NATURE Shows the Dark Side of “Girls”
NATURE made their comeback with their latest single album Nature World: Code M after eight months with a new mature sound, serving a departure from their previous bright and bubbly releases. Despite multiple member reshuffles and current member Sunshine sitting out of live performances due to injury, this comeback is a well-orchestrated effort that deserves attention from those unfamiliar with them.
The title track “Girls (어린애)” has a moody tropical hook with Latin-infused beats. The song speaks of a naive girl experiencing the pain of love, underscored by the brainwashing refrain, “I am a girl in front of love (난 사랑 앞에 어린애)”. While all members did an excellent job carrying the concept, members Sohee and Saebom stood out with their raspy and chilling voices. Chaebin’s vocal execution of the pre-chorus is absolutely ethereal and beautiful, truly music to the ears. The songs in the single album, including “Girls,” are produced by KUSH, famously known for his contribution to composing BIGBANG’s “Lies” and 2NE1’s “I Don’t Care” and “Ugly.” This marks his first girl group production outside of YG Entertainment and THE BLACK LABEL.
The two main concepts of the music video that are identified upon the first watch is that of corrupted purity and hurt, which when put together with the song blend perfectly together. The well-constructed shots of the members dressed in noir colors against the backdrop of a classy yet eerie set are a great and haunting visual expressing the title track. Additionally, the styling choice of basic dresses works amazingly well in tandem in portraying NATURE as the innocuous girl archetype. At the same time, it also works in their favor in the choreography shots to accentuate the sensual and almost feral-like moves.
Images of corruption, such as the members in white lying on a pool of blood or in rusty bathtubs, and objects of destruction, like shattered glass, knives, and axes, immediately help to set up the dark tone and atmosphere. Shots of the group convened in a circle work doubly to establish group harmony and also as an implied act of dark ritual. It is hard not to be reminded of Dreamcatcher’s earlier works including “Chase Me,” “Good Night,” and “Fly High,” which helped to cement their status as “satanic girl group,” lovingly dubbed by fans.
Before the official release of the music video, it was actually deemed too violent and sexual to be aired on TV by music channel Mnet. The shots of members using scissors to stab dolls in earlier teasers did not make it into the final cut that was distributed. Regardless, the overall product is still highly cohesive and enjoyable. Here’s to hoping for a director’s cut to be released sometime down the road.
The other two B-sides are worth a listen if the title track is to your liking. “DIVE” is described as a medium tempo track with heavy electric synths where the act of diving is paralleled to the hesitation of falling in love. The song’s intensity matches “Girls” but in a different, more weighty way, before giving way to a lighter and floaty “B.B.B (Never Say Goodbye).” The songs are great to listen to—both in succession and independent of each other. Unlike the other two solemn tracks, “B.B.B (Never Say Goodbye)” is a refreshing tropical dance track that is highly reminiscent of summer and helps to balance the single album.
Taking NATURE’s previous release “OOPSIE (My Bad)” into consideration, the group has shown immense versatility in different genres and concepts. Fortunately, their switches from sound to sound have been receptive thus far. Amidst many girl group comebacks announced this summer, NATURE has proven to be a dark horse with “Girls” personally, despite their slim chance in nabbing any music show win pitted against such intense competition. Whether they decide to stick to the current darker concept or continue to stick their trend of constant change will be critical to the group’s trajectory.
As we await members Aurora and Loha’s return, check out their latest single album if you have not.