Review: SS501’s Kim Kyu Jong–“Yesterday”

SS501’s Kim Kyu Jong plays with his suspenders in his new music video.


Did you like the song?
Remember Heo Young Saeng’s “Let It Go,” which was released in May? I thought this song sounded a lot like that one, so much so that I looked it up, and it turns out that “Yesterday” was originally written for Young Saeng, then re-arranged for Kyu Jong when Young Saeng felt it didn’t suit him (they’re both signed under the same company, B2M Entertainment). So that makes sense, as both “Yesterday” and “Let It Go” manage to be fast-paced and melancholy at the same time, which is rather unusual. So I do like the song, but at the same time, I think it is more suited to Young Saeng’s beautifully melodic voice than Kyu Jong’s more airy one (although at times Kyu Jong really sounded like Young Saeng, especially during this “prequel” to the song). If the goal of this solo MV is to make Kyu Jong stand out for his individual style, I don’t feel it will be very successful if he uses songs that fit other members better. (And was Heo Young Seang actually in this MV as the manager knocking on the dressing room door? Awesome.)

Kyu Jong
What was your favorite part of the song?
I liked the chorus (“nananananananana”) and this key change the most. Also the fact that now I can think fondly of this song instead of the Beatles’ version. I also like the triple S in the beginning (not sure if that was intentional or not, but yay for being good to your fans anyway!) and the occasional spoken words; they really show Kyu Jong’s emotional state (sad/confused/trying to understand while also glumly accepting the fact that his relationship is over).

Does the English make you want to rip your eardrums out?
No, the English is quite good except for the title, which sounds just slightly off. (Maybe there needs to be more of an emphasis on the “r” in “yesterday”? I’m not sure.)

Did you like the video?
For a comeback with such dramatic and unusual teaser photos, this vid is okay, kind of boring.

But seriously, just look at this!
The lighting has lots of blues, greys, blacks, and whites, which I suppose mimics the depressing tone of a recent breakup. However, I like that the focus of the video is on the dance, which seems pretty unique!

Was there a storyline? If so, did it make sense?
It’s meta in that the story is supposedly set during the filming of this music video.

Kyu Jong tries to give his girlfriend a beautiful diamond necklace. Contradicting everything I know about girls She rejects him and the pretty necklace and lets him know that it’s over just before he goes onstage. (She later digs the jewelry out of the garbage.) Then we have a great “show must go on” moment when he puts on his sunglasses.

He wears his sunglasses at night on dimly lit stages.
They spend the rest of the music video standing by or sitting in cars that are parked inside the building and wondering if they should get back together.

Um, where exactly are you going to go?
She also scandalously talks to another guy, and (in retaliation?) he also starts flirting with another girl (I think).

Was the dance cool and distinctive?
Yes! This was the focus of the video, and it was great. I love the suspender dance; it’s creative and sexy, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dance like it in a music video. And those body waves? Nnngh. Great job. (I'm sad I couldn't find a good gif of this. *cries*)

It’s the Super Suspender Dance!
Do the members look good?
The girl is quite pretty, and Kim Kyu Jong gets points for having rings on every finger. Impressive!

Though this MV does seem overly concerned with jewelry…
Which member stood out the most?
Kyu Jong’s suspenders. Um. But seriously, Kyu Jong’s generally been the member of SS501 I find easy to ignore; he tends to blend into the background in their MVs because the others seem to outshine him. So I’m glad he has a chance to stand out here.


Mmm, rub those lips.
Do you like it enough to buy the song?
Probably not. I liked Young Saeng’s “Let It Go” more and didn’t end up buying that, but maybe if I get desperate for new music I’ll get it.

Any ending thoughts?
So let’s see, this brings us to the last SS501 member to make a solo music video in a long list of SS501 solos, many of which have come out this year! To be honest, I only really got into SS501 once they were in this solo phase, so I’m a little impatient for them to come together to release a music video as a group! (Or is this just wishful thinking that they will ever get together again?) At any rate, I’m looking forward to reviewing Kim Hyun Joong’s “Lucky Guy” soon.

Boyfriend’s one-liner:
“Suspenders are cool. Wearing a belt with suspenders is not cool.”

The dreaded combo. (I think it looks fine.)
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