I will not deny – I hadn’t given Jun. K‘s music a chance despite being a frequent listener of 2PM‘s music. I know, shame on me, but I will be shamed no longer, for his latest release, “30 Minutes Might Be Too Long”, lured me into his work as a soloist and I regret not listening to his music sooner. “30 Minutes Might Be Too Long” is featured in his latest mini-album, 20 Minutes, and this concept of time runs deeply in the MV.
There are quite a number of twist and turns throughout this MV, and it certainly gets the heart racing. The MV begins with a man supposedly running away from his ex, retreating to his own apartment, only for her to break in. He is then stuck in a loop – no matter how much he runs, he always ends up in the same room, and he is unable to leave his apartment for the front door opens to reveal a brick wall. Ultimately, she captures him and blows both of them up so that they can be together forever. However, just as they are about to blow up, the woman has a look of surprise and regret, implying that in her final moments, this was not what she wanted.
Admittedly, the first half of the MV sounds generic, but it’s still visually compelling. The mix of purples and greens set the tone of the MV, and the loop of the man running into the same room over and over again with the only change being where his ex is located was exciting to watch. Through zoom ins and the various ways the camera moves, it heightens tension for the viewer, for it feels as if there is an overbearing presence in the room, aka the ex-girlfriend.
However, the real twist comes when the MV stops halfway, and we see Jun. K thanking everyone on set, as if to indicate that the MV shooting is over. He sends a text to the actress playing the crazy ex-girlfriend and leaves the set with earphones in, playing his own song.
We see flashbacks of Jun. K preparing for a date night, and when the actress does arrive, she looks as if she could not care less about him. She smiles politely and picks at her food, but ultimately, it is Jun. K who is into her, who now takes on the role of the crazy ex-partner. At the very end of the MV, it is revealed that there was a bomb set to go off in twenty minutes during their dinner date, and Jun. K was the only one who survived the explosion. Throughout the MV, we see scenes of him alone in the broken apartment, as if he regretted his decision to kill his partner, just like the ex-girlfriend in the beginning of the MV.
The concept of time can be seen throughout the MV, and the viewer has to piece together the sequence of events that occur, for it is clearly not in chronological order. The countdown for twenty minutes is seen frequently as well, acting as a small promotion for his mini album, but also indicating that it is not thirty minutes. Even the title, “30 Minutes Might Be Too Long”, enables listeners to question what is considered too long. The whole idea of someone begging you to stay for twenty minutes instead of thirty can be appealing, for it tricks people into thinking that half an hour is a long time, and that twenty minutes is definitely a sweet deal even though it is only a ten minute difference.
Musically and lyrically, Jun. K has perfectly captured the desperation one has when trying to keep their partner around. Raw emotion can be heard in his voice, and it further amplifies the hopelessness and despair one feels for another. The R&B track is easy to listen to, and it is catchy enough for me to hum the chorus throughout the day.
I noticed in your cold voice that
No matter how hard I try
To bring you back,
Even if I beg
I know I can’t turn this around
Overall, “30 Minutes Might Be Too Long” was a good introduction to Jun. K’s works as a soloist, and I am definitely going to check out his discography.
(YouTube; Lyrics and Images via JYP Entertainment)
