Big Bang, one of my all-time favorite k-pop boy bands, celebrated their 7th year anniversary last month and are still going as strong as ever. Maknae Seungri just released his second EP Let's Talk About Love on the same day as their anniversary and has been promoting his single "할말 있어요 (I Have Something To Say)" aggressively. And leader G-Dragon is currently in the process of releasing his 3-part solo album Coup D'etat, his second full-length project.
In celebration of the boys' hard work and ingenuity, here's a list of my favorite Big Bang music videos as of today. And by this, I mean these videos are not necessarily my favorite songs by Big Bang, since a handful of my favorite tracks don't have music videos. Rather, my basis for making this list all boils down to the music video itself. Whether I like the storyline, the choreography, the cinematography, etc. It's all about the aesthetic here. Also, this list includes music videos done by solo/sub-unit projects from the group.
1. "Haru Haru" - This song and this video is practically an institution in the Big Bang fandom. The song is an anthem, and rightfully so. Yet, no one can deny that this music video helped push the popularity of the song. In an industry where bright colorful sets and costumes dominate, this subdued video deviates from that and shows us a more sentimental and poignant side to Big Bang.
2. "Always" - Not exactly a video that would come to mind when one thinks of Big Bang, but I've always enjoyed it because it shows that playful side of the boys. Nowadays, Big Bang's image is so swagified that we tend to forget how the boys started. Watch them play around and goof off with each other around Hawaii in this fun summer video.
3. "Where U At" (Taeyang) - It's a simple video and yet it's one of their most captivating. It's Taeyang plus two dancers (choreographers Shaun Evaristo and Lyle Beniga) dancing in an alley - or rather a studio set made to look like an alley. How much simpler can it get? But watch and allow the awesome choreography, and Taeyang's precise execution, to blow your mind.
4. "Wedding Dress" (Taeyang) - Okay, for one, the choreography is awesome. This is yet another work of art by choreographer Shaun Evaristo. And we all know Taeyang is an amazing dancer. But also, everyone who has ever seen this video will know what I'm talking about when I say, "How is it possible for two guys to want to propose marriage to the same girl? Are they both dating her at the same time?" Kidding aside, show Taeyang some love and watch this video. He sure needs it. And maybe a hug, too.
6. "Tonight" - I'm not sure what it is about this video that lures me in. Maybe it's the bright lights of Las Vegas. Maybe it's how sexy Daesung is looking in it. Or maybe it's broody T.O.P - but then again, that's his default... I'm really not sure why, but I really like this video. And the song too. Damn, Daesung's hot.
7. "Bad Boy" - Excluding the obvious "it was shot in New York City babyyyyyyy," this video is gorgeous. My NYC-addiction aside, what I love most about this video is that it has that perception of being a one-shot film, when it's obviously not. It just feels like it is with the way everything was seamlessly edited together, with the guys flowing from each other's scenes so effortlessly, and then coming all together to do the dougie. Or 5 different versions of it, at least.
8. "Monster" - Dark and brooding, that's the feel of this music video. Not everyone liked it, but I did. The storyline is not as clear cut as some would've liked, but my take on it is simple. The 5 guys are projects of some government agency or secret organization and they were mutated, hence monster. But maybe the organization realized their mistake and wanted to hide all evidences of the monsters they've created and so they start setting explosives to the lab from which our monsters now try to escape. "I love you, baby. I'm not a monster."
9. "That Xx" (G-Dragon) - On paper, the song seems quite straight forward. It's GD singing about a girl who's blind to the faults of her lover. He cheats, he doesn't care about her, and everyone knows about it except the girl. Friends warn her about him, but she's just blindly in love. And GD wishes she'd realize this and go to him instead. But in the video, towards the end, we see that the man the girl is with is GD himself. So now it changes our take on the song. GD isn't just singing about some random asshole the girl is dating, he's singing about himself being the bastard and hoping the girl would smarten up and leave him. Which, in the video (but not the song), she does.
10. "Crooked" (G-Dragon) - This is GD's newest single and music video, and I made this list specifically with this video in mind. The song may not be as catchy as all his other songs, but I'm sure after several more listens, it will be. The video though... it's beautiful. GD fancies himself a punk youth in England, roaming the streets of London. Going to bars, starting fights, running down alleys... letting us know how pained he is. I'm not sure how much of the song translates into the video, but nonetheless, its aesthetic is undeniably pretty.
0 comments:
Post a Comment