Kim Hyunjoong tests his luck by becoming a gambling card shark in his new music video.
Did you like the song?
This song and concept seemed to be a 1950s/early 60s one, complete with shooby doo wop! It reminded me of Seungri’s V.V.I.P. more than anything else with the fast paced horns and catchy chorus.
What was your favorite part of the song?
Oh man, that chorus. It is awesome. “Shake it shake it, shake shake it shake it!” And I loved the “in the sky, yeah” part.
Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
Quite the opposite. There is a ton of English here, including basically the entire chorus, and it’s all close to perfect (just a few telltale pronunciations). But Hyunjoong’s voice sounds great in English.
Did you like the video?
This video is a mixture of the Megan Fox car scene in “Tranformers” and the card game in “Casino Royale.” I was going to get on my feminist soapbox and cry sexism and look disapprovingly at Hyunjoong for the clearly male-gaze camera angle hugging Hong Soohyun’s curves in this, but then she turned out to be a cop. (I mean, much of this video still objectifies women, but at least we get the last word.) Still, I don’t feel like it reflects well on Hyunjoong when there are shots like this.
I thought the mug shots were pretty amusing, though, even if some looked awkward.
Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
Like Gilme in Clover’s “An Oppa I Know,” there is a price on Hyunjoong’s head (of a million dollars, wow! Apparently he’s worth more than Gilme).
Anyway, he picks up a smokin’ hot lady (actress Hong Soohyun) with a broken down car.
He takes her to an upscale casino where he has a posse waiting...
They meet the requisite Rich Douchebag With Attractive Harem…
They have the cliché card table confrontation, Hyunjoong wins, Soohyun reluctantly begins to like him despite her better judgment, they somehow hire the horn section of a band…
Rich Douchebag has to ask his harem for their jewelry in order to pay his debts (what a jerk), Hyunjoong is raking in the winnings, and Soohyun turns out to be a cop who arrests Hyunjoong.
But seriously, if Soohyun was a cop all along, then did she stand around outside waiting for Hyunjoong to pick her up? How many other guys did she have to turn down before he showed up? Was this part of a government takedown? Is she working for the secret service or something? Is he wanted for tax evasion? Why did she change clothes if she was just going to change into the blue dress later? Where did she get that dress? Do those musicians even realize they’re in a Kpop idol’s music video? So many unanswered questions.
Was the dance cool and distinctive?
VERY! And it matches the lyrics and concepts; it’s great. I love the brushing hands move and the shaking and throwing the dice move. There’s also a cool wave and a neat girls vs. guys part (which is so unusual in Kpop MVs, and thus so welcome!).
Do the members look good?
It’s kind of weird because I’m used to seeing Hyunjoong with his hair over his eyes, like this:
So seeing him look like this, with his hair gelled out of his face, is…rather peculiar for me. He looks like a completely different person, doesn’t he?
Which member stood out the most?
Despite the initial awkward uber-sexuality of Hyunjoong’s relationship with Soohyun, I think they made a pretty cute couple (their smirks at each other were really funny and believable). And Hyunjoong oozes confidence and charisma like WOAH. I completely bought his role here.
Do you like it enough to buy the song?
Heck, yes! “Shake it shake it, shake shake it shake it!”
Any ending thoughts?
I refuse to tag this as anything but SS501 in hopes that they will soon do an album together again. So there. Oh, yeah, and Hyunjoong? I now understand why you’re the most popular member, and you’ve just gained another fan.
Boyfriend’s one-liner:
“Clearly, to jump into a stranger’s car, you must change your shirt and expose yourself to oncoming traffic.”
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