Wengie and Minnie Hit Hard with “EMPIRE”
Did you expect this collaboration? We sure didn’t! Minnie and Wengie definitely delivered with this intense track, bringing in stunning outfits and well-executed rap verses that showcased their abilities as performers perfectly. Not only did they release a fiery track to accompany “Empire,” but they also released Korean and English versions to this song that can be found on their Spotify! That means both diehard K-Pop fans and western fans alike could find a way to enjoy this powerful track.
THE REVIEW
The song itself is very dramatic and high-paced, with the first note sparing no mercy as it drives straight past the typical build-up and heads straight for the high-tempo beats. This tempo stays the same throughout the track, with trap percussion and strong beats hitting hard from start to finish. The vibe this song emanates is that of a fierce power display, with Wengie and Minnie showcasing just how confident they are, which is precisely the vibe they were aiming to achieve. Both of them can be heard singing from the start, although the tone of the song lets you know that there’s going to be a lot more rap involved than first expected. Most of the lyrics, however, aren’t in Korean, which was to be expected from Minnie as this is her first solo collaboration. Instead, English dominates the track with an iron fist. This decision to swap out typical Korean for more English, when compared to other songs in the K-Pop genre, could be influenced largely by Wengie’s status as a successful YouTuber, meaning that the demographic for this track is a lot more focused on the western world. It’s definitely a refreshing change though,as the song still manages to keep the classic K-Pop aura while translating just enough English for everyone to understand what they’re singing about. As mentioned before, there are separate English and Korean editions of the track to check out!
As for the video, there’s nothing but praise to be given for this duo. The track opens up with Wengie sat atop a throne surrounded by floristry and candles alike, with dim yet effective lighting that gets brighter as the camera gets closer. One personal favorite aspect I find appealing comes only a second later, where smoke quickly fills the floor that they dance upon. This smoke stays visible during most of the dance breaks and is a wonderful touch that makes the atmosphere feel so much more mysterious. There are also several shots of Minnie and Wengie sitting next to each other on thrones still surrounded by flowers, yet a lot brighter than Wengie’s solo shot. Another well-executed feature is that change in clothing styles as the video progresses, as they begin with pearl-white outfits yet end with dark hues of black and blue. Just as black and white are opposing ends of the color spectrum, Wengie and Minnie are showing that they are two sides of the same coin, building their empire using everything in between!