B.A.P has come a long way from their first music video.
In "Warrior" you have all of the members with identical bleached blond hairdos and wearing similar attire; it was a cohesive and unified look. That paired with a well-executed dance routine (props to the boys for bringing in the stepping culture) made for a standout and memorable debut.
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Their latest release, "1004(Angel)", was definitely the opposite of that. In this video it is clear they want you to see the individual members and their strengths.
Let's do a breakdown of the "1004(Angel) video.
I noticed after the first listen that I really, really enjoyed what I thought had been the chorus at the time. But there was definitely a disconnect in the song no matter how hard I tried not to think about it. So I looked up the lyrics and the group had actually combined two of their songs in one! If you look at the words carefully, around 2:30-4:00 "Save Me" is actually played.
Really clever, considering they stayed consistent with the members alternating sets, so it's hard to really tell it was different song entirely.
And did anyone else think of Big Bang with the opening imagery?
With Yongguk walking and sometimes running through a colorless wasteland, it is reminiscent of the YG group's "Love Song" and "Blue". It was by far my favorite because it gives such a lonely and sad feeling without having to really do much to the location. No fancy lighting or props, just a vast emptiness. And this really translates the themes of pain and struggle of the overall video. Simplicity is underused in much of K-Pop, but when it's done, it's done very well.
The scene moves onto that of a girl looking into a sort of dollhouse. The black and white coloring remains while there is no member in sight, but then it moves onto Daehyun/Himchan doing their solos bits, and suddenly there's a lot of color. The tones are very warm now, but I'm not quite sure why they chose to contrast the colors. Perhaps it's meant to feel more like a memory or nostalgic? Either way, it is clear that Daehyun/Himchan are in the same room (or a very similar one at that) with very minimal rearranging to their surroundings.
The video then moves onto Younjae in some sort of mirror room with the girl he's trying to hold onto (or forget about?). The usage of mirrors offers a cool duality. Because they are literally everywhere he turns, so even if wanted to let go, the images of the girl around him serve as a constant reminder.
The set that follows is also really interesting. Using the wings of an angel and then splitting it down the middle. The symbolism! Maybe this girl he's thinking about isn't as great as he's built her up to be?
I wasn't a huge fan of the carousal scene. This is mainly because they made it all very hazy, which I can only assume was done for its dreamlike quality. But hey, we all want to get a good look at the members faces, don't hide them!
The scenes that finish off the video are variations of what had already been used, but were a progression of each member's current state from what I gathered. Attempt of suicide? The breaking of the glass in the mirrored room? It is clear that some of these boys are ready to move on, while others, simply cannot.
Overall, it's not a bad song. It's actually decently catchy. And all of our guys look good and are dressed pretty dapper (going for the tailored suit look I see).
Having said that, I think B.A.P in an attempt to break away or give a different musical feel from their debut, has sort of lost their uniqueness.
When a group comes out with a powerhouse song and dance number, it's hard to keep that up. Fans expect great, to be even greater. So perhaps to avoid that the group is trying to show "softer" sides to their music.
But not every song will be a hit and I think B.A.P really ought to take their chances and continue with sick and hard choreography and not rely on the low growl-y talk-rapping that has become famous in many groups (Looking at you Zelo! Your bit in "Warrior" was my favorite).
Check out B.A.P's music video for "1004 (Angel)" RIGHT HERE:
Source : kpopstarz[dot]com
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