Summer MVs can sometimes feel redundant because they tend to have a lot of the same old tropes that everyone else is putting out at the same time. In “Stupid Cool,” we see plenty of color and lots of sunshine. However, Dawn avoids tropes like the beach, swimming pools, and other summer activities. Instead, we see more of that summer energy being projected into an MV about Dawn’s love for his fiancee, Hyuna. The MV is filled with references to their romance, and it incorporates the bold colors of their shared aesthetic first seen in the “Ping Pong” MV. 

On top of the vibrant colors, Dawn also uses props and digital effects to create a more animated theme. At the beginning of the MV, Dawn takes some of the lyrics literally, producing a comic effect. “I was born for you”, he raps, while depicting himself as a baby with a pacifier. Later, he dances with costumed animal characters, waving his arms rapidly with a deadpan expression. In yet another scene, we see Dawn dancing with digital scores popping over his head as if he is playing a game. It is clear that, as the lyrics say, Dawn does not worry about looking silly when it comes to love. The effects and props help bring to life some of the scenes, giving them a more playful and carefree appeal.

“Stupid Cool” is dedicated to Hyuna, so there are plenty of references to their relationship. During one of Dawn’s dance sets, we can see this printed across the building, “LIFE0510 0+4=143.” The numbers, “0510”, alludes to their anniversary date, and “143” symbolizes “I love you.” One of the more obvious references is the ring that Dawn pops out of a ring box, which is the same one seen on their Instagram for their engagement announcement. Especially with their successful collaboration on “Ping Pong“, it seems Dawn is not afraid to continue celebrating his love life, since their fans have been nothing but receptive.

As usual, Dawn has an upbeat dance routine to go with his quirky song. However, to double down on his uncool factor, Dawn’s dancers dress in outfits inspired by Swedish furniture store Ikea’s giant blue plastic bags. To go with the ridiculous outfits, Dawn’s dance routines include lots of hopping, wide gestures, and the mimicking of trumpet-playing. Even his other hip-hop outfits throughout the MV also include bright and bold colors to match the MV’s theme. Overall, the styling theme is silly and creative, making for memorable visuals.

The song’s mid-tempo melody is a reminiscence of Dawn’s earlier work with his former group, Pentagon. This isn’t a surprise, considering that Dawn wrote some of the group’s songs like “Naughty Boy.” Now as a soloist, Dawn has not ventured too far from his previous melodies. He is, however, now putting more of his personal life into his lyrics. While the beats may sound similar, Dawn’s honesty–in this case, about how his love for Hyuna can sometimes make him feel stupid–is new. It may seem silly, but it is nice to see that kind of devotion, especially when so many K-pop idols are prevented from even dating. The lyrics also gives us a personal take on the life he and Hyuna have happily been sharing with their fans:

I’ve never been like this.
I am normally cool.
But I am small when I’m with you.
Yeah, now I know I can only love you
And nobody else.
Yet, I am okay with it.

Overall, Dawn’s “Stupid Cool” is a fun and upbeat song about his love with Hyuna with an MV chock-full of references to their romance. Dawn gets the opportunity to get more creative when it comes to his wardrobe, and has an equally animated and colorfully themed MV to go with it. It almost seems more fitting to have included it in his previous collaboration album with Hyuna, given the aesthetic and thematic similarities.

While it is great to see Dawn and Hyuna being able to so openly share their love, it is odd that we still have not seen a full album from Dawn as a soloist yet. Since his P Nation debut in 2019, he has put out only 5 singles, and one mini album with Hyuna. His discography is small for how long it has been since he debuted as a soloist. It seems like digital singles are P Nation’s strategy for him, and perhaps he is still testing the waters with the fairly new music company. However, we know Dawn can put out a great song already, so here is hoping we get to see him expand as an artist with an album.

(Youtube. Lyrics via LyricsKpop. Images via P Nation.)