). What I like the most about it though is the fact that finally there's made use of their group name, as all the girls dress up in their own separate colors and dance in individual sets covered by that same color. Rainbow is a group that's dabbled a lot in different fields of music and image, and since their peak in 2010 and 2011 their releases have been quite underwhelming (seriously DSP, why didn't you make use of that popularity?), but now they've quite literally gone back to their roots and I feel like this is exactly what they should be doing.

"Whoo" is neither too dark and sexy (like "Black Swan") or unnaturally cute (like "Tell Me Tell Me" and "Sunshine"), but has that perfect balance between the two polar opposites. Above all however it's really fun, bright and colorful but still mature enough for this group, whose average international age this year is 26,8. They've really embraced the playful, retro vibe of the song and made a video that fits it perfectly and allows each and every members to shine in their own way.

To be honest, this video is actually quite cheap and was made on an obvious low budget (which makes sense considering DSP probably doesn't have a lot to spend now that Kara's gone), but they did good in hiring a MV director who actually has the skills to produce a good video despite being financially limited. It's all basically shot in one or possibly two sets, and not much is changed between the shots but a change in background as it's either white or has one of the members' colors for that specific members' scene. There are a couple of dance sequences were we see some of the choreography, but the majority of the video consists of shots of the members (either close-up or full-body) as they dance, sing or play around with some of the props.

I agree that it all sounds very boring and the premise certainly isn't the best one for a high-quality video, but somehow it still works and I find the MV very enjoyable nonetheless. The camera work is impressive and the editing too, as there are a lot of jump cuts and split screens for example. Small details like that truly makes all the difference in the world for a low-budget MV like this one. Additionally I would like to point out that the members themselves add a lot of the video's quirkiness and personality and that a group less experiences maybe wouldn't be able to pull off this kind of MV.


All of the girls, or should I say women, look fantastic in the video, and it appears as if they're enjoying themselves a lot too and it translates well across the screen. They look happy, smiley and comfortable which is lovely to see. I also think that for the first time in quite some while every single member has a look that's working for them, whether it'd be bright pink hair, bleach blonde or long or short (although I could do without Hyunyoung's blue contact lenses). The fact that all of them get to embrace their own special color is also great way to both highlight each one and separate them from each other, as everyone gets their own chance to show their personality.

One aspect about this comeback that I'm not crazy about though is the choreography, which is by no means bad but more so underwhelming and insulting to them as a dance group. Sure they've never been known as the most skilled dancers out there, but all of them are capable of pulling off more difficult and complex choreography than the one for "Whoo". It's definitely a decent dance routine with some memorable moves and it does suit the light, playful vibe of the song, but it's ridiculously easy. Not that they don't pull it off on stage though because they do, but that's got more to do with their experience as idols and performers rather than the quality of the choreography.

Despite this flaw I'd still call this comeback a huge success, because everything else has been great. The song is a wonderful pop tune, the video is surprisingly well done considering the low budget and the members all look flawless and above all seem to enjoy the concept as much as I do. Although it's nothing too extreme or out-of-the-box it's tremendously refreshing to see the group go back to a more familiar sound and style, while at the same time staying modern and contemporary.

I also love, love, love how they've utilized their group concept for the first time and actually played with the colors of the rainbow. This is further translated into the styling of the members as well as the makeup and sets, and it's wonderful how it all comes together. It's worrying to know that the members' contracts might expire this year and what will become of this now seven year-old group, but my wish is of course for the girls to continue and make more comebacks like this one. I know at least one fan here who's going to look forward to another release.

Song: 3,85/5
Video: 3,35/5