What SM Entertainment Should Learn From ONEUS’s New MV No diggity

 

As an NCTzen,

Dear SM staffs, take a note, please

Line distribution and screen time always become a big issue on Kpop entertainment. The reason is simple. Unlike the solo singers that dominate Western or other Asian country music, Kpop heavily relies on their living on groups. Groups mean more than one singer. If 4 minutes song usually sung by one person, it’s common to be sing by 4-13 members of Kpop groups. If one Kpop group have 7 members, it means one person fairly gets 0.57 minutes long to sing. So short? Yes but the reality can be worse.

I’ve seen a few idol singers who barely get any lines even on the album’s main title. For the example, “The Boots” by Gugudan (Sejeong 41.5% and Hyeyeon 5.3%), “You and I” by Dreamcatcher (Yoohyeon 32.7% and Gahyeon 5.5%), or “April Story” by APRIL (Chaewon 36.9% and no line for Rachel). (For further line distribution you may read here) Unfair line distribution highly likely may occur to the groups with a lot of members. “Hi High” by LOONA, for example, mainly sing by Heejin (18.9%) and the least by Haesul (0.6%). Although sad, it’s quite understandable for a 12 members group like LOONA. But for “I Like That” by 4 members group like Sistar which 58.2% of it sang by Hyolyn and Bora only got 6.7%, it’s a very bad thing. It’s all means, line distribution isn’t always happened because the amount of the members.

Less line distribution means less screen time on a music show. As Jamie used to say, “I’m a singer. I have to sing!”, yes singer has to sing. I mean, how they get some attention if they aren’t singing on the stage? How they get their deserved exposure after the long trainee times if they can’t show their talent? They’re singers, not comedians or MC.

The recent issue about this problem came from (G)idle’s HWAA. I’m not a fan but HWAA MV is so aesthetic. Several fans, Shuhua fans club from China, angry over her unfair line distribution and halting the album order. Apparently, she only sings for 3.9 seconds and appears 17 seconds on the MV. Although I know she isn’t fluent yet in the Korean language, this boycott is such a loss for both (G)idle and Cube. Shuhua is a Chinese and Chinese fan who always so loyal to Kpop idols, especially those who are Chinese. Boycotting I Burn album will make the situation worse and uncomfortable for Shuhua.

I don’t know why the MV director gives some members unfair screen time on the main title MV. I mean, that’s their song where every member should be shining together, right? For the fewer lines, I assume it may be because of their voice or vocal timbre. Some members' voices may more suitable for a ballad, the others may have a deep voice which suits to be a rapper. It influenced their parts of the song. Woozi Seventeen used to say that he, with Bumzu and the members, pick the part of the song according to the members' voice (I forget where he said that). It’s maybe the reason behind those unfair line distribution.

Reality is different. Main vocals can get fewer lines too. It heavily depends on the group concept, like a rapper will get a lot of lines in hip hop group so is the opposite. Whatever the reason, fans will always be angry and claimed this as mistreatment. Unfair line distribution is bad. They can actually redeem it by making the member with less line get more lines on the b-side songs.

Frankly said, it’s possible for members with fewer lines to get more screen time. How? Let’s watch ONEUS’s “No diggity” MV!

Why ONEUS “No diggity” Is Matter?

“No diggity” is a bop!

Yeah that’s my thought after listening to “No diggity” for the first time. I immediately think how fair the screen time is. I’m not Tomoo, just been following ONEUS since their Produce 101 era. I know that they’re so talented. Now I realize that not only talented but their agency RBW is actually one of a few fair Kpop agencies out there. Why? Please look out for their screen time.

I know that Xion, ONEUS maknae aka the long blonde hair man, always gets fewer lines. In “No diggity”, he got 5.3% lines compared to Leedo (27%). Based on Tomoon’s comments, it’s because he isn’t confident to sing yet. Oke, I understand the reason. The thing that surprised me is although he doesn’t get any parts, he still gets a lot of screen time in the MV. There’s no big gap in the member screen time. Everyone gets their exact time to shine. Fascinating, I may say.

Even though it isn’t Xion’s part, the MV still shows him during the other part. “No diggity” is a heavy dance song. That kinda song usually uses more times to show the dance performance. Yet, ONEUS still put more attention on the individual cam, which is good, so Xion gets that screen time.

RBW is a good agency. Even Mamamoo members get an equal spotlight. Every member of the group is unique. Their strong individual charms then will be the group’s power. Instead of doing that, this Star Museum Agency has their own different opinion.

Take a look at NCT MV.

SM Entertainment Need To Wake Up and Learn!

Let’s talk about NCT U 90’s Love MV.

We all know how bad SM treats Winwin, especially towards his lines and screen time on MVs. I really hope NCT2020 Resonance gives him better treatment but it isn’t.

Winwin joins Ten, Mark, Jeno, Haechan, Yangyang, and Sungchan in NCT U 90’s Love unit. During 3:47 minutes of the song, guess how long Winwin solo screen time… it’s 3,68 seconds. OMG yeah, only a blinks of eyes and that’s it. If we compare it with his overall screen times, it’s 1 minute 22,6 seconds. Like what? I won’t compare it with other members' screen time but it’s so cruel.

The green dancing dinosaurs even get more time than him, 20,02 seconds. I know the dinos are part of the aesthetic and they’re actually some professional dancers but don’t waste the idols for it.

I understand Winwin probably gets less screen time because of his fewer lines, only 3 seconds. But let me blame the MV director. Rather than put the dancing dinos, why don’t you put Winwin, Yangyang, and Sungchan’s part?

If we look at “No diggity”, the director puts Xion even though it’s others parts. Why you don’t put Winwin, Yangyang, and Sungchan’s part over others' singing? It won’t ruin the aesthetic tho.

NCT debut since 2016. Until now, they have more than 20 MVs. Sadly, because of the bad MV director or maybe SM Entertainment itself, NCT is included in the group with the worst screen time. Seriously, SM? Four years already plus their experiences of handling a lot of groups before and you still do this?

Please kindly reconsider your artists and fans’ feeling or your reputation as a bad unfair agency. Or just change your MV director.

 

Disclaimer:

After I finish writing this, I realize that I keep using girl group songs for the bad references, such as this GB has unfair lines, meanwhile putting ONEUS the BG as the good reference. I don’t try to talk bad about GB or misogyny. It’s purely due to my lack of other references. Yet I put ONEUS because “No diggity” is my main idea and the reason why I write this.