With one comeback under their belt, Kim Woosung has already stepped away from his role as main vocalist and guitarist in Korean rock band The Rose, and has decided to present his talents as a soloist with his debut song, “Face”. The Rose is known for their more soulful, emotional ballads, especially through song such as “Sorry” and “She’s In The Rain”, but Woosung experiments with different sounds in “Face”.
Since his appearance on K-pop Star Season 1, it was no surprise that Kim Woosung would debut as a soloist. Woosung was constantly recognised for his amazing vocals both in K-pop Star and in his activities in The Rose, which led to considerably high expectations for his solo debut. Unfortunately, “Face” is only average at best.
Overall, the music video is aesthetically pleasing, featuring different faces and emphasising different parts of a face, tying in with the theme of the song. The line “I like your face” is the most memorable, and it promotes loving the various physical features people have through the music video. The opening shot of the baseball with a face stamped on it is humorous, and by showing different faces — be it a human, a dog or a doll — it allows for viewers to look at faces in a new perspective and appreciate it for what it is.
Musically and lyrically, the song emits a seductive atmosphere, and the music video complements that by showcasing multiple shots indicating various sexual innuendos. Examples include the models and Woosung around a car– a common scene shown in films in emphasise one’s sexuality whilst doing something mundane, i.e. washing a car. The scene of a wire heart revolving around a battery rapidly and causing the screen to crack while the song hits its climax can be referencing the climax that comes with making love. Another would be a shot of Woosung’s side profile with only his upper body shown as he tilts his head back and exhales. Although seemingly innocent, the shot implies a sexual act that is being performed.
Despite the fact that the music video is smart is sneaking the various sexual innuendos to match with the mood of the song, “Face” is not memorable both musically and visually. As an avid fan of The Rose, and having heard Woosung’s capabilities as a singer, I feel that “Face” does not provide viewers with any visual or audio impact unlike previous music videos from The Rose.
Sure, Woosung may have chosen to go solo in order to try different styles of music, or perhaps focus on other topics which his bandmates were not interested in, but “Face” does not draw the viewer in and neither does it leave the viewer wanting more by the end of the music video. Despite the sexual undertone, the various shots used in the music video mainly serve the purpose of aesthetic pleasure rather than emphasising the overarching message or elevating the mood of the song.
At first glance, the visuals are nice to look at and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but other than that, it has no other impact. It is only when viewed multiple times and reading the lyrics does one notice the various sexual innuendos used throughout the song.
Track-wise, while experimental and does a good job in showcasing Woosung’s vocals, it is like every other song– the constant repetition of a certain segment that leads to one humming it to themselves without realising. The phrase “I like your face” and the repeated bass riff is addictive to listen to, but is nothing special.
“Face” differs from songs by The Rose in a sense that it lacks emotional connection. While The Rose has put out similar songs with a similar mood, such as the song “Candy”, “Face” misses out on incorporating an emotional connection with its audience. Rather, the song creates a boundary between Woosung and his audience, and it is difficult to relate to the lyrics of the song.
While I admire Woosung for experimenting with different genres of music and focusing on sexual love rather than romantic love, “Face” is not a song that I find easy to go back to. There is a disparity between the song and myself, and the song is not alluring enough to tempt me to come back for more. Woosung is a talented vocalist, and hopefully he will be able to create more of an emotional connection with his audience through his music in the future.
(YouTube, Images from Stone Music Entertainment)
