Pentagon first hit the K-pop scene with a fast and serious hip-hop song and a dark-themed MV, “Gorilla.” Since then, they have experimented with different sounds in hip-hop but kept that serious approach to their music. Fairly recently, Pentagon stumbled onto their stand-out sound with the success of mid-tempo hip-hop tracks like “Shine” and “Naughty Boy.” Both songs came with bright and funny MVs, featuring loose and expressive choreographies. “Humph!” bears similar qualities to these two MVs, but manages to set itself apart with its use of comical scenarios.
The MV for “Humph!” is as childish as the lyrics of the song. It is full of little stories based on the concept of off-limits areas. In the first scene, we are introduced to a young Hui and Wooseok, both upset at each other. Hui draws a line down their shared desk and throughout the MV, they push and shove each other as they struggle with keeping on their own side. In the end, mini-Hui and mini-Wooseok make amends with each other.
There are other similar stories and equally funny scenarios in the MV, all centered around altercations over borders. It is the little details in these comical scenes that help make the MV memorable. In one scene, the taller members are excluded from a room that they try to enter, but bump their heads into the wall due to the short doors. In another scene, we see Hongseok playing the painting that Kino keeps trying to awkwardly touch. There’s a moment for every member that helps them show off their acting skills and comical timing.
The MV is centered mostly around the funny altercations, but also incorporates some choreography. The dance routine is expressive and acts out the lyrics literally. Since the song is about a petty fight, the members stomp their feet, create an “x” with their arms as if telling someone to back off, and essentially act like they are having a tantrum. Again, Pentagon shows off their entertainer side by acting out the childish emotions of the song’s lyrics.
Although the scenes between the members are hilarious, the MV was missing more glimpses of this unique dance routine. What little they did show of their dance was mostly repetitive, with all the members dancing in unison. Especially after dropping the performance version of their MV, we see that they were a lot more interesting parts to their routine that the audience missed out on.
The song itself is about being upset with someone and not wanting them to come close until they apologize. It is full of childish lyrics that sound like someone is being petty over a small offense. The MV, in contrast, is mostly about people wanting to enter forbidden zones for the sake of being rebellious which does not exactly tie into the song. Hui and Wooseok’s interactions are the only one that directly relates to the lyrics:
You can’t come closer, you can’t come closer now
You can’t come closer till you apologize
Saying sorry is like picking a star
Should I just go to you and hold your hand?
No, I’m closing my eyes, never, no
While the song and MV seem to take a leaf from past hits like “Shine” and “Naughty Boy”, “Humph!” is, fortunately, not an exact copy. However, the MV misses out on incorporating more of the dance routine. While the use of comedy in the plot makes the MV entertaining, it does not have the same energy as their past MVs, which showcased more of their impressive choreographies. Hopefully, Pentagon can continue with their new signature sound while maintaining enough differences to keep their audience engaged.
(Youtube [1][2], lyrics via Genius, images via Cube Entertainment.)
