To Crush and To Shatter

(This is not a review. It is not in any way similar to my previous entry on "Missing You". There is no discussion on individual characterizations or analyses of visual elements in detail. What follows is a personal reflection of what the "Crush" video evoked in me. Ruminating on it as one would ponder on a piece of art, the impressions gathered by the viewer may or may not directly run parallel to what was intended by its creator. Having said that, this is but one meandering passage from an infinity of interpretations.)

 

After a series of love-themed tracks and music videos, it is exciting to see 2NE1 return to its vintage fighting form via Crush. The MV -- produced for the group's Japan promotions -- circulated in the social media circuit like a thief in the night. Nobody saw it coming. While it was highly anticipated, no one seemed prepared for the torrent of rich visual metaphors or the deliciously adult ingredients of lace and fur, corsets and stripping poles, bare backs and midriffs, hip-shaking and butt-twerking that would overwhelm your screen and your senses in a span of three and a half minutes.

Admittedly, it takes a while to get over the initial shock of what could be the group's most explicit video production so far, but after your nerves are calmed and your breath returns to normal, you realize that the girls -- who were never really known to hitch their star on the "sexy" bandwagon -- are actually reminding us of the fundamental qualities we loved about them in the first place. Topping the list in this instance is the free-spirited candor by which they approach the subject of celebrating one's unique qualities as a person and as a woman. 

Bom Park

In terms of overlying concept, we can say that Crush directly evolves from the iconic I Am the Best, undoubtedly the first direct representation of what we now recognize as the 2NE1 archetype: the fun, fearless, fabulous girls who value themselves as individuals and who boldly live out their dreams in their own unique and often radical way. 

Sandara Park

Over the three years that elapsed between the two videos, these remarkable sprites have transformed into full-grown women and it follows that their music and image would reflect this natural course of maturity. Personally, I find that one of the most fascinating aspects of following 2NE1 over the years is that distinct pleasure of witnessing the girls bloom, ripen and evolve both as individuals and as a collective whole.

Chaerin Lee (CL)

One uncanny similarity between I Am the Best and Crush is the absolute absence of male figures. Instead, we are transported to a world where women are autonomous and self-sufficient. Although some might misinterpret this scenario as promoting misandry (prejudice against men),  such impression might just be a tad narrow and myopic.

Minzy Gong

Looking at the big picture, the absence of men is not necessarily an expression of aversion or distrust. It can merely be an assertion that women should -- first and foremost -- value themselves without the need to secure approval or consent from another entity. Men, being the traditional figures of authority in most cultures, represent the "approving/ disapproving eye" whose satisfaction most women have been programmed to seek. 

My take on this scenario: Creating an illusory world populated by only by women is symbolic of sovereignty over the dictates  and pressures of society. Women owe it to themselves to honor their needs and their dreams, to be happy with their authentic self without fear of rejection or reprisal. Women should be beautiful, accomplished and self-actualized for their own fulfillment and not merely groomed to cater to the expectations those around them.

 

Bringing this further, we can even say that this same attitude defines how the ladies of 2NE1 have projected themselves through the years -- thriving splendidly in a world of their own and playing by their own rules. This mindset permeates their music, their fashion and even the example of their public conduct, inspiring their battalion of Blackjacks all over the world (both male and female) to prefer substance and individuality over frivolity and compliance. They don't fit into any mold... But then again, they're too fab to care.  

The film reference, particularly to the timeless Hollywood classic, Breakfast at Tiffany's, comes across as more than just a retro fashion statement. If you've watched the movie or read the book, you will know that the fictional character Holly Golightly was a woman who recreated herself. Not the typical prim and proper heroine of her time, Holly chose to erase her past and create her own reality with utter disregard for the norms of polite society. Underneath a veneer of stylish elegance and arresting charm, she was a wild creature that refused to be tamed. And it is from the stylized re-enactment of that famous opening scene where Holly looks into the display window of a jewelry store that Crush visually unfolds.

The act of looking into the shop window and secretly coveting an expensive piece of jewelry (represented in the video as an enigmatic crystal pendant) reveals a woman's longing for something she believes is unattainable, something she desires but thinks she could not afford to own. But the longer she stares at the pendant -- that forbidden and unreachable object of desire -- the more she gets mesmerized, until she gets sucked into an alternate reality where anything is possible and attainable.

What follows is a series of representations that are almost on opposite sides of the spectrum of female archetypes -- in particular, the showgirl and the school girl. 

 

The school girl can be said to be the epitome of duty, obedience, conformity and innocence. It is the stage of life where one is drilled not only with academic lessons but also with the values which society expects her to follow and uphold. On the other hand, the showgirl embodies a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and who has the ability to confront her audience with the unsettling truth about themselves by exposing the deep, dark secrets of their forbidden desires.

2NE1 shatters conventions anew in their "Crush" music video

 

In the parallel reality,  the school girl rebels and breaks away from the rules imposed by authority figures. The showgirl is lionized and allowed to push the boundaries of convention. These are mostly symbolic representations of a woman's desire to be attractive, to be independent, to be assertive, to be seen and heard on her own terms, and so on.

The truth is that even in a stranglehold of societal roles, conformity is still a choice, not an obligation.

  

In closing, the story goes back to where it started -- with the young woman still looking into the shop window. But this time, she encounters her alter ego from a parallel world, who nudges her playfully and unapologetically, as though to wake her up from a trance.

The video ends there but I venture to offer a postscript. What happens next is entirely her own choice. She can continue to look covetously from outside the shop window... Or  choose to break through the glass that separates her from that precious piece of herself which she truly yearns to be. The woman and the jewel are one and the same, separated only by a fragile yet daunting wall of doubt and insecurity.

The challenge of claiming your authentic self is to gain the courage and resolve to embrace your truth and become what you covet most.

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(All images captured from "Crush" official music video, property of YGEX. No copyright infringement intended.)