March was packed full of releases, ranging from debuts like Kiikii to the return of veterans like Infinite and Ailee, as well as drops from huge names like Jennie, J-Hope, Le Sserafim, and Stray Kids. One notable pattern for is artists taking a different direction from their previous title tracks. Let’s take a look at some of the March comebacks that subtly or dramatically represent a change in concept, sound, or approach.

Young Posse (ft. 10CM), “Cold”

The big 180-degree turn for this month came from Young Posse, previously known for unserious, old school hip hop tracks with equally unserious, wacky MVs. The group may have done all they could with director Ben Proulx’s cartoonish visual aesthetic, and they have had controversies with cultural appropriation (including a scrapped Christmas single, “Santa Claus is Coming to Hood”). A change was due, but still, the cinematic, tragic MV for “Cold” comes as a shock. Featuring indie singer 10CM, the mid-tempo song highlights melancholic vocals rather than rap. Musically, “Cold” more closely resembles B-sides like “Cooing” or “Umbrella,” showcasing a laid-back side not known to a general audience.

“Cold” is most affecting and memorable for its veritable K-drama of an MV, which tells a story of a student (played by member Doeun) who starts a relationship with a young man (Tseng Jing Hua). As the story unfolds in non-chronological order, it emerges that he and his sister (finely acted by main dancer Yeonjung) were abandoned by their father and seek revenge on his other daughter–Doeun. Their plot involves Tseng Jing Hua gaining Doeun’s trust by saving her from a staged attack, and then humiliating her by posting deepfakes. The MV ends on an even darker note, making the repeated line “How could you be so cold?” feel like a gut punch. 

The Cold album was billed as a “special album,” perhaps reflecting that the entire EP is focused on this story, or perhaps hinting that this style is only an interlude before their next era. In any case, “Cold” is an intriguing shift, leaving some mystery about what Young Posse will do next.

Seulgi, “Baby, Not Baby”

Another pivot came from Seulgi, who left behind the dark, sleek aesthetics (and the brother-kissing) of “28 Reasons” for a more playfully unhinged concept in her sophomore release “Baby, Not Baby.” After no one at a mall takes her up on her offer of free hugs, she breaks down crying. Then, to the viewer’s delight, she goes into destruction mode, smashing fruit in a market and dancing Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor” choreography atop a counter.

A ”good girl gone bad” concept with lines asserting she is no longer a baby might feel a bit odd from a woman in her thirties. So do the references to Britney Spears, from an interpolation of the synth riff from “…Baby One More Time” to the actual use of the lyric “Oops, I did it again.” Meanwhile, the MV also borrows superhero tropes. One of Seulgi’s T-shirts has a Batman logo and some of her styling (pink wig, multicolored nails) feels out of a comic book. She even possesses the ability to create sparks with her hands. Put all together, the result is incredibly fun, even if the choices make no coherent sense.

None of these ideas should work, and yet Seulgi manages to pull them off. She can execute both the bratty sing-talking and the dynamic vocals and ad-libs, and has the wit and performance ability to make the concept work. The songs in 28 Reasons still feel like Seulgi’s wheelhouse, but with “Baby Not Baby,” Seulgi proves that she can basically do anything well.

StayC, “Bebe”

Seulgi does not want to be considered a baby, and neither do StayC. The group has been moving away from its “freshteen” concept of late, with “Bebe” both furthest from this concept and consistent with their discography. For instance, instead of beginning with the tag “StayC girls, it’s going down,” the line appears at the end of the pre-chorus. The shift is emblematic of “Bebe”’s approach, which is a more mature version of previous work.

The synth line and sing-talking chorus recall their 2022 Japanese single “Poppy,” but “Bebe” adds house beats, French lyrics, and considerable sass. Some might find the repetitive sing-talking grating, but nevertheless the dance track is an earworm. “Bebe” probably utilizes J’s lower register more memorably than any other StayC title track, as she raps that she is “dancing around in my tight dress” while “lookin’ like a maknae.”

True to the “tight dress” lyrics, the MV has a fashion concept, best executed in the close-ups or split screens of members’ faces on a white background, and in the display of text of words like “beauty” and “passion” like headlines. The MV resembles a commercial magazine editorial, with clean design and saturated colors. The members strut down a runway not in haute couture, but in pleather and denim. Not quite yet high fashion, StayC have grown more sophisticated, but still have youthful energy that makes “Bebe” feel like natural growth for the group. 

Say My Name, “ShaLala”

Say My Name, a seven-member girl group under Jaejoong’s company Inkode, drew attention with its debut “WaveWay” for the redebut of Iz*One member Hitomi and the MV’s quirky, cute, age-appropriate, cat-filled concept. Their first comeback “ShaLala” veers into city pop and brings stronger melodies than its predecessor, as well as more vocal range. The airy delivery on the opening “la la la”s melds with the instrumentals to create a dreamy atmosphere, while the members also show their vocal power in their adlibs. Rap is hardly the group’s strong suit, but the rap verse brings a welcome punchiness to the song.  

Matching the refreshing, ethereal feel of the song, the MV is bathed in light and full of saturated cerulean hues, from in the members’ school uniforms to the clear blue sky. The MV is full of animated effects, like flying papers and shooting stars, but they almost feel unnecessary when the actual magic comes from the members’ layered vocals and the lighting and color grading. With “ShaLala,” Say My Name does well with the cute, dreamy, faintly nostalgic concept they have established for themselves. 

Ten, “Stunner”

Ten’s latest solo comeback is less a case of a change-up than him finding a sound that really suits him: sleek, synth-driven, mid-tempo R&B. The song utilizes Ten’s full range, particularly his upper register that glides over the thumping bass line. The rap section is arguably unnecessary, but aside from that, “Stunner” builds satisfyingly, peaking in high notes and ad-libs and ending in a whisper. 

The MV portrays Ten as a magnetic presence in a literal sense, as objects and eventually people gravitate towards him. As expected of one of his MVs, “Stunner” displays Ten’s smooth and expressive dance style. As with his previous title track “Nightwalker,” Ten dances in tandem with his dancers for storytelling purposes. For example, the partner work, in which Ten and a dancer both mirror and revolve around each other, portray the attraction depicted in the lyrics. 

Interestingly, the MV actually aligns more closely with the English version of “Stunner,” in which the “stunner” is actually Ten himself: 

Stunner, stunner, stunner, ooh, ah
Stunner, stunner, stunner, ooh, ah
Fire, fire, fire, I’m too hot
Gotta be a hundred degrees
… Look at how I’m lovin on me

It was a creative choice for Ten’s team to construct a video that would apply to multiple versions of the song. Whether listening to “Stunner” as a song about infatuation with a partner or about self-love, Ten’s unique pull as a solo artist comes through. 

Xdinary Heroes, “Beautiful Life”

Xdinary Heroes have tried out many rock subgenres, from pop punk in their debut “Happy Death Day” to heavy metal with their recent collaboration with YB’s Yoon Dohyun, “Instead!” Meanwhile, their latest title track, a five-minute mini rock opera called “Beautiful Life,” takes inspiration from Queen and progressive rock. The song starts with heavy percussion and wailing electric guitar, adding more guitar and bass to peak in the fast-paced chorus. “Beautiful Life” takes an unexpected and dramatic turn as the tempo slows in the post-chorus, with melody and vocal delivery reminiscent of the end of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The song shifts a few more times in its five-minute run time, building on its theatricality. 

Fitting the epic nature of the song’s composition, both the lyrics and the MV portray resistance against oppressive circumstances. The MV starts off with a dark storyline immediately, with a closeup of Jooyeon’s bloodied face as he croons his a capella line, “No one’s here to find you.” On the first drum beat, a black gloved hand bashes an object against his head. The MV essentially consists of fight sequences between these shadowy figures and the members, expertly choreographed and timed to the changing tempo of the song. The ending has a thought-provoking twist as the men in black remove their hoods, and reveal they are doubles of the members. Or are they? The original group’s faces glitch, and then they disappear with a pop, but the group in black begins to glitch as well. The MV’s twist ending calls into question what we believe to be reality. 

Quoting the propagandistic slogans from George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength,” “Beautiful Life” depicts a world in which, as is said in the refrain, “you’re caught in lies that never end.” Still, as Gaon’s lines in the second verse suggest, people still have a choice to “rise up” and find a “beautiful life” for themselves. The song advocates breaking norms, and the bold, ambitious “Beautiful Life” succeeds in doing just that.

(YouTube: [1][2][3][4][5]. Lyrics via Genius [1][2][3]. Images via High Up Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment).