4 of the Weirdest K-pop MV’s of 2024 (so far)
Ever since MTV’s heyday in the 1980s, music videos have been not only a fun part of music, but an essential part of following the groups one likes. Especially in K-pop, the MV is an important part of the whole experience. It has the dance, the colors, the outfits, the everything. Seriously, try to imagine a world where K-pop MVs aren’t as central to K-pop culture as a whole. Pretty hard, right?
While every year there are some videos that blow fans and haters away, there are also plenty that fall short or do too little to set themselves apart from the rest of the scene. Arguably, it’s worse to have a boring music video than a bad one, because at least people still talk about bad ones. Well, the other route you can go is weird. Make a video so bizarre, people have to talk about it, have to figure out what it means. K-pop has never been a stranger to these stranger sorts of vids, and 2024 has already brought us a few notable entries.
Aespa - “Supernova”
You know a video is about to be a wild time when it starts with a body falling from out of frame onto a parked car. Many fans have praised the absurd imagery, commenting that the aespa wasn’t afraid to “make K-pop weird again.” Between the wild superpower scenes, dancing in the void, and whatever the heck is happening at 2:43, you can just tell this video was a blast to make. (Maybe that’s why it’s called “Supernova”... ehh, probably not.)
BOYNEXTDOOR - “Earth, Wind, & Fire”
Similar to the last one, there is just so much happening in this video. Even if you are a die-hard ONEDOOR, I highly doubt you can tell me all the lore and story implications found in this video. The style changes so frequently throughout the video that it’s almost impossible to get your bearings. Are they toys now? Did that guy just die? Is that an egg? And how did the door become a spaceship? Why are we riding a motorcycle into the sun?? The video is a ton of fun, but there’s no doubt it is confusing as heck too.
RM - “LOST!”
This one isn’t nearly as flat-out weird as the other entries on this list, but it is the kind of unexpected video that gives you more questions than answers. Fans have already spent lots and lots of time dissecting the video and pointing out the connections to psychology, so I’ll spare you the analysis here. Unlike some of the other tracks here though, there’s actually a story to follow through the video. That said, the conclusion of said story leaves the viewer with lot of questions and hardly any answers.The whole thing gives mild “Frontier Psychiatrist” vibes, which is, to say, weird.
ARTMS - “Birth”
Any ARTMS fans no doubt this video would make this list even before clicking on the article.. There have been few K-pop videos that have leaned as hard into true horror as “Birth.” The song itself is far from your standard fare for the genre, and the video cranks that weirdness up to 11. Compared to the previous vids, this is the one where the video and song match the most, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t space for creepy and freaky. Nothing about this feels like your typical K-pop video. There are few words to accurately describe the way this video makes you feel, so if you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. (Their video for “Virtual Angel” almost made this list too, but figured we’d limit it to one video per group.)