Rainbow goes Blaxx

This year is really starting off with a bang for girl groups. It's clear that the era of ultra-conservative kpop videos is coming to an end. Straight from the world of super sexualized MVs, this week we're talking about

Rainbow Blaxx - Cha Cha

This subunit's video was released on both Rainbow's official channel and on Loen's channel. Between the two of them there are over 1,600,000 views.


Let's dance...

Ruby: There are so many things about this video that i really love the color saturation is gorgeous. I was hooked from that first teal macaroon against pink lipstick, and that continued through the video. The video had a luxury feel to it, but rather than going for the typical chrome and leather cliche they opted for an almost Marie Antoinette, colorful opulence style. My biggest question is why that wasn't translated into the clothing! The whole video felt like they bought out a stripper store! The set is detailed, luxurious and feminine but the clothing looks cheap in comparison. They had an opportunity to really go outside of the box and do something sexy and fabulous but instead ended up choosing clothing that down-graded the whole concept.

The color combinations are rich and lovely

Her clothing disappears among the other details

Em: Yeah, it did feel a bit like the budget went into everything else BESIDES the clothing, so it was a bit disappointing that way, but at least they stuck to their concept. If the goal was to be sexy they certainly accomplished that! Everything was very...erm...flattering, which can sometimes be hard to do. We sometimes see videos where they try to be sexy but end up with questionable outfit combinations that do the opposite, so at least they did that much right. I liked the sheer elements throughout, from the shirts to the nearly invisible tights. I'm also a fan of the garters.

One example of a garter in the video... 

And another. But neither have tights.... interesting.

Teasers really set the tone for the whole comeback, not just the mv itself. For the debut of the Blaxx subunit Rainbow put out a ton of teasers, and boy... did they set a tone.
There were some more traditional teasers which featured clips from the MV itself.

This macaroon scene is in both the mv and the teasers.

They were pretty typical and features some of the more memorable scenes. This type of teaser is always hard to talk about once the video is out, because you've seen the whole thing....

Moving on, they also released whole body scans of each member.

Creepy full body shots

Delicious looking cakes

Talk about establishing their concept for this mv. They were super sexy full body video clips that included pretty sensual movements as well. It was my first taste of the wasteful opulence concept and I immediately loved the saturated colors and messiness of it, but it was also the first taste of the less then inspiring fashion.

The last real teaser that they used was something called a "Style Film".

This was every bit as sexy conceptually as the main mv, in fact even more risque at parts. The biggest difference was the quality of the clothing they wore (in some cases) and the staging. In this video (which is 19+) there are gorgeous details like patterned tights seamed high waisted panties and embroidered bustiers. Some pieces still lacked the workmanship, but generally it felt much more refined and classy. I enjoyed it. It also helped that it was staged as a photoshoot. With the limited movement it allowed for more conscious body placement, which made it feel more mature as well. Although still a little sexy for my tastes, it was really well done.

Pretty lighting makes everything classier 

Details like lace tights add a feminine touch

Oh MY! Young ladies these days seem to be dressing in little to no clothing...aren't you chilly dears? It would be fine, I guess, if just Rainbow Blaxx was doing it, but I keep seeing groups of girls dressed so skimpily their heating bills must be through the roof! AOA was a bit better in terms of converage in Miniskirt but I mean...just like at the title! Girls would never dress like this in my day. I'm not saying its a bad thing to experiment and all...just don't get frostbite dearies!

oh my....

Brrrrrr!

#dew-yourownmakeup
#maidmyday
#onthefringe

dew-yourownmakeup... or get your stylist to do it. This year we've seen quite a few scantily clad ladies, but we've noticed that their makeup has been pretty light and dewy. This dewy look is achieved with some gold/skin tone shimmery eyeshadow, a kick of eyeliner and some pink, shiny lips. TVXQ's Something and AOA's Miniskirt just this year.

Female actor from TVXQ!'s Something

maidmyday isn't really a trend but I just think it's funny that we've seen maid costumes within the last few months more than once. I mean they were very different main costumes, but still. See Bestie's Love Option for another example. How much demand can there be in korean music video for french maid outfits. I guess more than expected.

Bestie's Love Options.... 

onthefringe because we can never really escape giant hairy-looking monstrosities, can we? okay they're not that bad, but I still am not really a big fan of fringe-inspired pieces or anything that has particularly long strings or hairs all over the place. Just a personal preference. Dal Shabet had their fair share of this phenomenon in BBB.

Hairy blue sleeves...doesn't that sound attractive?

... at the end of the Rainbow

Ruby: If nothing else this video is certainly within rainbow's sexier concepts. I am quite happy to see them out of the tutus and into something more age appropriate. I guess my biggest complaint is not that the video is super sexy, I love a good sexy concept, but that rather than going for classier styles of sexy, like a pinup concept or even a rococo concept with a sexy twist, they opted for clothing that looked inexpensive and didn't have a lot of character. The shiny satin and cheap lace left a bad taste in my mouth.

Rich colors create a gorgeous background

She certainly gives off a certain look...

Em: While it could've been more interesting, the clothing definitely did its job to make Rainbow Blaxx look good. I liked the hints of red (and pink) on the shoes and the lace everywhere. We saw lace used very differently in the last video we reviewed, but this had some different pieces including the large flowery prints on the lace shirt. Very pretty and feminine. If you're looking for lingerie inspiration, this might just be your video.

Soft lines make for a more feminine concept 

Hot pink shoes with a hot pink carpet.

i mean yeah the video was basically people porn but....
some of those cakes are basically food porn too...

The jewelry was the closest parts of the outfits to the set--the crosses were particularly elaborate and cool.

What did you think about this super sexy concept? Do you think 2014 is going to continue to bring out sexy concepts for girl groups?
Stick around and find out with us!
Leave us some love!

Ruby and Em <3

Style in the Now

This week we went sexier than usual with Troublemaker's Now. The video featured a Hollywood-film-inspired, American theme that had just enough hipster to make us happy. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Hyuna and Hyunseung here:

It came out on October 27th, 2013, and currently has 8,271,786 views.

Em: This was actually a GREAT set of outfits, from the dramatic black dance costume to the various creative pieces of lingerie. As much as we don’t usually think Hyuna’s clothing is particularly…appropriate to context, in this it really fit with the scenario they set up and really carried the theme through the MV. Hyunseung’s clothing complemented Hyuna’s rather well (and we also got similarly revealing shots of him shirtless… yay!). It was very American-inspired, and a very different setting than what we usually see in kpop, but nonetheless Troublemaker looked right at home in a fashion-forward trailer. The video had a messy, careless sense to it, which is really quite rare in MVs, shown with loose, nearly mismatched clothing and artfully tousled hair.

Interesting and beautiful, especially with the weird hair colors

Ruby:  So I know that normally we’re quite harsh on this type of clothing, but in this case we both really liked this video. The difference here I think, is that it fits the concept and it is not overdone. Each of these outifts was simple and featured one or two focal points. For instance, Hyuna wears a bralette at one point. It’s super cool and totally on trend, but if rhinestones and feathers surrounded it, I don't think I would have noticed it. There were elements though, that really brought it out of normal clothing and into the fashion world, from colored wigs to impractical sweaters and leather bondage features. It was really nice to see the sexy concept done in a very real and very fashionable way.

 

Sure there's a lot of skin, but in this case she just looks AWESOME

What a Tease

So we don’t always talk about teaser photos (though nearly every band has them), but when we do it’s because they were fantastic. The teasers for Now were gritty and sexy and fashionable and just wonderful. They managed to capture the spirit of the MV completely without repeating what actually happened. I’m not even sure I [Em] could pick a favorite. The outfit with the black skirt and blue wig is pretty high on the list though. They matched well as a couple too, with the loose white paired with leather and baseball caps. Interesting combinations that worked well.

Simple, sexy outfits

Capturing the spirit of the MV

This. This is good.

You know, in the past I’ve always overlooked these two, but especially Hyuna. I mean with their last video I was so focused on how bad they were at spying and if she was going to stay upright in her shoes, to even notice their acting skills! But this time, they seem so much more mature and sophisticated! I mean, when Hyunseung is wandering around shirtless, in those low-slung jeans, suddenly, it hits me! He would make a super awesome, super sexy villain. I CAN SEE THE HEADLINES NOW! HYESUNG TAKES SHIRT OFF TO TAKE ON VILLIAN ROLE. And Hyuna! Wannabe-homewrecker no more! I mean in Icecream, it was funny and all, she was so sexual in such a cute video… I mean at one point her pants laced up over her lady parts… Not really the image we’re looking to promote. But this time, in her big jean shirt and little black dress she looked every bit the part of a daring young actress, willing to take on the controversial roles but while keeping it classy and fun…. Check and check, adding two people to my future casting list, oh yes I am!

Ready for casting

#inmyboyfriendspants

#howmanycolorsdocowscomein

#everygirlneedsalbd

#inmyboyfriendspants and the shirt too probably, considering the trend of women wearing their boyfriend’s garments. Wearing a baggy button down while singing angstily about your boyfriend (or exboyfriend) is more common than you’d think. We saw it in Sistar19’s Gone Not Around Any Longer, which was quite nice. In Now, Hyuna wears her significant other’s flannel shirt in the MV and his suit jacket in the teaser. Such a clothing thief. No wonder they’re having relationship issues.

Sexy plaid vampire

Getting a little daring now aren't you.

Sistar19 in Gone Not Around Any Longer

#howmanycolorsdocowscomein…? Quite a few I guess! Recently we’ve seen a ton of leather jackets, especially fun or bright colors. Leather is always in; it keeps it classy and cool and totally chic. In this video they sport black leather jackets, but Hyunseung also sports a light blue jacket, at one point. Earlier this year in Why So Serious SHINee also donned brightly colored leather. Leather jackets come in a bunch of different variations, even cropped, like in CL’s Baddest Female. Keep ‘em coming kpop, leather is a nice contrast in texture to other fabrics and looks badass.

Hyunseung's blue jacket

SHINee in leather jackets of varying colors

CL in Baddest Female

#everygirlneedsalbd, or little black dress, since they're so useful! Hyuna wears a daring one in Now, and she looks stunning in it while dancing. One recent example of the lbd is from Sistar's Alone, where the band all had sleek black dresses. An older example is from After School's Flashback, where the concept for the whole MV was little black dresses. Its really a classic piece that just keeps showing up...probably because its so snazzy. Finally, none other than Madam Heehee (Heechul for those of you who aren't that deep into the ELF fandom) wore his own black dress. Not that I would really call this menswear.

Sexy dance costume CHECK

Sistar in Alone, with even the backup dancers in lbds

After School's Flashback

And then there's Heechul

Em: With a well-put-together plot and a fitting concept, Troublemaker’s fashion impressed me quite a bit. Far from the cliché spies in Troublemaker, they created characters for themselves using clothes. From the long black cloak Hyunseung wore in the dance scene to the leather extravaganzas in the car scene, it was great. There was nothing cutesy either, which was refreshing—both Ruby and I have issues when adult kpop stars dress much younger than they are, but this was quite age appropriate (and edging on racy). I’m not saying I loved every piece (the leopard print was a little questionable) but I must say, well done.

YESSSSSSSS

nooooooooooo

Ruby: For the Korean music scene, I think a lot of this fashion was still super racy and exposed, but even so, there was a modern, current feel for the fashion in this video. It managed to be just beyond the boundary of wearable, making it feel like a production, but still with identifiable trends and fashion statements. Personally, I’m always a sucker for hipster fashion, like their car blanket covers, Hyunseung’s flannel and Hyuna’s exposed thigh tights. I still don't approve of plaid. Seriously. But the rest of the video is innovative and really spot on, trends wise, I think. If someone wanted a reference guide in how to do raunchy and sexy and amazing, this is it. Even with exposed underwear, leopard print coats and blue wigs, it had balance, impact and held my attention.

The hipster fashion that makes us happy

Pretty shot...but WHY THE PLAID TREND

Joker makeup.

SO THAT WAS A REAL KISS. DDDDAAAAAYYYYUUUUMMMMM. ;)

So what did you think of Hyuna and Hyunseung? Have you always been a fan of her? Or do you still not like her? And the biggest question...how much plaid have you been wearing? Let us know in the comments!

-Ruby & Em <3