Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Aquaria

(1,076 posts)
Sun Dec 29, 2019, 02:03 AM Dec 2019

My KPop Playlist: K.Will - Please Don't

K.Will (Kim HyungSoo) is a solo singer/songwriter in the vein of Billy Joel, but more pop-oriented and with a better vocal range (yeah, I said it). He debuted on the Starship Entertainment Label in 2007.



His 2012 hit, “Please Don’t” is a lovely ballad of a guy not wanting his love to leave, but the song is less memorable than its controversial and iconic music video, probably the most famous MV in all of KPop outside of “Gangnam Style.” Hundreds of people have taken the “Please Don’t” reaction challenge on Youtube, to hilarious results. But watch it to the very end to see why there’s such a fuss about it:



Yeah. That's why it's been viewed and reacted to so much.

Note: As is often the case with his MVs, K.Will does not appear in this video at all. All three of the characters featured are famous Korean celebrities, though.

The main guy is portrayed by Seo In Guk, an actor and solo recording artist.

The woman is portrayed by his labelmate DaSom of the defunct girl-group Sistar. She, too, is also an actress.

Her fiancée is portrayed by actor Ahn Jae Hyun.

I don't know why K.Will opts not to be in his music videos. It’s not that he’s ugly, and it’s not like he appears in no videos at all. He plays a minor role in his own “Day 1” MV (oh my God—it’s so sweet, it’s instant tooth decay!), and he appeared in Mamamoo’s debut MV, “Mr Ambiguous.” He also seems willing to promote his songs by doing live performances on music and variety shows:



So why not appear in his own MVs?

My guess is that it’s a business decision: Three of his MVs feature his former labelmates from Starship Entertainment--DaSom, SoYou and BoRa, all from the now-defunct girl group Sistar, so maybe it's a scratch each other's backs thing. Then again, all three of those guest artists were far more famous than he was at the time the videos were made, so the real reason for his absence could be even simpler than that: Putting famous people in your MVs gets more people, and a more diverse audience, watching them, which can increase interest in your work, and thus generate sales.

Whatever the reason, it’s his schtick, and it works for him. Why change it?

Trivia:

K.Will became an online sensation early in his career when videos appeared on YouTube of him singing songs by Mariah Carey and Celine Dion—often in their registers. So, yeah, he can get up there in pitch.

He has worked as a producer and vocal coach for other KPop artists, including the group Rain and actor Lee MinHo, star of the mega-hit KDrama sensation, Boys Over Flowers. Of course this means that K.Will is a highly-respected personality in the Korean music industry.

PS: I'll explain one of the big questions left dangling about the plot for "Please Don't" in a subsequent post in this thread. It will all make more sense then.
1 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
My KPop Playlist: K.Will - Please Don't (Original Post) Aquaria Dec 2019 OP
Tying up loose ends Aquaria Dec 2019 #1
 

Aquaria

(1,076 posts)
1. Tying up loose ends
Mon Dec 30, 2019, 09:58 AM
Dec 2019

Since those who have seen this video now know the plot twist, I can reveal something that helps to understand the video better.

Many people wonder what the deal is in this MV with such a freaky angry guy hanging around that lovey-dovey couple all the time. Are they all roommates, or neighbors/friends who hang out together often, or some bizarro threesome or...?

The answer is quite simple: Angry Guy and the cute woman aren't boyfriend and girlfriend (as if the end of the video doesn't make that painfully clear), but a younger brother and older sister.

That's why the two of them are living under the same roof. It's why she picks on him in the beginning, and why he gets exasperated with her so often. It's why the lovey-dovey couple tell him they're getting married, why he's the one driving her to the wedding, and why he seems happy for her when she shows off her wedding dress to him. It's why she insists on including Angry Guy in the picture at the end, and why he can't refuse her or her bridegroom at that time.

It's also why he can't say anything about how he feels, because he doesn't want to hurt her.

So hopefully that clears everything up.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Music Appreciation»My KPop Playlist: K.Will ...