MusiCute: Girls' Generation's Mr. Mr.

Hey there honey bears!

I wanted to start a fun segment on this blog called MusiCute!

In this segment, I'll review songs and music videos by artists that I like and discuss all aspects, including fashion and make up!  The blog I used to run was a music blog all about Jpop and Kpop idols.  I plan to cover more than just those two types of music of course, but that's where I started as a blogger so they will be included!

The categories for review are as follows:

1)  General MV Overview

2)  The Look

3)  Composition

4)  Lyrics

5)  Choreography

6)  Martha's Favorite Things!

So!  I'm starting this segment with Girls' Generation's newest release, Mr. Mr.

LET'S GO!

***WARNING.  This post is super image heavy!  Take in all of GG's pink, saturated glory after the jump***

So, we start off in a dark operating room...

That's actually turquoise and pink.  Woah.

And Seohyun is there!  With...cake...

I don't think that would be the best place for eating, Seohyun.  Especially on the floor.  You look fantastic though.

Nurse Sunny will make everything aalll better.  Wowza.  Even with the crazy fro ponytail, she's smokin'!

Dance sequence number one!  Is this what all nurses do on their lunch break?

We finally see the Mr. Mr!  Don't die Mr. Mr!

Ladies...how are these things supposed to save your Mr. Mr?  There are no operating tools on this table.  None.

Sooyoung with the Mr. Mr.

Now Tiffany?

Yuri too?!  Mr. Mr. you dirty dog!

Oho!  We've found the operating tools!  ...though not quite so sanitary since they're laying on that pink furry rug...

Sooyoung:  "I'll save you because I love you."

No Sooyoung, he's a dirty cheater!!  With your own band mates!

Yuri found out and she's not taking it too well...

Yuri:  "Let's take his heart out!"

Woah woah, I know he's a dirty scoundrel, but let's not be rash, Yuri.  

"This groove is for my girls, little lady boys and girls"

Sooyoung's got the anesthesia! And some very big pink diamonds!

Woah these drugs work fast...

It's Dr. Barbie and her nurses to the rescue!

Sunny:  "He doesn't look so good..."

Hyoyeon:  "Why don't we just off him?"

Yoona:  "Right on."

Now, now ladies we don't net to get all Dr. Kevorkian on him.  Right?  Ladies?

DANCE BREAK!

All your lady boys are belong to Hyoyeon.

Sooyoung:  "I'm not letting him die while I'm on duty."

Hyoyeon:  "Fine.  But only because you like him."

Oh no!!  The candle's gone out!!  Did he die?  Did they kill him?

"We're off the clock.  It's time for a drink."

...because all doctors leave the operating room looking this fabulous...

MR. MR.'S ALIVE!  They actually saved him!

Mr. Mr.:  "Where's all the ladies?"

They left your sorry ass because you're a dirty cheater!  Be glad they didn't kill you!

Well I guess that wraps up--

Tiffany:  "But Martha--we're not done yet!  It's time for the key change!"

Huh?  Oh yes carry on.  Lovely singing, ladies!

After some more singing and dancing, end pose!  Looking quite fabulous I might add.

Back to the operating room, this time with a bit of pink light.

The last shot.  I thought this was very clever.  I'm sure whoever made this thought so too.

Whew!  Now that the general plot/overview is done, let's talk about the look of the video!

The first and main look of this video is all about saturated colors and big, dramatic style!  The pinks and reds are bold and all of the girls' hair (excluding Hyoyeon) is in a darker color to bring out the brightness of the costumes and make up.  The eyeliner is drawn on thick, the hair is teased for extra volume, and the jewelry is of massive proportions.  Everything in this first look is big and over the top!

 I know this last shot is in black and white, but it illustrates the point of the jewelry and I love the double shot of Yoona!

The second look in the video consists of tight lined eyes, wavy hair, and a soft pinkish red lip.  The colors in the background of the video even soften up and blend together as well, blue greens and pink reds are used here that reflect the colors of the operating room, but are softened up to go with the softened make up.

The third look in this video is MENSWEAR!  The girls look fantastic in these clothes, as they're tailored to fit their bodies, but the look could still be worn by a man.  Fantastic combination.  I like how their hair was either put up or shortened as well, adding to the clean cut and tailored image.  

Even if Sunny isn't your favorite, Sunny is your favorite.  She just commands attention!  Also, Seohyun is a pro at finding the camera, no matter where she is.

Jessica knows how to werk it, and Yoona always gives good face, while Sooyoung is looking lovely while she's off in her own parallel universe...

The other two looks featured briefly in this video were the dance sequence in the parking garage, and the last sequence with the tux/dress combo.

These outfits looked good, but I didn't really see the purpose of this shot as it showed up so briefly and didn't seem to have any relevance in the video other than to add another costume change.  Honestly I would have preferred cutting this look and seeing more of the menswear.

I rather liked this look.  The combination of the flirty skirt and the shirt front top brought the girly image that Girls' Generation is known for, but added a fun twist that related to the song.  It was also cool to see them dance in the operating room, since that's where most of the video takes place.  Also--their shoes are amazing!  You'll have to watch the video to get a closer look.

Onto the song itself!

The song fits in with the EDM trend going on in Kpop at the moment, so it goes with the current market.  It has a good beat and has some catchy vocal bits that get stuck in your head (the Wo-woahs and Mr. Mr.'s in particular).  This isn't a club banger that you can let loose and dance your heart out to, but you can bob along with the beat and just go off in your own little world for a while.  

The first thing I hear is the opening melody with the synths.  It's a sequence that's repeated and built upon over and over again in the song.  First, it's built on with just a back beat and vocals.  Next, there's a softer, faster melody with a lazy back beat behind it, then at the hook, a clapping from a distance is added.  At the chorus, the same sound from the beginning comes back but with a different melody, and what sounds like an electronic keyboard is added, then at the end of the chorus, that first melody comes back to go into the second verse, and the pattern repeats.  

At the dance break, the melody from the beginning (or a variation of it) is backed by a drum machine and a "Hey!" done by a male voice.  It's simple and serves as a good way to lead up to the key change.  Speaking of key changes, there's not one, but TWO.  Oooooo two key changes!  Usually when pop songs have a key change, they only go up by a half step.  This song predictably did, but then threw me for a loop when it went up another half step.  It seemed a bit gratuitous at first listen, and actually made me laugh a little.  It's like SM wanted to really show you how good the vocals in Girls' Generation are.  Although after another listen or two, I liked it.  It sounds good.  It also makes me curious to hear how the girls pull it off live.  We'll find out soon enough.  

Overall, the song is very catchy like a good pop song should be, and it shows some musical maturity from the group.  They stuck with feminine image, but they didn't go back to their aegyo-laden roots.  It's like they actually took "I Got a Boy" and grew from it.  It was a logical step for the group musically and image-wise. 

Now onto the lyrics!

They aren't anything new by Kpop standards, talking about how the guy won't notice them and how he needs to gather courage and be a man and notice her blah blah blah.  If any song content change in Kpop happens, I would be incredibly surprised if it came from Girls' Generation.  Although one thing I am pleased about with the lyrics is that they didn't degrade themselves (and other women by default) with these lyrics.  It wasn't a lot of "Am I good enough for him?" and the word "oppa" wasn't used ONCE in the whole song!  REJOICE!  The lyrics portray that the woman in the song feels confident that she is worth it, and that getting with this guy is what she wants, and not because she needs just any old guy.  She wants him.  Whoever he is.  

Next thing is choreography!

Of course we all expect a well executed dance from Girls' Generation, one that has simple movements but is done so well it looks difficult, and they definitely delivered!  The dance break itself is impressive, as it looks like choreography that a boy band would tackle.  The moves that stick in my head though, are the moves where they look like they're adjusting their clothing.

Putting on cuff links.

And adjusting their ties...even though they aren't wearing any. XD

The choreography switches between dainty and feminine, and sharp and masculine (using the terms feminine and masculine as defined by the Kpop world, my definitions of those terms aren't quite so narrow), so it makes it fun to watch.  Can't wait to see the whole dance live!

Also, if SM uploaded a dance shot that was purely in the menswear and the tux-dresses...that would be amazing.  Right?!  Like when the choreography changed the outfits would change...?

*ahem*

Please excuse my fangirling.

ANYWAY!

Let's move on to Martha's Favorite Things!

The rhinestone encrusted heart!  This was a super cool prop that made frequent appearances in this video, and I thought it was really cool!  I also like how it was colored pink and blue to represent the oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood going through the human heart!  This prop is kind of gross-cute, and I'd probably use it as a decoration in my house if I could...is that weird?

This giant pink diamondish ring!  (I say diamondish because it's probably plastic crafted to look like a big honkin' diamond).  It's so huge and tacky I love it and I would wear it all the time if I had one.

HEART MONITOR RING.  HOW COOL IS THIS?!  And it's pink too (of course)!  I bet a bunch of these are going to be made and sold on etsy because of this video.  This is a super funky accessory and it would definitely be a good conversation starter!  SM.  If you made these rings official merchandise, you'd make a whole bunch of money!!  Seriously.

***Side Note*** The stuff inside the bottle is apparently Calcium Chloride.  I looked it up and it's injected to treat internal hydrofluoric acid burns, as well as treat magnesium intoxication, and can help prevent potential heart attacks from medication side effects.  Well, I'm impressed!  Someone on staff actually put some thought into the medical labels used in the video!  Kudos!

Tiffany's lacy choker!  It looks gorgeous on her, doesn't it?  The lace is delicate and the jewels add some shine, so it's a very sweet piece with a bit of gothic flair.  I have a short neck so I can't pull of chokers well, but I'm sure some of you long-necked ladies would look wonderful in something like this!

Jessica's make up in this shot!  Her skin looks so dewy here, and there's a slight pink blush on her cheeks that looks very natural.  Paired with a pretty pink lip and a smokey eye, it's a messy-pretty look that would be great for a date or a night out club hopping (if you're into that kind of thing).  It's very alluring and sexy without being too over the top.  

My last favorite thing is this lyric:

"You make broken glass from scars

turn into stars"

I like the image in this lyric a lot.  Can you imagine broken glass turning into stars?  Beautiful!  It shows how important this particular man is to her.  I'm sure the image is even more beautiful in Korean, but I can't speak Korean so I have to use the translation for now.

Congratulations!  You made it to the end of the post!  HOORAY!

For those of you who read all the way until the end, thank you very much!

Do you like Mr. Mr?  What did you think of the video?  Did it live up to your expectations?  Let me know in the comments so we can discuss!

If you haven't yet, make sure to watch the video!

You can buy their EP on iTunes or YesAsia!

Do you like this segment?  Should I do more?  Do you have any suggestions of what artists I should review next?

Let me know, and see you next time!

xoxo

Martha