On February 12, four-member K-Pop girl group Stellar released their latest single and music video for "Marionette" making a comeback with a new image very different from their usual bubbly appearance.

"Marionette" comes from the group's first mini-album of the same name and marks a bold step for the members who appear to have shed their cute and innocent style for one that is charged with sexuality and slapped with a 19+ rating.

The latest music video from Stellar follows the tired formula for K-Pop girl groups as of late - very little clothing, complete abandonment of previous fun or innocent concepts, and choreography that accentuates the members' sexuality - all in hopes of rising to the top of the charts.

But while this method may turn out to work in the short term, for groups in it for the long haul, careful measures must be taken lest they end up looking desperate.

Stellar's latest creation, unfortunately, falls short.

In an attempt to present a new, mature side of themselves, Stellar seem to be trying much too hard to convince their fans they are flashy sex kittens. From a leotard-rich wardrobe to butt-rubbing dance moves, "Marionette" is full of adult imagery, yet ultimately comes off as unsophisticated.

Bouncing back and forth between sensual storyline scenes and the dance routine, it is hard to follow the music video's theme. The end result, then, winds up being a contrived composite of sexy images we've seen before from other groups. Case in point: the bathtub scene.

A few months ago a different Korean girl group, 2NE1, released "Missing You," a heartstring-tugging track that is both introspective and honest. The music video includes a bathtub scene in which the group's leader, CL, appears naked.

The scene showed her vulnerability and was beautifully executed giving the video (and CL herself) an additional layer of depth and added meaning to the song and its message.

Contrast that with Stellar's latest work, and you have the same idea done in exactly the wrong way. Lying in a tub of milk with a sad expression is not sexy, it is sad.

Couple this with an undergarment-bearing wardrobe and an array of body part close-ups, and Stellar essentially becomes the very definition of 'trying too hard.'

The eyebrow-raising is not limited to the "Marionette" music video either. For their mini-album promotions, Stellar has launched the 'Oppa, I'll do whatever you want me to' gimmick.

Through the group's official Facebook page, they are trying to increase the number of 'likes' and 'shares' by allowing visitors to the site to vote for what they want the girls to do. Choices range from making cute facial expressions to showing off their pouty lips, to revealing sexy dance moves.

Before the Wednesday's album release, the group's teaser images were revealed in a similar fashion as blurred pictures were made clearer piece by piece depending on the number of 'likes' they got.

Whether fans approve of Stellar's new concept and latest release or not, one thing is definitely for sure - they are receiving a lot of attention.

On YouTube the video has been viewed nearly one million times in the first 24-hours and the release of "Marionette" also reportedly saw server crashes on both the group's official site and their agency, Top Class Entertainment's, begging the question - in the entertainment industry, is there any such thing as negative attention?