Teddy Park, producer of Big Bang, 2NE1, and Black Pink among others, is a hugely influential, and highly polarizing, figure in K-pop. On the one hand, some would say his track record speaks for itself. He’s played a pivotal role in some of the most iconic K-pop groups and songs ever. On the flip side, he’s drawn frequent criticism for his slow producing pace, and for sticking to a narrow sonic playbook. That latter critique has grown especially loud in recent years, driven largely by the work he’s done with Black Pink and Somi.
Into this atmosphere comes Meovv (pronounced ‘meow,’ yes, like a cat). The first girl group independently produced by Park through his company The Black Label, Meovv have been the subject of intense hype and high expectations for months, if not years, leading up to their debut. Perhaps, then, it’s not surprising that said debut, with essentially same-named single “Meow,” has proven to be somewhat divisive. What “Meow,” is not, however, is boring…and that’s the key to why, despite its flaws, “Meow” is a solid launch for Meovv.
“Meow” opens with a familiar Teddy Park-brand of anthemic chanting and introductory shots of each of Meovv’s five members before launching into a predictable party scene. With the exception of a few quirky touches (more on that later), the MV continues from there in formulaic fashion, interspersing individual scenes with group dance sequences, most in bland and surprisingly low-budget sets. It’s unsportsmanlike to go after people’s job security, but whoever decided that an ugly school cafeteria was a good MV location should probably find a different line of work.
Despite its unpromising foundations, the MV does have its good points. The closing dance sequence, though not anything groundbreaking, features strong, dynamic camerawork which makes it the clear highpoint of the MV. The styling also fares far better than the sets, with each member donning several memorable outfits. Best of all, there’s a sense of individuality to the fashion choices. For example, Narin consistently gets the most experimental outfits and hairstyles, while Anna’s look leans classic.
Indeed, the best takeaway from the “Meow” MV is how powerful and unique each member’s charisma is. To play devil’s advocate, to a certain extent the MV’s simplicity highlights this, even if a little more visual interest would be welcome. Still, because there are few distractions, all of Meovv’s members take full command of their screentime. Each exhibits strong presence and distinctive vocal stylings while delivering so-bad-they’re-kinda-good lines like “Now you speak French, talkin’ ‘bout we,” and “Wons and yens and dollars, comma comma comma.”
The song’s lyrical content hints at its other great strength: it’s sense of fun. The MV’s few strong images stem directly from this, whether it’s the Meovv members posing on a comically large cat plushy, or an oddly charming cameo from a group of Bigfoots. The excellent choreography is also littered with funny cat references, particularly moves alluding to cat ears and claws.
Self-seriousness is all too common in current K-pop, but once upon a time, silliness was one of the genre’s calling cards. At its best, “Meow” is a welcome callback to a past era of K-pop fun. Meanwhile, because of the members’ convincing chic attitude, it also avoids feeling outdated. There are the seeds of a clear and unusual concept here, a kind of light-hearted or silly-tinged cool, that could be truly compelling.
Still, “Meow” has undeniable issues beyond the MV’s surprisingly low quality. For those hoping for Park to break his mold, they will be sorely disappointed, and his style has received criticism for good reason. “Meow” is woefully short and frequently self-referential; the aforementioned “wons and yens and dollars” line has been noted as being very similar to a lyric in Lisa’s “Money,” a track that Park is not credited on, but that was recorded in the Black Label’s studios and undoubtedly influenced by his crafting of Black Pink’s signature sound.
There are also possible business-adjacent problems looming ahead. Park is about to be stretched very thin as he is set to co-produce upcoming Hybe girl group Izna, not to mention he is still responsible for other artists at the Black Label such as Taeyang, Somi, and Rosé. As someone with a notoriously slow creation rate to begin with, that’s not a promising setup. However talented Meovv may be, they are launching into a packed K-pop field, and infrequent comebacks could limit their potential for growth and recognition.
Nevertheless, there’s no use proclaiming doomsday before the doom has even begun. For now, “Meow” is a fun and, despite its flaws, surprisingly effective launch for a striking new group. It introduces an intriguing concept, and provides compelling proof that Meovv have the chops to pull it off and then some. After all, if you can look cool while making cat paws and dancing to earnest chants of “Meow,” then you can do anything.
