GENIUS is an indie rock and roll band that UKP has interviewed in the past, and they dropped a new album last month called “Sea of Stars” (별바다 – Byeol Pada) on August 1st, through BGBG Record. Their guitarist/vocalist Kim Il Du was a 2016 KMA Nominee for Best Folk Album, and 2013 GQ Korea’s Voice of the Year. He’s a critically acclaimed solo musician, and his voice shines through, connecting well with the other two passionate members of the band in their unique and punkish rock and roll vibe. You should definitely check out Sea of Stars if you haven’t heard of them. GENIUS has that gritty, garage-band sound that you desire from an indie band, but they remind you that you can still be both true to yourself and who you are musically but gain popularity and recognition.
Today I will be breaking down their adorable music video 2226. The band themselves stated that 2226 is a sequel to 너나나나 (Neo Na Na Na.) They also said, about 2226, that “it’s about flying to space, drinking hot water, and being happy.” Both videos are really cute, starring a young child, but I chose 2226 because it resonated with me more, and I hope it will resonate will all of you as well. (Side note: The video for 2226 and 너나나나 were made by Swan Park, while They Were Good was made by Philip Brett of Angle Magazine.)
First off, I’d just like to say that the actress in the video is ridiculously cute. She’s running around carefree, collecting leaves, flowers, and anything else she can in her backpack (with a Minnie Mouse plush residing inside – I like her priorities.)
The lyrics sync up sweetly with her movements. One of the main lines that is repeated is “we can be happy more” and the choice of a child actress for the video was a great idea. Her carefree joviality not only gives you all those warm feelings of watching someone so innocent at play, but also lends to this slight melancholy note within most people that makes them crave to have, maybe not just the days of youth back, but more so to pull that innocent happiness back into our current lives.
She sweetly plays with her caretaker’s face and hops around in front of a oceanic mural. I appreciate the way the instrumental lines up particularly starting at 2:46 as she starts running faster and faster — the percussion picks up and comes to a rapid break into the next part of the song as she reaches her destination; it integrated the music into the otherwise simple and sweet video in a professional way. I also like the way the music winds down at the end while she’s gently playing on the swing set. All over the video is cute and fun to watch. The song is relaxing and thought provoking without being intimidating in any way.
Check out the videos here!
First, 2226:
And now it’s prequel, 너나나나:
Another fun video off of Sea of Stars is They Were Good:
You can also check out GENIUS on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter!
What did you think of the music video(s)?
Let us know in the comments below or on our UKP Facebook or Twitter!
