Following the success of “Chi Mat Ba Ram”, Brave Girls are back with another MV for their b-side, “Pool Party”. Amidst aiming for the title of “Summer Queens”, one that was helmed by Sistar, the quartet have also been seen shooting multiple summer CFs and selling out their first fan meeting in 30 seconds.
Right off the hook, nothing much happens. The members simply circulate between three locations, an arcade, a bowling alley and a roller skating rink, while bopping to the music. Oddly enough, although “Pool Party” draws some auditory similarities to Katy Perry’s “California Girls”, their MV is nothing like the sweet pink fantasy land. In fact, it is quite the opposite. In line with its retro style, this piece is on the dimmer spectrum in terms of lighting, clearly bringing attention to its aesthetics, the neon lights in the background, and of course, the girls.
Despite the lack of a storyline, the members are seen having a blast, dancing and skating around in the rink. With its sparkly, overexposed, blurry vintage filter and clad in iridescent outfits, it perfectly encapsulated what the song is all about — old-school fun. Coupled with its infectious retro city pop sound and easy-to-follow chorus, Brave Girls seems to be on their way to clinching the “Summer Queens” title by experimenting with different summer music styles.
Yet, the biggest elephant in the room remains unaddressed. Is there a party? Sort of. But where is the titular pool for this “Pool Party”? It seems like a big misstep for Brave Girls to disregard it. The closest reference to a pool is their freestyle-like swimming stroke choreography in the chorus. Moreover, ironically, as Yujeong sings about the sun and weather, she remains indoors, in the dark bowling alley, while having her hands on a disco ball. What a way to talk about a great lyrical and visual mismatch.
It’s the perfect weather to party (Oh yeah)
The sun is right in the middle of the sky (Oh yeah)
Fill up the empty pool, call people, call now (Brrr, brrr)
Call everyone now (Brrr, brrr)
Prior to the release of the MV, “Pool Party” unmistakably paints an image that mirrors exactly what the title suggests — an outdoor party in a pool in bright daylight. Yet, Brave Girls throw a curveball; that is, until Yuna’s chorus where it starts to get clearer. “Pool Party” is not about a party on a summer day, but on a summer night. Yuna’s part depicts a precise picture of wanting to get drunk by the poolside.
Pool party, еverybody
I want to get drunk tonight
Pool party, this summer
Our own party
On second thought, having a whole album surrounding the sole theme of summer meant that there is a high chance of producing similar-looking MVs. Perhaps it was an obvious creative choice to avoid visual boredom by having contrasting MVs for their title track and b-side. An actual pool could have been deliberately absent since it would mirror an older song, “Yoo Hoo”, where they were scantily clad in swimwear. With “Rollin’” previously banned for being unfit for broadcast, it seems like Brave Girls are moving away from leveraging on sex appeal. What initially seems like an unfitting MV now appears to be a very calculated act.
Overall, with an underwhelming MV, “Pool Party” falls slightly below expectations for a top girl group like Brave Girls. While they have proven their ability to produce catchy ear-worms, drawing the bridge between visuals and lyrics is far from their greatest strength. Although the absence of the pool remains a mystery, regardless, “Pool Party” is still a summer hit that warrants another listen with or without a visual aid.
