LOONA Embrace Rebellion in The Music Video for ‘So Bad’

South Korean girl group LOONA are all attitude and rebellion in the music video for their brand new single “So What” off their second EP [#] which dropped earlier today.

Dripping with attitude and confidence, “So What” is a fearless deep house banger with dramatic bass drops and a synthesized hornstab running through. The group’s vocalists show off their impressive ranges with soaring high notes and LOONA’s signature haunting harmonies. The lyrics are about the negative connotations around being ‘the other’ or someone who is unafraid of standing out and being themselves even if it defies societal norms: “I’m so bad/What’s wrong with that? I’m so bad/So what?/I’m so bad/Be myself/I’m so Bad.” LOONA encourage listeners to think for themselves and be who they want to be and erase the personality society has carved, “The way of kicking it and getting up to run/Let me remind you/Burn yourself/Take it out from yourself/The world revolves around you/We don’t need that small bird cage, no/Let’s fly higher.”

The music video for “So What” is a gritty, urban showcase of rebellion. It begins with a chilling monologue which goes, “Do not accept the fate of the moon. Get off the track. Reveal to the world the hidden side. Burn yourself,” before vocalist Olivia Hye holds up a burning torch to signal the start of their rebellion. Through the course of the video the 12 members are confident and unapologetic about their bold personalities, caught in various situations where they defy societal norms and stand apart from their peers. Main dancer and vocalist Yves for example is in a dance room surrounded by ballerina’s clad in pastel, but breaks  out into more dynamic, urban choreography with no hesitation as the other dancers stare in disapproval. Rapper Yeojin is in a school setting and ostracized, but she is unaffected by it all as she tosses papers into the air. The choreography is sharp and synchronized (as we’ve come to expect from LOONA) and the members take on the popular ‘girl crush’ concept with ease. The clip ends with Olivia Hye tossing the flaming torch into the distance, allowing it to set fire to the entire planet as the word ‘free’ flashes across the screen in bold, capital letters.

The 12-member group’s new EP [#] is the follow-up to their 2018 debut with [xx] and features a total of five tracks including the previously released “365” and the lead single “So What.” It was revealed that celebrated veteran producer and founder of SM Entertainment Lee Soo Man had taken part in the production of the the EP–a first for the K-pop industry, as Lee has never worked on music for any group outside SM Entertainment.

At a press showcase held earlier today for the release, LOONA’s Yves stated, “We want to express our gratitude to producer Lee Soo Man,” adding that Lee expressed a desire to work with them after coming across the viral dance cover they did of SM Entertainment boy group NCT 127’s mega-hit track “Cherry Bomb.” “Our ‘Cherry Bomb’ cover video caught his eye, and he judged that we have potential, so he willingly participated in production.”