As the air turns unbearably oppressive and muggy here in the tropics (where I’m based), I find myself reaching out more than ever for the effervescent, upbeat offerings of K-pop past and present.
With summer in full swing, many artists are trading angsty or melancholic concepts for playful, irreverent ones, like P1Harmony‘s “Duh!” and KickFlip‘s “Freeze“. But true to K-pop’s chameleonic nature, releases are rarely one-note.
Looking at the May and June releases, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and edgy contrasts that several MVs offered, and aesthetic fusions that delightfully side-step clear labels. Let’s dive in!
E’Last – “Crazy Train”
“Crazy Train” has everything I appreciate about spring/ summer K-pop MVs: dynamic camera movements, fun visual effects, and colours, colours, colours. I love that the colours here are saturated, but not jarringly so. There’s a softness to how vibrant this MV is, and the music has a similar quality: it’s punchy, the drop builds up to a properly sung melody in the chorus (!), but the production favours a clean sound that makes it all feel light.
Even with its freshness, “Crazy Train” definitely has a nostalgia factor. There’s of course the retro diner/ convenience store/ arcade set, the 8-bit visual effects, and the Street Fighter-inspired scenes. But more specific to K-pop, the soft neons and use of pixellated CG effects bring me back to Zico‘s “I am you, you are me” and Astro‘s “Breathless“, respectively.
Also… I can’t believe almost 10 years have passed since these releases. I’m going to need a moment.
tripleS – “Are You Alive?”
Okay, I’ve collected myself. But we’re in for another wave of nostalgia. The Y2K fashion we see in “Are You Alive”—low-waisted, wide-legged jeans, baby tees, centred-parted pin-straight hair—is everywhere these days. However, the way the MV’s deliberate contrasts tell a story makes these styling choices more than simple trend-following.
Flashback to the early 2000s. Mixed with the air of relief that the world did not come to an end is an undeniable hope for the new millennium… which comes crashing down with 9/11. I still remember how thick with fear the air felt as I watched my parents watch the news on TV, replaying the same footage of the twin towers going up in smoke and flames, over and over.
I was nine then, and I can’t imagine having been a teen in those times: to be grappling simultaneously with not knowing who you are yet, and the unshakeable feeling that the world is careening downhill.
Now, back to 2025. Younger Gen Zs are growing up in parallel—if not worse—circumstances. Therefore, the dark hope of “Are You Alive” feels very apt for the times. Light and dark criss-cross constantly: the innocence of playing with dandelion puffs, cycling freely with friends, and playing with misted-up windows are intercut with scenes of being submerged underwater and haunting close-ups of the members, their faces and hands bearing cuts.
Do it
The world is gradually shining brighter
But why am I running out of breath?
There are no platitudes or hollow optimism here. Only a real, sharp, comforting and unsettling truth that says, “I see you.”
Bibi – “Apocalypse”
Taking a different approach from tripleS, Bibi‘s “Apocalypse” works with contrasts in a more dramatised way. I’m watching the pastels and soft glowiness of the first minute, thinking, “I didn’t know Bibi was into the fairytale aesthetic.” But then the twist comes when she bites an apple.
We’re sent into a parallel universe, which starts off in cute, domestic bliss. Then, Bibi lays eyes on an incriminating text, and before long, the fairytale couple are duking it out. Curiously, she bites into another apple, and gets a reset on reality, Run Lola Run-style.
There’s no infidelity this time, but she struggles through new motherhood alone. Even her pastel dreamworld begins morphing into darkness, submerged underwater (an uncanny parallel to “Are You Alive”). Finally, we return to Bibi near the start of the MV, changing her mind about eating the apple…but we’re not sure this is for the better.
Oneus – “X”
Oneus‘ dance pop tracks have always had a special place in my heart, from their debut with “Valkyrie” to the exquisite “Luna“, the wistful, seductive “Same Scent”, and the self-assured “IKUK”. They have a unique blend of grooviness, sensuality, and theatricality wrapped up in an air of surprising ease, which makes them stand out in a landscape dominated by hard-hitting vibes.
“X” amps up Oneus’ usual energy, delivering a punchy bass and a taut melodic line that never slips into lazy chant-singing. The MV matches the refined groove of the song, taking dynamic to a new level.
It opens with snappy, fashion photoshoot-style scenes that are edited impeccably to reflect the rhythmic details of the music. There’s a playfulness to the use of silhouettes and cut-outs, a mood that also threads through the offbeat choices for camera movement and angles in the punk-rock and city-pop-inspired sequences.
Taken alone, these aesthetic styles are all something we’ve seen before. But stitched together with playful intentionality, they make “X” subtly inventive.
Izna – “Beep”
Speaking of aesthetic inventiveness, K-pop MVs really seem to be on a roll this summer. Izna‘s “Beep” has an interesting style that’s hard to define.
The girls are dressed in cute loungewear, getting cosy in varying spaces of comfort as they catch up at the end of the day. It’s glowy, dreamy, and soft, each set lit by small pockets of light–blue hues: street lamps filtered through sheer curtains, star-shaped fairy lights, and enough candles for a seance.
However, there are also the youthful touches of scrapbook effects, and the creative use of… trash. When Jeemin sighs, the empty cans in the foreground deflate; in Saebi and Koko‘s playground scene, plastic bags float upside down like jellyfish. The medical emergency–crime scene touches are also amusing in a droll way.
The more you examine “Beep”, the more you notice its understated camp and whimsicality. It’s youthful, cute, and just odd enough to be memorable, which is always a good sign for a rookie group.
B.I – “Ferris Wheel (ft. Heize)”
Moving away from aesthetics, we get to a duality that is explored thematically. In “Ferris Wheel”, B.I reflects on his identity as an idol. The MV begins with him literally looking back, a rotating bird’s-eye view shot of a staircase cueing us into the surreal nature of what is about to unfold.
The scenes are drenched in dark, cool tones—midnight blue, purple, black—all melancholic and nocturnal, which makes younger B.I stand out with his pastel pink outfit and sprightly movements. Present B.I’s gait is more measured, heavy even, as he wanders around the landscape of his memories: a theme park, chosen perhaps to reflect the glitz and liveliness of idol life.
For all his lingering, though, B.I comes with a clear purpose. He joins his younger self on a slowly rotating ferris wheel, and they look back on his days with iKon with glistening eyes.
The dreamy, wistful tone of the MV perfectly captures the tenderness and heartache of saying goodbye to a past life and a past self. But “Ferris Wheel” ends on an undeniably hopeful note: when B.I lets go of his younger self, wildflowers bloom where there was previously emptiness, signalling new beginnings.
(Variety, YouTube[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Images via 131, Modhaus, WakeOne.)
English (US) · 