Gripping and Gorgeous, as Always.
GaIn is widely regarded as on of Kpop's high queens and she has every right to such a title. With Paradise Lost GaIn continues to show that she's a sex-goddess worthy of adoration. Personally, I'm a bit glad that she exchanged the overt, graphic sexiness of last year's Fxxk U, for a more metaphoric version. The depiction of the temptations of Eve is wonderful, and the producers have explained their reasoning for a lot of the wonderful imagery included in video. However, their explanations confuse me a bit because if what they were going for was the strong-willed, shaker-of-the-Heavens vibe... they could have used Lilith instead of Eve... (Lilith was Adam's 1st wife, the one that refused to lie beneath him). Admittedly, Milton's Eve from the epic poem, is spiteful and vindictive and actively attempting to undermine the Natural Order, which makes for a more dramatic story, but I think the Eve depicted in the MV is softer than than, more desperate than aggressive; a needy thirst for knowledge rather than an acute desire to destroy her own reality. Even Paradise can feel like a cage if it's painted in the right light...
GaIn as Eve breaks free of her cage, and then tempts Adam to follow her. It's wonderfully depicted in how a snake appears above GaIn in the beginning and then in the black & white solo-scene she's in an outfit that is highly reminiscent of scale and her maneuvers are extraordinarily snake-like (and presented in direct correlation to a snake-shot), indicating that she she herself has become Adam's adder of temptation. The black and white inversion sequence is not only an awesome sequence, but is shows a stunningly demonstrative example of how heaven and hell and right and wrong can be jumbled up when portrayed at certain slants. The naked, groveling men are both reaching out with carnal desires and also bowing before the greatness of GaIn's diamond clothing, which is valuable and gorgeous in a way that people trapped in Paradise could never comprehend. It's a GOREGOUS mv.
The song is incredibly powerful, to just top off the amazingness of this release. It's well balanced and beautifully spatialized and gorgeously aching. GaIn can pour emotions into her voice, too many to name all at once in a delicate balance that draws on a fantastic sense inner-power and absolute desperation in the same breath. It's an almost magical vocal quality and the constrained energy of it it caps off every track GaIn's ever been a part of. The evolution of the track is directly complimented by the evolving visuals, making the complete release far superior to either the track or the MV on it's own. It's a beautifully done release and I bow before the queen.
GaIn as Eve breaks free of her cage, and then tempts Adam to follow her. It's wonderfully depicted in how a snake appears above GaIn in the beginning and then in the black & white solo-scene she's in an outfit that is highly reminiscent of scale and her maneuvers are extraordinarily snake-like (and presented in direct correlation to a snake-shot), indicating that she she herself has become Adam's adder of temptation. The black and white inversion sequence is not only an awesome sequence, but is shows a stunningly demonstrative example of how heaven and hell and right and wrong can be jumbled up when portrayed at certain slants. The naked, groveling men are both reaching out with carnal desires and also bowing before the greatness of GaIn's diamond clothing, which is valuable and gorgeous in a way that people trapped in Paradise could never comprehend. It's a GOREGOUS mv.
The song is incredibly powerful, to just top off the amazingness of this release. It's well balanced and beautifully spatialized and gorgeously aching. GaIn can pour emotions into her voice, too many to name all at once in a delicate balance that draws on a fantastic sense inner-power and absolute desperation in the same breath. It's an almost magical vocal quality and the constrained energy of it it caps off every track GaIn's ever been a part of. The evolution of the track is directly complimented by the evolving visuals, making the complete release far superior to either the track or the MV on it's own. It's a beautifully done release and I bow before the queen.
I Give It a 9/10: Blissful! |  |
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