First off, let me start by saying that I realize that this song had been out for quite some time and is therefore out of date, not to mention it is in fact a Japanese song sung by a Korean group which is the type of songs that Simon and Martina have sworn off. However I have no such qualms and will proceed to review the sh*t out of it.
As far as music videos go, it had some pretty meaningful elements for a song about Paparazzi. The video opens up where the girls appear before the media looking all cool and assured of themselves. I think it shows for the first time Girl's Generation in their true element. I mean, there was no over exaggeration, they replicated to perfection that looking-bored-in-front-of-paparazzi look. I wouldn't even be surprised if that shot was taken right after an actual press conference except...I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
Moving on, the scene where they twirl around that Broadway stage with the classic number 'Singing in The Rain' softly playing in the background was kind of hilarious, to be honest. And while I was not supposed to find it funny, their look of fearful surprise tickled me too. Normally I have no problem with their acting skills, but they failed to convince me in that one. But on a positive note, I thought it had a really good message. You know, as fans we only see the enviable side in the lives of our idols, where they are loved and admired by hundreds of thousands of people. However we seldom see the flip side of this kind of fame, where they are under constant pressure to present a perfect image to the world. One slip up, and it could mean the end of their careers.
Even the Broadway stage is relevant. You see the members twirling around on stage, performing for an audience. Just like how celebrities in real life generally have to put on a show in front of the cameras. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all artists we've come to know and love are a hundred percent fake, but that doesn't mean that they're a hundred percent honest either. And since they are always being put on a pedestal by all of their adoring fans, they can't afford to be. After everything, the girls twirl off stage and the curtain closes, signalling that the show in front of the public is over. And you see their efforts paying off with thunderous applause from the audience and a shot of the Girl's Generation Weekly Exploitation Press singing their praises all over the front page.
This one.
Side note, was I the only one who noticed how that Broadway stage kept changing? I mean, at 1.10 as the members step out, you can clearly see the ground is completely dry. But at 1.45 when they toss their trenchcoats off and start dancing, suddenly the ground is damp like someone just spilled ten buckets of water over the place. Even more hilarious is the fact that you can actually see puddles of water disappear and then reappear in the next scene.
1.26
I mean, were they trying to create some sort of after-rain effect? Kind of inappropriate in my opinion since they are dancing indoors on a stage presumably made of wood, where the audience generally shouldn't expect it to rain. So why bother with the special effects? By the way, constantly soaking wood like that will cause it to rot and eventually collapse. So unless you're trying to kill someone, hosing a Broadway stage seems like a pretty bad idea. It makes me wonder how the video was produced though. Did they like, film one take of the video on a dry stage before getting out the water hose and filming the second and third take, all the while praying that they would finish before all the puddles dried up?
Song and Lyrics
Since the song came out almost right after Twinkle, I can't help but compare the two. The conclusion is, I like Twinkle a lot better than Paparazzi mainly because in Twinkle, Tiffany, Taeyeon and Seohyun really belt it out and showed off a impressive range of vocals. Paparazzi however, does not push the members to those boundaries and therefore loses out. Still, this is still a pretty solid number. The the song was sleek, smooth and had distinct potential as club music, which fits given their clubbing outfits. I feel like there should have been a scene in the music video where the members chill in a club each holding a glass of champagne. Not cocktails, cuz that wouldn't be classy enough. You can really see SNSD's music growing as the members do, and both are maturing towards a direction which I approve of (Which is why I just about died when I Got A Boy came out).
Since the song was so hip and fast, I really thought the song would mainly be about life being a party and boom boom boom. But the lyrics actually hold a much darker meaning. If you look past the smiles and sassy attitudes in the video, this song actually mocks the relationship between celebrities and the media. The girls taunt the paparazzi by calling them partners in crime. We want the fame, you want the stories, it's nothing personal right? And then there is this bitterness injected when they talk about putting on a show no matter where they are since the cameras are always going boom, and that the love they receive comes with a price tag.
The song takes a more desperate turn when they don't want this kind of life anymore but can't complain because the paparazzi was what made them famous in the first place. So in the end, they sort of acknowledge that this is the life they chose and that they have to live with the consequences for it. Very nice. This probably makes me a pretty morbid person, but I really like songs with deep, dark meanings. Like on the surface it suggests one thing but the more you listen to it, the more you realize its actually saying another thing. Gives me chills.
Dance
Normally I'm okay with SNSD's dances, but I had some mixed feelings with this one. Lets start with what I did like about the dance. I loved the camera clicking motions right down to the picture frame they did with their fingers. It was catchy, timed perfectly and fitted well with the song. And the dance break with Hyoyeon's solo was awesome as well.
However I thought that the positioning of the members were a bit poorly arranged. While some of the standard placing such as the V-shape and the double line was pulled off perfectly, most of the time they looked like they were just dancing in random positions, coincidentally managing not to bump into each other as they shuffled around. I'm guessing the choreographer was trying to shake things up by placing them in unorthodox positions and having each member dance differently for some parts. Maybe it would work for groups with less members, but with all nine of them doing something different at the same time, it became a little messy. And while I understand some parts made it really difficult for all members to be in time with one another, but this is the kind of dance that requires all the members to be robotically in sync, which unfortunately they were not.
OUT. OF. SYNC
Also the chorus part where the members spread out their arms in union, really brought to my attention for the first time how skinny some of the girls were. The member I noticed first was Yoona. When she took center position during that chorus, I was shocked because although I knew she was thin, I didn't expect her to be that thin. So when it was Sooyoung's turn, who is the twiggiest member in the group, I actually braced myself to look away because I didn't think I could bear to watch. But thankfully she didn't fully spread her arms out when she took center stage. Why do I get the feeling that that was deliberate? SM, for crying out loud, feed your artists. Now I don't know if Sooyoung and Yoona are the type of people with insane metabolisms where they can gorge themselves and still remain skin and bones. I actually have friends who are like that, so I know these people exist. But if that body was achieved from all the rumored dieting, then you have a serious problem.
Fashion
I'm about to say something terrible here, probably the meanest thing I'm going to say in my entire blogging career so let me get that out of the way before anything else. Sones, I'm giving you the chance to flee the scene, so take it.
All right, so...You know that furry black thing Yoona was wearing in place of a skirt? Well, it makes her look like an ostrich. Yes, I know, I know, I'm just awful. But before you rush at me with your knives and pitchforks, please study the picture below:
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| gettyimages.com |
It cannot be unseen.
I'm sorry for bringing this up, I really am. T-T
Also about Sooyoung's outfit...I'll be blunt. I really hate harem pants. I don't even know why such an abomination was created, let alone why it was brought back into style, and not even Sooyoung of SNSD can pull off the horrendous-ness which are harem pants. So yeah, her costume is not my cup of tea. For the rest of the members, I have no complaints. Their club themed hair and outfits are great. My personal favorite is Seohyun's gothic princess look. She totally rocks it.
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