Greatest Hits:: VIXX: VOODOO DOLL

 This comes from my submission form, and it's the first one I'm doing from there! Whoo! I was going to put this off a little because I just did a 2012 debut for a Battle of the B-Sides post, but oh, well! I have a feeling that this one isn't like that song either, so I'm less worried about doing too much of the same. Variety, yes, but I can do what I want and the few songs I've already heard of theirs (Chained Up is in many of my playlists) I've liked already. How much of that is because I know they're in the 2012 debut club, which automatically enters them into my category of groups I look upon favorably, I don't know. But I do know that even without that, what I've heard is very good. I've also heard some interesting and hilarious things about the group, and am curious to know if they're true or not. But! This submission came with the note that the submitter was pretty sure this song was VIXX's first win and that was why it was being submitted to me. The submitter also mentioned that the chorus was their favorite part because Leo sings. I don't know who Leo is, but I'm very excited to get to know him. Also, I love their lightstick enough that the goblin brain I've got wants one. Also, I just learned that Ken is having a solo comeback in January, so this is alarmingly appropriately times.

Okay, so, I started laughing while I was reading up on the album to decide what you all needed to know. Up front, the choreography and the music video got banned, and the choreography had to be censored for it to be shown on broadcast for being too disturbing. The music video was supposed to receive a rating of R, which is the point where I started to laugh. For those of you with stronger sensitivies to violence and body horror than I have, here is your warning. I will however include the clean version that was put out, which removes the creepy girl and functions a little more as a performance video.

Voodoo was their first studio album, released about a year and a half after debut. The song VOODOO DOLL was written by Kim Eana, who has written quite a few songs for IU, Brown-Eyed Girls, and SHINee, a couple of other songs for VIXX, and a couple of special performance songs. It was composed by Hyuk Shin, who does not limit his compositions only to Korean artists and was the first South Korean-born producer to make it onto Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 with a Justin Bieber single. Another song that ironically was also on the short list for the Greatest Hits post this time around, Growl by EXO, was also produced by him as well as a b-side from a Monsta X album, the title track of which I have started the post for and almost did as well. He has worked on quite a few songs for EXO, Monsta X, and Super Junior. So this song comes from a couple of powerhouse music makers, and handed off to a group that did well with it, considering they got their first win with it. So that's all very exciting to know for some of us, boring for others, but I like knowing things like this. I've been interested in music production for a long time, which is why I took a music theory and production class in high school. 

• Group: VIXX (Voice, Visual, Value in Excelsis)
• Debut Date: 2012 May 24
• Company: Jellyfish Entertainment
• Status: Active
• Album: VOODOO
• Song: VOODOO DOLL
• Release Date: 2013 November 25

Well, I wanted something different. Maybe next year I'll do another VIXX song specifically during the Spookening Season.

Honestly, the song goes hard enough that it's getting added to my workout playlist and honestly, some of the best ones to hype yourself up with are revenge songs or toxic love you have no desire to quit songs. This one is the latter. If the lyrics have roughly the same meaning in the original Korean, of which there is a lot, then this is like if the Joker and Harley Quinn were switched. Or like John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Reagan because he thought it would win him the love of Jodie Foster. That's the kind of relationship going on in the lyrics. And as toxic as it is, the members sing it with such vehement certainty that it seems like a good idea. These lyrics are very emotionally charged, which makes them both musical in the Les Misérables sense and also the perfect thing to sing in the car while on a long road trip. The "tick-tock, tick-tock" part and the "should I go, should I stay, nobody knows" part are incredibly catchy, and it's not just because it's in English and I understand that better than the Korean, but the sing-song way "tick-tock" is sung, softer than everything else around it, is both threatening and devoted. Ravi, personal problems aside because they hadn't happened yet, with the other has a tone and that delicious rapper rasp that is unlike anything else anyone in the group has. 

This is the kind of music video my cat, T'Challa, would appreciate. Horror is his favorite genre anyway, and the clearness of the vocals would probably make him happy. Leo in particular where he opens the chorus does a phenomenal job. He's got a gorgeous voice.

I could swear that that's the same house from BTOB's debut song, Insane. Am I wrong? Probably. But the two locations look so similar. And speaking of the house, out of curiosity, I popped into the behind video for the music video because of how amazing I found the house to be, and I can't promise not to go full analysis on this. First of all, major props to the stylists. They did a phenomenal job, and they actually scared N because someone fell asleep in the makeup chair and woke up with realistic looking scars and cuts, which is one of the cutest things I've heard in a while. That's adorable. His room is filled with injured, broken things. Leo, who is so soft-spoken, has a reflective room with television screens only showing the show. Ken specifically says that he's trapped there and that he's been tortured with fire, and his burns freaked his members out a little. Ravi got fancy body artwork and lenses and a room of wasted excess. And math. That's a lot of math he has got written all over his walls and the glass. Hongbin flexes his acting chops. This was before he technically became a professional actor, but the quality of his performance apparently scared the staff. Also, even though his room is also the barest of the bunch, he seems to be able to leave his, but he always returns to it. That, to me, is indicative of how much her control over him is absolute. She's broken him so completely that he'll return to where she wants him even though he could escape. Hyuk has the growing room with a 1000 year tree, which would be rather romantic under different circumstances. So I've given kudos to the stylists and makeup artists, but I'd also like to give thanks and compliments to the set designers. I could spend a lot of time on their rooms and the sets.

The girl they're acting against did such a phenomenal job. There's a point where as she's stabbing the doll, her eyes light up with joy, and when she walks, she does the cat-like saunter. All that's missing is a lazy flick of a tail. And I love how in the choreography, they use a large-scale version of her needle (with a useless skull near where the eye should be so theirs is less than useless), which reminds me of a saddler's harness needle. Although, realistically, if she was going to be doing what she was doing, the curved needle would be better. Less work for her. 

Here's the clean version, for those who prefer it. Also, that smirk at around the three minute mark from Hongbin is both scary and kind of hot. Hongbin was just flexing his acting chops throughout both versions, really.

I could talk about the choreography for days, but I'm going to save it for the dance practice version.

That opening dance move where Ken is flung over Ravi using the natural momentum of the others standing and then just starts singing like nothing happened is incredible and stunning. I'm impressed every time I see it. Also, look at the detailing on their costumes. The large stitching and large thread is very doll-like, and I love it. The fire. The stuffing scattered all over the stage from the actual doll. This is a phenomenal set design and performance. And because it was broadcast, this is the censored version, I'm assuming, because I can see differences between this and the music video version. 

I'm proud of myself for not just yapping about the choreography this entire, but now, it is time. And this is the original choreography and all I have to say about that is I wonder how many times they stabbed each other, accidentally or otherwise, with that stick learning this choreography?

But where to start? The answer is with the chorus. This song would make such a killer dance challenge, pun partially intended. I need some younger groups to get that started. The dangling arm with the tilted head is deeply hypnotizing, and the jerking contrasting with how smoothly they change positions and how smoothly the moves flow into each other is inspired. Whoever the choreographer is needs some recognition. There are mask gestures that also doubled as unhinged jaws. But what I really like about that chorus choreography is the fact that both of the "tick-tock" parts have different but similar choreography with the swaying, but where one is more doll, the other is a clock pendulum. 

Throughout the song, various members stab with and get stabbed by the stick. And the way the choreography is set up so that the others react to what is happening to one is brilliant. During the rap section, this particularly noticeable, because as Ravi is making himself bleed for the girl, the others are holding the places where he's stabbing. When the stick gets pulled out, the others jerk like it's them that just had that happen to them. The angles and movements aren't always perfectly in sync with each other, but considering each of their curses is different, that fits so well with the storytelling of the music video anyway. It's so incredible.

The first of several wins for them, VOODOO DOLL remains infamous in the industry, as it should because it directly defies the stereotype that K-Pop is all cute and pretty concepts. The song is incredible and needs a resurgence.