MAMAMOO’s New Single Leaves Fans Gleaming
It’s been four months since the conclusion of the Four Seasons project, and Moomoos worldwide are still recovering from “gogobebe,” the title track for their most recent EP. If there’s one thing to know about MAMAMOO, however, it’s that their light never stops shining for long, and their most recent single proves just that.
The Review
There’s a certain object that stands out quite a bit throughout this track, and we can’t quite put our finger on what… maybe, just maybe, it’s the glasses? They’re in almost every shot with varying colors and shapes so it’d be quite difficult to miss them, unless the members’ stunning attire captivates Moomoos even more so than the blatant abundance of eyewear. Considering that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that “Gleam” was produced as an advertisement for an optometry store, and it’s even in the title. The Korean title 다 빛이나 sounds extremely similar to the name of the company whom they’re trying to promote, Davich Optical, and if that wasn’t enough, then the company’s logo is shown at the very start of the video—the one that looks like a gleaming sun. Even if you don’t need to wear glasses, all four members are seen sporting lensless glasses and even sunglasses at several points throughout the video, showing that you don’t need to have a prescription to rock a pair!
Besides the glasses, there isn’t much to talk about regarding the rest of the video. The main setting is a retro arcade that can only be described as a neon paradise, with a bowling alley and a glasses dispenser (who would’ve guessed) being key features of the scene until they switch over to a booth for the second half of the video. The members’ solo shots still manage to be unique, though, as Solar’s shot with a bowling ball dispenser is contrasted by Hwasa sitting on a chair surrounded by greenery that reminded me strongly of a previous title track, “Egotistic.” Despite this, the focus of the shots definitely leans more towards the members’ eyes than anything else, with constant zoom-ins and references to them in the lyrics, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise as the single is fundamentally an advertisement for glasses.
The song is yet another addition to MAMAMOO’s dazzling discography, as a modern pop song about someone quite literally lighting up the world with their presence. If it hadn’t been made clear enough earlier, there are more than a few lines talking about looking or glancing at the mysteriously glowing person at which the track is aimed. Also, if you decide to go looking, there’s almost every adjective referring to light somewhere in the song alongside buzzwords such as “color” and “unique” that were likely added in reference to the glasses. Despite all of this, the high-quality single can still be separated from the video entirely as another catchy bop that reminds fans that MAMAMOO won’t stop gleaming anytime soon.