B1A4 – Beautiful Target

This is like a puppy video – the boys are happy, and goofy, and just watching them makes the world a nicer place. Pair that with a boppy, poppy, upbeat song with catchy Konglish chorus, and a nonsensical MV that lets them play-act to their hearts’ content, and you’ve got a real winner.

But just when you think it’s all fun and games, Sandeul opens his mouth. And keeps opening it – man damn near dislocates his jaw like a snake. And from that teddy bear face with the snake jaw comes the voice of an angel. And that voice Just. Does. Not. Stop. It gives the same sense of shock as opening your laundry basket to find it full of gold bars.

There’s a Japanese version, and if anything it’s more entertaining than the Korean MV. We get Jinyoung as semi-mad scientist again, but this time, instead of making (apparently) the perfect woman, he’s working on a love potion, which he tests on the other members. Attempting to reconcile flirting Sandeul with the Sandeul who produced the sustained and powerful belting may cause your brain to explode, so be warned.

Flirting Sandeul – accept no substitutes

The art department went straight to Planet Wacky with the costumes here. They’ve emptied the accessories cupboard and sewn them all on Jinyoung & CNU, and given Sandeul what appears to be a rainbow onesie. Meanwhile, Gongchan wins the guernsey for his fetching tiger costume complete with hood and paws, especially suitable when he shows off irises so large they could swallow a small child.

Gongchan’s animal costuming makes another appearance in a live performance for MBC K-pop, which features clothes the true horror of which cannot be described – I’ll just say that there’s an elegant sufficiency of drop crotch pants, and it gets worse from there. Sandeul appears to be wearing winter jammies, because the poor boy is sweating rather a lot, due to a vigorous choreography and the demanding nature of his vocal role. It’s still fun, though, and in the absence of a dance practice video gives a fair idea of the choreography.

Composed & written by CNU and Baro (who wrote all his own raps with B1A4), the song’s a simple ‘smitten by love’ pop song, with a chorus that’s easy to sing along with and a catchy, danceable beat that just keeps on giving. Watch this three times and try to stop yourself humming it for the rest of the week – I dare you. Lyrics here in Hangul, Romanisation, and English translation.

Which to watch?

  • It’s almost a tie between the Korean and the Japanese, but my favourite is the Japanese version – probably flirting Sandeul tips it over the line for me, although the Korean version does feature CNU & Baro doing their sprout dance;
  • If you want to see the choreography, choose the MBC K-pop version;
  • Similarly if you want to see a live version, choose the MBC K-pop. It’s not one of their better live performances, for reasons that I won’t go into, but they’re performing live (ish) rather than in an MV.
Korean MV
Japanese MV
MBC K-pop
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1 Response to B1A4 – Beautiful Target

  1. Pingback: Joy In K-pop – A Monster Thread | Still Just Alison

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