Pixy was listed as one of the better debuts of the year, not because of their uniqueness, but rather their strong performance. Now on their third single, the group have stayed fairly consistent with their delivery. The MV for “Addicted” is moody with a dash of horror, which is the best mix for the spooky month of October. However, while Pixy know how to set a creepy tone, the MV itself does little to bring out the theme of the song.
As the title suggests, the theme of the song is addiction. The persona of the song feels trapped because of their addiction to someone, perhaps a lover. The use of the word “addiction” sets up a negative tone–the voice is not happy in love, but rather feeling stuck. However, the MV hardly explores this theme within its imagery.
The initial set-up starts off well, with Dia rising up from the dirt and finding herself stuck in chains. The metaphor is clear here, with the addiction being framed as a prison. The rest of the MV sets a mood, but fails to continue with the metaphor. There are some quick references, but mostly, the MV relies too much upon MV tropes that lack meaning within the overall message of the song:
Like I’m addicted, you blow over to me (Oh)
The more I try to escape, the more you constrict me (Oh)
Leave me alone, trap me inside
All of my heart is tied to you
It’s too much of you
Although the theme lacks visual development, the MV still sets a fitting tone. The use of red helps create a sense of eeriness that combines well with the song’s melody. There is a red marbled set, a red table cloth, red candles, and other spots of red that help build-up to the climax of the MV. The red alludes to the blood that we see towards the conclusion. It is creepy and gory, which fits well with Pixy’s general horror-tinged concept; however, it would have been better if they tied it back to the “addiction” lyrics. The only instance we see that references the prison is a butterfly stuck in the blood. While this scene is quick, it is a strong image that could have served as a better basis for the entire MV.
Even though the MV is immersed in gothic imagery, the ladies do not stick to plain black outfits. They make use of white, purples, and plum colours that still fit well with the color scheme. It is also nice to see a girl group sporting pants for a change–Pixy combine masculine outfits with feminine features, making for a decent distinction from other girl groups. The bagginess and hanging straps are similar to straitjackets, which possibly fall into the “imprisonment” theme.
Much like their debut with “Wings”, Pixy have a great choreography for “Addicted”. While many girl groups stick to simple hand movements that are easy to follow, Pixy, on the other hand, go for more intricate dance routines that further add to their spooky concepts. The beginning of the MV starts off strong with Dia in the center of an armed prison that she emerges from. Much like their debut, they adopt the lyrics literally into their dance routines. During a line about “falling,” they let themselves fall back into an impressive dance move.
The rappers shine bright among the darkness in “Addicted.” Lola and Stabyeol both have great delivery with their low tones, which balance out the music in the song. Dia carries most of the song while the other members also have their moments. Overall, I still have not seen each member stand out, but there is still time for them, as this is only the first year of their career. The song, in itself, sounds messy at times, but it does have their signature sound. It will be great to see them refine their music a bit more as they continue to evolve.
While the MV does not fully connect to the song, Pixy do well to stick with their signature sound and concept. They obviously know who they want to be in the K-pop world, and work hard to deliver their well-choreographed performances. It would be great to see them push their creepy imagery further, and incorporate either stories or consistent metaphors to fully flesh out the lyrics of their songs.
(Youtube. Lyrics via Genius. Images via Allart Entertainment.)
