Spica debuted in 2012 and their career has been consistently inconsistent ever since. They’ve released a respectable amount of singles but they have been hit or miss in quality and popularity. One thing that has remained consistent, though, is Spica’s ability to wow with their vocal power. “You Don’t Love Me” is no exception to this, as it is the perfect song to showcase the group’s vocals. Luckily, it is also one of the group’s best singles so far in terms of tune, concept, and MV.
Something Spica has taken to in recent MVs is the use of symbolism and metaphor; it was a common theme in “Tonight” and continues in “You Don’t Love Me.” Mind you, the symbolism in this single is more straightforward and sassy than the symbolism in “Tonight.” Actually, the cheeky usage of innuendo in this MV is quite possible the best thing about it. The girls are sexy, the song is catchy, the vocals are amazing, but it would all be boring without the hilarious usage of props and carefully timed facial expressions.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc1RwpRfbT0]The lyrics are from the perspective of a girl that has just ended a relationship with a boyfriend who didn’t appreciate her – hence the refrain of “you don’t love me.” That is what most of the little innuendos in this MV deal with, as well. We have a woman chewing on and spitting out a tiny male figurine, a woman smashing that same figurine into a cupcake and then stomping it with her heels, and a woman brutally breaking a banana in half with a smirk.
It doesn’t take much to realize that these ladies are sick and tired of being treated like crap by the man in their life. It doesn’t come across as hateful or immature or pitiful, however, rather it comes across as confident and self-assured; these are women that know what’s best for themselves. What better message to share in a song than that of a person who realizes that staying with someone that doesn’t love them is destructive and unhealthy?
Speaking of the attitude in this MV, Spica has a gift for carrying off sexiness in such a confident and playful way that it almost feels satirical. They don’t feel like they are “trying” to be sexy, but rather are just having fun while being confident in their own sexuality. Their facial expressions play a big part in this as everything the ladies seem to do in this MV is infused with a healthy amount of sass. They aren’t being demure and they aren’t trying to win a guy over; they are reveling in their confidence now that they have told the guy to get lost.
Along with some of the more obvious innuendo moments, there are also those that just make the viewer ask, “Why?”
For example, why does the one member pour laundry on her head, and what are the cheese balls supposed to represent, and why in the world are they wearing butt-pads. Perhaps that last question is the most obvious and the most pressing. It doesn’t make a great deal of sense for the members to wear butt-pads that are obviously fake in only one set. Most likely it is to add to the parody effect of the sexiness by taking it over the edge into fictional idealized female proportions. If you have a theory about the butt pads, please share it in the comments!
As for the overall concept of the MV, everything from the song, to the sets, to the outfits, has the feeling of the 1960s about it. This entire number would not seem out of place in the classic musical Hairspray – a story of female confidence (and much more) set in the US in the sixties. Retro themes are always charming in pop music because it is a nice break from the current trends of the industry and reminds us of what was popular long ago.
The concept also suits the ladies of Spica very well, letting them show off a type of sexiness that is both refined and confident. Perhaps not everyone enjoys cat-eye makeup, brash lipstick, and done-up hair, but it is a concept that works so well for Spica, it is hard not to enjoy.
The dancing is also particularly good for a female group. Yes, there are women that can give anyone a run for their money on the dance floor, but we don’t often get to see their potential in girl groups. Although the choreography for “You Don’t Love Me” isn’t anything particularly difficult, it does fit the sassy concept and is executed with the proper amount of sexiness and attitude. There are also the moments when the members do their own little funny dance, partially sexy and partially ridiculous, which are made all the better by the very serious expressions the ladies are wearing.
I could sing the praises of this MV and concept all day, but if you really want to be even more impressed, check out the live performances of the song. This concept is the best suited to Spica out of every single they have ever done, allowing them to both showcase their singing ability and their playful sexiness.
They don’t need to be shoved into a box labeled “sexy” or “cute” because it is the singles that allow them to be themselves that appeal to the audience as well. “Tonight” and “You Don’t Love Me” are both heading in the right direction for the group and I hope their company continues to give them unique concepts that allow the members’ personalities to shine. Overall rating: 4.5/5
(B2M Entertainment, YouTube)
