Celebrate a New Way of Life Through QWER’s “CEREMONY”

Photo: QWER Official X

With every QWER title track, listeners can expect two things: a song that sounds like a coming-of-age theme song and a creative music video that can be watched time and time again. The band’s “CEREMONY,” released on April 27, tells a story of reinvention that can begin at any stage of life. Together with visuals that deliver absurd humor, this release is all about taking life in stride and figuring out the future in your own way. 

In contrast to their last title track, “DEAR,” which deals with hardship through emotional catharsis, “CEREMONY” uses a lighthearted tone to lift its audience out of a stuck mindset. If “DEAR” signifies facing your emotions, “CEREMONY” provides the next step in achieving an ideal life. This song comes in like the gentle sunshine that happens after a heavy rainfall. With a message co-written by the QWER members—Chodan, Magenta, Siyeon, and Hina—“CEREMONY” is an uplifting tune for people struggling to work towards the person they want to be.  

“CEREMONY”

“CEREMONY” celebrates a positive change in attitude. The lyrics address someone who wants to leave their boring old lifestyle, one where they feel disconnected with who they really are. “CEREMONY” focuses on bringing your true self into reality, and to throw your own “ceremony” to recognize this revelation.  

This is a song meant to hype yourself up and to allow yourself to abandon any fears. “I got the main character energy / From now on, I'll do as I please / A hand kiss toward my reckless self / This is a ceremony for me,” its chorus says, cheering its listeners on. It grounds the song in self-respect and hope. 

The Music Video

QWER delivers one of their best music videos through “CEREMONY.” The band portrays characters stuck in an isekai world trying to get to normal life. This foundation in isekai, a fictional genre in Japanese media that showcases a character “transported to a magical world,” means that QWER goes through some desperate, yet amusing scenarios. 

The video’s plot uses the isekai stereotype of characters getting hit by a truck in order to enter a new world. Without spoiling much more, QWER meets an unlikely ally that helps them find their way. QWER and their team make a daunting task, adopting and implementing a new outlook, digestible in a whimsical fashion.

Edited by Clark Royandoyan