In 2013 there were over three hundred and fifty releases in Kpop, and almost every single release came with a highly anticipated music video. 2013 would have a lot to live up to as the previous year brought concepts such as BIGBANG’s Fantastic Baby 
kings concept; and Monster genetic testing facility; and Naul’s Memory of The Wind , a mini movie representing the Christian tale of sacrifice and salvation.
A whole host of artists brought their A Game in 2013 however, breaking the trends set in the mv world, or producing exceptional examples that fit the trends.
Here are the twenty releases from the past 12 months that we thought had the best concepts:
| Release | Concept |
|---|---|
| SPEED
Sad Promise |
 SPEED are one of the groups that were formed in the sub-unit split of Co-Ed School, along with F-VE DOLLS.Sad Promise features Davichi’s Kang Minkyung and was produced by Shinsadong Tiger and Park Bo-young. The feature length drama mv features Park Bo-young, A-Pinks Naeun, Ji Chang Wook, and Ha Seok Jin.The mv is based on real Korean history, set in May 1980 the mv surrounds the nine days in which the Gwangju Democratization Movement took place. In this time citizens of Gwangju took up arms and rose up against Chun Doo Hwan’s dictatorship and took control of the city, though the South Korean Army ultimately stopped the uprising. Officially 144 civilians, 22 troops and 4 police were killed; 127 civilians, 109 troops and 144 police were wounded during the Gwangju uprising. Though press and critics of Chun Doo Hwan’s administration argued that the death toll was between 1000 and 2000. This dramatisation of Korean history is one all Korean music fans, especially those with an interest in the country’s culture and history, should watch. __________________________________________________ |
| Heo Young-saeng
The Art Of Seduction |
 One of the big UnitedKpop favourites, Heo Young-saeng’s The Art of Seduction mv follows the story of a fan of Young-saeng’s. Though she’s not any ordinary fan, she is obsessed with her idol.Upon waking she finds he is in her apartment, and what does an obsessed fan do? Take him hostage and fantasise about the perfect life with him of course! If you watch one new mv from this quarter, this is the one I’d suggest. __________________________________________________ |
| Davichi
Turtle |
 Davichi, a pop-ballad duo consisting of Lee Haeri and Kang Minkyung. Davichi means the light to shine over the world, meaning their voices shall spread across the world.The Turtle is a reference to the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare. Though there is no turtle, or tortoise in the mv. There is a white rabbit though, a reference to Alice In Wonderland, the concept for the mv, Davichi previously referenced this in their first album title Davichi In Wonderland. The mv features Ryu Hyoyoung of F-VE DOLLS as Alice and Eun Sangwon of SPEED as a Mad Hatter of sorts. This take on Alice in Wonderland is beautiful and fits the vocals perfectly. __________________________________________________ |
| K.Will
Love Blossom
Starship Ent 04th Apr |
 Award winning song Love Blossom comes from the second half ofK.Will’s third album of the same title.The mv features INFINITE’s L and SISTAR’s Dasom. L as the much tormented office assistant accompanies his bosses to a funfair. He pays his bosses back for their treatment of him by trapping them on the ride, unfortunately it is ride operator K.Will’s bad luck that he is included in L’s plan. With his colleagues comedically trapped on the ride love can blossom between L and Dasom. Not only is this song one of the best ballads of the year, but the mv is one to watch too. __________________________________________________ |
| VIXX
|
 Their second comeback of the year, VIXX kept the dark themes of On And On, and took them even darker.HYDE saw VIXX take English classic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stephenson and transform it into one of the best concepts of the quarter. The evil is stronger than the good inside them and Hyde takes over, revealing their true inner demon. __________________________________________________ |
| Lee Hyori
Bad Girls |
 Queen of Kpop Lee Hyori returned with her fifth album Monochrome this year, her first full length album in three years. One of the three releases from the album was Bad Girls.An easy to follow narrative in the form of the youth of Bad Girl Lee Hyori, acting up and pulling pranks towards those she does not like and those who are inappropriate towards her. It is the outrageous, comedic design of this mv that earns it a spot on the list. __________________________________________________ |
| MYNAME
Baby I’m Sorry
H2 Media 04th Jul |
 MYNAME’s July comeback with their first mini album came with the production of a feature length drama mv for Baby I’m Sorry. The Busan filmed video in its full cut lasts an astounding thirty minutes and cost a reported 500 million won (£286,000).The narrative takes inspiration from the 2001 Korean film Friend about a group of friends drawn into the world of back-street gangs. Featured in the music video are Friend actor Yu Oh Seong and mixed martial arts fighters Choo Sung Hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, andKim Donghyun, also known as Stun Gun. __________________________________________________ |
| Kim Hyun Joong
KeyEast 17th Jul |
 SS501′s leader Kim Hyun Joong returned with hisRound 3 mini album and with it a host ofAOMG/Illionaire collaborations. First wasUnbreakable with Jay Park.Unbreakable shows of traditional Korean arts such as sword dancing called Geommu and large wooden carvings known as Dancheong. The Dancheong carvings are also modernised by being tattooed onto Hyun Joong, and embroidered onto his clothing. Round 3 shows the meeting of tradition and modernity. Unbreakable is this quarters mv that comes most recommended by UnitedKpop. __________________________________________________ |
| AOA Black
MOYA
FNC Music 26th Jul |
 AOA sub-unit AOA Black released their third single album with the title songMOYA.Opened by a fake version of ‘FTIsland‘ performing I Wish, and closed by ‘CNBlue‘ performing I’m A Loner, the MOYA mv surrounds the girls seeking to embarrass a man who has hurt one of them. Just when you think you have the whole plot figured out there is a great little twist to this mv that has the AOA Black girls on this Top 20 Concepts list. __________________________________________________ |
| M.I.B
Dash / Men In Black
Jungle Ent 01st Aug |
 Jungle Entertainment’s M.I.B returned for the second time this year with Men In Black.As expected the mv is their own take on the Men In Black concept with the members becoming agents. The song in a double meaning references the Men In Black use of Neuralyzers with the lyrics: Come on, get your butts off your seat / I’ll erase your memory / For a moment tonight. With the events of the mv possibly just a figment of the M.I.B members’ imaginations the song and simple choreography will have this track stuck in your head for a while after it has ended. __________________________________________________ |
| B.A.P
|
 B.A.P’s best mv of the year comes in the form of Badman. Though many thought it controversial at first it may take a look at the background of the setting to really bring to light some of the greater elements of this music video.High on the UnitedKpop recommend list, each time you watch will reveal more details to interest you. __________________________________________________ |
| G Dragon
YG Ent 02nd Sep |
 Returning with his two part solo album this year, BIGBANG leader G Dragon kicked off his promotions with Coup D’etat.Coup D’etat references his own work, that of other YG artists, and work of other Kpop stars. Incorporating the long climb to the top, the egotistical side of G Dragon, and the seven deadly sins this is one of YG’s most impressive music videos of the year. __________________________________________________ |
| ZiA & Lee HaeRi of Davichi
If You Loved Me
Loen Ent 09th Sep |
 Not your average love story music video If You Loved Me features INFINITE’s Hoya and Sunny Hill’s Lee Misung.Pottery student Hoya finds himself struggling with his eyesight, and it is from here we see one of the most emotional mvs of the year. __________________________________________________ |
| J.Y. Park
Had Enough Parties
JYP Ent 09th Sep |
 Love or hate J.Y. Park this is undeniably a great concept. Had Enough Parties was created by the well known Korean filmmaker John H. Lee and features top stylist Kim Sung Il and the French voiceover of Daniel Kapelain, a member of the French Embassy in Korea.The mv shows how his party lifestyle has taken its toll on him, showing himself switching between an aged man and his current self in a club. It goes on to show two possible futures for the star: one in which he is saved by love and finds himself old and happy with a family; and one in which he has lost everything. __________________________________________________ |
| Block B
|
 Returning with a new new company after their roller coaster year Block B began their promotions with a song for their fans, to thank them for being the driving force pulling them through their darkest times.The Be The Light mv sees U-Kwon take a considerable beating, though when it comes down to it Block B stick together, and their fandom are always thinking of them even if they can’t help. The mv even ended with an ode to The Dark Knight’s opening scene, a teaser for their next release, Very Good. __________________________________________________ |
| IU
The Red Shoes
LOEN Ent 07th Oct |
 IU’s The Red Shoes is based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same name about a pair of red shoes that make the wearer dance.The mv features model Jang Ki Yong as the male lead whom IU introduces to her friends, group leader You Hee Yeol the notable kpop writer and presenter of Sketchbook, Peppertones Sayo and Noshel, jazz trumpet player Huh Nam Hoon, and actor Fhi Fan. The group watch her rise to fame and the Red Shoes take her away from them. __________________________________________________ |
| Kim Bohyung
B2M Ent 17th Oct |
 SPICA member Kim Bohyung released her solo debut Crazy Girl, with an mv that features fellow group member Narae.Narae and the male in the mv are in the same room though not together. The mv takes actions from the male’s version of the room that may either be of innocent intent or of lesser impact and mirrors them in Narae’s room. By mirroring the actions the audience has to take the two images and create their own conclusion, the implications are explicit and not hard to draw from the two scenarios, though the lack of contact means more is left to the imagination. This mv comes highly recommended by UnitedKpop. __________________________________________________ |
| Shin Seung Hun
Dorothy Company 22nd Oct |
 In his twenty-third year in the industry Shin Seung Hun’s Great Wave album comes with the title track Sorry.Following a break up Shin Seung Hun must learn to let go just as his partner is doing as she watches her memories of their relationship float away. It is this legend of Kpop, Shin Seung Hun, that has made one of the years most beautiful mv concepts. __________________________________________________ |
| Trouble Maker
Now / There Is No Tomorrow
Cube Ent 28th Oct |
 It is the uncut version of Now that makes it into the Top 20 Concepts list as it is not until you see the full version of this mv that you really understand the smaller unsaid elements of this concept.More developed in the full mv are Hyunseung’s fight with his sanity, and Hyuna’s desire to hold on to him. Through the overt sexuality, and the implied sexual references such as the silencer of Hyunseung’s gun led on his crotch the intensity of Now builds to its inevitably disastrous ending. __________________________________________________ |
| T.O.P
YG Ent 15th Nov |
 YG finished their year in the most impressive way with a solo release from BIGBANG rapper T.O.P. In one of their most impressive mvs of the year the rapper shows off many of his art, design and film loves, with references to Salvador Dali, Lewis Carroll, Capellini and 2001: A Space Odyssey.Doom Dada is a visual delight and is the UnitedKpop one to watch for the end of 2013. __________________________________________________ |
Were any of these mvs your favourite of the year? Which music video concepts did you think stood out the most in 2013?
This post comes to you from 
ConceptLore is the personal website of UnitedKpop’s Head of Design, Lore, the home of Asian music video concept explanations. The original post over at ConceptLore features an impressive seventy five mvs from the past twelve months!
