Brown Eyed Girls become freedom fighting revolutionaries in their long-awaited music video.
Did you like the song?
I’ll just say right off the bat that I wanted another “Abracadabra” from Brown Eyed Girls (BEG) even though I knew they weren’t going to do that concept again. Even if they’d tried, it’s probably impossible to do something that spectacular twice, so I was bound to be disappointed, and I knew that going in. That said, “Sixth Sense” is fierce and different. It shows off BEG’s powerful vocals in a way that “Abracadabra” really doesn’t, and I did enjoy the song.
What was your favorite part of the song?
This song with its driving beat and intense strings reminded me really strongly of a kind of superhero theme, like this could be the soundtrack for “Catwoman” (complete with “meow~”). The very last chord and the searchlights really cemented my impression of this. It has a kind of “rooftop hijinks” feel to it. All that is to say my favorite part was the relentless beat coupled with the strings. And I think I actually enjoyed the verses more than the chorus, which is rather unusual for me. (Also, I loved Miryo’s rap and wanted it to be longer.)
Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
Again, lots of English, and the grammar isn’t terrible but the pronunciation throughout is not good. The main riff is “More than emotion / Better than the love motion,” and I wish I knew what that was! Sounds sexy. Also: “meow”? However, Miryo definitely gets points for singing in Spanish (“Gracias” with a nicely rolled rrr).
On the other hand, the English in the propaganda posters is pretty much perfect.
“In a world meant to break our hearts, exhausted, we sang songs, told stories, and laid brick,” “I remember spelling out our own private resistance,” “Resistance: you have a voice,” and “Feel watch plus +Sixth Sense.”
The only thing I don’t get is where the “sixth sense” comes into it. (“Feel watch plus +sixth sense.”) So…yeah, that means I don’t understand the title of the song, which really sucks. If you have any ideas, please share them! :)
Did you like the video?
I love this video! It’s like watching a last stand in the V for Vendetta universe. Am I wrong to think this song might be BEG’s response to Korean music video censorship (which, incidentally, banned their own “Abracadabra”)? And I wouldn’t be surprised if this MV is banned as well, which might prove their point. But it’s probably more a criticism of the limitations and restrictions of society.
Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
Okay, I’m sure there are lots of ways to analyze this MV, but here’s mine. *deep breath* So, in my interpretation BEG have been living under the dictatorship of this pretty generic masked ruler (whose symbol is unfortunately an outline of the Star of David).
It’s not clear precisely what the ruler has done that needs resisting, but it’s hinted that the world has become a kind of 1984 dystopia where Big Brother Is Watching You, and different voices are being silenced. The evil government has made examples of BEG (I’m guessing for speaking out in the past); they have been separated and restrained in different ways:
(Jea’s punishment seems the scariest to me; Miryo’s seems the most likely to actually happen.)
Anyway, eventually BEG break out of the restraints and determine they’ve had enough of this treatment, so they decide to confront the government army with their music and dancing in a kind of “last stand” with a few well-dressed male friends.
As the army watches their performance, the soldiers are visibly moved and instead decide to literally turn on the evil tyrant, who tries to fight back by hosing them down but is eventually overrun. The dictator’s mask lies abandoned and soaked on the ground.
However, and here’s the creepy part: the music video ends with a scene of BEG, dry again in the failing daylight, standing in front of their resistance posters, then being almost overrun by the oncoming barrage of government soldiers. So what does it all mean? I think it unfortunately suggests that everything after Miryo’s rap—i.e. the scene of the soldiers turning and taking out the government—is actually just a fantasy, whereas in reality no one took BEG’s side; the government won. Chilling, right? But I think the point was to put pressure on the viewer to stand up and speak out against tyranny (and perhaps censorship).
Was the dance cool and distinctive?
I don’t know that we really saw enough of the dance in the music video to judge it fully. It had some cool of body waves and also a section where they hit the floor, and I usually approve of those. Here’s a live version if you’re interested in seeing the full dance.
Do the members look good?
Dear God, BEG really rocks both the short and the long hairstyle, as well as that extreme eye makeup, in those army-esque clothes. (Though, sorry, I’m not a fan of Ga-in’s vampiric wet hair/smeared eyeshadow look.) And what’s with Miryo, like, only barely being in the music video until her part? *unhappy*
Which member stood out the most?
Usually in BEG videos, either Ga-in or Narsha steals the show for me, so this time I was pleasantly surprised that Jea and Miryo really stood out here. Miryo certainly looked the most striking, but I’m going to have to give this to Jea. She gets to show off her voice, she was so lovely tied up in the pool of water, and I liked her pigtails, too!
Do you like it enough to buy the song?
Heck, yes! It’s not as danceable as I had hoped, but I still very much enjoyed it.
Any ending thoughts?
Think this will be the best Kpop music video of the year? There’s still a long way to go, but I think it will definitely be a contender. I admire BEG’s bravery in putting out a music video with a message, as well as something that makes an effort to involve the viewer.
Boyfriend’s one-liner:
“What’s with the Jew-hating? Meowww.”
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