Baek Seung Heon is a relative newcomer to the world of K-Pop, but this talented 22-year-old made a promising debut in November 2012 with his romantic single Til The Sun Rises. Both music and lyrics were penned by Kim Jaejoong (JYJ) and showcased his distinctive voice to perfection. Now Baek returns with a more mature style in Wait A Minute, a mid-tempo song with an infectious funky beat.
Concept:
The video displays an atmospheric, artistic style and opens with Baek sitting in a derelict room, clearly brooding about a girl who broke his heart. The inclusion of cobwebs, antique chairs, a run-down clockwork doll and an old fashioned typewriter (in which a sheet of paper displays the song’s title), adds to the feeling that a lot of time has passed. When Baek reminisces about the girl the scene is brightly lit and she is shown in dreamlike flashbacks with her hair blowing in the breeze. He opens a photo album full of old memories representing happier times, but imagery of a shattering hourglass and a huge pendulum swinging in a dark, gloomy room reinforce the end of their relationship. As the girl springs back to life in Baek’s imagination the doll becomes animated and he sees his former love putting on earrings and holding a glass of champagne, allowing for enticing close-ups of her eyes and lips. One romantic and idealised scene, in which Baek unzips the girl’s skirt, removes her hair ornament and unhooks her bra while she runs her hands over his back, is sensual and suggestive, but not explicit. Sand on the floor blows away to reveal a past photo of the once happy couple, but the video ends with the girl letting go of Baek’s hand, as he looks on helplessly. She is shown with no mouth to indicate a lack of communication from her, then shots of a clock and an angst-ridden Baek reveal that he is waiting for her to return. The doll becomes static once more, the photo is covered up by sand and Baek’s physical being is literally blown off the screen by the wind surrounding him.
Choreography:
The dancing is minimal and fairly uncomplicated, with Baek Seung Heon and his backing dancers performing mostly in front of a giant swinging pendulum, in an empty room. The dreamlike haze has gone and Baek assumes strong poses and angry expressions, to show the harsh reality of his situation: the girl he loves has left and isn’t returning.
Song:
Wait A Minute’s upbeat tempo belies the angst-ridden story behind the song, so its meaning could easily be misconstrued by non-Korean speakers! An instrumental sound like a synthesised flute adds an interesting dimension to what could have otherwise been a generic pop song and even the inclusion of a rap verse, by Baek himself, is well integrated into the track.
Overall UK Potential: 3/5
Reasonably high. The slick treatment of the song harks back to classic 90s R&B and should appeal to fans of that genre. However, as Baek is still a rookie singer it could prove difficult for him to garner attention overseas.
Highlight:
The female actress eating a lemon immediately before the romantic and intimate love scene, to imply that the relationship will ultimately sour.
Let us know what you think of Wait A Minute in the comments section below.
