Teen Teen is composed of former Produce X 101 trainees, promoting under Maroo Entertainment. These members are Lee Woojin, Lee Taeseung, and Lee Jinwoo, all between the ages of 15 to 16. This continues a trend where Produce X 101 trainees form smaller groups as opposed to larger ones.

Right off the bat, they give themselves a name that focuses on their youth, which will likely be a central part of their concepts for the next couple of years. While you obviously cannot rely on youth forever, the members of Teen Teen are young enough to be able to start off with this kind of theme. Teen Teen’s debut MV is nonsensical yet fun as they showcase their quirky dancing abilities and childish enthusiasm.

If the MV for “It’s on you” has any central theme, it is a mix of airplanes, surrealist art, with a giant tablespoon of aeygo. The MV opens up with the view out of an airplane window as the members watch a plane fly over them. From this point, we see the members flying fighter jets, dancing in front of a parachute, and floating on clouds. The main dancing scene takes place in what looks like a surrealist painting of a desert. This artistic scene contains geometric shapes, bold and bright colors, and a swimming pool ball pit. It is a bunch of lighthearted concepts that do not directly add to any sort of plot.

There are several references to flying in the sky in this MV. While in the fighter jets, the boys have serious and anxious facial expressions as if they are in some sort of danger. This tends to coincide with the angst of the song’s lyrics. The song is about not being taken seriously by a potential love interest. We also see the members flying in the clouds surrounded by hearts which refers to the literal phrase of having your “head in the clouds” over a crush. All in all, it does not seem like the aerial aspects of the song has a deeper meaning other than adding some variety to the MV.

In an earlier scene, the boys are also following a red string which could be a reference to the “red string of fate.” They seem concerned upon pulling it and following where it leads. Typically, the red string of fate leads you to your soulmate. In this case, we only see it again towards the end after it has been woven into a pattern and the members stare out of it.

Lastly, the other repeating imagery is an alien on Lee Jinwoo’s shirt that you would not think has any significance. However, in an ending scene, we see a top-view scene with the members holding up blow-up aliens. Since the members seem to be dancing in an odd-looking place, it could be an implication that they were actually on another planet. Unfortunately, like previous observations, the MV touches on several concepts but does not expand on any of them.

The lack of central concept aside, the dance routine is perfectly suited for the song and their youthful image. Their choreography consists of lots of hops, stomping, large gestures, hand motions, and enthusiastic facial expressions. It is as if they are excited to be dancing and singing about their crush. There are actually many moments in their routine that are worth pointing out, like their hand choreography before the main chorus. Their hands tap on their shoulder and face and end in a typical aeygo pose. Additionally, even though it is a simple move, they have a leg to hand movement during the catchiest part of the song that you cannot help but join them. In fact, many of the moves are easy and fun for fans to follow along.

There would not be so many memorable moments in the dance, if not for the incredibly catchy pop song. The song does not take itself seriously and expresses the frustrations of unrequited love for someone older than the persona of the song. It is a unique take on a love song by showing how love can be difficult to grasp when you are too young. The persona insists they have matured but are having a childish reaction to being rejected. With such an emotional song, it makes sense that the dance focuses on their facial expressions. Even though it is technically a song about rejection, the song is done with tons of energy and lots of smiles from the singers. It is age-appropriate with memorable lines, such as:

It’s on you, I’m getting lonely for no reason
I only need you, it’s very simple
Will you be my angel?
I want to sweetly hold you
I’ll lightly grab your arm
But you shake it off again
And pat my head

Although it seems like a typical route to take, Teen Teen decided to go for a cute concept to start off their new K-pop career. With how young the members actually are, it only seems fitting that they handle songs appropriate for their age. Not every MV needs a central or deeper concept, and Teen Teen decided to instead focus on their own personalities and their dance routine for their debut song. Ultimately, the carefree and random imageries do match the energy of the song. I look forward to seeing if Teen Teen continues with their youthful concept, or if they will decide to go along a different route.

(Youtube. Lyrics via Klyrics. Images via Maroo Entertainment.)