I knew beforehand that I’d feel the need to insert an additional batch of videos into the My Top Kpop MVs of 2010 post this year, and I’m just going to go ahead and do that. As I did in the previous post, I’ll drop a few words on each MV, why I’ve chosen then, how they appeal to me, so on and so forth. These, by the way, express another view on the Kpop MV that I didn’t quite cover in the original post. So here, ladies and gentlemen, are my bonus videos – or – honorable mentions, if you will, in Kpop music videos of 2010.
2pm – Without U
Should I just come out and say it? Okay. I like this song. It grew on me after a while, and to be honest it is one of 2PM’s most appealing singles they have. The biggest reason why I think this MV managed to win me over was the choreography accompaniment. I’m a big fan when it comes to choreo, especially when it’s performed with every ounce of energy the choreographer intended it to have. This particular choreography is one of my favorites to watch. Aside from 2PM being extraordinarily good-looking, they poses a precision in their dance that I haven’t seen in any other boy band of their caliber (SHINee’s up there, too). For that, I give them mad props. The haunting atmosphere of the MV also worked well with the song, so they win some points there, too. To sum it up, the MV looks and moves perfectly with the song.
Girls Generation – Oh!
If 2PM out-choreographed the guys of Kpop this year, then I have to say Girls Generation win the same battle against the females. I’m not critiquing how well these girls can dance, because I honestly don’t know the answer to that, but judging them on their consistency, precision and poise in their performances. While I have never bounced off of the walls in excitement to watch Girls Generation perform, I have to admit that these girls are really skilled at learning choreography and executing it with ease. They’re like a high school dance team out to slay the competition every single time they hit the stage, something I am guessing is the mentality they’re supposed to have at this point of their career. BUT that’s now why I like this music video. Why? Because it looks good. As simple as that. I love the use of color in everything from their clothes to the walls. For me, the whole thing is really girly, but never, ever ‘cute’ and they always seem to pull it off without completely stepping over that line. As for the song? Well, it’s not my cup of tea, let’s just say that.
Lee Hyori – Swing
At this point, I couldn’t care less if this song was plagiarized. I do feel bad that Lee Hyori’s comeback was sub par and not as successful as she would have liked it to be, but hey, she released a killer MV while things were still good. By now you should have picked up on my attraction to this artsy style of filming, so it’s no surprise that this music video is on this list. It does a fantastic job of creeping you out, all while guiding you through the striking shots of Hyori as she deals with her ‘demons’, if you will.
Son, I’m dissapoint :|
2PM and Hyori, yes. SNSD – hell no! I’m surprised that you think that there’s nothing “cute” about the video – it looks like it was shot in Barbie’s Dream House!!! The girls and the choreo add a sexy element to it, but cute is definitely what they were aiming for (haha). Or at least, sexy disguised as cute so that the ajhussis that drool over them don’t feel too pervy. I think I only managed to get through this video like three times since it came out nearly a year ago – I felt like they came off as airhead teens whose only goal in life is to attract the gaze of their oppa, and I couldn’t stand it. Still can’t.
clarification: “hell no” as in “i don’t agree at all”. got a little too heated there
basically, +1 on everything you just said. I have no ounce of respect for oh as a song. sure, I can understand the song as an earworm guilty pleasure, but the video? I just can’t see it as anything BUT what mellowyel just eloquently described.
I guess it depends on your perception of cute, and let’s face it, Kpop has fucked up the entire meaning of the word ‘cute’, at least in the way it is used among its community. Do you want to know what I think is actually cute? Two words: Japanese Pop. It’s exaggerated and much more forced than anything Kpop has offered.
Sure, they are mindlessly smiling and prancing around like you describe, but to me, at least, they’re really just being super girly.
As I see it, there’s a distinction between the two. I believe ‘girlish’ antics are in every female and they display them all over this MV without pushing it* like Japanese pop stars do. Maybe you’re particularly not as flamboyant as these people, not every girl is, but the more I read the commentary from die hard SNSD fans and not-so die hard fans, as well as having been around real girls who behave this way at some point in my life, it isn’t so much ‘cute’ but natural.
Also, that’s not the primary reason why I plastered this MV on here! SNSD are manufactured to be judged by their exteriors, and for once, I’m doing just that. After watching most of the girl group idol MVs this year, SNSD’s stands out as the most vivid, polished thing on the menu.
Their styling is great, the ‘Barbie’s Dream House’ color scheme, while not my favorite, is well done, and I think we’ve agreed that these girls always look gorgeous. Aesthetics, aesthetics, aesthetics. That is all.
*Yoona, Jessica and Sunny are examples in this MV of members acting ‘cuter’ than normal. The others just appear like girls having a good-ole-slumber-party time.
yeah, maybe they’re just acting like the kind of girls i just cannot stand. being girly is fine, but being excessively girly for three minutes straight I can’t deal with. i agree that it’s got polish – SM never fails to let us know exactly HOW much money they put into their artists – and the girls look amazing, BUT i still think it sucks.
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