Cravity — who have not yet reached a full year since their debut — made a comeback with “My Turn”. It is their title track off of Season 3. Hideout: Be Our Voice, which is the third installment in their Hideout series that has been continuing since their debut. The MV for “My Turn” is polished but suffers from a lack of a distinct identity.
The song, with lyrics written by labelmate Exy of WJSN, is a very confident affair. Cravity declares that everything that they have shown their audience so far has been but a taste of what is to come. They are hustling towards their dreams, and all that the audience has to do is follow their lead. With this comeback, Cravity are announcing themselves as an unstoppable force to be reckoned with though the same cannot be said for the MV for “My Turn”.
The MV is choreography focused, but is in line with some of the lyrics as it references the sentiments of being tenacious through the members driving motorcycles and cars:
No worries, trust us
Shake off the accumulated dust and once more
Turn on GPS, got my eyes on you
I’ll take you anywhere under view
Wonjin takes off in a motorcycle while lightning crackles behind him, and Serim speeds away in a race car with determination. The breakaway in their vehicles leads up to their defining moment, but there are also scenes that depict the dedication they have towards achieving their goals. Serim and Jungmo serve as car mechanics and fix up the car because, after all, one has to be prepped before taking the wheel.
Basketball is another metaphor used in “My Turn”. All the missed and blocked shots (including one from Taeyoung) are another reminder of the harder days that now lie behind them. The persistence and teamwork they honed during those days, represented in the MV through Cravity making rebounds and passing the ball, pay off eventually. The ball sails cleanly through the hoop and their success is at their fingertips.
The MV has no distinct unifying theme, however, as the concept toes the line between determined youth and rough-and-tough guys. Basketball and jerseys seem to indicate hard-working youth practicing for their time in the spotlight. Messages of synergy and perseverance and the eventual win that is deserved work well with the song and for a relatively young and new group.
On the other hand, cars and motorcycles seem representative of a bad boy image, and cars are featured in the backdrop of group and individual sets while the members wear racing jackets. In this sense, they are dangerous individuals who are quite literally racing towards the goals and who will stop at nothing to achieve what they set out to achieve.
All of the activities are stereotypically masculine and match the message of the song, but the MV for “My Turn” comes across as a half-hearted attempt at both concepts. It does not distinguish Cravity in any particular way. As the lyrics allude to cars, sticking with the racing motif for the whole MV could have assisted in establishing a better overall theme. Indeed, the striking and confident tone of the song itself fails to translate into the MV for “My Turn” as they race forward without a strong idea of their own identity.
Aside from the identity crisis, the MV does deliver visually. “My Turn” features fast shots and cuts away from group scenes to individual ones, matching the overall thudding energy of the song. Flashing white lighting is characteristic of almost every scene, contributing to the sense of urgency throughout the MV. As Wonjin races forward in his motorcycle and the MV gears up to its climax, red lighting kicks in to signal the true arrival of Cravity’s moment. Quick flashes of lightning, along with an accompanying shot of Seongmin shooting the starter’s pistol, marks the beginning of Cravity’s time to shine.
“My Turn” is not without its flaws, but it is not a wasted opportunity by any means. Cravity demonstrates their potential and the song itself is memorable, if only for the “vroom vroom vroom skrt” hook. As a rookie group with only a handful of releases under their belts, here’s to hoping that Cravity’s turn is very soon to come.
(YouTube. Lyrics via Genius, Images via Starship Entertainment)
