Lyrics and Interpretation:
I confidently stepped out the door
Put my twinkle bag on top of the bar
Waiting for my turn but why am I thinking of you (no)
Put my twinkle bag on top of the bar
Waiting for my turn but why am I thinking of you (no)
I want my hair short, just like the celebrities
It’ll look good, right? I won’t regret it, right?
It’ll look good, right? I won’t regret it, right?
(Did you break up with someone?) Oh no
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change
I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
Girl, let’s talk about something else
But don’t stop talking
A brief moment of silence will make me think of him
But don’t stop talking
A brief moment of silence will make me think of him
(Did you break up with someone?) Oh no
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change
I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
Why does my face look so ugly in the mirror?
I want to cut it off quickly, I will be born again
I’m cutting my hair short hair short hair short
I want to cut it off quickly, I will be born again
I’m cutting my hair short hair short hair short
I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty
From observing the lyrics of "Hair Short", we can see that the song is about a girl trying to move on from a break-up or past relationship. The girls are going out, trying to have fun with their friends, a typical representation of break-ups, but the girls are reminded of their ex-boyfriends, realising that they are trying to escape and forget about their exes and their past, instead of trying to face their issues. In the second verse, the girls want to cut their hair to mimic the appearance of celebrities. This could show us that they are trying to prove their exes that they are moving on and have become beautiful and idealised, like celebrities. However, the two lines " It’ll look good, right? I won’t regret it, right?" show us that the girls are hesitant, which is a result of their past relationships, showing us how much they have been impacted by their past relationships. The lyrics show us that the girls are denying that they are effected by the break-up and are becoming irritated by the interrogation, claiming that "It's just for a change" and that it's because it will make them pretty. However the 10th verse shows us the underlying reasons for why the girls want to cut their hairs-to rid themselves of their past relationship in hopes of starting anew. This is significant as in modern Asia, cutting long hair to short hair is seen as forgetting the past and moving on.
Synopsis of "Hair Short"
The music video starts with two girls, who appear to be twins, brushing each others hair. The two sisters are emotionless, staring blankly. A young man enters and begins to fix the old television the two sisters use. The relationship between the sisters and the young man is unknown. As the young man attends to fixing the old television, the sisters stare at him from behind, expressionless, still giving no insight into their inner feelings. From the start of the music video, we can sense an oddness and unfamiliarity due to strange behaviour of the two twin sisters, This oddness is similar to the two twins sisters who appear in the horror movie "The Shining", which may be a possible reference.
The sisters are found in the same bed, reading the same book. The bedroom appears to be symmetrical, showing us that similar to the symmetrical room, the sisters are also symmetrical to each other, suggesting the possibility of both sisters sharing the same emotions and feelings. The chorus starts and the two sisters begin to cut their long locks, showing close-up shots of their hair begin cut. They also start to dance, presenting dance movements which represent hair and the cutting of hair, such as scissors. The lyrics of the chorus reflect the music video, as the girls explain that they are cutting their hair, but not because of a break-up. However, the two sisters are also shown looking at the young man as he cuts the leaves that entrap the house they live in, showing us that despite trying to move on, they still hold affection towards him. He stands on a ladder, unaware of the twins looking at him and remains unaware even after climbing down. After cutting each others hair, their new hair cuts are revealed, both sisters supporting a bob hair cut. The sisters return back into their bed, but there is a slight change-one of the sisters is no longer reading a book and shows more emotion when lip-syncing. She snuggles into her bed sheets and dives into a dream where she finds herself watching the young man and her twin sister kiss and hold each other. She remains emotionless. Her eyes squint harder and now she dreams of the young man kissing her, as she lays on a sofa. Her twin sister stares with no expression, holding sharp scissors behind her back as she watches her other half make love to the man she also loves. This could possibly be a flashback that the two sisters have or they could be dreaming about something that had previously happened, drawing us to the idea that the young man is in a relationship with both sisters. This allows us to return to our previous point of the two sisters having identical emotions and feelings. The sisters are so identical that they appear in each others dreams. Suddenly the hairs of the two sisters grow rapidly and their hair returns back to being long. There are 2 interpretations to this- the first interpretation is that the sisters return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship. The second interpretation is that the sisters have sexual thoughts of the young man, and the return of their long hair can be seen as a symbol for t return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship.. The sisters now sit apart, both facing away from each other, discovering that they share the same feelings for the young man through their dream. Realising that their hair has returned to its previous length, the sisters repeat the process of cutting each others hairs.It is speculated that the two sisters slept with the young man, as there are two scenes where a sister lies in the bed, with the reflection of the young man stands in the mirror which hangs above their bed. The twins stare in the mirror, lip-syncing to the song,
"Why does my face look so ugly in the mirror?
I want to cut it off quickly, I will be born again"
The girls realise that they are only returning to their past emotions of loss and rejection and they notice that their love for the young man is only causing the relationship between the sisters to become envious and hateful. This is also shown by which one of the sisters holds a sharp scissor close to the eye of the other sister, giving insight into her disturbing emotions. The sisters hold hands, realising that love results to hatred and that the only way to make these emotions of love and hate disappear is to get rid of the one who made them return-the young man. Holding their scissors behind their backs, the sisters draw closer to the young man who is still trying to fix the old television. A series of shots of the sisters cutting the heads off of people in pictures are presented. An image appears:
This image is Judith beheading Holofernes. Judith was a Jewish lady who had beheaded Holofernes after overhearing plans of the Jewish people to surrender against the Assyrian camp. Holofernes was responsible for weakening the Jews as a result of famine. Determined not to surrender, she seduced Holofernes with her captivating beauty, waited until he was thoroughly drunk and cut of his head. With the head of Holofernes in her bloody hands, she returned to her people. With their new courage, they raided the Assyrian camp and drove the enemy away. Similar to Judith beheading Holofernes to save her people, the twin sisters beheaded the young man with their scissors as a way of preserving and saving their sisterly bond. They place his head inside a serving tray and leave his headless body on the floor. They remain seated, both holding the tray.
Conceptual, narrative or performance?
The music video of "Hair Short" consists of conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas. The conceptual based ideas are presented through the various scenes presented throughout the music video. These include the image of Judith beheading Holofernes. Similar to Judith beheading Holofernes to save her people, the twin sisters beheaded the young man with their scissors as a way of preserving and saving their sisterly bond. The cutting of heads on pictures is also a conceptual based idea as it gives insight to what the two sisters are planning to do but it is also unpredictable due to the savageness of the action. The rapid growth of hair is also a conceptual based idea as there are 2 interpretations for it which hold symbolism- the first interpretation is that the sisters return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship. The second interpretation is that the sisters have sexual thoughts of the young man, and the return of their long hair can be seen as a symbol for the rebirth of their sexual drives and perversion. Moreover, the sisters being present in each others dreams is a conceptual idea as it shows us that the two sisters having identical emotions and feelings. The sisters are so identical that they appear in each others dreams. As for narrative, the music video tells a story as there are some scenes where the artists do not lip-sync and the narrative ideas and story are provided through symbolism, images and the conceptual ideas, along with the lyrics. They help to provide the narrative ideas. Performance based ideas are provided through the short dance sequences provided by the artists, presenting dance movements which represent hair and the cutting of hair, such as scissors. The performance based ideas of the music video add energy and action, as most of the music video consists of stillness and sudden movements to create fear and tension. The dancing in the chorus is as if the girls are cutting their hair and moving on, breaking away from their past but as soon as we return back to the verses, the girls return back to their emotions of loss and rejection from their past relationships.
Themes & Motifs
Karma- Due to the young man causing the two sisters to go through emotional suffering and resulting in the sisters becoming hateful due to love, the sisters made the young man feel the pain they had felt-by beheading him. His cheating caused him his own downfall.
Protect-Similar to how Judith beheaded Holofernes to protect her people, the twins beheaded the young man to protect their sisterly bond. The sisters decided to eliminate what was destroying them.
Moving on-the sisters move on from their past relationships by cutting their hair. Cutting their hair symbolises moving on from past relationships.
Reflection-the sisters are reflections of one another and they share the same emotions and feelings.
Love and Hate-the sisters are perfect examples of how love can change your relationships with others, resulting in hatred and creating a distance.
Editing, camera and mise-en-scene
Editing:
The cutting pace within "Hair Short" is in the time with the music. A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music (which is the genre of music Wings falls under), the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Hair Short" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. Furthermore, "Hair Short" uses a slow motion effect when one of the sisters falls asleep and she starts to see a dream. The slow motion effect makes it feel as if time has slowed down as soon as the sister kisses the young man, creating a dramatic feeling but the slow motion effect stops instantly when the camera is directed towards the other sister who is witnessing the affair. The slow motion effect also creates a sexual image when the sister and young man kiss. Additionally, there is a time lapse effect when the sisters hairs grow rapidly. The time lapse effect exaggerates /emphasises the feelings of loss, rejection and sexuality.
Mise-en-scene:
The attire of the two sisters makes them appear to be innocent and feminine, contrasting with their inner feelings and their actions. The first outfit of the twins is a short, floral, puffy dress, covering their arms and revealing their legs. The colours of the dress mimic the attire of the two sisters from The Shining, giving a possible insight into their behaviour. The sisters brush each others hair with vintage hair brushes, which make them appear to be feminine. The sisters are also sitting on a blue vintage sofa and the pictures on the walls all have vintage frames. Most of the furniture within the music video has a vintage appearance but the bright colours of the furniture make it seem more modern, making it more appealing to a wider audience. Additionally, the sisters carry sharp scissors whilst wearing these outfits, creating a contrast between their beauty and their dark intentions. Moreover, after the two sisters cut their hair, there outfits change to a knee-length polka dot dress in black. This symbolises transcendence by which the girls have moved on from their past relationships.The sisters also wear a teal and red outfit which is worn when dancing.The variations in attire is a common feature within Korean Pop music videos as it allows the music video to be more eye-catching. The young man is dressed in simple attire, which causes the audience to focus more on the twin sisters. Within the vintage frames, there is a piece of art by Caravaggio of Judith beheading Holofernes, which was painted in 1588-99. The image foreshadows what the sisters will do to the young man. The cutting of heads in various images also foreshadows the actions of the sisters.
Camera:
A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music (which is the genre of music Wings falls under), the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Hair Short" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera zoom changes with every cut-it goes back and forth, which is similar to the sisters going back and forth with their relationships and return and escaping from feelings such as love,loss and rejection. The mid shot of the sisters in bed and the wide shot of the sisters sitting on the vintage sofa shows us the symmetry of the room and as the sisters are wearing the same attire, it shows us that the sisters are identical to one another, physically and mentally.The two-shot of the sisters shows us that they are close to one another and the close-up shot of the sisters holding hands also shows us that the sisters are close. As the song reaches the chorus, the camera slowly but gradually zooms closer to the two sisters as they read in their beds. There are also extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting each others hair. During the extreme close-ups, the scissors are close to their eyes and this creates tension as you are able to see the red veins in their eyes. The extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting their hair in slow motion also creates an image of fragility and simplicity to the idea of moving on.
Target Audience:
The target audience for "Hair Short" would be for girls who are experiencing a break-up and are experiencing the same emotions as the artist-confrontation by others, denial and the urge to move on. The target audience would also consist of K-pop fans as Wings is a K-pop duo. However, the song would also be targeted at those who are searching for something new within K-pop, as K-pop has been criticised as companies are producing groups with generic music and videos(consisting of wide spaces and wide dance floors, extravagant clothing, the sexualisation of the artists, lack of interesting plots) and fortunately, Wings debuts with a song and music video which contrasts to the generic K-pop music videos and provides us with a innocent yet spine-chilling music video, which will grab the attention of many K-pop fans and may encourage them to buy their song. "Hair Short" would also be targeted to individuals who have an interest in The Shining, as the two artists resemble the two sisters from the infamous film and those who are interested in themes such as violence, the supernatural (such as the rapid growth of hair and the reasons behind it) and evil inside good (and vice versa), as the sisters have good and evil inside their hearts since they murder the young man for the good of their sisterhood.
Ideas I could use in my own music video?
The ideas I could use include:
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video
-Variations in attire and surroundings as a way of creating movement and energy within a music video.
-Possible references from other media outlets/Use other media outlets as inspiration (For example, Hair Short included references from the Bible, such as Judith beheading Holofernes and The Shining)
-Stillness (The members of Wings remained motionless and emotionless during the music video and despite not moving a lot, they were able to mimic the twin sisters in The Shining)
-A dance routine (Allows movement and energy to be present within a music video, contrasting from previous shots of stillness)
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Gradual zoom in
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Plot twists/unexpected plot/unique plot
-Variations in camera angles and shots to add movement and energy, allowing the audience to stay concentrated on music video.
-Variations in cut pace.
-Themes which viewers may find interesting or will be able to empathise with.
-Conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas
-Effects such as slow-motion or time-lapse
-Music video holds relevance to the lyrics.
The attire of the two sisters makes them appear to be innocent and feminine, contrasting with their inner feelings and their actions. The first outfit of the twins is a short, floral, puffy dress, covering their arms and revealing their legs. The colours of the dress mimic the attire of the two sisters from The Shining, giving a possible insight into their behaviour. The sisters brush each others hair with vintage hair brushes, which make them appear to be feminine. The sisters are also sitting on a blue vintage sofa and the pictures on the walls all have vintage frames. Most of the furniture within the music video has a vintage appearance but the bright colours of the furniture make it seem more modern, making it more appealing to a wider audience. Additionally, the sisters carry sharp scissors whilst wearing these outfits, creating a contrast between their beauty and their dark intentions. Moreover, after the two sisters cut their hair, there outfits change to a knee-length polka dot dress in black. This symbolises transcendence by which the girls have moved on from their past relationships.The sisters also wear a teal and red outfit which is worn when dancing.The variations in attire is a common feature within Korean Pop music videos as it allows the music video to be more eye-catching. The young man is dressed in simple attire, which causes the audience to focus more on the twin sisters. Within the vintage frames, there is a piece of art by Caravaggio of Judith beheading Holofernes, which was painted in 1588-99. The image foreshadows what the sisters will do to the young man. The cutting of heads in various images also foreshadows the actions of the sisters.
Camera:
A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music (which is the genre of music Wings falls under), the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Hair Short" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera zoom changes with every cut-it goes back and forth, which is similar to the sisters going back and forth with their relationships and return and escaping from feelings such as love,loss and rejection. The mid shot of the sisters in bed and the wide shot of the sisters sitting on the vintage sofa shows us the symmetry of the room and as the sisters are wearing the same attire, it shows us that the sisters are identical to one another, physically and mentally.The two-shot of the sisters shows us that they are close to one another and the close-up shot of the sisters holding hands also shows us that the sisters are close. As the song reaches the chorus, the camera slowly but gradually zooms closer to the two sisters as they read in their beds. There are also extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting each others hair. During the extreme close-ups, the scissors are close to their eyes and this creates tension as you are able to see the red veins in their eyes. The extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting their hair in slow motion also creates an image of fragility and simplicity to the idea of moving on.
Target Audience:
The target audience for "Hair Short" would be for girls who are experiencing a break-up and are experiencing the same emotions as the artist-confrontation by others, denial and the urge to move on. The target audience would also consist of K-pop fans as Wings is a K-pop duo. However, the song would also be targeted at those who are searching for something new within K-pop, as K-pop has been criticised as companies are producing groups with generic music and videos(consisting of wide spaces and wide dance floors, extravagant clothing, the sexualisation of the artists, lack of interesting plots) and fortunately, Wings debuts with a song and music video which contrasts to the generic K-pop music videos and provides us with a innocent yet spine-chilling music video, which will grab the attention of many K-pop fans and may encourage them to buy their song. "Hair Short" would also be targeted to individuals who have an interest in The Shining, as the two artists resemble the two sisters from the infamous film and those who are interested in themes such as violence, the supernatural (such as the rapid growth of hair and the reasons behind it) and evil inside good (and vice versa), as the sisters have good and evil inside their hearts since they murder the young man for the good of their sisterhood.
Ideas I could use in my own music video?
The ideas I could use include:
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video
-Variations in attire and surroundings as a way of creating movement and energy within a music video.
-Possible references from other media outlets/Use other media outlets as inspiration (For example, Hair Short included references from the Bible, such as Judith beheading Holofernes and The Shining)
-Stillness (The members of Wings remained motionless and emotionless during the music video and despite not moving a lot, they were able to mimic the twin sisters in The Shining)
-A dance routine (Allows movement and energy to be present within a music video, contrasting from previous shots of stillness)
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Gradual zoom in
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Plot twists/unexpected plot/unique plot
-Variations in camera angles and shots to add movement and energy, allowing the audience to stay concentrated on music video.
-Variations in cut pace.
-Themes which viewers may find interesting or will be able to empathise with.
-Conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas
-Effects such as slow-motion or time-lapse
-Music video holds relevance to the lyrics.
Fantastic video choice and excellent detailed analysis. Well done Cengi, you have looked in detail at the themes, style and so on and all technical elements, even considering what you could do for your own video. A full case study!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Agreed, this is outstanding work. It is very clear to see how your research informs your own creative ideas. VC
ReplyDelete