I’ve long had a soft spot for Laboum. They spent nearly a decade as a C-list girl group, one that had the tunes and the skills and a few smaller hits but never managed to fully break through into the mainstream. That said, they always seemed to be fairly grounded; especially in their later years when their tactic shifted from chasing trends to using what they had to carve out a niche. And the greatest asset they had was easily Jung Soyeon.
She was the leader and main vocalist, but as Laboum shifted from peppy pop to R&B, Soyeon seized the opportunity to work behind the scenes as a composer and lyricist as well. And she’s quite good, infusing her work with maturity and wisdom but also a sense of lived experience. Her songs foster this great sense of connection because nothing is idealized. Many of my favorite tracks by her depict relationships that are not healthy but are realistic and honestly understandable. Her work resonates more because we the audience have been there, done that, made those bad decisions but that makes us and Soyeon value the good ones more.
So when Soyeon made her solo debut, I was delighted. And I became even more so upon seeing her MV, “Moonlight”. To be frank: this is a basic, basic video. But clearly Soyeon retained her lessons about using what you have and flipping your weaknesses into strengths.
Once again, the primary asset on display is Soyeon herself. Not just her voice, though that is excellent. Her delivery is clear and bright, but it’s also expressive. She carries the mix of passion and calm acceptance needed to make this song work in a way that you feel her longing and trepidation and eventually bravery with every note. She is selling this performance with every fiber of her being, and you cannot help but buy it.
But as I said, it’s not just her voice. Soyeon’s writing is also on full display. “Moonlight” is a song of falling in love slowly and quietly, of finding the courage to confess your feelings through that love, because this is someone you not only love but trust to treat you well. This is the final step towards something that has been building for a long time. You can taste the bad relationships Soyeon has worked through to not only find but value a quiet, steady love. She’s 31, and acting like it, and it’s very refreshing.
Juxtaposing the vulnerable lyrics are the instrumentals. The drums in particular are placed at the forefront of the mix, creating this almost aggressive sense of forward motion. But with the 80s synths and Soyeon’s softer voice playing against them, it creates a fabulous contrast, fully encapsulating the hard shell made to protect yourself with the gooey center made of love and human connection.
The MV only enhances that. Again, this is a basic video. It has a budget of 42 cents. But any indie creator knows that constraints often breed creativity, and clearly that’s what happened.
So you have no budget to shoot narrative scenes? That’s fine. “Moonlight” is a strong track, it can work with just Soyeon’s performance. No money for choreography? No sweat, Soyeon can absolutely do this as a park and bark; it’ll put the emphasis back on the song anyway.
You have one set and costume? As long as they’re perfect, you don’t need more. And absolutely that is the case. Soyeon is wearing an oversized leather jacket, artfully draped to reveal the flowery, spaghetti-strapped mini dress underneath. The backdrop is a collection of cathode- ray TVs and computer monitors, and everything is drenched in neon lighting that is dark but not dim, letting Soyeon practically glow. That’s “Moonlight” in a nutshell: harsh exterior giving way to tender feelings drenched in 80s-ness for flavor. A still of this MV captures the vibe of this song flawlessly. And every element is immaculate. There are many MVs that cost much more than “Moonlight” but looked a lot cheaper and sold their product far less effectively.
“Moonlight” is a great song, but it’s also a great story. Soyeon has been working in this industry for over a decade, but is still level-headed and self-aware. She’s never been a top star, but hasn’t let that stop her. She’s refined her talents and expanded her skill set. As a solo artist she clearly is more interested in finding the audience that appreciates her as she is rather than becoming someone else. I so sincerely want Soyeon to succeed as a soloist, if only because her scale of success is so achievable.
(Images via Global H, YouTube)
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