When it comes to Dreamcatcher releases, one can expect another spin on their signature rock sound packaged with an interesting music video. As Dreamcatcher says bon voyage to their Apocalypse trilogy in tomorrow’s release of [Apocalypse : From us], let’s take a trip down memory lane with the B-side “The curse of the Spider,” a song embodying their original Nightmare concept. Before Dreamcatcher’s Dystopia and Apocalypse trilogies, Dreamcatcher told the story of seven girls cursed as nightmares.

Experiencing the Nightmares

The Nightmare storyline began with Dreamcatcher’s 2017 debut and their music video for “Chase Me.” The music established JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami, and Gahyeon as nightmares, haunting those who pursue them. Following the introduction of the seven nightmares, Dreamcatcher’s future music videos focused on their origins and adventures. The music video for “Fly high” off Dreamcatcher’s third EP Prequel showcased the root of their problems: the curse that started everything.

“Fly high” appears brighter than “Chase Me,” but the underlying tones still produce an eerie feeling. In the music video, JiU captures a spider in a glass bottle. This spider meets a cruel end at the hands of Yoohyeon, who unknowingly curses the group by her actions. This curse engulfs the members, locking them into an unfortunate fate. The song fittingly ends with Dami saying, “It’s like a big black hole in my heart / I’m trapped in the nightmare.” This action anchored Dreamcatcher’s first storyline, which ended in 2019 with The End of Nightmare and Raid of Dream.

Facing the Curse

Dreamcatcher included “The curse of the Spider” as the third track on Raid of Dream. In an interview for KING’s RAID, the mobile game that collaborated with Dreamcatcher for the Raid of Dream EP, JiU explained “The curse of the Spider” contains “untold stories” preceding the Nightmare story. Throughout many releases, Dreamcatcher expressed a desire to wake up from the nightmare that consumed them. Whether it’s explicitly stated in a song like “What” or shown through imagery in music videos, “The curse of the Spider” tied everything together.

The lyrics refer to Dreamcatcher’s constant struggles to escape the spider’s control. It’s a back-and-forth of feeling helpless and feeling hopeful. With strong vocals, Dreamcatcher channels their power in “The curse of the Spider.” The song contains multiple voices, both literally (with its seven singers) and lyrically. The ones yearning for escape, the curse itself, and the ones reaching out all appear in the verses.

The lines eventually allude to success with “Trapping you in a glass bottle / Light the flame once more, circling back to the events in “Fly high.” Though there’s no doubting the variety of themes Dreamcatcher tackled in more recent releases — addressing hate in Dystopia and combating climate change in Apocalypse — the Nightmare concept introduced their strong, hard-hitting image which still impresses to this day. “The curse of the Spider” helped close the first chapter in Dreamcatcher’s career, and allowed them to explore other avenues of storytelling.

Edited by Omani