Friday, August 31, 2012

G-DRAGON - THAT XX (그 XX) M/V review ( impressions ) + song translation

I couldn’t help it so I had to comment ! ( in the review I sometimes refer to the translation of the song that you can read it at the end of this post )



First of all - I love GD for giving us something different from his previous things !
More and more I  want to hear that new album !!!

 Anyway , about the song …. It is so simple but it nails it .
 First I thought – isn’t it too simple ? But then I found myself wanting to play it again and I kept replaying it and I cannot stop myself . The song is just so smooth , caressing the senses that I cannot stop listen to it . Pronouncing each word in his particular way , as  if he “plays” an instrument with words ,GD manages to conveys the song’s emotions pretty well . It seems that all the song is based on that acoustic guitar sound and it is just … so good . Do I need to say more ? I like this song ! As simple as it is , I like it .
It is a little sad without being tragic , it  is full of emotion without being too loud about them and I don’t get tired of it , no matter if it goes on forever … it is like the flow of a  river that I float on forever . Sorry, I am not very good at describing songs , so I am only  trying to describe the feeling they give me .



 Now about the video! I love the video. It is that kind of simple as well, beautiful video that matches well with the song mood. Nothing much is going on in there but it is not too random as some M/V are.
We can see those two people who share some relationship as if they are almost lovers but there are not … there are more like “friends “ , because he loves her , while she loves some other jerk .

The video has its little moments and symbols that tell the story of the song . First we can see GD “spying” from behind the window blinds and seeing the other man with another girl . After that he is telling about that to the main girl, but she doesn’t believe him so they argue . Later he says “ I am sorry “ ( rather sends her a note ) . We can see him observing her , looking at her from a far , spying from the door lock … We can see her photos with the other guy , that she is happy with him .



There is this moment when GD close some note book and locks it away ,as if he gives up from her case , or hide the truth from her ( because she won't listen to it anyway ) .


 I like the moment when GD calls the girl “blind “ and we see a veil fall over her face as if to show how her love covers her sight .


 Towards the end of the video , we see GD  who is suffering and worrying because of the girl … she keeps meeting her other man , but also cries for some pain of her own …We  can see them separately but in a similar  bath scene , as if they share the same kind of pain or worries., sinking in the same problems .. or not exactly .
 GD is now desperate and we see him breaking and kicking things around him ( I guess things needs to get broken in videos . Good way to add more drama and to show the troublesome emotion of the characters … more things you break , worse you feel ;) )


 At the end GD is still by the girl’s side , being her support and shoulder . What a lucky girl , she should really get to see who is the right man for her , right ? But sometimes people tend to love the one that hurts them , in stead of the one that always cares for them …

Update : Now , that I watched the video more carefully without being distracted by various things ... ok by how good GD looks in a suit ..., so I watched it and I realised that he is not only the bad guy in the beginning ,  as I though ,  but in the whole video ! I think the tattoos , for example , are one of the  signs of the other character that GD plays ( also the face expressions ). He plays the "good" and the "bad" guy ! How cool is that ! How the video makes much more sense to me :) . I decided to just add this , cause it changes a lot of things . Otherwise all else is  "first impression" review . 



 I will comment on few more things – first is the video effects, filters and so on . I am not against them in general . A little bit of blur and filters is good and it looks nice in some part of the video but … some of the filters here I really dislike ! Sorry , but they bug me a lot ! Especially when they make GD’s or the girls’ skin look like covered with powder. They shouldn’t overdo those effects or just add random blurs . The official photos for the video are really really amazing – I love their classic look , the soft colors , the details …. I wish the video was more “clear” like them and less “instagram-ed “ .

for example - this effect I am not very fond of ... 

 Let me say also a few words about the girl – Jennie Kim . Yes , she is very beautiful and she has some very specific aura around her . She instantly made me think of the girl that Mina Know drew for Taeyang as his girlfriend . I don’t know if it is a coincidence … or probably another way to promote her and GD’s new video or give a hint for it …. Idk . I hope Jennie and the other girls from the new YG group are not only pretty but also will show us some good skills and performance . Since they are YG artists I am very interested to hear their songs ! But if all their concept is mainly based on the fact that they are very pretty , I am not interested . I don’t think that will be the case , though , so lets wait and see .
 I would like to say one more thing , after I read some unpleasant comments in youtube -people don’t hate on the new girl group , please ! Actually, it is very nice the way YG artist support each other. Everyone needs some kick start and I am sure that since they all share common passion for music and they do want to help each other . It is not like YG is “forcing “ them or anything . It is much better for everyone in the company if all company's artist are doing well , right ? They are a team .
 Jennie is very young , don’t start disliking her or talk against her just cause she is close to GD or because he is trying to promote her and the new group , or because she is the “love interest “ in GD’s video , or because of some other stupid jealousy reason .
 Be supportive and give those girls a chance .



 Now back to the video ! The whole atmosphere of the MV is so good ! All the details, the little things , the places , the light ! Except for those filters, I love it all. It is not some very original video but it is beautiful and elegant - I like those kind of videos.
 One thing must be acknowledged as well – G Dragon looks so hot ( better said handsome ) in this video ! I usually try to avoid to give such comments, but I need to say it this time. He is really good looking and sexy in this video . There is a little bit of “bad boy” hint in him, probably because of the tattoos , the rings and the earrings , also because of certain gestures and looks . He is also very classical and stylish . He is like gentlemen but also someone who is not purely good or innocent .
 Everything in the video is like from another era – very old fashioned , like in some old movie – see the telephones , the car , also other items and even the classic clothes GD wears ( mostly suits ) and his “normal “ ( especially for him ) but stylish hairstyle . Honestly , all this makes me think of some …. ( don’t laugh it is just a reference to the atmosphere it makes me think of ) elegant son of a mafia boss . Don’t laugh , ok ! Actually at second thought , I can see him also as some “detective “ who has discovered all those things for the girls’ boyfriend , almost as he was “investigating “ him … of course these are all references that come out of my mind , but I am sure none of them is  what the video is about .
 What I want to say with all this is that I like the fact that the video manages to create that kind of movie like atmosphere and to give some particularity to GD’s character. Like “Tell me Goodbye “ video but still VERY different . GD’s character in “ That XX “ is gentle and caring , stylish and rich , but he possess some roughness in his otherwise very “perfect” and “classical “ look . Also using a “bad word” in this otherwise “clean” song lyrics is like a little hint of imperfection in the perfection. I like that because GD makes that "character "  more real that way if that makes any sense to you. The fact that such a song got to be forbidden for people under 19 yeard old,  for  one single swearing word , but GD kept that word to his lyrics , should suggest something to you , right ? What that might be , is up to you to understand as you want it .



 One last thing about GD in this video is that he looks so manly , but not like some macho , just  more “mature “ . I don’t know why I always compare GD with a prince but he gives me this aura. In this video I get this same feeling as I see him . The turtle necks , the suits , the shirts … this is something I am used to see on TOP the most , but GD looks really good in that style as well . Another great talent of G Dragon is the way he manages to “communicate “with the camera, how he looks at it and later it seems that he really looks at you from that PC screen . This GD’s talent is very obvious when he is doing commercials or photo shots . His communication with the eye of the camera in this video is also awesome .
The other BIGBANG members also have that same talent to different degree , TOP especially . It is BIGBANG’s special charisma ! GD , however , haves tones and tones of it !
 I do not like GD just because he is handsome , but I needed to acknowledge how good he looks in this video , sorry if it got too long .

 I didn’t got to mention everything as usual but the post got too long ( as usual ) . I have the feeling the best of G Dragon’s second album is yet to come !




G-DRAGON - THAT XX (그 XX) 

( lyrics translation ) 


Walking on the street,
I bumped into your man (Yeah I saw him)
I didn’t want to believe it,
but my hunch turned out right (I told you)
He’s not wearing that ring you gave him,
there’s another girl by his side
… but I’ve said enough
I don’t wanna hurt you
Now you’re getting angry with me (Why?)
You say “He’s definitely not
that kind of person” (Sure you’re right)
Seeing your eyes,
I reply that I probably got it wrong
See, I lied for you (I’m sorry)

I hate that you don’t understand me
I hate all this waiting
Let go of his hand
(break it off with him)
When you’re sad, I feel like I’m dying

That XX, what does he have that I don’t
Why can’t I have you
That XX doesn’t love you
How much longer are you going to cry yourself silly?

When you speak of him,
you look so happy (you look happy)
It’s good that you can be this happy (I’m happy)
You say you really love him,
want to be with him forever
You trust him completely
(I don’t know what to say no more)

Your friends all know that guy (yup they know)
It’s so obvious,
why can’t you see (it’s you)
They say love is blind, Oh baby, you’re so blind
Please, I beg you, break it off

Oh I hate that you don’t understand me
I hate all this waiting
Let go of his hand
(break it off with him)
When you’re sad, I feel like I’m dying

That XX, what does he have that I don’t
Why can’t I have you
That XX doesn’t love you
How much longer are you going to cry yourself silly?

Expensive cars, beautiful clothes,
high-class restaurants, they all suit you well
But that XX beside you,
he doesn’t suit you, he really doesn’t
He smiles like a hypocrite with you,
brushing your face and hair
But he’s thinking of another woman for sure,
how dare he

The amount of tears you’ve cried,
I want to make you happy by the same amount, baby
Rather than going through the pain alone,
share some with me, baby
Please look at me, why can’t you realise that I am your love
Why are you the only one who doesn’t know

That XX, what does he have that I don’t
Why can’t I have you
That XX doesn’t love you
How much longer are you going to cry yourself silly?

That XX, what does he have that I don’t
Why can’t I have you
That XX doesn’t love you
How much longer are you going to cry yourself silly?


1 comment:

  1. thank you ! and yes , I realised that he is actually playing two characters in the video ! Actually I came back to the review to add this ! I think the first times I watch the video I was not very concentrated , haha !

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