Jonathan EmmesediEvery Sunday I look back at the preceding week in kpop and pick out a music video or performance that I have particularly liked. This week I have chosen Triple iz – Halla.
https://youtu.be/9GSDkO8e5J4?si=IYE2vKsFQueR_-px
This song has a tropical catchiness to it that I enjoyed, and I also liked the reverb, which lent the vocals a certain mystique. In addition to liking the vocals, the choreography impressed me, with the hand and finger movements being especially beguiling. The well coordinated outfits suited the choreography; it should go without saying that the three idols are all good looking.
Triple iz is a project group. The Balinese Dita (blue top) is a member of Secret Number, the Kerala born Aria belongs to X:IN, and the Korean E.Ji is with ICHILLIN’. I don’t follow any of these groups closely, so I am unclear about the details of this project, other than its having something to do with a video game.
X:IN is an “international” group, so Aria’s participation and that of Dita, together with the choreography and the sound of the flute, made me wonder if an effort to appeal to Indonesian and South Asian markets has shaped this MV. Regardless of its commercial success, this MV works artistically in part because of its not being confined by narrowly conceived notions of ethnic authenticity.
