Kpop Music Video: Day 8
Abracadabra by Brown Eyed Girls under Nega Network
Brown Eyed Girls is a 4 member girl band formed in 2006. The leader Jea, was actively involved in the groups creation and help to scout the other 3 members. They debuted as an R&B group but were not widely successful until their electronic dance hit “Abracadabra” came out. Since then only one other single, “Sixth Sense” has been a pop hit. In between releasing albums and singles, the members pursue solo careers, Gain arguably having the most successful singing solo career out of the 4 girls.
While too much “sexy” can be very degrading to the girls in the Kpop industry, many times an opposite issue arises. Korean culture can be very conservative when it comes to sex and sexuality, and many times a video will get banned or receive a 19+ or a 15+ rating if it is too sexy. This restricts when a music video can be played, if it can be aired on TV at all. This music video is one that was banned, and there are many things in this video that are very risque. I think that those sexual moments are not done because they want to reel in male viewers, but rather to tell a story about a girl, her man and a female (potentially sexual) companion. It had meaning, and I feel by censoring this type of sexual subject matter, the artist is being censored in terms of a message.
Fortunately for us, and for Brown Eyed Girls, the hip sway dance was such a big hit that people found a way to watch and spread the music video, and subsequently the song. It won the “Dance/Electronic Song of the Year” at the Korean Music Awards and the girls also won the “Dance/Electronic Album” award. These girls keep struggling with the establishment in terms of their expression and what is and isn’t allowed to be broadcast on TV, but they keep making music videos with deep plots and great imagery and I love them for it.
Go girls, and don’t be afraid to be yourselves!
❤ Rebecca
Kpop for Noobcakes 