“Bad Love” by Key (키), Monday, October 18, 2021

 

The moment the talent scout comes to see your _____ and says, "You could be a star" is the moment many of us dreamed of when we were kids. If you believe everyone gets their 15 minutes, you also should realize that there are degrees of fame. The recognizability of a household name like Tom Cruise or Barak Obama compared to an indie rocker demonstrates this. But now, with adult eyes, look at that talent scout. Whether he's a football coach or Simon Cowell, he's certainly not got the best of intentions for your teenage self. And depending on what you're signing up for, there's something that the scout won't tell you. If you put in the work, you may change the world. But it comes at a cost. Your personal life is no longer yours. Your personality, image, and relationships will be a commodity that the press will fight and even pay people for. If you're successful enough, you'll be swimming in non-disclosure agreements, hiding you and your loved ones in unmarked cars, and constantly on edge over what you say.

EVEN IF I RUN AWAY, THERE'S NO PARADISE. Today, I'm not really talking about Shinee's Kim Ki-bum, better known by his stage name, Key (키), but I'm reading into something that may or may not be there. Key was born in Daegu in 1991 and raised by his grandmother because his mother was sick and his father was busy working. As a middle school student, he entered waterskiing competitions, and at 15 he joined SM entertainment, training to join what would become Shinee.  After Shinee went on hiatus for the group's final member, Taemin, to complete military service, Key released a mini album last month called Bad Love. The mini-album concept uses '80s and '90s space/sci-fi movie/television motifs. Key wrote the lyrics for the final two songs of the EP, and the title track was written by SM Entertainment's Kenzie. With the exception of Clarence Coffee, Jr.'s "Helium"--the only track in English--, Bad Love is dark-pop, full of retro vibes. The title track reminds listeners of Lady Gaga's 2009 hit "Bad Romance," speaking about the toxicity of a relationship that may have started under good intentions, but devolved into something toxic. The following track, "Yellow Tape," builds on the theme of entering relationships cautiously. The third track, a duet with Taeyeon, "Hate that..." was also released as a single from the EP. Unlike "Forever Yours," Taeyeon appears in the video version of the song. One Shinee fan podcast suggested that "Hate that..." was a follow up to "Forever Yours," which frankly is depressing, showing the end of a love affair. 

I PAID FOR MY SINS. The last two songs on the record were written by the singer. "Saturday Night" talks about not being able to go to the same places because of a break up. "Eighteen" (End of My World) is perhaps the most self-aware track on the record. Key describes the song as a letter to his eighteen year old self, just before debuting in Shinee. It's a rather melancholy track. K-pop stars are shrouded in a high level of image control by their record labels. There are rarely any "Justin-Britney" or "Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck" relationships. Key was in one publicized relationship with Nichole from KARA. Rumors suggest that Key is actually closeted, though he has denied these rumors, just as almost all gay K-pop singers have because coming out could be the end of a Korean star's career. Whatever the singer's identity, Bad Love suggests that the singer is dealing with the price of fame. The singer's relationships are carefully hidden away from public scrutiny. In the world of a K-pop star, rarely can they emerge at a red-carpet event with a serious partner or a spouse. So if it's hidden, toxic relationships can develop easily. If he were to meet an ordinary citizen, that person's life would have to deal with the grueling schedule of the star, not to mention that it would have to be kept secret from the press. Again, not assuming that Key is a member of the LGBTQ community, but K-pop stars have to keep their relationships discreet like gay stars from Hollywood 40 years ago. A video I watched about actor Paul Lynde made me think about the lives of K-pop stars today. At what point do stars get to be themselves and at what point is their name in the public domain? Are stars just a projection of who we want them to be? What happens when they turn out not be whom we expected? The recruiter tells you you'll be a star, but he doesn't tell you that you will have to go into hiding everything you don't want to share with the public. Proceed with caution.

Lyrics: Original (Korean) English Translation