Today we’re going to take a look at B.A.P’s new song, Stop It, and whether it would stand a good chance of doing well here in the UK or not.
Concept
With the release of the concept pictures for this song, TS Entertainment classed Stop It as having a hipster concept, but I feel it that the MV also has a very 90’s boy band feel to it. TS Entertainment has revealed that the hipster concept was to describe and depict people who do not follow the general public trend and make their own styles. And pretty true to TS’s word, the styles and outfits worn in the MV are ones that I haven’t really seen that often in Kpop.
Throughout the MV each member of B.A.P wears three different outfits each; matching outfits, concept outfits and then the outfit worn in the storyline. All three styles are pretty outlandish in a way, as the concept outfits are very quirky and include a frog hat and a sequined hoodie, whereas their storyline style is youthful, colourful and fun. And not even mentioning the fact that their matching outfits are a tan/nude colour, which is quite unusual for a boy group to wear, and these are the outfits that give off the really 90’s vibe; baggy trousers, slightly varied shirts that are embellished with chains. While many of us kpop fans will love and appreciate the styles showcased in this MV, to a non-kpop fan, Zelo’s frog hat, Daehyun’s sequined hood and their matched-to-perfection tan shirts and trousers are probably going to seem a bit silly and even outdated. If the storyline of the MV were set in the 90’s, the matching boy band outfits might be explainable and plausible as boy bands were all the rage at that time, but with no obvious reason for these outfits, some viewers might be put off.
The video starts out with Yong Guk leaving a restaurant of some kind, and as he is about to cross a road he gets distracted and falls in love at first sight with a woman walking by. As he is not paying attention he gets hit by a car. The rest of the video follows him as he tries to get the attention of this woman, but it seems for some reason that she cannot see him. He punishes her students who don’t respect her and plays tricks on other guys who show any interest in her, and then follows her home. Once in her house he realises that she is looking right at him, and it seems that maybe she has been able to see him all day even though no one else could. People have several theories about this video, but the most accepted one seems to be that Yong Guk died when he was hit with the car, and as you see that he has a red tail at times in the video, it seems that he becomes a demon as he punishes the people he meets throughout the video. It also seems that she is an angel, and has been able to see him the whole time and has been secretly flattered by the things he has done for her. In my opinion, the ending is a little unclear as to exactly what has transpired, but the storyline is sweet and adorable to the point that it just doesn’t matter.
I think that the video is light, bright and pretty cute which is probably going to appeal more to girls then guys, but seeing as it is about a concept that most people will be able to relate to (instant attraction and dealing with that crush) and it is light-hearted, non-kpop fans will probably be willing to give this video and song a chance.
UK Potential – 3.5/5
Choreography
So, in the actual MV there is no choreography so I was really eager to see the live performances to see what kind of routine they would put to a 90’s hipster concept. I had no idea of what sort of dance would suit this concept, but the routine they have completely matches the feel of the song as it reflects the kinds of moves that were popular in the 90’s.
There are the classic B.A.P hip thrusts integrated into the routine, and even a throwback to their Power concept as in some of the live performances they incorporated spray cans again – but this time it’s fake snow.
The whole dance is pretty cool though, with fun, energetic and entertaining choreography throughout which matches up well with the sound of the track. Some of the notable moves are Jong Up and Zelo incorporating a little b-boying into their dance break, and Yong Guk being lifted up over Zelo at the end of one his sections – this move is visually awesome and also makes sense as his rap ends with ‘superman’.
I think that parts of this dance routine are practically begging people to try and copy them, and with the choreography being very fun, I think it will be enjoyable for a lot of people to watch.
UK Potential – 4/5
Song
Stop It is a fantastic, upbeat song with an interesting beat and unusual sound. It has a solid mix of vocals and rapping that merge really well together and don’t overshadow one another. It sounds fun and lively and won’t fail to put a smile on your face! It’s a very unique sound, and there isn’t really any music in the UK market that sounds like this right now, which could help catch peoples attention.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is very little English used in this song, as this is quite refreshing when you’re used to English being used in songs just for the sake of it. The few words of English scattered throughout the song are nothing more than variations of ‘Oh baby’, and the one time Yong Guk says ‘superman’, and that is literally it for the English lyrics. The one downside is that the lack of anything that non-Korean speakers can sing along with might put some potential listeners off this song, but at the same time the lack of English does nothing to diminish the bouncy and entertaining sound to this track.
In a way, for B.A.P this song might be an advantageous one to use if they were to try to break into the UK market because to be honest, B.A.P’s English in their other songs isn’t the best and at times it doesn’t make sense. So instead of releasing a song with dodgy English that people might dismiss, it would probably be best to use a song where most English is omitted!
UK Potential – 3.5/5
Highlight: – There is not a single moment of this video that I didn’t love (but as a Baby I might be biased) but the highlight was when the female lead enters her classroom and turns her back to write on her board, and a dance party breaks out behind her back! It’s pretty damn funny.
Conclusion: Overall UK Potential – 11/15 – This is a fairly high number with regards to B.A.P’s chance of doing well in the UK with Stop It, but I believe that this song has a unique and youthful sound that will appeal to more people than you might expect straight away. British pop is always changing, and with boy bands becoming a hot commodity again, I don’t think it’s too great of a leap to think that a Korean boy band could do well here too. The slightly eccentric outfits and the lack of English in the lyrics might be slight problem when it comes to attracting people to listen to the song, but with Gangnam Style having done so well over here, these things might not be the kind of problem I had once envisioned!
So, how do you guys like this song? Do you think it would do well over here? Let us know!
See you all next time!
