K-pop star Sunmi just dropped a sizzling, femme-fatale music video for ‘Tail’, and all we can say is: ‘Ma’am please this is a Wendy’s.’
Sunmi’s ethereal face on our screens? Check. A sizzling music video with a step that all of K-pop is going to cover soon? Check. A catchy number that will probably become an earworm for the next six months? Also check. Yep, Sunmi’s back.
One of K-pop’s most decorated soloists, Sunmi just dropped her EP TAIL and collectively slayed us all. Also accompanying the two-track mini-album is the music video for the title track, ‘Tail’.
While she still retains traces of the retro-mania we saw on last year’s ‘pporappippam’ — which is not surprising, considering her co-composer on ‘Tail’, FRANTS, also worked on the former — gone are the alluring, fantastical dreamscapes of ‘pporappippam’.
While that one was reminiscing about a magical night and wishing for a romance that would never end, on ‘Tail’ Sunmi is a woman scorned. And well, you know what they say about the fury of a woman like that.
Thematically, this one will remind listeners of her famous trilogy of ‘Gashina’, ‘Heroine’, and ‘Siren’, all of which dealt with a relationship on the rocks or finished. Visually, though, this parks Sunmi right in the femme-fatale space, drawing heavily from Sin City inspired black and white aesthetics, leopard prints, and X-men-esque CGI renditions of the namesake ‘tail’.
All this comes with a gripping revenge-fantasy narrative that starts with Sunmi embarking on a journey to avenge herself after being pushed out of a window by the man she loved. Yep, Sunmi really woke up and chose violence.
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In a press conference for the release of the album, the singer clarified the intention behind the unusual name: “A tail is a method of emotion expression for animals. When they feel good, it bends or wags around, and when they don’t feel good, they express that by hitting with their tail. I thought that was charming. It’s one-dimensional, instinctive, and felt so honest so it felt like a fascinating, impactful word.”
Providing a contrast to ‘Tail’ is the second track on the album ‘What The Flower’, which Sunmi composed with Hong So Jin. The latter also worked on IU’s acclaimed single ‘Love Poem’, billed as one of the best K-pop tracks of 2019.
Check out ‘Tail’ by Sunmi:
