Mamamoo just concluded their Four Seasons project with the winter release of White Wind, and the MV for its title song, “Gogobebe”. The project, which started a year ago, involved releasing an album per season, each featuring a colour and a member of the group, with the final album being Wheein’s part of the project.
“Gogobebe” is certainly an upbeat song with a catchy melody, bold colours and outfits, and a combination of dance, plot, and aesthetics. It doesn’t entirely do justice to the rest of the project. It doesn’t stand out as one of Mamamoo’s strongest or most experimental releases, nor does the MV have the same high production quality as the previous MVs from the project.
To start with the positives: the release is great fun. It’s a self-confessed song about letting go and mindlessly enjoying yourself at a party, and the song puts that across well. Musically, it feels like an odd amalgamation of the previous releases: specifically, there’s the mellowness of “Starry Night”, and a light infusion of the Latin pop that Mamamoo explored in “Egotistic”. The song never slows down or loses enough momentum to lose our interest — the beat from the chorus continues into the post-chorus, and the bridge is short and sweet, with a continuing muted version of the same tune. The chant-like second half of the chorus is a great addition too, adding a carefree touch to it. Mamamoo’s title songs often flaunt the members’ vocal skill, so a more laid-back approach is a nice change, and is fitting of the lyrics.
Play shamelessly
Enjoy like crazy
I do not need
wrong & right
on & on on & on
Gogo Bebe
Most of the video is a flashback to explain the post-party mess at the start, following the individual members and their daydreams and excitement about the house party invitation they see. There are many small but well-executed features of the MV that stand out, such as the way Moonbyul feeling trapped in mundanity is portrayed in her office scene, with her being physically boxed in by a low ceiling and later by the collage effect. Playfully drawn special effects in Hwasa’s bathroom scenes lend a magical touch to her imagined party experience in anticipation of the party itself. There are also many moments when even just how well the MV is edited to match the beats of the song makes it satisfying to watch.
Firmly ignoring Hwasa’s boots, there are some unique looks in the MV too that Mamamoo have really made their own. Solar’s saturated hair clip style, and her oversized sweater and thigh-high glittery boots are a brilliant blend of playful and mature. Moonbyul’s suit definitely can’t be ignored, either. The bold colours and coloured lighting for each individual member help to make what could otherwise have been quite uninspiring sets more aesthetically appealing. And all the members holding up their ponytails as a dance move is an example of how something so simple can add so much originality.
However, the MV feels like a step back for Mamamoo; the previous MVs from the project featured picturesque location filming, intricate sets, and a heavier pace, making full use of dramatic slow-motion shots. Comparatively, “Gogobebe” has a choppy, abrupt (and borderline absurd) quality that is reminiscent of K-pop from previous years, and it comes across in some parts like a debut MV. The scenes of the house party invitation, the gatecrashing of the book club, and the twist regarding the house numbers, all feel quite childish and even a little cringeworthy. Dramatically turning up to a party in full glam and making a statement at the song’s climax is a fairly overdone motif in K-pop as it is. In other words, “Gogobebe” doesn’t feel like the finale to such a visually powerful project or an MV by a group like Mamamoo with almost five years’ experience in the industry. Yes, the song is about letting go and having fun, but portraying this in the MV doesn’t need to be done at the expense of quality.
The song too isn’t as impressive as it could have been. The MV teasers gave away the best parts of the track, and so on finally being able to hear the full thing, it felt underwhelming. There are smatterings of a heavier trap beat and a more exotic beat here and there, but more could have been done with them. And while the chorus is enjoyable, it lacks memorability and a wow factor: it doesn’t stand out much from the other parts of the song. Nevertheless, the “Gogobebe” generally has a confident flow to it, and Mamamoo’s vocals are strong as always.
Overall, “Gogobebe” isn’t necessarily a disappointing release, but more an unsatisfying conclusion to better songs and MVs. Yet it’s still generally well-made and likeable, and it could easily be improved with some changes. Readers, what did you think of “Gogobebe”?
(Youtube. Korea Herald. Lyrics via LyricsMode. Images via RBW Entertainment.)
