Review: MBLAQ–“Stay”

MBLAQ begs their exes to stay in their hearts.


Did you like the song?
Today by request we have MBLAQ’s “Stay.” It’s an interesting song where the verses are rather sad but the chorus picks up a lot, then there are really fast rap sections with neat Mir/Thunder interactions contrasted with fairly slow sections where G.O/Seungho get to show off their voices a little. On the whole, “Stay” is very musically interesting but not particularly cohesive. It seems like whenever it starts to get going, it slows way down and begins dragging again (like in the “ya-a-a,” “ji-i-i” parts). I was expecting to like it but didn’t end up enjoying it very much.

Mir, Thunder, G.O, Seungho, and Joon.
What was your favorite part of the song?
I love that “No~” part. So haunting. The Mir/Thunder rap switch offs were also really cool.

Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
Other than the chorus, which is great, Thunder does most of the English. And it’s universally kind of…off. “Love is all over,” “What are you talking about all of a sudden?” “Why do you leave me?” Those lines aren’t technically wrong, just weird. However, I love G.O’s line “As you know, I still remember.” So unintentionally creepy…

Did you like the video?
Eh, it was okay. I feel like they could have done a lot more with this concept. The main thing that stood out to me was this cool heart:

It’s architecture-y.
At first I thought it looked like those steampunk hearts you sometimes see in jewelry.

Like these pretty mechanical hearts, for example.
And I kind of wish the concept had stuck with that steampunk-y feel instead of the typical neon interspersed with random geometric shapes.

Literally, in the case of Seungho and his hexagon.
Seriously, WTF? Does a hexagon have a special symbolic meaning I’m not getting?

MBLAQ were much more creative with “Mona Lisa,” so I appreciate that, even though the concept didn’t make much sense.

Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
If there’s a storyline, I’m afraid I didn’t understand it. Basically the guys are dancing in front of this heart set piece, then the video starts flashing to a crying woman. So I guess the implication is that they’re breaking up, but I wouldn’t call it a “storyline” so much as a way to set the mood of the music video.

In general, MBLAQ does not seem to like having storylines, which is fine because then the focus is on their dance…

Was the dance cool and distinctive?
…but also it’s not so good because MBLAQ’s dances, while certainly both undeniably cool and skillfully executed, are generally difficult for the average person to recreate. There’s usually not that “one move” that defines a song in MBLAQ; you have to look at the dance as a whole. So what this tends to boil down to, when there’s no storyline and the dance moves aren’t simple or matching the lyrics, is that the music video is not particularly memorable. At least in this one there’s a heart set piece for “stay in my heart.”

That said, in “Stay” there are several somewhat memorable moves, the most notable being the chest pumps and, of course, jazz hands. During much of the chorus, MBLAQ is shaking their arms like they’re holding a tambourine. But why? I get the “desperately reaching out to the lover to get her to stay” move, but jazz hands?

Yeah, you shake those invisible tambourines.
Do the members look good?
Was Seungho in this music video, like, at all? Barely. God, so irritating. Please give him more screentime!

I swear that MBLAQ are the kings of eye makeup, specifically guyliner, which I’ve said previously looks good on almost all guys, in my opinion. But Joon’s is especially noteworthy here:

He even has some sparklies! But instead of making him look silly, he looks even more fierce.
Also, my bf is going to make a joke about it, but I actually liked MBLAQ’s studded gloves on one hand. The faux fur I liked less, but I’m willing to forgive anything if there’s guyliner.

Which member stood out the most?
I have to give this to G.O. He looks really sexy and distinctive.

G.O
Do you like it enough to buy the song?
No, sorry. Although I enjoyed individual sections (especially that rap trade-off!), I don’t like the song as a whole.

Any ending thoughts?
These older songs are okay, but I’m looking forward to MBLAQ’s next concept! I hope it’s really creative.

Boyfriend’s one-liner:
“Who do they think they are, wearing only one glove each? Michael Jackson?”

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