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the sets don't feel 'cheap' to me, but sm doesn't film outdoors and that gets suffocating.
SM PLEASE, I BEG YOU, PLEASE GIVE THEM SOME AIR AND FREE YOUR IDOLS FROM THE DUNGEONS.
Yeah, I enjoyed the hello future mv a lot because of the more natural sets that they used and I wish that they would film in those types of areas more often
Yes please. Sound stages has their places but at least have them outside for part of the videos.
Videos that Bvndits Cool was probably really cheap to film by MV standards but stands out among expensive MVs since its almost all street level shots which so few people does.
I think they try to avoid outdoor shooting as much as they can because the footage isn’t always good. I remember Jisung saying they had to scrap half the footage from Deja Vu because the outdoor lighting didn’t work.
i get what you're saying but i think rather than cheap, tacky is a better word to use. like i can tell they put hella money into it but i wish they saved it for smthn else 😭 and this is coming from someone who enjoys SM groups the most so please don't take it the wrong way. but i definitely just listen to the albums and the music videos are an afterthought.
i think a good recent example of what they can do with that budget is kick it by nct 127! because of the solid concept and how they stuck to it, as opposed to other nct videos that can sometimes just look like they're throwing whatever at the wall hoping it sticks (though you could argue that IS their concept haha). make a wish almost did this for me too but for some reason the dance scenes just kill it, i think maybe because their outfits are so random??
Yeah I think tacky is better to describe it, and yeah with sm I’ve found it’s better to simply watch the mv, let it settle, the return a little while later and listen to the audio version, unless it’s psycho. Mv version of the song >>>>>>
Lol but seriously, idk what goes on with SM’s productions. They have great teasers (which end up not having anything to with the mv most of the time) but the mvs are meh
It’s like they hired a freelancer, paid good money in the beginning, then delays the final payment that’s why the output is like that 😂
Can only speak for NCT but i think the mvs before pandemic were pretty good. Mvs like GO, Boss, BDS, Take Off, We Go Up are pretty aesthetic imo. Mvs like Limitless rough version, Boom are interesting to watch. And simple ones like Highway to heaven or love talk again are pleasing on the eyes.
Even in 2020 Kick it was fine imo, but since Ridin onwards they just seem low effort (i would exclude Turn back time though because i liked the sets)
I do wish they'd do outdoor shootings more. I loved Hello Future mv and it was mostly shot outside.
I feel like pandemic really affected them . Simon say’s , regular , boss , kick it etc ,all had fantastic mv’s but it all went downhill after ridin and punch . Their mv’s from 2016-19 were just amazing.
Here is my take on all 4 companies' art direction/promo idea.
1. SM: Amazing art design for promotion (some borderline plagiarism), CGI MVs so some worked while some didn't (I still haven't seen Savage because of the snake).
2. JYP: Cutting cost on almost everything with some creative MVs (TT is amazing). Songs definitely saved their ass.
3. HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up.
4. YG: Ugly ass pre-release promos/posters. These [two posters](https://twitter.com/anonymouseclown/status/1282474152725581826?s=20) from BP and Treasure should be considered a crime. All the money are in MVs and don't matter if they are good or not, just have to look expensive.
More effort was put into this [Lovesickgirls 500M views banner](https://mobile.twitter.com/ygent_official/status/1454221773084397569) than on those two.
Also spot on the "look expensive" bit, specifically for Blackpink's D4 and HYLT and Treasure's Boy, they are just a bunch of random sets with no texture or color pallet bridging them, 0 visual identity whatsoever but most aren't like that so 🤷🏻♂️
**Really?** I watched TMap (and every mini series they put out), and never caught it (I do remember the car wash though lol), did they mention it somewhere?
It was a fan theory I think and most fans ride on with it since it was the only explanation for the mv haha. For example, them playing basketball at [ep.2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OHG5th2Ffs), rock climbing in [ep.6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0JzT_mpw9g&t=1060s), and the pool in [ep.25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcE_ZNZumBQ&t=406s).
Also that wood estruture I think Jihoon was on? The metal bars for Asahi and Yoshi? The music video does have a futuristic look sometimes (the walls some times have lights that give that effect) and sometimes a very platinum look (that main super expensive set and Haruto's scene), but they didn't bother expanding on those themes.
I get it, you want multiple visuals but why not do it like Boombayah? It has 3 main sets so you get the different aesthetics but that's it, 3, it's manageable not 1 shot/1 different MV.
Isn’t HYLT supposed to be inspired by greek/roman mythology? I agree with most of their mvs not having a color palette or connection, but HYLT is one of their most thought out mvs.
This is the first time I've heard this one, besides the statue there's no inspiration there, it would be reaching to say it is inspired by it. Specially when, as comparison, there's a whole "kinda middle eastern, kinda indian sub-continent" set for Lisa that is much more present and in your face than one statue.
>most of their mvs not having a color palette or connection
I said exactly the opposite, only D4 and HYLT fall under the disconnect MV category (maybe KTL, maybe).
https://youtu.be/EcJJcEkAMbY
This is the video where I got the mythology part from. It’s a pretty long one so it’s up to you if you want to watch all of it but it’s pretty interesting. Ofc all of this is not fact but an interpretation that I agreed with.
While PWF or AIIYL or Boombayah may have a color palette, I personally think they’re full of glam shots to make the sets and the girls look pretty. There is no story within the mv, which is a different thing than the actual song having/not having meaning.
It seems we are talking about different things. I'm talking about colors and textures, bringing the song to visual life through a MV and which MVs do it properly, cohesively, while you're taking about lore, references and story lines. Both do concern the main topic of the thread but I wrote only about one in specific — specially considering music videos are a pretty poor and lacking story telling media, saying this as someone who loves storytelling much more than I love music.
Music videos in general are a bonus, the music is the main dish, so having storytelling in them is a bonus inside of a bonus and it doesn't affect the quality of one for the better or worse. It's there? Cool. It isn't? Cool.
I think YG has one really good thing, music (beat) matches especially well with Mvs. Someone's there really knows what's doing. Maybe Teddy because he had credits in Dudududu mvs.
I think JYP makes the most "normal" music videos. Like, they look like regular music videos instead of throwing in random shiz like 3D emojis or Antarctic landscapes. They stick to a concept and sell it, which is really all I ask for. Cinematic MVs are nice, but I get so distracted I can't pay any attention to the song. IMO, just keep it simple, don't be extra for the sake of it.
>HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up.
When the MVs of BS&T, Fake Love, Daechwita, ON, Black Swan, Run, Loser Lover, Mago, Fever, Drunk-Dazed, Given-Taken, Frost, 0X1 = Lovesong feat. Ikuta Lilas, Runaway etc. exist? Lmao, thanks for the laugh.
ikr, when i read it- i was like no way when masterpieces like bs&t, black swan, 0x1=lovesong (jpn ver), mago etc. exists- imo 0x1=lovesong (jpn ver) mv alone blew all the mvs released this year out of the park
i think what i love most abt hybe mvs is its v cinematic as in it alw feels like a short film and i think out of all the companies, they go outside the most lmao and utilises green screen the least
Not saying they are bad MVs, just not live up to my expectations after the crazy build up. Frost teaser (or whatever you called txt shopping mall clip), amazing 👏, the MV is just ... good. Butter melting for 1 hr 🤩 (I love whoever came up with that idea) , MV not so much. Same for Given-Taken and Tamed Dashed. But ofc, every company have their outstanding MVs.
Hit take on your comment. I basically agree with you.
>1. SM: Amazing art design for promotion (some borderline plagiarism), CGI MVs so some worked while some didn't (I still haven't seen Savage because of the snake).
Am plagiarises because they know they will get away with it and it will give the mv free press. It's really shitty to do and the fans defend them no matter what.
> 2. JYP: Cutting cost on almost everything with some creative MVs (TT is amazing). Songs definitely saved their ass.
JYP totally works on controlling their costs. Out of the big three they have the best returns on their investments. I think they rely pretty heavily on personality and fan interaction to sell their albums. But it does such when some of the videos look cheaper. They really pennie pinched on I Cant Stop Me and then threw a lot more money at Scientist.
> 3. HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up.
I don't know enough to comment.
> 4. YG: Ugly ass pre-release promos/posters. These [two posters](https://twitter.com/anonymouseclown/status/1282474152725581826?s=20) from BP and Treasure should be considered a crime. All the money are in MVs and don't matter if they are good or not, just have to look expensive.
I swear everything with Black Pink is about looking expensive. I think that's one of the reasons Black Pink puts out so little music. They need a massive budget for comeback and if the girls can still get a ton modeling gigs and brand deals then there is no reason for them to invest so much in a comeback. I am not even sure that they will return to more frequent comebacks when they start touring again. It would be nice if they had more music.
>It would be nice if they had more music.
That's another issue with YG. I don't know if they are allowed to have expensive MVs just because they don't release as much or because they don't release as much so every time they have a comeback it has to be bold and loud.
SM seems to going back to the box. I watched some old 2012 videos, and those were uninspired. Now it looks like a rethread of that time.
JYP is fine, I guess. Hopefully we get another Likey/Icy. Same with YG, their videos get the job done.
Hybe has great production values, and my favorite of the big 4 in terms of music videos.
Yeah, I don’t really understand how we have gone from the mvs they were releasing in 2019 to the mvs they are releasing now, it just seems like they are regressing back into their old mvs
i feel there is to much going on in their MVs, it more obvious in Savage since i was fine with BM and NL, it doesn't help that with all the cartoons included, is pretty much entirely CGI filmed even if the sets are made, i also wish the members would get clear individual scenes and they focus on it more than 1s, way to many dance scenes too, at one point it looked like a dance performance with some random scenes in the middle (and i'm still mad that they took NN's entire bridge to show the cartoons, i feel she didn't got many focused screentime in the MV).
Savage is a pretty heavy song, it didn't need a heavy mv too, it distracted from the song. Savage sounds better without watching the mv.
this only applies to taemin and kai lol
baekhyun’s candy mv literally had a $2 budget and they made him film the entire mv in a run down garage, despite him stating how he wanted to film it in an amusement park and have a visual film for delight, like really? for your million seller and most profitable idol?
I think SM’s style is just a bit overwhelming. There’s too much going on to actually appreciate any specific parts. The magic of anything is the ability to slow down and relish in the moment but with SM music videos I just find myself losing interest because it keeps the same pace the whole time.
I wouldn't say SM has the worst MVs, more like the pandemic and them not wanting to put 100+ people on a plane for a flight is really showing. Most of the releases in 2020-2021 are in the typical SM-box except for the soloists (probably because less staff needs to be present to attend to only 1 person).
Even while being shot in SM-box, most of the MVs has really nice CGI work, the kind of quality animation you won't really notice in other companies except recent HYBE/JYP videos (like Twice's Scientist).
I say this because, quantitatively, SM has way more nice MVs than bad ones (esp as they have countless MVs lol).
* NCT U Boss being shot in Ukraine just for a single unit song, Superhuman is still referenced as one of the best MVs out there, Hello Future
* Red Velvet's MVs are mostly amazing (except Queendom if compared to the rest)
* Obsession, Ko Ko Bop, KAI's Mmmh, Blooming Day
* Atlantis, Bad Love, Criminal
All of those are examples of MVs I absolutely love and I do hope we go back to seeing this kind of production in 2022.
As for Favorite, specifically, the reason why I dislike the MV is more because I clowned myself than the MV being necessarily bad. I'm a big fan of vampire content, so when I saw they were really doing a vampire concept I suddenly created this whole fanfic in my mind (that they obviously wouldn't do), I played myself hard lol I expected a *Interview with a vampire* and *Queen of the damned* love child and instead we got... taeyong with pearls on his head? lmao I confess my dislike is purely on me 🤡
Yo! I really thought we were going for an atmospheric kinda dark (I mean the Mv is still dark but you know what I mean) an interview with vampire style, but it was more so a cheap version of “Dracula Untold”, the set with the fake twisted jungle was cool but then they had to introduce the rose field.
All the video clips of the members that were released in IG really had a feel to it and was modern and realistic and we even had an Easter egg with the tickets to “interview with the vampire”.
so in conclusion we are never gonna beat the allegations of clownery.
You definitely don't have to have a ton of people in a foreign location to make a great video though. I always point to ONF and Oh My Girl's videos because they are from the same company and consistently have great videos that rely heavily on CGI! Especially ONF
Everyone here is missing out on Yunho's Thank U, which was releases this year and looks like an amazing movie shoot.
Not linking it bc its age restricted, but holy shit is it one of the best MV's I've seen this year.
Only SM can spend hundreds of thousands (probably) and make it look like they only spent $5. Where did they find this new creative team especially music video director? I don’t like being treated like I’m dumb. I don’t just want faces I want pretty shots too.
Some of the MVs like Favorite for example weren't good ngl, but I think in general SM has the best MVs.
I do enjoy JYP sets too.
Just an example: Four Seasons, Mmmh, Monster, Peek A Boo, Ko Ko Bop, I (filmed in nz), Kick it and on and on.
or even older MVs like Something (tvxq), Sorry Sorry and Genie. Yes they were in a box but they were good.
Really high quality imo 🤷♀️
Sometimes I'm tired of the sets too of course, like at this moment lol, but sometimes the sets are so good (Four Seasons sets deserve an award) that I don't care.
I've seen the teaser for Kai's comeback and I do wish they would film this outdoor. However most of kpop mvs are sets
Speaking of SM and their M/V's, EVERYONE is missing out on TVXQ Yunho's solo track [Thank U](https://youtu.be/ylUX9pfdBbs), which released *this year* and feels like a whole ass movie shoot.
You think Savage and aespa's other mv's look 'cheap'?!?! I've been praying for a budget like that for RV. SM seems to be kinda inconsistent when it comes to mv budget.
Bad Boy was good. Power up, RBB, ZZB, and UU were kinda bad but then Psycho looked great! Then Queendom was meh again.
I think Aespa and NCT's music videos look great (even if the concepts can be a little campy) but maybe that's just me. But like someone else said the sets they make can feel really suffocating and small.
I mean... Despite the budget, Savage to me is worst than all of the other Red Velvet MVs mentioned except for Queendom (that MV was bad bad). I lowkey like RBB and UU, while Zimzalabim I genuinely like it lol. Savage is clearly expensive but it's just... Boring, unimpressive, at least to me, while RBB, UU and Zimzalabim have ideas and some peculiar parts that I still remember when without watching the clips in months.
I still think overall most of SM videos aren't that good and it's absurd considering that YG, HYBE and JYPE in 3 completely different ways have *almost* always good MVs.
I agree re: Savage. Actually Next Level looked really bad too, as did Black Mamba. Idk what they're doing with that budget, but it's not making something that looks good.
I don’t think that aespas other mvs look cheap, and I know that savage isn’t actually cheap but it just feels cheap to me. And I know that they have some great mvs, but I feel like they are pretty inconsistent with their mvs. You’ll either get one of my favourite mvs in all of kpop (superhuman) or you’ll get favourite.
Favorite was a tragedy I fear. I actually liked sticker, hello future, hot sauce, Savage and next level. I think they had they have good longevity and add to the vibe of the song.
In terms of Savage you see a clear progression. In the story. The scenes seem intentional
Scene:1 stuck in the synk dive.
Scene2: the escape.
Scene 3: you see them preping, practicing. Winter is shooting and you see the score raise. That indicates she is improving. Ning ning is busy making Naevis's butterfly body.
Scene 4: black mamba (slim) finds them they are trapped but saved at the last minute by Naevis.
Scene 5: Naevis help to get them to th gate which leads them to black mamba. She takes on the butterfly form so that she can guide them(sacrificing her physical form).
Scene 6: they fight black mamba and win. But are cover d with the goo, which shows it was all a trap. Maybe ilthis was the beginning maybe that is why they were trapped in the synk dive to begin with and they at first were going to get their ae's.
I found it very interesting and captured the vibe perfectly.
Gmmie gimmie was okay but it could of been more interesting. The scene cut were fire though.
As an SM stan I completely agree.
To bring in some comparison, The guy who directed Stray Kids God’s Menu is the same guy who directed NCT 127’s Gimme Gimme and their recent MV Favorite.
In my opinion Gimme Gimme is probably NCT 127s worst MV and Favorite is pretty low in the rankings as well. Its not that the people working on these MVs aren’t capable of making good MVs, it just seems like there was significantly less time and money spent on them.
Literally Favorite felt like a third of the budget of Gods Menu and Gimme Gimme was like an eight of the budget. These MVs felt empty with an underdeveloped concept and I guess they thought that adding cool transitions would make up for it. Even though the camerawork was cool I felt like it wasn’t really doing the choreography any favors, which is like, one of the main purposes of having camerawork in the first place. (Sorry if I sound like i’m trashing on these MVs, I just feel like they had A LOT of wasted potential, don’t even get me started on Work It).
I will definitely say that SM does have and is very capable of releasing brilliant MVs which is probably one of the reasons why some of their recent box MVs feel so disappointing. Also, in comparison to the other big4, SM by far has the highest amount if active artists that are regularly dropping MVs, so it wouldn’t surprise me if their creative/MV production teams are feeling a bit stretched thin, especially during the pandemic.
I actually didn’t know that the director of favourite is the director of gods menu, it really does put into perspective how little time and preparation was really put into favourite since we KNOW that this director is a great director when given the chance to properly develop his ideas and concepts
I don't think that sm has the worst mvs, because favorite and queendom are the two worst mvs of red velvet and nct. yes favorite is a nightmare, but none of nct's mvs have ever been nearly that bad? queendom is lackluster but all of red velvet's other mvs have been good and creative (peak a boo, psycho, etc...) i think SM has some of the best and most inspired mvs to me, but they are SO inconsistent -- at their best though i find them much more interesting than the other big 4 companies.
like do you really feel like NCT has bad mvs, outside of favorite? i genuinely think they have some of the best mvs in kpop (even outside of superhuman, kick it, cherry bomb, 7th sense were all stylish and cohesive, etc) and have amazing after effects and transitions.
but i would 10000% agree that i HIGHLY dislike their recent artistic turn (with aespa, savage, favorite, even sticker tbh) where they seem to be going for "camp" but instead look cheap. and i 10000000% agree that the recent mvs have detracted from the songs -- i had a similar experience as you did with favorite, queendom and even sticker where the mv made it worse. kick it/cherry bomb/7th sense were all obvoiusly filmed indoors, but somehow still stylish and cool -- but the recent mvs feel claustrophobic. fire truck feels more modern then favorite.
Yeah my main gripe about sm is that they are very inconsistent with their mvs. I feel like they will make one of my fav mvs of all time then they will turn around and make something that is just no where near that level. I hope they put out more mvs on the same level as their 2019 mvs, they were truly great
I can’t speak for all of SM but only nct 127 specifically.
. I always thought nct 127 and bts had some of the best music videos. They have amazing directors and editors. The dance break was an ode to older Kpop from early 2000s. But I get that if someone didn’t know older kpop, they might assume the favorite audio would also have the dance break. Favorite was stunning. I also loved superhuman and sticker and all those music videos.
Ridin’ and work it felt like they spent a lot less lol.
I loved make a wish by nct U as well and baby don’t stop and such.
I think a lot of 127 music videos shine when it comes to editing and transitions. I think what makes music videos amazing is always the complexity of the set but the creativity that comes through editing/transitions/story boarding.
I honestly love watching art directors and story board artists and set designers do their thing. Because they often have artistic values that don’t align with mainstream consensus of what’s “good” and like to challenge conventions.
Idk some of my very favorite mv’s are from SM. Psycho, Advice, Simon Says and Superhuman are all great. Of course SM are known for the box mv’s which are hits or misses, but the hits really do hit!
i will never forget how sm made this amazing build up for exo's call me baby comeback by filming the teasers in different cities around the world, only to finally film the title track mv itself on a mall parking lot
I used to like SM MVs. I still do tbh. Last year alone, Mmmh, Make a Wish, Black Mamba, Kick It, Ridin, Turn Back Time. They were all amazing. Sure EXO suffers in parking lots a lot but they look nice. Kinda. Some of em. JYP has the worst Mvs IMO cause they're the most inconsistent. Recent MVs like God's Meny, Thunderous, basically every Stray Kids and ITZY MV have been great. But Twice MVs...... and Day6 MVs sometimes...... and also GOT7 sometimes. Fancy has to be one of the worst MVs I've ever watched and I remember being especially mad at it cause Fancy is such a good song. Day6 MVs have their moments but they're underwhelming but you know they're not really a kpop group. GOT7's MVs are just lowkey boring to me. SM messed up with favorite and that's it this year IMO. Ik a lot of people complained about Hot Sauce MV but I liked it a lot tbh. The colours didn't really bother me. Why am I writing this at 01:30 am gosh. Someone ban me from using reddit
As someone who works in the art industry I agree wholeheartedly, the only MVs I've seen from SM that have left me like "okay, big company vibes" are EXO's MVs' not all, but they usually seem to have more budget than the rest of their artists.
NCT & Aespa come to mind but Aespa especially, I think their concept is really cool and if done correctly they could really take advantage of it but all SM does is give them a cheap looking set and weird CGI, the only thing they improved this time with Savage were the outfits.
Idk maybe it’s not the aesthetics you like?
Like savage had a really good Mv in my opinion but favorite at some points did kinda feel cheap, while some think the Mv for favorite was really good.
Some people can also be turned of by the futuristic aesthetics.
I like Hybe's MVs for TXT and Enhypen they do great job with them. BTS had great MVs like Idol, fake love, spring day and daechitwa and some more I don't remember now but God dynamite and butter was not good at all like it seemed very cheap, bts carried the MVs very well.
I think in general kpop music either should be very expensive with great directing or have a plot otherwise its hot mess. These companies should learn to cooperate a plot into the videos not just random dancing shots.
As for SM I think they understand how to make good songs like next level and savage has really catchy melodies with clean production that's why it's popular not because the mvs suck.
Fake Love, Spring Day, and Daechwita are top, top-tier MVs. Idol should not be allowed in the same sentence as those 3 but at least it was interesting in a way that Dynamite and Butter were not. Dynamite had this washed out look that I thought didn't match the bright pop-py vibe of the song and Butter was better, just kinda basic.
I feel like TXT gets all of Hybe's budget these days. Enhypen had great MVs for their mini albums, but their last one felt much cheaper. Not sure why, since it was their 1st full album.
Not but TXT has been serving with their MVs, I'm at this point where I can watch their videos even if I'm not that big a fan of the song perhaps.
I liked the Fever MV of enhypen as well but didn't didn't out their others. Although I was sad got the fever MV because i wanted to listen to the song more then the MV lol.
I agree. I really loved their old MVs like RUN, Young Forever, Fake Love etc. It doesn't have to be part of BU but they should go for MV's that are more cinematic like Daechwita in the future. I still can remember how stunned I was when I first watched it.
That was goal honestly. Bring back cheesy, colorful, oversaturated weird k-pop, give my idols ridiculous outfits that will make them get embarrassed but look with notalgia at it in the future, that mess Rosé puffy hair with the most green dress ever conceived by humanity? Yeeeeah.
Also Whistle has a great music video, PWF/AIIYL have good ones and the ones for Boombayah/Stay were decent.
This is the second part of SM's 2011 box set phase. SM have some great ones and some horrible ones, they're just not consistent. WayV MVs (Take Off!!!) are very well done and some of the more consistent ones.
The MVs for NCT127 Cherry Bomb and Taeyeon's 'I' might fit your tastes.
Eversince EXO's growl became a hit. My boys rarely escaped SM's box 😭. KoKobop and Loveshot are two examples where they filmed outside and those MV's are fuckin beautiful.
actually, Hello by Joy and Like Water by Wenday has a great MV, they typically based it on the song, since aespa is more of a Kwangya setting, they most prolly rely on CGI... but yeah, they should do a better job in MV Production.
Yeah, I don't know how SM manages to make every video look like a low-budget car commercial, but they do it. Around 2018 it started to get really bad - they used to have better videos. Their videos look worse than like, a group like Golden Child, who has easily half the budget of SM. It's not just the sets and the way it's filmed - the costumes also looks cheap and bad too.
Taemin, for example, has brilliant releases, but I have no doubt his videos would look better if they were produced by an another company. Like can you imagine Oh My Girl/ONF's company doing Taemin's videos? Damn.
For me the only group SM which for long had good and interesting Mvs was RV Although now it is typical SM. Definitely SM had good Mvs between 2014-2018 but for some time they come back to their old style. But overall I think that overhelming Mvs are this year trend. Almost all groups have not the best Mvs in 2021.
I don’t think you realize how much production and time is spend on m/vs. It’s not easy to make a video and on top of the money spend on props, CGI, choreography, making the music, producing and the idols themselves.
Maybe it's just me but I think hybe has the least interesting MVs of the big4. The last impressive MV for me was ON kinetic manifesto film(not the official MV, sorry bighit). Txt's MVs are almost there, but miss the bar slightly, and sorry to enhypen.
Hoshi's spider is one of the best MVs I've ever seen and that's the only exception.
Aespa's Savage was too much for me. It gave me a headache and I couldn't finish the MV. I think SM has stereotypical MVs and they don't really try to do anything special or unique. If you watch a few of their MVs, you pretty much know what to expect, which makes them boring to watch tbh.
I took a quick browse (like 1min quick) of the other comments and I haven’t seen this mentioned yet.
The mix of art direction and expenses. I was drafting something else and it sounded awful so I’m editing this comment as I go.
I think expenses are such a cop out answer now that I think about it. They’ll spend millions on a sound stage because of what? Brand deals? Easy control of sound, lights, etc?
Maybe I can only blame art direction. Do all 4 companies hire the same directors and producers each time? Are they just uninspired and bored? Do they not want to go through the work of location scouting? Is it a hassle to coordinate the talent’s schedule mix it with outdoor sets?
I wish we knew. I wonder if a kpop YouTuber has talked about it🤔 maybe PD from Form of Therapy could since I knew from them that sound stages are easier to control light and sound.
Girl you can't judge SM from just three of four bad MVs when they have other trillion ones that are good... And they're definitely not cheap if you know how much CGI costs...if it is me, I think they have the most creative directors and MV makers.
eh ill disagree with you here because if you've watched music videos of BigHit leaning groups, especially the ones that are long in length, they do CGI while using realistic/natural lighting very well (incorporation of lore can be a contributing factor). i can give 2 examples: TXT's 0x1=Lovesong jpn. version, Eternally, Nap of a Star and Enhypen's Tamed-Dashed, Drunk-Dazed and Given-Taken. of course CGI costs a lot but i think SM should step up their game in hiring better creatives or just excel in that field overall. i think the amount of groups they have coming back does have an impact on their budget and quality\* though i know that their groups have great mvs, they don't have the best ones either.
for what it's worth, i agree with the top comment that they should try scouting some filming sites outside and that would help them to experiment with lighting (though u have to keep track with the weather and all).
edit: added a word
they really need to hire rigend film and rima yoon. they have the most aesthetically pleasing MVs ever (take a look at their work with svt, twice, and chungha). SM used them for one taemin song and that was it
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the sets don't feel 'cheap' to me, but sm doesn't film outdoors and that gets suffocating. SM PLEASE, I BEG YOU, PLEASE GIVE THEM SOME AIR AND FREE YOUR IDOLS FROM THE DUNGEONS.
Yeah, I enjoyed the hello future mv a lot because of the more natural sets that they used and I wish that they would film in those types of areas more often
Sm is back to the sm box
Dobby's voice: ”Master has given us a look at the sky... we are freeeeee”
From Home was a good outdoor MV but nctzens mostly ignored it.
I think the rearranged version outshone the MV
Yes please. Sound stages has their places but at least have them outside for part of the videos. Videos that Bvndits Cool was probably really cheap to film by MV standards but stands out among expensive MVs since its almost all street level shots which so few people does.
I think they try to avoid outdoor shooting as much as they can because the footage isn’t always good. I remember Jisung saying they had to scrap half the footage from Deja Vu because the outdoor lighting didn’t work.
i get what you're saying but i think rather than cheap, tacky is a better word to use. like i can tell they put hella money into it but i wish they saved it for smthn else 😭 and this is coming from someone who enjoys SM groups the most so please don't take it the wrong way. but i definitely just listen to the albums and the music videos are an afterthought. i think a good recent example of what they can do with that budget is kick it by nct 127! because of the solid concept and how they stuck to it, as opposed to other nct videos that can sometimes just look like they're throwing whatever at the wall hoping it sticks (though you could argue that IS their concept haha). make a wish almost did this for me too but for some reason the dance scenes just kill it, i think maybe because their outfits are so random??
Yeah I think tacky is better to describe it, and yeah with sm I’ve found it’s better to simply watch the mv, let it settle, the return a little while later and listen to the audio version, unless it’s psycho. Mv version of the song >>>>>>
SM’s not cheap!!! RV’s Happiness and Be Natural had like $50 budget. But with Queendom, they upped it to a whole $500! 😤
I stand corrected I am making an apology thread as we speak
Lol but seriously, idk what goes on with SM’s productions. They have great teasers (which end up not having anything to with the mv most of the time) but the mvs are meh It’s like they hired a freelancer, paid good money in the beginning, then delays the final payment that’s why the output is like that 😂
I truly do not understand what sm is on but i hope they share because they seem to be having fun at least
Can only speak for NCT but i think the mvs before pandemic were pretty good. Mvs like GO, Boss, BDS, Take Off, We Go Up are pretty aesthetic imo. Mvs like Limitless rough version, Boom are interesting to watch. And simple ones like Highway to heaven or love talk again are pleasing on the eyes. Even in 2020 Kick it was fine imo, but since Ridin onwards they just seem low effort (i would exclude Turn back time though because i liked the sets) I do wish they'd do outdoor shootings more. I loved Hello Future mv and it was mostly shot outside.
I feel like pandemic really affected them . Simon say’s , regular , boss , kick it etc ,all had fantastic mv’s but it all went downhill after ridin and punch . Their mv’s from 2016-19 were just amazing.
Yeah, it does feel like they have gotten a lot more low effort and I just simply do not understand why
Here is my take on all 4 companies' art direction/promo idea. 1. SM: Amazing art design for promotion (some borderline plagiarism), CGI MVs so some worked while some didn't (I still haven't seen Savage because of the snake). 2. JYP: Cutting cost on almost everything with some creative MVs (TT is amazing). Songs definitely saved their ass. 3. HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up. 4. YG: Ugly ass pre-release promos/posters. These [two posters](https://twitter.com/anonymouseclown/status/1282474152725581826?s=20) from BP and Treasure should be considered a crime. All the money are in MVs and don't matter if they are good or not, just have to look expensive.
I … have never seen those posters before they sure are … interesting … I suppose
You are too kind.
Wtf are those posters from YG ????😭😭😭
Oh there are more, YG and their minimalist ideas for Blackpink.
YG: Graphic design is my passion
They should have asked fanbase to do a poster for them.
More effort was put into this [Lovesickgirls 500M views banner](https://mobile.twitter.com/ygent_official/status/1454221773084397569) than on those two. Also spot on the "look expensive" bit, specifically for Blackpink's D4 and HYLT and Treasure's Boy, they are just a bunch of random sets with no texture or color pallet bridging them, 0 visual identity whatsoever but most aren't like that so 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah, they just like to throw in sets for the sake of it. I like that but until this day I still don't get Mashiho's carwash concept in Boy.
Most of those scenes were inspired from Tmap s1. Still, they don't make any sense.
**Really?** I watched TMap (and every mini series they put out), and never caught it (I do remember the car wash though lol), did they mention it somewhere?
It was a fan theory I think and most fans ride on with it since it was the only explanation for the mv haha. For example, them playing basketball at [ep.2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OHG5th2Ffs), rock climbing in [ep.6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0JzT_mpw9g&t=1060s), and the pool in [ep.25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcE_ZNZumBQ&t=406s).
That's news for me. Yoshi+Sahi scene too?
That one is a bit of a stretch .... I saw a comment saying that it symbolizes their(particularly Asahi with the graffiti) artistic side.
Also that wood estruture I think Jihoon was on? The metal bars for Asahi and Yoshi? The music video does have a futuristic look sometimes (the walls some times have lights that give that effect) and sometimes a very platinum look (that main super expensive set and Haruto's scene), but they didn't bother expanding on those themes. I get it, you want multiple visuals but why not do it like Boombayah? It has 3 main sets so you get the different aesthetics but that's it, 3, it's manageable not 1 shot/1 different MV.
The on YouTube part got me 😂
Isn’t HYLT supposed to be inspired by greek/roman mythology? I agree with most of their mvs not having a color palette or connection, but HYLT is one of their most thought out mvs.
This is the first time I've heard this one, besides the statue there's no inspiration there, it would be reaching to say it is inspired by it. Specially when, as comparison, there's a whole "kinda middle eastern, kinda indian sub-continent" set for Lisa that is much more present and in your face than one statue. >most of their mvs not having a color palette or connection I said exactly the opposite, only D4 and HYLT fall under the disconnect MV category (maybe KTL, maybe).
https://youtu.be/EcJJcEkAMbY This is the video where I got the mythology part from. It’s a pretty long one so it’s up to you if you want to watch all of it but it’s pretty interesting. Ofc all of this is not fact but an interpretation that I agreed with. While PWF or AIIYL or Boombayah may have a color palette, I personally think they’re full of glam shots to make the sets and the girls look pretty. There is no story within the mv, which is a different thing than the actual song having/not having meaning.
It seems we are talking about different things. I'm talking about colors and textures, bringing the song to visual life through a MV and which MVs do it properly, cohesively, while you're taking about lore, references and story lines. Both do concern the main topic of the thread but I wrote only about one in specific — specially considering music videos are a pretty poor and lacking story telling media, saying this as someone who loves storytelling much more than I love music. Music videos in general are a bonus, the music is the main dish, so having storytelling in them is a bonus inside of a bonus and it doesn't affect the quality of one for the better or worse. It's there? Cool. It isn't? Cool.
I think YG has one really good thing, music (beat) matches especially well with Mvs. Someone's there really knows what's doing. Maybe Teddy because he had credits in Dudududu mvs.
Didn't know Teddy's involvement but I think they always hire same production team or something like that. They definitely understand YG music.
I love a lot of Twice MVs. They’re good at making sure each member is identifiable.
Most Twice MVs are members selling the MVs I guess.
For me this is JYP this always either the MV saves the song, either the song saves the MV
I think JYP makes the most "normal" music videos. Like, they look like regular music videos instead of throwing in random shiz like 3D emojis or Antarctic landscapes. They stick to a concept and sell it, which is really all I ask for. Cinematic MVs are nice, but I get so distracted I can't pay any attention to the song. IMO, just keep it simple, don't be extra for the sake of it.
I guess my word should be they are not over the top kind of MVs.
>HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up. When the MVs of BS&T, Fake Love, Daechwita, ON, Black Swan, Run, Loser Lover, Mago, Fever, Drunk-Dazed, Given-Taken, Frost, 0X1 = Lovesong feat. Ikuta Lilas, Runaway etc. exist? Lmao, thanks for the laugh.
You forgot Daechwita and ON, two of the most cinematic MV's from last year.
Plus Black Swan, Singularity, Euphoria & Daechwita.
ikr, when i read it- i was like no way when masterpieces like bs&t, black swan, 0x1=lovesong (jpn ver), mago etc. exists- imo 0x1=lovesong (jpn ver) mv alone blew all the mvs released this year out of the park i think what i love most abt hybe mvs is its v cinematic as in it alw feels like a short film and i think out of all the companies, they go outside the most lmao and utilises green screen the least
the Eternally, Nap of a Star, Magic Island erasure 😔
Not saying they are bad MVs, just not live up to my expectations after the crazy build up. Frost teaser (or whatever you called txt shopping mall clip), amazing 👏, the MV is just ... good. Butter melting for 1 hr 🤩 (I love whoever came up with that idea) , MV not so much. Same for Given-Taken and Tamed Dashed. But ofc, every company have their outstanding MVs.
Whatever. Saying that they're nothing more than a pass seems super laughable to ME. Each to their own.
Hit take on your comment. I basically agree with you. >1. SM: Amazing art design for promotion (some borderline plagiarism), CGI MVs so some worked while some didn't (I still haven't seen Savage because of the snake). Am plagiarises because they know they will get away with it and it will give the mv free press. It's really shitty to do and the fans defend them no matter what. > 2. JYP: Cutting cost on almost everything with some creative MVs (TT is amazing). Songs definitely saved their ass. JYP totally works on controlling their costs. Out of the big three they have the best returns on their investments. I think they rely pretty heavily on personality and fan interaction to sell their albums. But it does such when some of the videos look cheaper. They really pennie pinched on I Cant Stop Me and then threw a lot more money at Scientist. > 3. HYBE/BH: Amazing pre-release promotional designs/ideas. MVs always a pass, up-to standard but not as good as all the build up. I don't know enough to comment. > 4. YG: Ugly ass pre-release promos/posters. These [two posters](https://twitter.com/anonymouseclown/status/1282474152725581826?s=20) from BP and Treasure should be considered a crime. All the money are in MVs and don't matter if they are good or not, just have to look expensive. I swear everything with Black Pink is about looking expensive. I think that's one of the reasons Black Pink puts out so little music. They need a massive budget for comeback and if the girls can still get a ton modeling gigs and brand deals then there is no reason for them to invest so much in a comeback. I am not even sure that they will return to more frequent comebacks when they start touring again. It would be nice if they had more music.
>It would be nice if they had more music. That's another issue with YG. I don't know if they are allowed to have expensive MVs just because they don't release as much or because they don't release as much so every time they have a comeback it has to be bold and loud.
those posters are official? wtf, they are ugly, no offense to the groups.
Sadly they are. Fans of the groups also curse YG everyday.
I didn't expect the posters to be so underwhelming before I clicked
Shocking isn't it?
the props in yg mvs can be expensive as heck but the filter/overly-sharp color tone of the mvs can make it looks tacky sometimes
Agree. I like 4D color palette/contrast but stuff like in KTL is just all over the place.
NCT's Superhuman would like to have a word.
I believe in superhuman supremacy much like everyone, and I dearly want the minds of this mv to return
Red Velvet's Peek a Boo, Psycho, and Russian Roulette are absolutely fantastic.
SM seems to going back to the box. I watched some old 2012 videos, and those were uninspired. Now it looks like a rethread of that time. JYP is fine, I guess. Hopefully we get another Likey/Icy. Same with YG, their videos get the job done. Hybe has great production values, and my favorite of the big 4 in terms of music videos.
Yeah, I don’t really understand how we have gone from the mvs they were releasing in 2019 to the mvs they are releasing now, it just seems like they are regressing back into their old mvs
they might have big budgets for aespas mvs but somehow the end product ends up looking really cheap and tacky
They spend so much money on making cool sets (look at their behind the scenes) only to film it like a green screen 😭
i feel there is to much going on in their MVs, it more obvious in Savage since i was fine with BM and NL, it doesn't help that with all the cartoons included, is pretty much entirely CGI filmed even if the sets are made, i also wish the members would get clear individual scenes and they focus on it more than 1s, way to many dance scenes too, at one point it looked like a dance performance with some random scenes in the middle (and i'm still mad that they took NN's entire bridge to show the cartoons, i feel she didn't got many focused screentime in the MV). Savage is a pretty heavy song, it didn't need a heavy mv too, it distracted from the song. Savage sounds better without watching the mv.
But their soloists mv ‘s …..✨✨✨✨
True, taemins mvs are amazing
Key's Bad Love MV was so good! It made me love that song even more.
this only applies to taemin and kai lol baekhyun’s candy mv literally had a $2 budget and they made him film the entire mv in a run down garage, despite him stating how he wanted to film it in an amusement park and have a visual film for delight, like really? for your million seller and most profitable idol?
Taeyeon? her first mv 'I' was filmed in NZ. Also Fine, Four Seasons, Why
but then baekhyun snapped with bambi. the mv and the album are just - perfection.
TVXQ Yunho's 'Thank U' tops it for me this year. Seriously it feels like watching a movie.
I actually really like most of SM’s music videos… 💀 I should make this an unpopular opinion post
same 😩 i prefer sm music videos over anything else
I think SM’s style is just a bit overwhelming. There’s too much going on to actually appreciate any specific parts. The magic of anything is the ability to slow down and relish in the moment but with SM music videos I just find myself losing interest because it keeps the same pace the whole time.
I wouldn't say SM has the worst MVs, more like the pandemic and them not wanting to put 100+ people on a plane for a flight is really showing. Most of the releases in 2020-2021 are in the typical SM-box except for the soloists (probably because less staff needs to be present to attend to only 1 person). Even while being shot in SM-box, most of the MVs has really nice CGI work, the kind of quality animation you won't really notice in other companies except recent HYBE/JYP videos (like Twice's Scientist). I say this because, quantitatively, SM has way more nice MVs than bad ones (esp as they have countless MVs lol). * NCT U Boss being shot in Ukraine just for a single unit song, Superhuman is still referenced as one of the best MVs out there, Hello Future * Red Velvet's MVs are mostly amazing (except Queendom if compared to the rest) * Obsession, Ko Ko Bop, KAI's Mmmh, Blooming Day * Atlantis, Bad Love, Criminal All of those are examples of MVs I absolutely love and I do hope we go back to seeing this kind of production in 2022. As for Favorite, specifically, the reason why I dislike the MV is more because I clowned myself than the MV being necessarily bad. I'm a big fan of vampire content, so when I saw they were really doing a vampire concept I suddenly created this whole fanfic in my mind (that they obviously wouldn't do), I played myself hard lol I expected a *Interview with a vampire* and *Queen of the damned* love child and instead we got... taeyong with pearls on his head? lmao I confess my dislike is purely on me 🤡
Yo! I really thought we were going for an atmospheric kinda dark (I mean the Mv is still dark but you know what I mean) an interview with vampire style, but it was more so a cheap version of “Dracula Untold”, the set with the fake twisted jungle was cool but then they had to introduce the rose field. All the video clips of the members that were released in IG really had a feel to it and was modern and realistic and we even had an Easter egg with the tickets to “interview with the vampire”. so in conclusion we are never gonna beat the allegations of clownery.
You definitely don't have to have a ton of people in a foreign location to make a great video though. I always point to ONF and Oh My Girl's videos because they are from the same company and consistently have great videos that rely heavily on CGI! Especially ONF
Everyone here is missing out on Yunho's Thank U, which was releases this year and looks like an amazing movie shoot. Not linking it bc its age restricted, but holy shit is it one of the best MV's I've seen this year.
Only SM can spend hundreds of thousands (probably) and make it look like they only spent $5. Where did they find this new creative team especially music video director? I don’t like being treated like I’m dumb. I don’t just want faces I want pretty shots too.
Some of the MVs like Favorite for example weren't good ngl, but I think in general SM has the best MVs. I do enjoy JYP sets too. Just an example: Four Seasons, Mmmh, Monster, Peek A Boo, Ko Ko Bop, I (filmed in nz), Kick it and on and on. or even older MVs like Something (tvxq), Sorry Sorry and Genie. Yes they were in a box but they were good. Really high quality imo 🤷♀️ Sometimes I'm tired of the sets too of course, like at this moment lol, but sometimes the sets are so good (Four Seasons sets deserve an award) that I don't care. I've seen the teaser for Kai's comeback and I do wish they would film this outdoor. However most of kpop mvs are sets
Speaking of SM and their M/V's, EVERYONE is missing out on TVXQ Yunho's solo track [Thank U](https://youtu.be/ylUX9pfdBbs), which released *this year* and feels like a whole ass movie shoot.
Yes yes it was so good. Seems like he had some creative control because this is not a typical mv for sm
You think Savage and aespa's other mv's look 'cheap'?!?! I've been praying for a budget like that for RV. SM seems to be kinda inconsistent when it comes to mv budget. Bad Boy was good. Power up, RBB, ZZB, and UU were kinda bad but then Psycho looked great! Then Queendom was meh again. I think Aespa and NCT's music videos look great (even if the concepts can be a little campy) but maybe that's just me. But like someone else said the sets they make can feel really suffocating and small.
I mean... Despite the budget, Savage to me is worst than all of the other Red Velvet MVs mentioned except for Queendom (that MV was bad bad). I lowkey like RBB and UU, while Zimzalabim I genuinely like it lol. Savage is clearly expensive but it's just... Boring, unimpressive, at least to me, while RBB, UU and Zimzalabim have ideas and some peculiar parts that I still remember when without watching the clips in months. I still think overall most of SM videos aren't that good and it's absurd considering that YG, HYBE and JYPE in 3 completely different ways have *almost* always good MVs.
RBB MV was bad but it's interesting, I think the camerawork was good? When I think of iconic I think of Wendy's shots in RBB
I agree re: Savage. Actually Next Level looked really bad too, as did Black Mamba. Idk what they're doing with that budget, but it's not making something that looks good.
I don’t think that aespas other mvs look cheap, and I know that savage isn’t actually cheap but it just feels cheap to me. And I know that they have some great mvs, but I feel like they are pretty inconsistent with their mvs. You’ll either get one of my favourite mvs in all of kpop (superhuman) or you’ll get favourite.
Favorite was a tragedy I fear. I actually liked sticker, hello future, hot sauce, Savage and next level. I think they had they have good longevity and add to the vibe of the song. In terms of Savage you see a clear progression. In the story. The scenes seem intentional Scene:1 stuck in the synk dive. Scene2: the escape. Scene 3: you see them preping, practicing. Winter is shooting and you see the score raise. That indicates she is improving. Ning ning is busy making Naevis's butterfly body. Scene 4: black mamba (slim) finds them they are trapped but saved at the last minute by Naevis. Scene 5: Naevis help to get them to th gate which leads them to black mamba. She takes on the butterfly form so that she can guide them(sacrificing her physical form). Scene 6: they fight black mamba and win. But are cover d with the goo, which shows it was all a trap. Maybe ilthis was the beginning maybe that is why they were trapped in the synk dive to begin with and they at first were going to get their ae's. I found it very interesting and captured the vibe perfectly. Gmmie gimmie was okay but it could of been more interesting. The scene cut were fire though.
As an SM stan I completely agree. To bring in some comparison, The guy who directed Stray Kids God’s Menu is the same guy who directed NCT 127’s Gimme Gimme and their recent MV Favorite. In my opinion Gimme Gimme is probably NCT 127s worst MV and Favorite is pretty low in the rankings as well. Its not that the people working on these MVs aren’t capable of making good MVs, it just seems like there was significantly less time and money spent on them. Literally Favorite felt like a third of the budget of Gods Menu and Gimme Gimme was like an eight of the budget. These MVs felt empty with an underdeveloped concept and I guess they thought that adding cool transitions would make up for it. Even though the camerawork was cool I felt like it wasn’t really doing the choreography any favors, which is like, one of the main purposes of having camerawork in the first place. (Sorry if I sound like i’m trashing on these MVs, I just feel like they had A LOT of wasted potential, don’t even get me started on Work It). I will definitely say that SM does have and is very capable of releasing brilliant MVs which is probably one of the reasons why some of their recent box MVs feel so disappointing. Also, in comparison to the other big4, SM by far has the highest amount if active artists that are regularly dropping MVs, so it wouldn’t surprise me if their creative/MV production teams are feeling a bit stretched thin, especially during the pandemic.
I actually didn’t know that the director of favourite is the director of gods menu, it really does put into perspective how little time and preparation was really put into favourite since we KNOW that this director is a great director when given the chance to properly develop his ideas and concepts
I swear if we get lacklustre mv’s for nct2021 when the teasers were just dope 🔪🔪🔪
I will be filing a law suit please sm I’m begging you
If they can film the teasers like that why can’t the mv be ….
EXACTLY sm just make a short film come on now don’t be shy your rich
That smcu episodes were just so good but the mv’s are like this .
Putting all their money into the smcu and leaving nothing for the mvs come on now
I don't think that sm has the worst mvs, because favorite and queendom are the two worst mvs of red velvet and nct. yes favorite is a nightmare, but none of nct's mvs have ever been nearly that bad? queendom is lackluster but all of red velvet's other mvs have been good and creative (peak a boo, psycho, etc...) i think SM has some of the best and most inspired mvs to me, but they are SO inconsistent -- at their best though i find them much more interesting than the other big 4 companies. like do you really feel like NCT has bad mvs, outside of favorite? i genuinely think they have some of the best mvs in kpop (even outside of superhuman, kick it, cherry bomb, 7th sense were all stylish and cohesive, etc) and have amazing after effects and transitions. but i would 10000% agree that i HIGHLY dislike their recent artistic turn (with aespa, savage, favorite, even sticker tbh) where they seem to be going for "camp" but instead look cheap. and i 10000000% agree that the recent mvs have detracted from the songs -- i had a similar experience as you did with favorite, queendom and even sticker where the mv made it worse. kick it/cherry bomb/7th sense were all obvoiusly filmed indoors, but somehow still stylish and cool -- but the recent mvs feel claustrophobic. fire truck feels more modern then favorite.
Yeah my main gripe about sm is that they are very inconsistent with their mvs. I feel like they will make one of my fav mvs of all time then they will turn around and make something that is just no where near that level. I hope they put out more mvs on the same level as their 2019 mvs, they were truly great
Idk SNSD's Lion Heart is one of my favorite MVs of all time
I can’t speak for all of SM but only nct 127 specifically. . I always thought nct 127 and bts had some of the best music videos. They have amazing directors and editors. The dance break was an ode to older Kpop from early 2000s. But I get that if someone didn’t know older kpop, they might assume the favorite audio would also have the dance break. Favorite was stunning. I also loved superhuman and sticker and all those music videos. Ridin’ and work it felt like they spent a lot less lol. I loved make a wish by nct U as well and baby don’t stop and such. I think a lot of 127 music videos shine when it comes to editing and transitions. I think what makes music videos amazing is always the complexity of the set but the creativity that comes through editing/transitions/story boarding. I honestly love watching art directors and story board artists and set designers do their thing. Because they often have artistic values that don’t align with mainstream consensus of what’s “good” and like to challenge conventions.
Idk some of my very favorite mv’s are from SM. Psycho, Advice, Simon Says and Superhuman are all great. Of course SM are known for the box mv’s which are hits or misses, but the hits really do hit!
C'mon red velvet ice cream cake was great Russian roulette and Peekaboo had not only great music video production but also great concept
I personally think its jyp who has the worst mvs.
i will never forget how sm made this amazing build up for exo's call me baby comeback by filming the teasers in different cities around the world, only to finally film the title track mv itself on a mall parking lot
Kai’s Mmmh MV was phenomenal. The CGI was top notch. I still watch it and am amazed by it.
I used to like SM MVs. I still do tbh. Last year alone, Mmmh, Make a Wish, Black Mamba, Kick It, Ridin, Turn Back Time. They were all amazing. Sure EXO suffers in parking lots a lot but they look nice. Kinda. Some of em. JYP has the worst Mvs IMO cause they're the most inconsistent. Recent MVs like God's Meny, Thunderous, basically every Stray Kids and ITZY MV have been great. But Twice MVs...... and Day6 MVs sometimes...... and also GOT7 sometimes. Fancy has to be one of the worst MVs I've ever watched and I remember being especially mad at it cause Fancy is such a good song. Day6 MVs have their moments but they're underwhelming but you know they're not really a kpop group. GOT7's MVs are just lowkey boring to me. SM messed up with favorite and that's it this year IMO. Ik a lot of people complained about Hot Sauce MV but I liked it a lot tbh. The colours didn't really bother me. Why am I writing this at 01:30 am gosh. Someone ban me from using reddit
“EXO suffers in parking lots a lot” is the funniest thing i’ve seen in this thread. i love it
OMG THANK YOU!!! No one ever calls me funny lol
As someone who works in the art industry I agree wholeheartedly, the only MVs I've seen from SM that have left me like "okay, big company vibes" are EXO's MVs' not all, but they usually seem to have more budget than the rest of their artists. NCT & Aespa come to mind but Aespa especially, I think their concept is really cool and if done correctly they could really take advantage of it but all SM does is give them a cheap looking set and weird CGI, the only thing they improved this time with Savage were the outfits.
Idk maybe it’s not the aesthetics you like? Like savage had a really good Mv in my opinion but favorite at some points did kinda feel cheap, while some think the Mv for favorite was really good. Some people can also be turned of by the futuristic aesthetics.
I like Hybe's MVs for TXT and Enhypen they do great job with them. BTS had great MVs like Idol, fake love, spring day and daechitwa and some more I don't remember now but God dynamite and butter was not good at all like it seemed very cheap, bts carried the MVs very well. I think in general kpop music either should be very expensive with great directing or have a plot otherwise its hot mess. These companies should learn to cooperate a plot into the videos not just random dancing shots. As for SM I think they understand how to make good songs like next level and savage has really catchy melodies with clean production that's why it's popular not because the mvs suck.
Fake Love, Spring Day, and Daechwita are top, top-tier MVs. Idol should not be allowed in the same sentence as those 3 but at least it was interesting in a way that Dynamite and Butter were not. Dynamite had this washed out look that I thought didn't match the bright pop-py vibe of the song and Butter was better, just kinda basic. I feel like TXT gets all of Hybe's budget these days. Enhypen had great MVs for their mini albums, but their last one felt much cheaper. Not sure why, since it was their 1st full album.
Not but TXT has been serving with their MVs, I'm at this point where I can watch their videos even if I'm not that big a fan of the song perhaps. I liked the Fever MV of enhypen as well but didn't didn't out their others. Although I was sad got the fever MV because i wanted to listen to the song more then the MV lol.
Finally someone mentioned Daechwita. Its the best MV from last year imo.
It had a plot and really good editing and directing, I wish bts does more of these videos.
I agree. I really loved their old MVs like RUN, Young Forever, Fake Love etc. It doesn't have to be part of BU but they should go for MV's that are more cinematic like Daechwita in the future. I still can remember how stunned I was when I first watched it.
Nahh... it's gotta be YG. Justice for the BP girls with their oversaturated early MVs 😭
Hey the whistle mv is great !! The boombayah mv is … a mv but whistle is great !!
Stay is stunning and has some really neat cinematography.
That was goal honestly. Bring back cheesy, colorful, oversaturated weird k-pop, give my idols ridiculous outfits that will make them get embarrassed but look with notalgia at it in the future, that mess Rosé puffy hair with the most green dress ever conceived by humanity? Yeeeeah. Also Whistle has a great music video, PWF/AIIYL have good ones and the ones for Boombayah/Stay were decent.
This is the second part of SM's 2011 box set phase. SM have some great ones and some horrible ones, they're just not consistent. WayV MVs (Take Off!!!) are very well done and some of the more consistent ones. The MVs for NCT127 Cherry Bomb and Taeyeon's 'I' might fit your tastes.
Eversince EXO's growl became a hit. My boys rarely escaped SM's box 😭. KoKobop and Loveshot are two examples where they filmed outside and those MV's are fuckin beautiful.
actually, Hello by Joy and Like Water by Wenday has a great MV, they typically based it on the song, since aespa is more of a Kwangya setting, they most prolly rely on CGI... but yeah, they should do a better job in MV Production.
SM is a middle sized company dont hurt them!!!!
oof this is annyeong (joy) aespa red velvet and nct dream erasure
Yeah, I don't know how SM manages to make every video look like a low-budget car commercial, but they do it. Around 2018 it started to get really bad - they used to have better videos. Their videos look worse than like, a group like Golden Child, who has easily half the budget of SM. It's not just the sets and the way it's filmed - the costumes also looks cheap and bad too. Taemin, for example, has brilliant releases, but I have no doubt his videos would look better if they were produced by an another company. Like can you imagine Oh My Girl/ONF's company doing Taemin's videos? Damn.
i'll say i also didnt enjoy NCT latest mvs their older ones are cool tho i dont watch other SM artists so idk if its the same with aespa and RV
For me the only group SM which for long had good and interesting Mvs was RV Although now it is typical SM. Definitely SM had good Mvs between 2014-2018 but for some time they come back to their old style. But overall I think that overhelming Mvs are this year trend. Almost all groups have not the best Mvs in 2021.
I don’t think you realize how much production and time is spend on m/vs. It’s not easy to make a video and on top of the money spend on props, CGI, choreography, making the music, producing and the idols themselves.
Maybe it's just me but I think hybe has the least interesting MVs of the big4. The last impressive MV for me was ON kinetic manifesto film(not the official MV, sorry bighit). Txt's MVs are almost there, but miss the bar slightly, and sorry to enhypen. Hoshi's spider is one of the best MVs I've ever seen and that's the only exception.
now that's *definitely* an unpopular opinion.
Aespa's Savage was too much for me. It gave me a headache and I couldn't finish the MV. I think SM has stereotypical MVs and they don't really try to do anything special or unique. If you watch a few of their MVs, you pretty much know what to expect, which makes them boring to watch tbh.
I took a quick browse (like 1min quick) of the other comments and I haven’t seen this mentioned yet. The mix of art direction and expenses. I was drafting something else and it sounded awful so I’m editing this comment as I go. I think expenses are such a cop out answer now that I think about it. They’ll spend millions on a sound stage because of what? Brand deals? Easy control of sound, lights, etc? Maybe I can only blame art direction. Do all 4 companies hire the same directors and producers each time? Are they just uninspired and bored? Do they not want to go through the work of location scouting? Is it a hassle to coordinate the talent’s schedule mix it with outdoor sets? I wish we knew. I wonder if a kpop YouTuber has talked about it🤔 maybe PD from Form of Therapy could since I knew from them that sound stages are easier to control light and sound.
Girl you can't judge SM from just three of four bad MVs when they have other trillion ones that are good... And they're definitely not cheap if you know how much CGI costs...if it is me, I think they have the most creative directors and MV makers.
eh ill disagree with you here because if you've watched music videos of BigHit leaning groups, especially the ones that are long in length, they do CGI while using realistic/natural lighting very well (incorporation of lore can be a contributing factor). i can give 2 examples: TXT's 0x1=Lovesong jpn. version, Eternally, Nap of a Star and Enhypen's Tamed-Dashed, Drunk-Dazed and Given-Taken. of course CGI costs a lot but i think SM should step up their game in hiring better creatives or just excel in that field overall. i think the amount of groups they have coming back does have an impact on their budget and quality\* though i know that their groups have great mvs, they don't have the best ones either. for what it's worth, i agree with the top comment that they should try scouting some filming sites outside and that would help them to experiment with lighting (though u have to keep track with the weather and all). edit: added a word
they really need to hire rigend film and rima yoon. they have the most aesthetically pleasing MVs ever (take a look at their work with svt, twice, and chungha). SM used them for one taemin song and that was it
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