Welcome to our new weekly feature where we’ll unravel various K-pop videos, look at what was good, what was bad, and at the things we can only put down to Korea’s wacky ways… You’ll have the chance to vote for future breakdowns on the UnitedKpop Facebook page but this week we’re kicking things off with INFINITE’s new release, Man In Love!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-dsCaFJzE&w=560&h=315]
As the song title suggests, the music video for ‘Man In Love’ saw each of the members acting in their own romantic story-line, and thankfully they steered away from acting too tough or too much like six year old girls spouting aegyo. The concept was endearing without being sickeningly so; just seven fresh-faced men trying their hardest to impress their other halves. Although, having said that, I was confused about the little ginger kitty. Since we don’t see any pretty girls coming to lose themselves over the INFINITE members, isn’t it perfectly reasonable to assume that Sungjong is in love with his cat… which he received in a box… from a mystery sender..? Surely posting cats in boxes is against some form of animals rights movement, no? Moving swiftly on…
Let’s talk about the dance. While this video isn’t a full dance version, the few snippets of the dance included are no less than impressive. I’m not an Inspirit, infact I’m not that familiar with INFINITE at all but I know they’re considered one of the best male dance groups in K-pop. In terms of formations, the dance isn’t particularly interesting but transitions between them are smooth. The movements are fluid, incorporating soft with sharp, creating a dynamic dance. No moves stand out but this allows the viewer to appreciate the whole dance, rather than focus on one move.
You might have noticed the suit-and-skinny-jeans combo trending in K-pop recently. Not just suit jackets and skinny jeans, but floral patterns, bold prints and downright clashing colours, leaving us with… well, some of the weirdest combinations we’ve seen thus far in K-pop fashions. ‘Man In Love’ is no exception to this, mixing colourful sneakers with crazy patterns made with varying materials and an interesting feather headress. I kid you not. Maybe the stylists could have left this one out… Even in the dance scenes with the black and white outfits, INFINITE’s stylists still managed to find the most dazzling of pattern combinations. You might have to squint just a little, in order to protect your vision. Having said that, the clothing choices for the acting scenes were kind on the eye, although perhaps this was because when acting like regular people with regular relationships, one no longer needs to look like an idol. Fresh, bright colours took the on the form of casual but smart clothes, hence adding to the ‘wholesome young sweethearts’ concept that INFINITE seem to be going for here.
As for the story lines, minus the cat, they’re pretty straightforward as romantic stories go; the members can’t concentrate because they’re too in love or they’re trying to impress the person they’re in love with by choosing the right jacket or preparing a delicious meal… I’m looking at you Sungyeol. Nobody looks that happy about peeling apples, especially when that person is preparing apples as an accompaniment to fortune cookies and mini croissants. Uh… yeah. If you ignore the unnecessary extra 70 seconds of footage after the song is finished, the music video would still make sense but maybe that can be viewed as a small gift for all the Inspirits watching!
Vote here for next week’s breakdown – Debut Edition!
