The Horror Concept Queens are Back!
After a nine month stretch devoid of a new release, Dreamcatcher is back with their signature horror concept! “You and I” has a much darker vibe than previous release “Fly High,” which seemed lightened up compared to previous releases.
The Music Video
I was super excited for this comeback because from my first impressions, “You and I” travels back to their debut track “Chase Me,” both in terms of musicality and visuals. I absolutely adore the groups that aim for darker aesthetics, so I was slightly disappointed with the release of “Fly High” being much lighter in comparison to past releases. I have come to expect the goth and horror undertone to Dreamcatcher, and I was afraid that we were going to lose that because of its lack of mass popularity, as this aesthetic is definitely more focused on a niche audience.
So needless to say, I was absolutely ecstatic upon seeing the opening outfits in the music video for “You and I.” I was given exactly what I wanted right off the bat. But really, it doesn’t get much darker than black, strappy outfits, excessive spiderwebs, and apparent human sacrifice on what looks to be a pentagram in order to call out an evil spirit. The goth queen in me is so alive!
All of that aside, Dreamcatcher has some pretty cool choreography to go along with this title this time around, with Dami pulling out a pole for the choreography in her rap verse that reminds me very much of sabre choreography used in color guard back in my high school marching band days. Not to mention the creative moves with handkerchiefs hidden in their stage outfits until it’s time for them to appear. The stellar dark visuals and unique choreography make for an A+ score all around in visuals.
The Album
Musically, “You and I” does a good job of encompassing a traditional dance track sound with a heavy rock guitar riff behind the melody, a combination not often seen in K-Pop. The song by itself without the visuals doesn’t capture me as intensely, but that’s not to say that it’s bad either. I like that the song went back to the debut roots of “Chase Me,” providing a familiar and enjoyable sound.
The full album 악몽·Escape the ERA continues along with the sound of the title track, with the first B-side “Mayday” sounding very similar, if not almost identical, to “You and I.” This could be off-putting to some fans, but I personally cannot get enough of it, since we never hear this kind of sound from any other girl groups. But much like with Dreamcatcher as a whole, it really comes down to your own personal taste and whether or not you fit into the niche audience they’re targeting.
“어느 별” has a much more subdued sound and is definitely a song you would find on any other girl group’s discography, sounding potentially similar to GFRIEND or MOMOLAND. Though totally different from the first two tracks on the album, “어느 별” has its own relaxing and chill vibe that grew on me with time. The final song, “Scar,” is a happy medium between the two differing sounds, incorporating the high-energy and heavy metal sound in the bridge and chorus on top of a softer, vocally-focused number of verses.
Dreamcatcher is definitely one of my favorite girl groups out there and I definitely admire the angle they’re going for in their releases. However, the chances of this angle having mass appeal the likes of TWICE or even BLACKPINK aren’t very high. Still, it’s really nice to have this kind of variety of sound in a genre that many consider to be mostly cookie-cutter, and I think adding this diversity into the mix of K-Pop repertoire is really important. Whether or not you’re a big fan of Dreamcatcher, there is no denying that they’re doing something special and that they are a group full of talented young ladies.