Retro Concepts in K-Pop Part. 2

In the first part of the “Retro Concepts in K-Pop,” we covered releases by SPICA, MAMAMOO, YDPP, and Wonder Girls. MAMAMOO makes another appearance in this part, but we added some other groups to the list as well. These groups added their own take on this concept.

Girls’ Generation - Lion Heart

The 2015 release by SM Entertainment girl group Girls’ Generation was filled with pastel colors, glitter, and bright lighting to really catch and reflect the sparkles and colors. The girls were dressed in flapper dresses that were popular in the 1920s and ‘30s, as well as clothes that were inspired by the ‘40s and ‘60s. The album cover for Lion Heart also depicted the girls wearing 1950s-style dresses. Everything from Tiffany’s car to the wallpaper in the background of Seohyun’s solo scene completes the retro concept of the music video.

MAMAMOO - You’re The Best

Few K-Pop groups have taken on a ‘70s-inspired concept for their comeback, as the earlier and later decades have been more popular to capture and use in a concept. But in MAMAMOO’s “You’re The Best” music video, the girls got a ‘70s-inspired makeover in their wardrobe and hair. Many iconic items from the decade are brought out in the music video such as the flare jeans and suitcases, not to mention the high-contrast color scheme using orange, red, green, brown, yellow, and more. The ‘70s is a decade overlooked by many groups who have been inspired by the retro theme, but we hope to see this concept more.

SNUPER - Platonic Love

Complete with roller skates and neon lights, “Platonic Love” was released in 2016 but gives a feeling of watching a music video on MTV in the ‘80s. For those who like ‘80s pop music, this song is a must to add to a playlist as it really catches the keyboard sounds that were so popular back in the day. This is not the only ‘80s electro-pop-inspired song by SNUPER—“It’s Raining” is also clearly inspired by the decade.

Triple H - RETRO FUTURE

We got to see HyunA, E’Dawn, and PENTAGON’s Hui in the previous CUBE Entertainment trio release two albums between 2017 and 2018. Both music videos were inspired by the ‘90s; however, “RETRO FUTURE” had a more distinct ‘90s concept than “365 FRESH,” which took a little inspiration from the ‘80s as well. The clothes, accessories, and even the way the music video itself was filmed and edited are all very ‘90s inspired.