SM Entertainment's globally known girl group f(x) is finally signalling their comeback after "Electric Shock" which was released in 2012. The lovely girls are returning with their 2nd full-length album entitled "Pink Tape" - scheduled to be physically released on July 29th this year.
In the video teaser which was released as an Art Film on July 16th, the girls' eerie and yet attractive concept managed to turn heads and in turn garnered a million views in just three days. I have to admit the concept is a lot different than how it was back in "Electric Shock" era and the song in the video entitled "Shadow" is also a lot slower but there really is something about the video that just catches you regardless of these changes.
The video opens with the youngest member, Krystal's, monologue. Her voice just captures you immediately the second she speaks while the video continues to give you a glimpse of the current situation she is in. With the rustling of the leaves and the calmness of her voice, it is enough to get someone to pay enough attention to let the video play until the very end.
"Love exists with an absence of eternity.
At the first moment of a lovers' encounter, there's an affirmation of Love.
Psychologically, lunacy, emptiness, panic, delusion that the moment will last forever.
I'm seized by desire.
I hide behind my back and postpone all answers."
- Krystal Jung, Pink Tape
I love how it was not just empty words spoken to get their fans to pay more attention to them this time round. Her words were actually really deep and disturbing. She opens it by saying that "love exists with an absence of eternity" - basically admitting that love does exist except that it never does last long. "At the first moment of a lovers' encounter," that is when you can feel the ultimate proof that love does exist and is "affirmed" as your own reactions speak louder than words.
The words she listed as followed are the main reactions of a human's when it comes to love, especially towards the end where she strongly suggests that hoping a beautiful moment to last is technically delusional. You might say no to this but if you give it a second thought, every beautiful moment really does not last. A sad truth, is it not? Panic and emptiness are words in the list which leave a bitter impression about love and yet they are two things that we experience the most without realising. By listing and suggesting such words, it seems like Krystal has experienced something so sweet and yet so bitter at the same time leaving her faith to be shaken up as she faces them alone.
However, towards the end she gives us a glimpse of her true feelings despite having said all those confusing statements. She admits at being "seized by desire" - being taken away against her will by something she once hated but has grown to love. She continues to stress on it by saying she is hiding behind her back - a redundant statement which indicates the hopelessness of hiding oneself from something that you undeniably long for thus she postpones all answers. What could Krystal possibly be hiding that seems so beautiful even to my ears (as I read it again and again), leaving her completely confused and yet she loves dropping hints about it.
I have never thought that SM would ever come up with such a concept because knowing them, although they are not as predictable as before, they are still used to some sort of pattern when it comes to giving their artists successful comebacks. This time around though, our expectation was a little too far-fetched. People are even more shocked as SM had chosen label mate EXO-K's main dancer, Kai, to be partnered with Krystal for the teaser photos. What could SM be possibly fishing out from the audience this time? We will just have to wait and see.
Am I looking into things so deeply? I apologised for that but really, I figured this has got to be one of the most interesting teasers that I have ever came across with thus I insisted on a a very critical review on it (that and I love these girls to death). So let's hope for another successful comeback from these girls and until then, let us speculate more. To my favourite girls Amber, Luna, Sulli, Krystal and of course Victoria, good luck!
By Nani Azlan