20140808_seoulbeats_spica_naraeSPICA has proven over and over again that they can sing circles around your favs. And yet, knowing this, I’m still blown away by how good their songs are.

Whereas “Tonight” piqued my interest, “You Don’t Love Me” completely drew me in. Continuing the trend of retro pop and brass horns, “I Did It” is confident, powerful and, notably, sung entirely in English.

With the news that Spica was set to make their US debut at KCON, fans were divided. Would the song be any good? Was it too soon to release an English song when they still haven’t made an impact in South Korea?

Luckily, “I Did It” is a wonderful song full of the spunk and confidence that we’ve come to associate with Spica. Unfortunately, however, this doesn’t carry over into the music video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Mns7IbRFE]

I don’t want to say that this music video is terrible because it’s not bad it’s just … boring. Sitting through the whole MV was an ordeal, and I had to stop myself from reaching for my phone to distract myself. The only compliment I can honestly give the MV is that the members of Spica looked like they were having fun. But other than that, I can’t think of anything else.

The girls dance around against a plain backdrop that provides no stimulation to the viewer. The black and white theme was sometimes accentuated with a splash of color, but, even then, it wasn’t enough to provide interest. Besides dancing, some of the girls sit on a couch, and there’s a random silhouette of a break dancer. “I Did It” simply has no vision and no coherency.

20140808_seoulbeats_spica_ididit

This MV is truly a missed opportunity. Spica has put out great quality MVs before — “Tonight” and “You Don’t Love Me” were wonderful and gave Spica a chance to shine — so why is “I Did It” so lackluster?

The missed potential really bothers me because the lyrics make it so easy to make an accompanying music video. All they needed to do was get some shots of Spica driving around in a red convertible (top down of course) and partying it up with each other. Is that so hard to do?

Just check out the lyrics below. Even a cliche party music video would be more interesting than what was given to us.

Got my outfit tight, I’m lookin’ right
Diamonds on deck, and my shoes right
It feels so good, and uncivilized
Raise my glass tonight

Driving in a car,
With the windows rolled down, just ridin’ with my crew
Gonna take us far
Turn it up all night, no we don’t need us no dudes

It’s a shame the MV was so bland as the song and lyrics are so alluring. The music is fun and insanely catchy, and you can’t help but sing along. The lyrics are even better, full of empowerment and self-confidence. Spica sings about doing what you want for yourself and how freeing it is.

I go out, all night, ’cause I like it a lot
(I Did It) Then I spend my day, doin’ just what I want
(I Did It) Always get my way, ’cause I like it a lot
Choose how I live my life, if you like it or not

I Did It, I Did It, Yes, I Did It, I set myself free
Oh Baby, I Did It, Yes, I Did It, I did it for me
No no, I don’t care what you want me to be
Oh Baby, I Did It, Yes, I Did It, I did it for me

The lyrics are refreshing because they’re self empowering instead of the faux girl-power so common in K-pop. It’s not just “I’m going to live my life,” but “I’m going to live my like whether you like it or not,” a bolder statement filled with self-assurance. Spica’s maturation has been building throughout their releases, and “I Did It” is a wonderful step forward.

Going back to the music video though, this self-assurance is seen in the way Spica carry themselves. They are having fun and belting out the lyrics with confidence. Unfortunately, even the unusual editing could not save this snore-fest of an MV. The girls look great, but they can do so much better.

MV Score: 1/5
Song Score: 5/5

(B2M Entertainment, YouTube, Color Coded Lyrics)

Like the MV? How would you direct it differently?