Heartbreak is always hard and can lead us to very dark places. This is a topic that soloist Chungha contemplates in her newest single “Killing Me.” On November 29, she released the dark pop song with its accompanying music video. “Killing Me”’s dark and depressing lyrics are contrasted by its music, with Chungha talking about being alone and isolated, claiming that “everyday is a dark tunnel” and she can feel the “warm heat” of the light at the end but can't quite reach it. All of this is over a light and rhythmic beat that keeps the song moving forward rather than letting the listener get sucked too deep into the meaning behind the words. 

The music video doesn’t add context to the words unless you know what to look for. It starts with the artist waking up on her birthday, seemingly happy and ready to blow out her candles until she opens a Russian nesting doll. All of a sudden, the visuals get darker and she is obviously scared by what is going on. Following this, there are various levels of darkness, including a dark tunnel, a dingy bathroom, and a contrasting, friend-filled birthday party. With each new level of the doll being opened, there seems to be more misery and darkness. In the end, with the reveal of the final nesting doll, Chungha seems to accept her grief that is inside of her, rather than putting on a brave face and pretending to be okay. 

Overall, the song is addicting and a great one to sing along to when all you want to do is cry. Screaming along to the chorus or watching the video a few times might be able to help with the pain. Even if it doesn’t help the first time, it's catchy enough to listen to a few more times through.