Now that it's been a couple of days, sending out a mass check in to IU fans. How are we all doing? Still traumatized?
In case you missed it South Korean singer IU dropped her latest single “Love Wins All” accompanied by a music video starring BTS’ V. This is the first pre-release from IU’s long anticipated upcoming album. The song reached “all-kill” status on the Korean music Charts. In order to achieve all-kill a song must hit No.1 simultaneously on all eight Korean music charts.
The song itself features IU’s signature ballad style, opening with lyrics “Dearest, darling, my universe 날 데려가 줄래? (Would you take me along?). This ballad which heavily focuses on IU’s vocals rather than heavy instruments is incredibly captivating.
In short, the video has been described as “a breathtaking story of a couple on the run as they fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic future”. However, we all know the visuals and lyrics are much more traumatizing than that. We see IU and V, weathered and torn from life in the apocalypse, running from what can most obviously be described as a floating box. The couple stumbles across a shopping center, where inside lie a pile of clothes that stack a building high. While inside they discover a video camera that when upon looking through the viewfinder they can see each other in their state pre-apocalypse, free of injury and flaw.
The couple begin to act playful; finding a wedding dress and suit they enter a photo booth to take photos together. We see the pair in their pre-apocalyptic state only to see their clothing tattered and their injuries apparent when the photos print from the booth.
The pair continue to be playful, dancing together and even having a pillow fight, only to be hit with their reality when the floating box shows up once more to chase them.
Following the bridge in the final chorus with lyrics “나와 저 끝까지 가줘, my lover 일부러 나란히 길잃은 우리 두 사람" (Go to the end with me, my lover. Two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose) the pair are cornered with no where to turn. V attempts to destroy the box and only angers it more. The couple sit on the ground anticipating their fate, IU takes her last moment to cover V’s one seeing eye to spare him from having to see what is to come.
The video ends with images of their wedding gown and tuxedo falling from the sky onto the pile of clothing that was revealed earlier.
If I could cry, I would be sobbing.
IU explains “This is a story about those who strive to love to the very end in a world that hinders loving”. This message is so beautifully displayed throughout the music video. The box representing those that would constrain and want to keep others, especially idols, within their own rules and demands. We even see as IU and V’s characters view themselves in their true form, there are cloaked and masked figures who try to stop the pair from being happy and enjoying themselves together.
If music videos could win Oscars this one would take it home. The video directed by “Concrete Utopia”s Um Tae Hwa, currently sits at over 31 million views on YouTube, premiering less than a week ago.
Suffering physical damage when I fell down the stairs and severely sprained my ankle after seeing a Weverse live notification from V, and now suffering emotional damage from this music video I have to wonder if V is out to get me.
Final Thoughts: Who do I send my therapy bills to?
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