Lyrics and Interpretation:
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
After playing like crazy all day, I erase my thick makeup
Will I forget by being like this?
Looking quite miserable, on top of my half-erased cheeks
On top of the half-erased lipstick,
The fallen tears melt with the cleansing cream
Why, why, why, unni?All throughout the night, why can’t I forget him?
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye
* What do I do, unni? I want to sleep now
But my heart keeps running to him
What to do, unni? I don’t think I can go on like this
Please, can you have a drink with me? I ask of you, unni
Have you ever been in love?Have you ever really loved?
Love – for others it’s so easy
But for me, it’s like an unerasable tattoo
I empty my glass again
Today, there was a really great guy who asked me out
But I kept seeing himI stupidly ran out from that place,I stupidly couldn’t do anything
What’s the use of pretty makeup?
Why, why, why, unni?(Why can’t I forget this one guy for all this time
Unintentional memories get erased in the far distance
He already forgot about me)
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye
Why, why, why
* repeat
Please party with me
I don’t want to erase my makeup yet
I ask of you, unni
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
After playing like crazy all day, I erase my thick makeup
Will I forget by being like this?
Looking quite miserable, on top of my half-erased cheeks
On top of the half-erased lipstick,
The fallen tears melt with the cleansing cream
Why, why, why, unni?All throughout the night, why can’t I forget him?
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye
* What do I do, unni? I want to sleep now
But my heart keeps running to him
What to do, unni? I don’t think I can go on like this
Please, can you have a drink with me? I ask of you, unni
Have you ever been in love?Have you ever really loved?
Love – for others it’s so easy
But for me, it’s like an unerasable tattoo
I empty my glass again
Today, there was a really great guy who asked me out
But I kept seeing himI stupidly ran out from that place,I stupidly couldn’t do anything
What’s the use of pretty makeup?
Why, why, why, unni?(Why can’t I forget this one guy for all this time
Unintentional memories get erased in the far distance
He already forgot about me)
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye
Why, why, why
* repeat
Please party with me
I don’t want to erase my makeup yet
I ask of you, unni
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
From analysing the lyrics of "Cleansing Cream", we are able to see that the song is about a girl who is in love. She attempts to make herself look physically appealing for the man she loves but whenever she sees him, she runs away in panic. Her attempts to make herself look beautiful are entirely useless as she is unable to approach the man she loves. The young girl seeks the help of her "unni" which in Korean means older sister. She seeks the guidance of someone who is more experienced to her but there is no response. The young girl is unable to forget about him and her passion results in insomnia. As she cannot sleep as her thoughts are only of him, she wants to party all night so she can avoid her thoughts. In the end of the song, she remains confused and does not know what to do.
Synopsis of "Cleansing Cream"
Within the music video of Cleansing Cream, the three characters that feature are a young girl, a woman and a man. From analysing these three characters, the young girl appears to be blind and the women is her older sister/ family relative. As for the man, he appears to be married to the sister and the blind girl appears to show interest in him, despite being unable to see his face.
(The members of B.E.G do not appear within the music video)
The music video begins with the blind girl in a simple bedroom, walking blindfolded. The blind fold is a prop that foreshadows the blindness of the young girl as the audience are unaware that she is blind but will find out. The young girl is next shown to be sitting in her bedroom, which is filled with toys and other childish ornaments, despite looking like a teenage girl. This possibly symbolize the idea that being blind results in innocence as she is unaware to the evil in life. The young girl remain in her bedroom, staring blankly at her surroundings.
The married couple are shown lying in their bed, their bodies turned away from one another. The blue lighting of the bedroom shows us that the relationship between the couple is cold and distant. As the couple lie in their bed, the blind girl enters the room in silence and begins to trace the features of the husband and the wife. As she enters the room, we notice that the room is lit in a blue light whilst the corridor has a warm colour, giving us insight into relationship of the couple. As she traces his face and shows an expression of happiness, the older sister wakes up and stares in horror as she witnesses the affection the blind girl holds for her husband. The older sister is not blind as so she is aware of the evil that surrounds her. Her sight results in pain and angst filling her heart.
The older sister begins to show signs of frustration as she is angry that the younger sister is trying to get closer to her husband, placing a risk on their marriage. She stares at the sister with eyes of hate, as the sister wonders around the house with her blindfold and manages to touch the husband, who shows no emotion. The husband is a possible reason for the cold and distant relationship-he is emotionless to all who are near to him. The image we get of the older sister is that she is always seeing. She sees her husband asleep and she sees the blind girls action, when everyone else is completely unaware and she secretly watches the two characters through many mirrors. In comparison to the older sister, the blind girl is continuously walking around with a blind fold and there are shots where her eyes are blocked by the bed frame. Whilst the older sister sees too much, the younger sister sees too little. The blind sister, through her senses and soft touches, yearns for a feeling of a relationship whilst the older sister has an in-depth experience of the relationship and knows that it is not something to yearn for.
As the night has come, the older sister stands as she watches her husband sleep. Whilst the area where her husband is lit with a blue light, the area where the older sister stands is lit with a red light. This gives us insight into the inner personalities of the two characters-the husband is cold and distant whilst the older sister is angry and destructive. It shows us that despite not being close to her husband, she wants him by her side. As the husband and wife have sat down for their meal, the blind girl remains in her room, holding something as she attacks her face with the small item. 
As she makes her way to the table, we see what she has done to her face.
The blind girl attempted to wear makeup but as she is blind, she is unaware of the mess she has created on her face. Her attempts to impress the husband leave the husband and older sister staring blankly at her. Angered by this, in a jealous fury, the older sister grabs the blind girl and drags her towards the bathroom, where she pushes her under the shower and begins to wipe the blind girl's face aggressively, eager to remove the makeup. The door is locked and the husband attempts to open the door. This is the first time we see emotion from the husband. The makeup remains on the blind girl and the older sister throws her into a bathtub filled with water. She begins to push the blind girl, trying to suffocate her under the water. However, the blind girl manages to gently place her hand on the sister's arm. Waking up from her rage, the older sister lets go of the blind girl and falls to the ground. Close analysis allows us to notice that both sisters have makeup smeared on their faces. This is a key factor in the music video. The makeup shows us that we try to impress people through our looks and we like people for their looks, but do we really know who they are? The sisters are mirrors of each other-both have and are trying to impress the husband through their looks. The older sister is aware of this and that is why she wants to remove the makeup on the blind girl's face- she knows that relationship and love are not based on appearance and she is showing signs of care and concern as she washes the blind girl's face.
Conceptual, narrative or performance?
The music video for "Cleansing Cream" consists of both narrative and conceptual ideas. The narrative ideas are evident within the music video as the entire music is telling us a story about love and the misconceptions of love and the absence of lip-syncing shows us that the music video is not based on performance. The conceptual ideas are presented throughout the music video, for example, both sisters have makeup smeared on their faces which symbolizes that the sisters are mirrors of each other by which both of them have and are trying to impress the husband with their books. Additionally, lighting allows conceptual ideas to be presented for example, the area where the husband is lit with a blue light and the area where the older sister stands is lit with a red light. This gives us insight into the inner personalities of the two characters-the husband is cold and distant whilst the older sister is angry and destructive. It also suggests that there is a battle between the two forces. Furthermore, conceptual ideas are presented through the idea of seeing versus not seeing.The image we get of the older sister is that she is always seeing. She sees her husband asleep and she sees the blind girls action, when everyone else is completely unaware and she secretly watches the two characters through many mirrors. In comparison to the older sister, the blind girl is continuously walking around with a blind fold and there are shots where her eyes are blocked by the bed frame. Whilst the older sister sees too much, the younger sister sees too little. The blind sister, through her senses and soft touches, yearns for a feeling of a relationship whilst the older sister has an in-depth experience of the relationship and knows that it is not something to yearn for.
Themes and Motifs:
Seeing and Not Seeing: Seeing results in being unaware to our behavior and results in innocence and being unaware to the word around us whilst sight results in seeing things we do not want to see in life.
Mirrors:Through mirrors, you are able to see your surroundings and see yourself. However, a mirror does not always show who you are-we can find ourselves in other people, such as the older sister and the blind girl.
Yearning for love: Whilst we desire to experience relationships, we are unaware that not all relationships are worth wanting.
Reflection: The sisters are reflections of each other and they share the same desire of lookig appealing to impress someone.
Protection through aggression: The older sister uses aggression as a way of physically and metaphorically removing the makeup from her sister but also herself.
Editing:
The cutting pace with "Cleansing Cream"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, the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. The cutting speed increases as soon as we reach the chorus but there is a slowness that emerges due to the chorus. The slowness is created through the slow motion and the opening of the chorus itself is slow. The shot of the curtains moving suddenly in slow motion marks the start of the chorus. The slow motion effect reflects the emotions of both sisters as the older sister is in shock and is unable to do anything whilst the blind girl is focused on tracing their bodies.As we start to notice the frustration of the older sister, the cutting pace increases. As the two sisters battle their way to the bathroom, the slow motion effect stops and returns as it represents the two sisters and their juxtaposing characteristics.
Mise-en-scene:
The first item that is seen throughout are mirrors, as the older sister uses them to observe the behavior of the younger sister, who is a reflection of herself as they both wear make-up to impress. The blind girl has many toys and childish ornaments in her bedroom,which symbolize how blindness can result to innocence as she is unaware of things around her. The toys can also show the innocence of the sister-she means no harm and only wants to learn and explore. The blind girl is dressed in a simple, white gown. This resembles the outfit of young girls in horror movies, such as The Ring.
A possible reason for choosing this outfit is that the girl is not noticed by the husband or wife, similar to a ghost. She is only noticed when things start to lose control. Additionally, the white gown shows us that she is innocent and pure. In Korea, the colour "white" symbolizes trust, which may be something that lacks between the two sisters. However, in Asia, the colour also symbolizes death. The blind sister may represent the death of the older sister's desire to impress through appearance. The older sister is dressed in formal attire which are tight and shows that she has a slim figure. The tightness of her clothing could give us insight into her inner emotions, as she witnesses the blind girl's actions but remains quiet, as if she is trying to keep everything in. As for her husband, he is also dressed in formal attire.
Camera:
A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Cleansing Cream" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera appears to be hand-held throughout. This allows the music video to have an interactive feeling, as if we are there with the characters. Additionally, as the camera is hand-held it suggests that the household/ the relationships within this household are not stable-they are dysfunctional and the hand-held camera can give insight into the emotions of the older sister as the rigid movements could suggest her frustrations and concerns. The hand-held camera gives an aggressive feeling as the blind girl aggressively applies her makeup and as the older sister drags the blind girl to the bathroom to remove her makeup under the shower. The frequency of rigid camera movements decrease immensely when the blind girl is on her own and when she is tracing the positions and facial features of the husband and wife. The medium close-up shot of the blind girl as the bed-frame covers her eyes gives insight into her condition, providing us with a message-she is blind.
Target Audience:
The target audience for "Cleansing Cream" would be for anyone who is able to empathize with the lyrics of the song- individuals who are in love and make an effort to impress but are hesitant and afraid of love. Additionally, the song would be largely targeted towards females or those who are interested in men as the song mentions the girl meeting a guy but running away, however the song can be empathized from a male point of view. The song may be aimed at those who enjoy ballads.
Ideas I could use in my own 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
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Sudden camera movements
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video
Conceptual, narrative or performance?
The music video for "Cleansing Cream" consists of both narrative and conceptual ideas. The narrative ideas are evident within the music video as the entire music is telling us a story about love and the misconceptions of love and the absence of lip-syncing shows us that the music video is not based on performance. The conceptual ideas are presented throughout the music video, for example, both sisters have makeup smeared on their faces which symbolizes that the sisters are mirrors of each other by which both of them have and are trying to impress the husband with their books. Additionally, lighting allows conceptual ideas to be presented for example, the area where the husband is lit with a blue light and the area where the older sister stands is lit with a red light. This gives us insight into the inner personalities of the two characters-the husband is cold and distant whilst the older sister is angry and destructive. It also suggests that there is a battle between the two forces. Furthermore, conceptual ideas are presented through the idea of seeing versus not seeing.The image we get of the older sister is that she is always seeing. She sees her husband asleep and she sees the blind girls action, when everyone else is completely unaware and she secretly watches the two characters through many mirrors. In comparison to the older sister, the blind girl is continuously walking around with a blind fold and there are shots where her eyes are blocked by the bed frame. Whilst the older sister sees too much, the younger sister sees too little. The blind sister, through her senses and soft touches, yearns for a feeling of a relationship whilst the older sister has an in-depth experience of the relationship and knows that it is not something to yearn for.
Themes and Motifs:
Seeing and Not Seeing: Seeing results in being unaware to our behavior and results in innocence and being unaware to the word around us whilst sight results in seeing things we do not want to see in life.
Mirrors:Through mirrors, you are able to see your surroundings and see yourself. However, a mirror does not always show who you are-we can find ourselves in other people, such as the older sister and the blind girl.
Yearning for love: Whilst we desire to experience relationships, we are unaware that not all relationships are worth wanting.
Reflection: The sisters are reflections of each other and they share the same desire of lookig appealing to impress someone.
Protection through aggression: The older sister uses aggression as a way of physically and metaphorically removing the makeup from her sister but also herself.
Editing:
The cutting pace with "Cleansing Cream"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, the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. The cutting speed increases as soon as we reach the chorus but there is a slowness that emerges due to the chorus. The slowness is created through the slow motion and the opening of the chorus itself is slow. The shot of the curtains moving suddenly in slow motion marks the start of the chorus. The slow motion effect reflects the emotions of both sisters as the older sister is in shock and is unable to do anything whilst the blind girl is focused on tracing their bodies.As we start to notice the frustration of the older sister, the cutting pace increases. As the two sisters battle their way to the bathroom, the slow motion effect stops and returns as it represents the two sisters and their juxtaposing characteristics.
Mise-en-scene:
The first item that is seen throughout are mirrors, as the older sister uses them to observe the behavior of the younger sister, who is a reflection of herself as they both wear make-up to impress. The blind girl has many toys and childish ornaments in her bedroom,which symbolize how blindness can result to innocence as she is unaware of things around her. The toys can also show the innocence of the sister-she means no harm and only wants to learn and explore. The blind girl is dressed in a simple, white gown. This resembles the outfit of young girls in horror movies, such as The Ring.
A possible reason for choosing this outfit is that the girl is not noticed by the husband or wife, similar to a ghost. She is only noticed when things start to lose control. Additionally, the white gown shows us that she is innocent and pure. In Korea, the colour "white" symbolizes trust, which may be something that lacks between the two sisters. However, in Asia, the colour also symbolizes death. The blind sister may represent the death of the older sister's desire to impress through appearance. The older sister is dressed in formal attire which are tight and shows that she has a slim figure. The tightness of her clothing could give us insight into her inner emotions, as she witnesses the blind girl's actions but remains quiet, as if she is trying to keep everything in. As for her husband, he is also dressed in formal attire.
Camera:
A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Cleansing Cream" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera appears to be hand-held throughout. This allows the music video to have an interactive feeling, as if we are there with the characters. Additionally, as the camera is hand-held it suggests that the household/ the relationships within this household are not stable-they are dysfunctional and the hand-held camera can give insight into the emotions of the older sister as the rigid movements could suggest her frustrations and concerns. The hand-held camera gives an aggressive feeling as the blind girl aggressively applies her makeup and as the older sister drags the blind girl to the bathroom to remove her makeup under the shower. The frequency of rigid camera movements decrease immensely when the blind girl is on her own and when she is tracing the positions and facial features of the husband and wife. The medium close-up shot of the blind girl as the bed-frame covers her eyes gives insight into her condition, providing us with a message-she is blind.
Target Audience:
The target audience for "Cleansing Cream" would be for anyone who is able to empathize with the lyrics of the song- individuals who are in love and make an effort to impress but are hesitant and afraid of love. Additionally, the song would be largely targeted towards females or those who are interested in men as the song mentions the girl meeting a guy but running away, however the song can be empathized from a male point of view. The song may be aimed at those who enjoy ballads.
Ideas I could use in my own 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
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Sudden camera movements
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video
Another very strong, first class case study. Even though you have looked at two K Pop videos, you will be able to use the concepts and techniques in your own Sia video, particularly as you know this is music that lends itself to a creative, alternative approach. VC
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