Gain's Shocking 'FxxK U' MV Is Director Hwang Soo Ah's Latest Boundary-Pushing Endeavor

The K-Pop world was turned on its head January 28 with the pre-release of Brown Eyed Girls member Gain's song "FxxK U" from her forthcoming third solo album due out next month.

The confrontational lyrics inform a music video full of raw, edgy aggression leaving many viewers stranded on the thin line between what is sexy and what is disturbing - a line that director Hwang Soo Ah has walked many times before.

Hwang, the product of New York University's film program, has made a name for herself in South Korea as the go-to woman for provocative and controversial music videos ever since she visualized the Brown Eyed Girls' award-winning "Abracadabra" in 2009.

She is also the director behind many other releases from the group and its individual members as well as a personal favorite of idol stars INFINITE, pop singer IU, and the Brown Eyed Girls' former label-mates Sunny Hill.

As with its predecessors, the "FxxK U" music video is a deliberate retelling of the song's message and mood.

"FxxK U" follows a couple so enraptured by one another that even given the mutual understanding that their relationship is unhealthy, they can't seem to break the spell that keeps them coming back for more.

With shots of violence and animalistic passion appearing alongside reflective scenes revealing the inner demons of both Gain and her counterpart, actor Joo Ji Hoon, the music video simultaneously challenges and advocates modern-day feminism.

Just as "Abracadabra" came under scrutiny for its rather literal depiction of women's sexuality and implied homosexual undertones, "FxxK U" is expected to cause quite a commotion.

Scenes of suggested rage, rape, and suicide flow with feelings of lust and frenzied sexual desire creating a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere for the viewer who is left feeling somewhat guilty for finding the dark and twisted final product to be incredibly sexy.

Of course the entire video is hardly all director Hwang's doing. As with all her music-related projects, she met extensively with the song's writers Kimena and Lee Min Soo, in addition to Gain and her producers, before hand to discuss and get a feel for not just "FxxK U," but the entire mood and concept of the upcoming album Truth or Dare.

The actual direction itself, however, is all her.

In a story about when love reaches the point of obsession and control, "FxxK U" captures each scene with chilling realism and expressive energy.

Specifically, Hwang's use of color once again stands out. With music videos often falling on the dark side of things, intentional pops of color emphasize emotions and highlight additional layers of meaning.

From Gain's blue shoes and coat as she sits on the floor alone thinking about her relationship gone wrong, to the splashes of dark red blood in the bathroom scene, to the yellow suit a remorseful Joo Ji Hoon wears at the end, every hint of color gives an additional clue as to what is going on.

Careful attention paid to Gain's lips offers further insight into the feelings the singer is trying to express throughout the song and video.

The narrative of "FxxK U" may just be Hwang Soo Ah's most controversial to date and will likely receive some backlash for sexualizing such dark concepts as sexual violence, but it fits nicely into her body of work on the whole, not just her direction of music videos.

The director is shocking audiences on the big screen, too. The 2009 film Why Did You Come to My House? is another example of Hwang pressing the limits of what is acceptable subject matter.

Coming under fire for sympathizing with and sugar-coating the experience of a stalker, the film raised a lot of eyebrows in South Korea and set a standard for the director who now seems to be trying to one-up herself with the provocative themes.

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Gain's latest solo album Truth or Dare is slated for release on February 6 and will continue to obliterate taboos as it explores themes of intense emotion and sexuality.

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