Welcome back to our second K-pop Music Video Breakdown; this week, the debut music video edition. Over the past seven days, UnitedKpop readers have been voting for the video they wanted to see here this week and you voted for… BIG BANG’s ‘La La La’! This music video was released in October of 2008 when BIG BANG debuted under YG Entertainment.
Looking at this video with a retrospective view, it’s somewhat surreal; the flawless old school YG hip-hop vibes paired with the boys’ white combats, baggy t-shirts, baseball caps and chains remind us of BIG BANG’s early days, and the picture is almost frightening… While the concept of ‘La La La’ intended to make BIG BANG appear tough and as though exuding swag, the concept seems to amplify the young age of the five boys. On top of this, they’re pictured in a classroom (!) with school uniforms on – all bright smiles and twinkling eyes. It’s almost as if the baggy clothing simply belongs to older brothers, ie, those shirts aren’t supposed to be three sizes too big and those boys aren’t supposed to be playing dress-up in their elders’ clothes. Perhaps if the music video set had taken more of a ‘hanging on the streets’ route, the concept would have made just a little bit more sense. You can’t fool us by adorning yourselves in jewellery and bandannas if you still look fresh and smooth skinned… While Taeyang’s signature cornrows make their first appearance here, and GD and TOP’s hair is covered by hats, my main qualm is with Seungri’s hair. Whether it was ‘the fashion’ or not, those locks aren’t doing anything for him.
One thing that impressed was the dancing; although BIG BANG make popular music, their music videos rarely show intricate dances. In fact, the only visible dancing over the past two years has been the chorus of ‘Fantastic Baby’ (2012) and ‘Tonight’ (2011). Even though a lot of the video for ‘La La La’ just shows the boys partying in front of the camera, there are plenty of clips showing all five members dancing together, showcasing a well-practiced hip-hop routine. And this proves that all of BIG BANG can dance, not just Taeyang, even if TOP’s awkward lankiness has sometimes held him back… Despite the young age of the members, the dance doesn’t come without its more risqué parts, seeing shirt lifting similar to that in Rainbow’s ‘A’ and an interesting move at 1.40. (That’s all I’m saying.)
Vote here for next week’s breakdown – Rookie Edition!
