This week, Wonho made his comeback with his third mini album Facade, led by the title track “Crazy” and its accompanying MV. Although Wonho only made his debut as a soloist after leaving Monsta X just shy of two years ago, “Crazy” is yet another strong addition to a small but mighty crop of title tracks. Like his other title releases, “Crazy” gives the artist the aura of a seasoned, solo veteran.
Production-wise, “Crazy” is easily one of Wonho’s sharpest and most biting tracks to date. Led by a crisp, rock electric guitar riff — plus a seductive bassline, groovy rhythm, and warped vocal effects for added texture — “Crazy” is potent and irresistable from its first beat. Wonho’s vocals are admittedly not at their strongest, but they don’t need to be. The soloist traverses the ebbs and flows in intensity and rhythm throughout the track seamlessly, adding a sense of nonchalance to its otherwise tight production.
While the MV for “Crazy” doesn’t always appear as intentional or calculated as how the song sounds on its own, its still has several factors that give it its own compelling edge. The most obvious is the MV’s editing, which takes listeners through a musical, rather than narrative-driven, “trip” through the track.
One of the main effects the editors play with throughout the MV is changing the speed at which scenes play to match the ever-changing rhythm and groove within the track.
When the MV first begins with Wonho walking through a parking lot, the scene plays at normal speed. Then, once the warped rapping and rock guitar riffs kick in (“Everybody goin’ crazy when I take ‘em ton a trip/Drop it, drop it like you mean it when I take ‘em on a trip”), and the dancers enter the frame, certain scenes begin to slow down oftentimes mid-way through to emphasize the addition of new rhythmic elements or match how the rhythm suddenly swerves into a new tempo of its own.
This particular aspect only enhances the tightness of the track’s production, further accentuating one of its strongest aspects. Other editing and production choices in the MV not only enhance the musicality of “Crazy”, but reiterate its meaning as well. Yes, lyrically, “Crazy,” isn’t saying anything wildly deep or intricate — much of the lyrics Wonho sings echo his desire to “go crazy” and “make you go crazy.” But the MV still takes a creative approach to spelling out the repeated term visually.
For starters, at the beginning of the MV and during the last line of the refrain when the warped vocals say “take ‘em on a trip,” Wonho fittingly appears to put an unidentified, silver-wrapped candy on his tongue.
Unexpectedly, the MV then cuts to a shot of the candy going into Wonho’s mouth from the perspective of the actual candy. Just as it looks like the camera is about to follow the candy as it goes down his throat, the shot cuts to the camera spiraling down tunnel of lasers and lights, which then lands on shots of Wonho playing an electric guitar just as the guitar riff kicks back in again. During this guitar solo portion, the same lasers from the tunnel flash across Wonho’s body, creating that “trippy” vibe that the the track’s lyrics allude to and which appropriately continues on through the rest of the MV.
Camera choices are also reflective of the track’s lyrics and overall off-kilter aesthetic. For example, a majority of the MV’s shots are filmed at a Dutch or titled angle, alluding to the idea of craziness or insanity referenced throughout the song’s lyrics. During a few, more choreography- and performance-focused moments, the camera actively tilts along with Wonho’s moves (i.e. when he makes the hand gesture meaning “crazy”) to once again doubly emulate the word’s meaning.
Similarly, the MV’s strengths also lie in other eye-catching visuals and visual effects that add to its trippiness and dark sensuality. One of those is the glistening, glittery effect overlaid on top of the shots of Wonho standing in the dark under a single, bright spotlight. Additionally, as an idol especially known for his own particular brand of sensuality that is unlike many others’ who also lean toward having a sexier image, Wonho continues to use his image of an ultra-masculine, practically unattainable physique to his advantage here.
Interestingly enough, for a track that has such a strong and irresistible groove, where “Crazy” falls flat the most is during its dance scenes. While powerful and at times exhilarating, the track’s choreography and performance-focused scenes fail to match the crispness of the track itself. Other, more visual-oriented shots in the MV have that same sharpness even when they’re busy with special effects.
While some choreography scenes are filmed from erratic and unexpected angles, most group dance scenes are filmed straight on, with Wonho in the center, which takes away from the edge and trance that the track and MV are meant to convey. Still, however, those “trippy” visual effects are sprinkled in between and with enough variety to keep the MV moving along with the track.
Weaknesses aside, its the MV’s eccentricities that truly bring “Crazy” to life, and continue to carve out a niche that only Wonho can fill. Like his last title track, “Eye On You,” “Crazy” is a testament to the strength and uniqueness of Wonho’s ever-growing brand and persona, which only promises to grow further with the releases that are to come.
(YouTube. Images via Highline Entertainment.)
