INFINITE have returned with a repackage of their 'Season 2' album entitled 'Be Back', and yesterday their dynamic and cinematic music video for the additional track 'Back' was revealed. This great MV will be the focus of today's [MV MONDAY]!
Cinematic MVs are not a new area for INFINITE as the boys always seem to pack a punch in their concepts and will often articulate the emotion of their music through dramatic and beautiful videos - 'Back' is certainly no exception!
The members take on the role of friends and 'big brothers' for a young girl that has seemingly been kidnapped by a bad boy gang. It is up to INFINITE to fight the bad guys and save the girl. The first thing you must be thinking is how overdone this trope is in global cinema - "Oh look! The handsome and tough man saves the girl and they live happily ever after!". However, the particular variation of the paradigm is quite refreshing in both the sibling-style relationship (as opposed to that of two lovers) and the rather unusual ending.
The song itself begins with a soft, gentle and somewhat sad sound. This obviously drastically juxtaposes the imagery presented. Given the violent theme you would probably assume the accompanying music to be brash and loud, but this is not so. This sound continues for quite a while until the music begins to really kick in for the chorus, more accurately mirroring the dynamism of the visuals. This beginning along with the beautiful vocals could be said to illustrate the real emotion behind the song, and helps to give the concept deeper layers. After all, how distraught would you be if a loved one was kidnapped?!
The entire feel and look of this MV is quite reminiscent of the 2007 Japanese film 'Crows Zero' directed by the well-known Takashi Miike. The colour palette of both the film and this MV are pretty similar, with the use of vibrant reds to slice through the dingy backdrops. The use of the colour red is incredibly prevalent in the music video, offering consistency through the changing scenes and, of course, also adds connotations violence, bloodshed and war.
Interestingly, 'Crows Zero' is also a film about gangs, a fairly common theme in both South Korean and Japanese media. The hugely successful manga turned drama series 'Gokusen' is testament to this and also features reds in its colour schemes. 'Gokusen''s protagonist, Yakuza and teacher, Kumiko Yamaguchi's (A.K.A Yankumi) bright red tracksuit has become quite iconic now.
The gang concept has also featured in many K-Pop MVs before this one, some examples of this include Block B's 'Be the Light', B.A.P's 'One Shot', Shinhwa's 'YO!' and 'Run' and NU'EST's 'Face'!
The attraction of the gang concept is plain to see, the idea is very masculine and allows the (often handsome) men to show a rebellious, bad-boy image that all the girls go crazy for. It is also a theme that allows for plenty of action and drama that will always pull an audience into the cinema seats. What can be said to make a gang theme stand out and stick with viewers though, is the illustration of emotions and deeper stories behind the tough characters. INFINITE's 'Back' MV does this very well with both its sound and it's visuals which work together to pull at your heartstrings and will the members (the good guys) to win the fight. The inclusion of sweet scenes between members and the young girl shows that this initially simple and action-packed concept has many more layers to it.
As well as all this, the idea of a gang symbolises strength, solidarity and loyalty which is undoubtedly attractive to K-Pop groups that often eat, sleep, live and work together on a daily basis.
INSPIRITs will probably also be happy that the dramatic narrative still allows for some great choreography, and as always, INFINITE show their amazing synchronisation and dancing talent.
A big thanks to Lore Walsh for the MV suggestion and ideas. I was only covering her usual feature for this week! Thank you to Lore as well for the image banner!
A big thanks to Lore Walsh for the MV suggestion and ideas. I was only covering her usual feature for this week! Thank you to Lore as well for the image banner!
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