The Queen of the Girl Crush, Sunmi is back with the final instalment of the 2018 album project which included “Gashina” & “Heroine”. All packed together in her physical mini-album, “WARNING”, it is the title track “Siren” that is taking the spotlight with a fresh and quirk style that is now part of Sunmi’s strong stage presence. When explaining the album during her showcase, it was explained the “Siren” was the prequel as it was the end of the Warning that lead to “Gashina” and the doomed love explained in that song and the follow-up, “Heroine”. However, the music video does have a more playful, sometimes cheeky tone and plays on both meanings of the word, Siren.
We first see Sunmi as normal, coming out of the shower and acting normal to the point of even sneezing. The reason we point this out now is that the first Sunmi we see – which we will name “Blue” Sunmi to stop confusion – is the more human rendition. She may be beautiful and made up but she is far from the perfect image we see of public figures such as her. However, as she continues with her routine, the lights turn red as an initial warning of danger as the starting sirens of the song start to blare. Several forms of Sunmi soon appear with one emerging literally from water and staggering towards Blue. It is interesting to see that the drenched clone is appearing as the Idol form, dressed in an outfit similar to “Gashina” and continuing to dance, despite Blue’s panic and disgust as she runs away.
As Blue tries to escape, she discovered multiple renditions of herself, possibly created by either the previous singles or public opinion. One is dressed in tight regal material with a crown on her head – possibly created by fan comments depicting her as a fierce queen among the idols. The second is a glamorous Sunmi, sat on the floor in garb similar to “Heroine” but with the same ice expression as the other doppelgangers. The last Sunmi sports a mermaid concept, reminiscent of the second meaning behind the song’s title. A Siren is often known as mythical creature of the seas who lures men to their doom with its seductive looks and beautiful voices. It may be possibly that these four sirens are forms of Sunmi that is ultimately luring Blue to her realisation that she must succumb to the fantasies before her and realise that her reality is not the same.
It does suit the story arc of the song itself too if this theory is correct as the song speaks of someone who has created an image of her which does not match with who she really is, while she continuously voices her frustration of being viewed this way. As we learn more about the ideas Sunmi had with this song, it is intriging to see a different side. She does that that the line “The beautiful me of your fantasies does not exist” was in fact aimed at public response towards her looks so maybe the sirens Blue faces within the video are the images that she is often viewed as. It is an intriguing theory if looked further if we take into account later scenes in the video. Both Blue Sunmi and the first Siren are seen within a large cage. Blue is first seen cautious and scared but as it flickers between her and the doppelganger, she becomes eager to escape and even smirks, finally submitting to her inner Siren and becoming who she really is. Finally, she returns to her reality and free-willingly turns on the red light seen at the start of the video; possibly further indication that she is now accepting of her four Siren personas and the dangers that some with them.
Overall, the video is a beautiful conclusion to the Trilogy and still showcasing the stunning visuals that every single has brought with it. Each single has carried the concept of a warning within it which brought the mini-album’s name to fruition. Each single can be easily identified with listeners and fans which make the theories behind the music videos all the more intriguing and cleverly thought out; beginning from the fantasy of “Siren”, letting go in “Heroine” and embracing both the fantasy and reality in “Gashina”, stating that Sunmi has bloomed and no one can stop her. With her new album being highly received by fans, it is clear to see that is the case as she has once again confirmed why she truly a Siren among today’s generation of Idols.
