SM Entertainment Steps Away From Mainstream And Into Eccentricity With Hitchhiker's 'Eleven' [VIDEO]

On September 10, 2014 SM Entertainment stepped out of their comfort zone and released "11(Eleven)" by Hitchhiker.

Hitchhiker is a South Korean music producer who has worked with SM Entertainment on various songs including Girls' Generation's "Show Show Show," f(x)'s "Danger," "A-Cha" by Super Junior, BoA's "Game," and "My Lady" by EXO.

Normally, releases from SM Entertainment are idol-driven, containing lyrics and choreography delivered by one of their many young stars. However, this work is a new concept developed in collaboration with both Hitchiker and SM.

The music video currently has over a million and a half views and is slowly growing due to the odd concept and sound. Currently, "Eleven" is ranked number three on the Spotify Viral 50 chart and the music video was featured on a recent episode of The Queen Latifah Show.

The bulk of "Eleven" was created by autotuning a baby's laughter. The music video features computer-generated graphics superimposed over street scenes from around Seoul and looks very much like what one would expect to see if playing The Sims on acid.

Rather than creating actual lyrics for the song, Hitchhiker's focus was more on the beat in hopes of creating EDM (electronic dance music) that could easily attract many people to the dance floor. The repetition is infectous.

Towards the end of "Eleven" things change up slightly and Hitchhiker's influence from Indian music is apparent - creating what one could consider the trippiest Bollywood movie scene ever.

One person commented on YouTube, "The more I listen to this, the more I like it," to which another person replied back stating, "It's a trap." Love it or hate it, the numbers don't lie - "Eleven" is certainly intriguing.

The new trend of incorporating elements of EDM into mainstream songs is already a distinct feature that strays from the usual manifestation of pop and dance music for major K-Pop releases. Perhaps "Eleven" is SM Entertainment's way of showing the world they have something different to offer other than pretty idols with perfectly staged numbers.

The ever-expanding popularity trend of unique and odd music videos is one to think about. When "Gangnam Style" first came out in 2011, people were attracted to the addictive lyrics and Psy's peculiar dancing. The oddity of the song and the music video made it go viral, and it wasn't long before the quirky Korean rapper was a pop sensation worldwide.

Hitchhiker's new song may become Korea's next foreign hit and people may soon be making "popping baby noises" with their hands on their mouths instead of doing the "horse dance."

But one conclusion is clear: the odder the music video, the more the internet will respond.

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hitchhiker
eleven
music video
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