XIA Junsu Flower MV Review

This is how I feel right now:

I'm not even sure what to say about this song and video. It seems wrong to try to put what I have just witnessed into words because it is something that needs to be experienced. Everything from the song to the video were beautiful and over the top in a way that I'm pretty sure only Junsu could get away with. I think that if someone else tried to do this it would come off as cheap or pretentious. Junsu has the talent to shine through all the things that are happening in this video, and boy are there a lot of things happening.

Just the song itself has layer upon layer of sounds not counting the fact that Tablo is featured in this song which takes it to that extra layer of awesome. I'm not a fan of everything that Tablo has done since I am not a hip hop/rap kind of person, but even though, Table is amazing.

The beginning of the music video takes a moment to begin both for the story and for the actual music. When it comes to videos I hate it when the song is interrupted by the video or it takes forever to get started because in the long run I am here for the music. If the video sucks, that's okay because I am not listening to the video, I am listening to a song. This video does both of those things, it takes about a minute to get started and the song is interrupted half way through and I don't even care. The song almost starts without you noticing it's so quite and you are so wrapped up in what is happening before your eyes. It is kind of this magic moment when Junsu actually starts singing.

As for the music video, it totally matches the song in the respect that it is also epic and grandiose. From the sets, to the costumes, to the dance everything was so on point and beautiful I'm still in awe as I watch it for the who knows what number time. I'm sure there is meaning upon meaning upon meaning, but I sure as heck don't know what any of it is. The most that I am going to go for is that there was a lot of rebirth symbolism in the video and the CD cover itself was a picture of Junsu stylized to look like a baby in a womb. I did read about a lot of people who were going off about Junsu throwing shade at SM. I know that that was a huge issue in K-pop and it still is and maybe it is about SM, but I really wish that the JYJ guys could do things without everything that they do have to be about what happened in the past.

I'm not even going to pretend that I can make sense of this video itself, but taking it at face value and looking at just the sets and costumes, those are beautiful on their own. My favorite set and costumes had to be the last really dark one. It was such a contrast to all the glitz and glamour of the other sets with its dark almost monochrome coloring. I also loved Junsu's costuming, it kind of made me think of Clan of the Cave Bear which I never watched but I read the books.

One of the biggest questions that I have about this video actually has nothing to do with the story or the symbolism or anything like that. Well, it's probably symbolic, but what in the name of all that is good is that wingless demon thestral at the end of the video?

I'm pretty sure that that is the third horse of the apocalypse right there. Out of whose nightmare was that created? The same goes for the horse's cousin the demon fish.

On top of phenomenal videos something else that I always know is going to happen is that Junsu is going to look gorgeous and throw normal fashion conventions out the window and his backup dancers are going to be just as awesome as Junsu himself.

Junsu knows that he's beautiful and oozes sexiness and he uses that in his video. (But then he gets in front of the camera for an interview and he seems really dorky and cute. I love it.) He isn't afraid to do what he wants to do even if it means he isn't being "masculine". He was working those metallic silver nails all throughout the video. This video should have been "XIA Flower featuring Tablo and Xia's Nails".

I also look forward to who is going to be in the background dancing with Junsu because those people are just as passionate as he is. Sometimes you don't even realize backup dancers are in a video because they are there to support the main dancer or dancers. I feel like in Junsu's videos his dancers are just as much a part of the video as he is. They are passionate and strong and in it just as much as Junsu. This isn't so much a thing here, but in his last video "Incredible" I was amazing at that video that the backup dancers were smiling and happy to be there. There was legitimate joy on their faces not face joy or someone who looked like they were there for a paycheck.

In the end, this post is a TL:DR of yes to everything about this video. The song was bombastic and the video was visually amazing. Normally in K-pop you get one or the other but Junsu is one of the people that can properly bring those two things together. Now if you'll excuse me, this song makes me want to out to save the world, and I need to go find a properly fabulous outfit to do so.

~ Alora