In the music video for “춤 (dance),” Korean hip-hop group offonoff showcase their range, mixing RnB, hip-hop, and ballad elements. It is a ‘rule’ among K-pop idols that 1 or more ballad songs will always be included in an album (Chang 2017:68), and it would appear that Korean hip-hop artists adhere to similar rules. The MV for “춤 (dance)” subverts conventional criticisms of Korean music through deliberate choices in filmography as well as musical composition.

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Firstly, the location in which the music video is filmed is a detail which cannot be ignored. Though it is not uncommon for Korean MVs to be shot in foreign locations, though the filmography is often in done in such a way that identifying elements, such as signs and people, are cropped out or otherwise out of focus. In the case of offonoff’s “춤 (dance)” however, the opening shot pans to the clearly visible signage of the restaurant Damascu Bite, as well as the “foreign dancing bodies” (Saeji 2016: 259) of presumably UK natives in the foreground, including London-based musician Cosmo Pyke. As a result, the performing duo of Colde and 0channel are not in conflict with a ‘living’ environment, but rather they are portrayed in harmony with one another. Though one could argue that the use of foreign signage and diverse actors suggests appeals to ideas of exoticism, an equally valid argument could be made that such methods are used to situate foreign fans within the narrative of Korean music and create the impression of authenticity (Ibid, 262-263). In particular, the inclusion of Cosmo Pyke, who can be seen playing blues guitar throughout the music video, suggests an appeal to the deep-rooted connections between black culture and the RnB-jazz inspired instrumental heard throughout the song. In a similar manner to Saeji’s framework on cosmopolitanism, Pennycook (2007) asserts that “in subcultures like hip hop, authenticity is concerned with community building (cited in Hare and Baker 2017: 2); the inclusion of foreign bodies works to subvert conventional ideas of Korean music, culture, and fandom as homogeneous.

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With regards to filming techniques, the music video prominently features pseudo-amateur filmography such as the ‘shaky’ camera popularized by underground artists such as Keith Ape. ‘Candid’ depictions of background characters can also be seen throughout the music video; most notably, a couple can be seen walking through the still-frame shot, as well as a car passing through. As previously mentioned, the opening shot of the music video focuses on the foreign bodies in the foreground, while the performing duo of offonoff can be briefly seen in the background, subverting conventional critiques of Korean performers ‘competing’ with a foreign environment. This is further emphasized through the juxtaposition of bright indoor lighting and overhead neon lights in the background and foreground respectively; emphasis is placed on the dark silhouettes of foreign dancing bodies.

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Throughout the music video, a slow instrumental featuring blues guitar is coupled with the quintessentially ‘hip-hop’ elements of 808 drums and electronic synth, suggesting an RnB hip-hop ballad. The subject matter depicted in the lyrics of the song also corresponds with the definition of a K-ballad as a slow western-style love song (Chang 2017: 65). Juxtaposed with rap verses is an emotional and high-pitched chorus sang in English, showcasing vocalist Colde’s range as well as hearkening to the soft, almost feminine vocals typical of 80s-90s Korean ballad.

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Through the use of diverse actors and distinctively ‘indie’ filming techniques and quirks, offonoff’s “춤 (dance)” addresses common critiques of homogeneity in regard to contemporary Korean popular music. As well, the duo’s use of hip-hop as a medium “to ‘cut and mix’ different musical styles and cultural references” (Um 2013: 52) suggests an appeal to contemporary Korean aspirations of cosmopolitanism and authenticity.

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Written by Chris

Word count: 624

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Bibliography

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Chang, Yu-Jeong. "Trot and Ballad." In Popular Genres of Korean Pop, 63-70. 2017.

 

Hare, Sarah, and Andrea Baker. "Keepin’ It Real: Authenticity, Commercialization, and the Media in Korean Hip Hop." SAGE Open7, no. 2 (2017): 215824401771029. doi:10.1177/2158244017710294.

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Offonoff. “OFFONOFF – 춤.” Filmed [2017]. Youtube Video, 3:48. Posted [July 2017].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt0Me5qyK4g

 

Saeji, Cedarborough T. "Cosmopolitan Strivings and Racialisation: The Foreign Dancing Body in Korean Popular Music Videos." Edited by Andrew D. Jackson and Colette Balmain. In Korean Screen Cultures Interrogating Cinema, TV, Music and Online Games, 257-92.

 

Um, Hae-Kyung. "The Poetics of Resistance and the Politics of Crossing Borders: Korean Hip-hop and ‘cultural Reterritorialisation’." Popular Music32, no. 01 (2013): 51-64. doi:10.1017/s0261143012000542.