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Author
Ariel
T-ara’s “Sexy Love” and the K-pop Recipe
In this essay, I will consider the dance version, robot dance version, and the drama version of T-ara’s “Sexy Love.” The dance versions are the same clips edited differently, and the drama version is a ten-minute storyline, sequel to T-ara’s “Day by Day.” From examining the setting, lyrics, and choreography, T-ara’s “Sexy Love” music videos satisfy the recipe of K-pop music videos to reach marketability.
Through comparing the dance and drama versions, the settings of “Sexy Love” fit a standard mold of K-pop production. The dance versions are set in brightly decorated boxes, simulating a fantasy land. The drama version is set in a dystopian future, where members are gang leaders with paranormal fighting abilities. In all versions, T-ara is the centre of attention and regarded as supernatural beings, supporting the pedestal idol-culture. Whether they are disguised with “alluring appearances” in boxes or camouflaged as “powerful” warriors in a dystopian world, T-ara establishes themselves as “role models” (Shin 2015, 134). These versions serve primarily as income generators, as YouTube provides a platform to promote “K-pop as a popular entertainment form worldwide” (Ono and Kwon 2013, 200). The different videos distributed on social networks serve the same purpose: to captivate consumers, those that drive the industry (Jung 2015, 85).
The aural component of “Sexy Love” mirrors another element of K-pop: the irrelevance of lyrics to visuals. Like most modern day entertainment, generic lyrics do not come from artists themselves, as the focus is not on meaning, more on the catchy tune so viewers never forget--another marketing strategy. The lyrics of “Sexy Love” could not be more standard; it is about how T-ara cannot “stop this feeling” about love. Whether this “you” signifies the viewer or the lover, it is not of importance as ultimately T-ara is the “sexy” love interest. The words “sexy love” in English express a “liberated self” that the Korean language cannot; the artists maintain their modesty through being seductive in English and not tainting their Korean-ness (Lee 2004, 446). The repetitive usage of “sexy” embeds into the listener’s memory, which enhances the listener’s engagement and encourages reiteration of a word that has lost its original erotic meaning. The company aims to not only profit but also seek a personal connection with the consumer, so that the consumer is more likely to return (Creighton 2016, 2).
The dance aspect of “Sexy Love” conform to the typical K-pop choreography: a set of “physical gestures [that] encapsulate hook lines, beats, and significant aspects of the melody” (Unger 2015, 33). The choreography mimics a robotic puppet that requires outer control. Overall the moves are cute and not sensual, but the word “sexy” accompanies a lip touch or crotch rub. The artists are dressed as dolls and presented as literal objects, bringing attention to their vulnerability. From their eye-enlarging makeup to their innocent expressions, T-ara members synchronize to a catchy melody to create a video that serves “as a visual promotional tool [and] places emphasis on the visual appearance [...] over musical talent” (Unger 2015, 25). At first sight, the expressions and simplistic body movements appear pure, but upon inspecting the camera placements, “Sexy Love” is another K-pop music video shot through the male gaze. The use of fragmentation, where the camera focuses on body parts, is evident whenever the word “sexy” is sung. “Sexy Love” is an example where “women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact” (Mulvey 1975, 11).
T-ara’s “Sexy Love” lacks originality and tends to an audience that enjoys the repetitive visual and aural stimulus. The settings parallel a fantasy, the catchphrase lyrics are in English, and the choreography, together with shot placements, zoom into the faces of the idols to falsely produce intimacy. Rather than being regarded as role models, after video analysis the idols are actually treated as objects, which unfortunately is the case for many K-pop music videos today.
Through comparing the dance and drama versions, the settings of “Sexy Love” fit a standard mold of K-pop production. The dance versions are set in brightly decorated boxes, simulating a fantasy land. The drama version is set in a dystopian future, where members are gang leaders with paranormal fighting abilities. In all versions, T-ara is the centre of attention and regarded as supernatural beings, supporting the pedestal idol-culture. Whether they are disguised with “alluring appearances” in boxes or camouflaged as “powerful” warriors in a dystopian world, T-ara establishes themselves as “role models” (Shin 2015, 134). These versions serve primarily as income generators, as YouTube provides a platform to promote “K-pop as a popular entertainment form worldwide” (Ono and Kwon 2013, 200). The different videos distributed on social networks serve the same purpose: to captivate consumers, those that drive the industry (Jung 2015, 85).
The aural component of “Sexy Love” mirrors another element of K-pop: the irrelevance of lyrics to visuals. Like most modern day entertainment, generic lyrics do not come from artists themselves, as the focus is not on meaning, more on the catchy tune so viewers never forget--another marketing strategy. The lyrics of “Sexy Love” could not be more standard; it is about how T-ara cannot “stop this feeling” about love. Whether this “you” signifies the viewer or the lover, it is not of importance as ultimately T-ara is the “sexy” love interest. The words “sexy love” in English express a “liberated self” that the Korean language cannot; the artists maintain their modesty through being seductive in English and not tainting their Korean-ness (Lee 2004, 446). The repetitive usage of “sexy” embeds into the listener’s memory, which enhances the listener’s engagement and encourages reiteration of a word that has lost its original erotic meaning. The company aims to not only profit but also seek a personal connection with the consumer, so that the consumer is more likely to return (Creighton 2016, 2).
The dance aspect of “Sexy Love” conform to the typical K-pop choreography: a set of “physical gestures [that] encapsulate hook lines, beats, and significant aspects of the melody” (Unger 2015, 33). The choreography mimics a robotic puppet that requires outer control. Overall the moves are cute and not sensual, but the word “sexy” accompanies a lip touch or crotch rub. The artists are dressed as dolls and presented as literal objects, bringing attention to their vulnerability. From their eye-enlarging makeup to their innocent expressions, T-ara members synchronize to a catchy melody to create a video that serves “as a visual promotional tool [and] places emphasis on the visual appearance [...] over musical talent” (Unger 2015, 25). At first sight, the expressions and simplistic body movements appear pure, but upon inspecting the camera placements, “Sexy Love” is another K-pop music video shot through the male gaze. The use of fragmentation, where the camera focuses on body parts, is evident whenever the word “sexy” is sung. “Sexy Love” is an example where “women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact” (Mulvey 1975, 11).
T-ara’s “Sexy Love” lacks originality and tends to an audience that enjoys the repetitive visual and aural stimulus. The settings parallel a fantasy, the catchphrase lyrics are in English, and the choreography, together with shot placements, zoom into the faces of the idols to falsely produce intimacy. Rather than being regarded as role models, after video analysis the idols are actually treated as objects, which unfortunately is the case for many K-pop music videos today.
Reference
Creighton, Millie. “Through the Korean Wave Looking Glass: Gender, Consumerism, Transnationalism, Tourism Reflecting Japan-Korea
Relations in Global East Asia.” The Asia-Pacific Journal 14, no. 7 (2016): 1-15.
Jung, Eun-Young. “New Wave Formations: K-pop Idols, Social Media, and the Remaking of the Korean Wave.” In Hallyu 2.0: The
Korean Wave in the Age of Social Media, edited by Sangjoon Lee and Abé Mark Nornes. 73-89. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press, 2015.
Lee, Jamie Shinhee. “Linguistic Hybridization in K-Pop: Discourse of Self-Assertion and Resistance.” World Englishes 23, no. 3 (2004):
429-450.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen 16, no. 3 (1975): 6-18.
Ono, Kent A., and Jungmin Kwon. “Re-worlding Culture? YouTube as a K-pop Interlocutor.” In The Korean Wave: Korean Media Go
Global, edited by Youna Kim. 199-214. New York: Routledge, 2013.
Shin, Haerin. “The Dynamics of K-pop Spectatorship: The Tablo Witch-Hunt and its Double-Edged Sword of Enjoyment.” In K-pop--
The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry, edited by Jungbong Choi and Roald Maliangkay. 133-145. New York:
Routledge, 2015.
Unger, Michael A. “The Aporia of Presentation: Deconstructing the Genre of K-pop Girl Group Music Videos in South Korea.” Journal of
Popular Music Studies 27, no. 1 (2015): 25-47.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (Dance Ver. MV).” YouTube video, 5:14. Posted September 2, 2012.
https://youtu.be/ShVRP09NCO4.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (Drama ver. MV).” YouTube video, 14:54. Posted September 2, 2012.
https://youtu.be/vb___tTA1po.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (ROBOT Dance Ver. MV).” YouTube video, 3:52. Posted September 5, 2012.
https://youtu.be/mjknp1nWGjY.
Relations in Global East Asia.” The Asia-Pacific Journal 14, no. 7 (2016): 1-15.
Jung, Eun-Young. “New Wave Formations: K-pop Idols, Social Media, and the Remaking of the Korean Wave.” In Hallyu 2.0: The
Korean Wave in the Age of Social Media, edited by Sangjoon Lee and Abé Mark Nornes. 73-89. Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press, 2015.
Lee, Jamie Shinhee. “Linguistic Hybridization in K-Pop: Discourse of Self-Assertion and Resistance.” World Englishes 23, no. 3 (2004):
429-450.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen 16, no. 3 (1975): 6-18.
Ono, Kent A., and Jungmin Kwon. “Re-worlding Culture? YouTube as a K-pop Interlocutor.” In The Korean Wave: Korean Media Go
Global, edited by Youna Kim. 199-214. New York: Routledge, 2013.
Shin, Haerin. “The Dynamics of K-pop Spectatorship: The Tablo Witch-Hunt and its Double-Edged Sword of Enjoyment.” In K-pop--
The International Rise of the Korean Music Industry, edited by Jungbong Choi and Roald Maliangkay. 133-145. New York:
Routledge, 2015.
Unger, Michael A. “The Aporia of Presentation: Deconstructing the Genre of K-pop Girl Group Music Videos in South Korea.” Journal of
Popular Music Studies 27, no. 1 (2015): 25-47.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (Dance Ver. MV).” YouTube video, 5:14. Posted September 2, 2012.
https://youtu.be/ShVRP09NCO4.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (Drama ver. MV).” YouTube video, 14:54. Posted September 2, 2012.
https://youtu.be/vb___tTA1po.
1theK (원더케이). “T -ARA(티아라) _ Sexy Love (ROBOT Dance Ver. MV).” YouTube video, 3:52. Posted September 5, 2012.
https://youtu.be/mjknp1nWGjY.