FNC Entertainment is joining the summer clambake! AOA‘s dance unit, AOA White (aka AOA) has made its comeback. After a successful 2014 with “Miniskirt,” “Short Hair” and “Like A Cat,” AOA gives us more of the same in MV for “Heart Attack.” And that isn’t a bad thing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=14&v=1pBgMBBsv4k]Brave Brothers has added more pep to AOA’s singles discography, with the synths and snares making the “Heart Attack” club-ready. It’s louder than the sultry “Miniskirt” and “Like A Cat” and more energetic than the limp “Short Hair.” It’s a decent party tune, though the members’ vocals take a back seat when not driving the catchy “Banhae banhae beoryeosseoyo” (“I’ve completely fallen for you”) hook.
The lacrosse concept was one that I was looking forward to as, strangely enough, sports is something K-pop doesn’t seem to often involve itself with when it comes to MVs. Even Exo‘s “Love Me Right” showed little actual sport being played… Though that could also be due to confusion about which sport the members were meant to be playing.
Six of the AOA members make up a lacklustre girls’ team getting their arses whooped in an intra-school/college match against the male lacrosse team. Why is the male team playing against the female team? Maybe it’s the off-season and the two teams are doing this to continue their training. Maybe the male team actually sucks and the only way the can win is against AOA.
Who knows? The fact remains that our protagonists are being pummeled; and on top of that, resident blonde Choa is suffering a devastating crush on an opposition player. Poor girl has it bad, and her embarrassed reactions are the highlight in the acting category.
People are going to point out the male-gazey nature of the MV, and how the AOA members are reduced to objects who can only get results by resorting to their looks and sex appeal. I’m definitely not going to deny the former, what with how the camera roves over the members’ bodies and the slow motion as they are getting dressed and stretching.
There is nothing wrong with the male gaze in and of itself, and there isn’t anything wrong in catering for it (provided one is comfortable in doing so), but the way it is catered to in all forms of media is grating to those of us who are left out. But I guess that’s the nice thing about K-pop: it at least caters to both male and female gazes.
And to sweeten the deal, it is after the game — following Choa scoring the final goal — that her crush goes to her. Seeing him extend his hand to Choa in recognition of her achievement and success is a more satisfying ending than any bug-eyed reaction to her good looks.
The MV for “Heart Attack” follows the same formula used in “Short Hair” and “Like A Cat:” show off the members’ aesthetic charms while they use their female camaraderie to achieve their goals — be it pulling off a heist, getting a pick-me-up after a rough day or winning a lacrosse match — all wrapped up in a silly, funny premise.
Song: 3.25 out of 5
MV: 3.3 out of 5
(FNC Entertainment, lyricskpop.com, Pop!gasa)
