With her success in “Unpretty Rapstar” and her soundtrack singles in “Goblin” becoming signature to the drama, Heize is officially back with her new release; “Wish & Wind”. Already, she has brought out charming hits from the album including “Jenga” but the most recent addition is “Mianhae”. Translated as “Sorry” in Hangul, it is certainly a more emotional side in comparison to the other creative videos she has released so far. “Jenga” appears to be classic but quirky whereas “Mianhae” shows a more heart-wrenching message which is interesting to see from the starlet.
Heize focuses on a more forlorn side of what appears to be the Idol industry or in fact how she appears after her success from “Unpretty Rapstar” and beyond. She appears among a wide selection of human-sized doll parts from arms to heads, while Heize herself is modelled as a picture perfect android. Some of the camera shots appear to be from her own creator in the style of a home video, as if he is watching over her development and creation. Her own body is built from several parts and silicone moulds to create her appearance before she is placed in front of an audience to perform. In what appears to be a glass cabinet used for museums, she appears both as a dismantled android torso and also in her pristine form dressed up as a traditional idol. However, in both these forms and throughout the video, she is expressionless. She is an android in video so she would not have emotions regardless but it seems that the demand of her audience has brought cracks into her programming. Heize has no further existence aside from singing in front of the visitors who admire her and constantly record her through mobile phones and have no consideration for her when she shows her real form as an android.
Before long, she finally cracks and begins to malfunction in front of her fans. Sparks fly from her but still there seems to be no concern from the public as they continue to film and take pictures in earnest. Furthermore, her creators seem to have no involvement in how she has developed emotionally and it appears as if they try to rebuild her after the malfunction. After the tragic events, Heize shows one ounce of humanity as a single tear rolls down her cheeks as she sings the last words; “I am weak, I’m really sorry…”
It is clear to see what Heize is aiming for in terms of the message behind the video and possibly the song itself. She is made up to be this beautiful being that has to face a public that may not be as considerate at times, much like some recent cases of idols. We have seen a demanding effect that the “factory” of K-Pop has on others through hard-hitting insights and even media covered processes. For example, Nine Muses’ documentary back in 2012 and the boom of survival shows (“Produce 101”, “The Unit”, “MixNine” etc) saw the emotional and slightly physical aftermath of how companies create these idols. Before long, the effects catch up on these hopefuls and even idols themselves can crash and burn while eager media reporters watch from the sidelines. “Mianhae” seems to portray the mess of emotions Idols and in fact any person thrust into a public eye feels when they seem to fail or break from their perfect appearance. They should be strong and be a symbol of affection but when it turns on its head, they are distressed both at the vulture nature of the public and also the failure they face with the people who adore them most. It is as if this song is a letter of vulnerability and possibly regret. Heize is emotionless throughout a lot of the video as she sings but as she malfunctions and cries, her emotion shows through as she loses her purpose and appears to be rebuilt to go through the same process which is what makes this video overall so hard-hitting. With both artistic styles in this track and “Jenga” to name a couple, it is clear to see why Heize is growing to be a big name within not only K-Hip-Hop and Pop, but the Korean music industry as a whole.
If you haven’t checked out her latest album, “Wish & Wind” is available to purchase on iTunes and to stream on Spotify.
