Although many people may associate K-pop with either cute, colorful music videos or hard-hitting, girl-power anthems, this genre contains dozens of concepts that focus on themes such as temptation, desire, and even death. Horror-themed songs and music videos in K-pop are incredibly interesting to me since these artists are able to tell stories both visually through lighting and outfit choices as well as lyrically. With Halloween around the corner, I want to talk about some of my favorite K-pop songs with horror concepts.
Red Velvet is one of my favorite girl groups because of their unique sound and alternation between their “Red” side—albums with lively and upbeat themes—and their “Velvet” side—albums with darker and mature themes. One of their most iconic songs is called “Peek-a-Boo.”
The music video follows the five members as they hold a pizza delivery man hostage in their mansion while trying to find opportunities to kill him. There are various shots of the girls shooting arrows, throwing axes, and even forcing the delivery man to partake in their mysterious rituals. Although he escapes the mansion, the final scene shows his shirt locked up in a display case, implying that he was murdered.
I really love this song not only because of the music video, but because of the vocals. Red Velvet is often praised by fans and the general public for their talent in singing, which is really impressive given that they also have to dance to these vocally complex songs. The harmonies throughout the song, especially in the pre-chorus and chorus, sound beautiful and even add to the eerie atmosphere of the music video. It almost feels like I’m going to be their next victim!
The next song I want to highlight is “Scream” by Dreamcatcher. Dreamcatcher breaks from the norm for most K-pop girl groups by creating music that’s more rock than pop. The main focus of this music video is the Tree of Language, which grows when people spread kindness but decays when hate speech and vulgar language is used. When the members realize that they are becoming targets for this negativity, they attempt to fight back and restore the tree but ultimately fail.
I love how “Scream” incorporates screams and vocal effects to make the song sound spooky and almost threatening. The barren forest set and the flashing lights sets the tone for the song and pairs nicely with shots of the members dancing in an empty room under heavy red lighting. Dami and Gahyeon really stand out with their rap verses, balancing both power and mystery in their solo sections.
“Oh my god” by i-dle is one of my favorite songs from this group because of how unique and complex it is. This song tells a story about falling madly in love with someone in a way that makes you feel overwhelmed with desire and lust. The first two pre-choruses lead to an anti-drop in the chorus that makes you feel like you’re in a trance. The final chorus creates an intense buildup before the slow outro that mimics the start of the song. This dynamic alongside the repeated elements in the instrumental such as the sound of a bell creates a really eerie tone.
Each member really gets to shine in the music video such as Soyeon being surrounded by dancers in tan bodysuits and Miyeon standing on a large pedestal with even more dancers on the floor around her. I-dle takes pride in having their own direction on what kind of music and concepts they create, which makes me further appreciate the level of production and artistry they put into this song.
As I mentioned earlier, I love how diverse K-pop is as a genre, which makes it possible for anyone to find a group or concept that they enjoy most. Although horror-themed songs are more uncommon in the industry, the groups who embrace it can cause quite a fright with their music! Happy Halloween and stay safe everyone!
