JBJ95 Tell a Beautiful Love Story with "Spark"

JBJ95 have returned with their second comeback of the year with their lead single, “Spark.” The plot initially appears conventional, but is executed with an interesting touch. It frames Kenta as the writer of Sanggyun’s love story. Kenta is generally shown stuck in the same room typing away while looking reflective. Sanggyun, on the other hand, is in several romantic scenarios with a female lead whose face the camera never completely focuses on. Kenta eventually reveals he is writing a book, and is then reunited with the same female protagonist. His reunion with her suggests that he is writing their love story as a romantic gesture for her.

On top of its unique plot format, the MV uses light and shadow to create and distinguish between the two different atmospheres. Kenta’s scenes are typically in the same dark and cluttered room. However, sunlight is peeking through the windows, which symbolize moments of clarity for Kenta’s thoughts. The limited scenes create a sense of isolation for Kenta’s character to show that he is focused and diligently working on his book.

Sanggyun, on the other hand, is generally in brightly lit scenes with the female protagonist. Even when he is in darker scenes, it eventually becomes illuminated with some sort of light source. For instance, while he is walking through a dark and lonely amusement park, the carousel lights turn on as he looks into the eyes of his romantic partner. In contrast with Kenta’s scenes, the use of light gives his scenes a more romantic and happier atmosphere.

Color is also used to further differentiate the two moods as well. Sanggyun’s scenes are full of bright whites and blues that look like your typical summer MV. In one scene, he is sitting in a slightly dark room with bland furniture but the camera pans around revealing a brightly lit room with several green plants. The change in light and the addition of the plants create a lively atmosphere. It also symbolizes the time and growth of the love between him and his romantic partner. On the opposite end, Kenta’s scenes are full of mostly browns with some softer blues and yellows, creating a more serious tone. Again, it is implied that he is hard at work on his book.

The lack of color also helps put the focus on the actions and expressions of the characters. In a black and white scene, Sanggyun and the female protagonist are running happily through a forest. There are many instances of white as well with the sheets hanging from a clothing line as the two playfully run through them. Again, they run towards a light source which illuminates their facial expressions, creating another romantic and energetic scene.

Lastly, the ending scene ties together the two worlds between the characters and author. After finishing his book, Kenta meets with the same female protagonist that Sanggyun has been spending his time with throughout the MV. Sanggyun is also seen with her but Kenta and Sanggyun do not appear in the same scene until the very last shot. This is one of the darker scenes, but fireworks burst in the background expressing the enthusiasm of spending time with a romantic partner. While the ending scene may be confusing, as explained before, Kenta played the author of a book that Sanggyun’s character was playing out. Since the book was based on the author’s own love story, the female protagonist remains the same in both their scenes.

The MV ties into the theme of the song, and it is further complemented by its pop mid-tempo melody. Kenta carries most of the song with his velvety vocals in both the verse and chorus. However, Sanggyun’s low register raps contrast with Kenta’s vocals while still seamlessly blending into the song. There isn’t anything terribly unique about the song itself, but it does have a memorable chorus due to its repetitive lines. The lyrics poetically describe the feelings of being with someone you love:

Never never never let you go
I’ll never let you go
Don’t wanna wanna wanna
let you go
I don’t wanna let you go
Never never never let you go
I’ll never let you go
Like the flame in the sky
I’m flying like a dance

The MV for “Spark” uniquely tells a romantic story with Kenta as the author and Sanggyun as the male protagonist. The use of color, light, and shadows help distinguish between the writer and the characters by creating different tones. All in all, it is a beautifully created and detailed MV that perfectly accompanies the sweet lyrics of the song.

(Youtube. Lyrics via KLyrics. Images via Star Road Entertainment.)