Join us for a captivating discussion on BEAST's iconic track, "Fiction"! Delve into the emotional depth and captivating storytelling of this K-pop masterpiece as we explore its poignant lyrics, powerful melodies, and exceptional vocal performances. We'll dive into the dramatic music video, the infamous penguin dance, and uncover why "Fiction" remains a beloved classic, cementing BEAST (now known as HIGHLIGHT) as one of the leading boy bands in the K-pop industry, with their legacy still resonating to this day. Viewer discretion is advised, your fave will be criticized...
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References:
- BEAST - “Bad Girl” MV https://youtu.be/fA_rXpyF67s
- BEAST - “Shock” MV https://youtu.be/JXxGo1MvNls
- BEAST - “Breath” MV https://youtu.be/HTbC1UsBtek
- BEAST - “Fiction” MV https://youtu.be/ZAzWT8mRoR0
- BEAST - “Fiction” Live at Music Core https://youtu.be/1S-q9bZJPeo
- HIGHLIGHT - “Fiction” Live in Concert 2022 (Fancam) https://youtu.be/3XCecyo3_Yw
- Ryu Jin, Minnie, Lee Chaeyeon, Isa - “Fiction” Cover at 2021 SBS Gayo Daejeon https://youtu.be/jQNEiHzIcX4
00:00:02 --> 00:00:15 Viewer discretion is advised. Your fave will be criticized. That's Chris. That's Jan. And welcome to CCTV, the nonstop pop show. And today we're discussing the K-pop classic, Fiction.
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00:00:49 --> 00:01:06 So subscribe now and let's explore the world of pop music together. Yes. And we're here with another episode of pop perfection, which is where we break down the biggest hits in pop music, analyze their impact and give our unfiltered opinion on the songs and the respective artists.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:29 So today we're focusing on the track Fiction by the boy band Beast, who are now known as Highlight. But this is known as one of the best K-pop songs of all time. Yeah, ballad, breakup song. Like this is one of those like Jimmy kind of song. Jimmy. Yeah. It really is. And it's weird because it's not covered a lot, which is...
00:01:29 --> 00:01:51 pisses me off. But, you know, personal afflictions aside, let's hop right into it. Yes. So let's start with a brief history of Beast. They were a six member South Korean boy group formed in 2009 under Cube Entertainment. But in 2017, after departing Cube Entertainment, they changed their name to Highlight.
00:01:51 --> 00:02:12 Not by choice. They were forced to because they did not own the rights to the main beast. Petty. But luckily, they still get to perform the songs. Yeah. But anyway, currently, the group consists of Yoon Do Jun, Yang, Yo Sob, Lee, Ki Kwang, and Son Dong Woon, with former members being Jang Hyun Sung and Young Joon Hyung.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:38 Before founding their own company and rebranding, Beast was one of the most popular boy groups and was known for its diverse music styles, incorporating elements of hip-hop, R&B, and electronic dance music. Their first single, Bad Girl, released in 2009, gained popularity for its catchy melody and powerful choreography. Bad Girl
00:02:39 --> 00:02:55 And during this time, the group actually garnered a lot of attention with their EP, which included the second single, Mystery, Mystery, and sold over 10 copies in its first week of release, an unusual accomplishment at the time for a new K-pop act.
00:02:55 --> 00:03:25 However, they faced a lot of adversity in the beginning stage of their careers because many of the members had previously trained in other bigger companies. So they were seen as industry rejects or the recycled group, which I hate. I don't hate. Yeah. I mean, this is a lot more common now for people to have trained at other companies and then not debuting in those respective groups and then moving on to other companies.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:35 bottom companies anyway. So yeah, I remember that original viewpoint. But yeah, so what did you think of Beast at the time? Were you a fan from the start? Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:03:35 --> 00:04:01 I love them so much. I forgot how I got to, you know, I probably saw Ki-Kwang on a, no, that's a lie. That's a lie. That's a lie. I think 4 Minute had debut before them, right? Yes. So 4 Minute I was into, and then Hyun-A was in a music video for Ki-Kwang. Yes. And he was called, name was AJ at first. So AJ was a solo act, Ace Jr., and dancing shoes didn't go anywhere, but I was like, he's cute. So I followed him. Yes.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:20 And he was in this group. So yeah, he was my bias. I think as a group, they were pretty solid because they all were really talented. And you could see that. The choreography in the beginning was pretty generic, like boy group stuff. But what made them different was that they actually didn't focus on having like a rapper in the group. Like the rap that was in it,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:43 was featured but they only had one rapper everyone else were vocalists like and they could actually sing like i don't think it's actually yeah yeah like i don't think anyone was actually a sub vocalist in the sense where they're like yeah girl oh yeah i don't think anyone this group was i like maybe dong woon was treated at that at first but then he got really good yeah because this one was more husky so he's like they're like what can we do with this kid's voice right and he was the youngest one
00:04:43 --> 00:04:56 But yeah, I was definitely a beauty for sure. I think my highlight from their era when they first came out was when Geekwon was lip-syncing Kyung Sung's part of Bad Girl. Talk about Milli Vanilli. I was sent, okay? I was like...
00:04:56 --> 00:05:16 Wait, the cute one, that's not his voice. The weird part is that Gi Kwon can totally sing that part fine. Gi Kwon can actually sing very well. So that whole thing, I agree, is bizarre. Okay, but yeah, so I actually was not aware of them at the beginning. I was not a K-pop fan back in 2009. It gave me another year, I think, and then I was there.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:43 But it's fun just retroactively looking back because those first songs are good. Like that first EP is good. I love Bad Girl. I love Mystery. They're just fun pop songs. They're a little generic, you know. So it definitely did take them some time to find a unique sound for themselves. But even from the beginning, they're great on camera. Like they stood out from the other boy groups at the time. Like you mentioned, the vocals were there. Like the live vocals in their debut Bad Girl performance are actually great.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:59 Yes. And I cannot say the same for most other debut performances. So, yeah, the talent was there. And it makes me sad that they were referred to as the recycled group. But I feel like they maybe took that as motivation in a way also to be like, we're good. We're better than that.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:26 They were upcycled. Exactly. Yes. So as Beast continued to establish themselves as one of the top boy groups in K-pop, their music and image evolved over time. So while their earlier releases had a brighter and more upbeat sound, the group's later releases like Shock and Zoom, which means Breathe, which were released in 2010, they took on a more emotional and mature direction, which would eventually become their signature style.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:50 And they became known for their powerful vocals, intricate choreography, and poignant performances. You! Oh my gosh. I remember when Shaw came out, I was like...
00:06:50 --> 00:07:19 What is this? Because it was, it was like, it's electro pop at its finest. And I think around the time that Shock had come out, FX was kind of around too, because the whole episode that we're focusing on, I think Danger had been released when Fiction came out, but we're not there yet. But yeah, FX was coming out. So a lot of electro pop was like the thing. And this was so good, because like that riff, that da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Like, I was like, ooh, what's that? And I think the choreography was really, really intricate.
00:07:19 --> 00:07:38 Now, their competition was mostly 2PM and MBLACK. Yes. 2PM came from the big group, and then MBLACK was founded by JYP's golden child, Rain, right? So then you have, they have reputations behind them, focused on R&B mostly. This group...
00:07:39 --> 00:07:57 They didn't really focus on R&B. They could sing it, but they had moves for days. Like, they danced better at 2PM and M. Black. So I think that's what made them stand out because there's beats in this song. I'm like, why are you guys hitting them, right? But that's what it was at the time. And it was still very dramatic, and they throw their whole bodies into it. What people like now, I thought, was...
00:07:58 --> 00:08:22 The angsty dancing that gets done with love songs that are like lyrical now was happening with them before. But it was like street kind of like, I guess, urban hip hop at the time, if you will, because because they were working with pre picks at the time, I believe. So a lot of choreography was actually like dance crew choreography. So, yeah, it was fun to see these hear these angsty songs with is actually like really dope choreography that we that we would see here on the West with like ABDC.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:29 And it was like, oh, shoot, they're hitting this like crazy arm isolation. So I like that. Shock was my favorite. The hand. Shock. Get over there. Shock. Shock.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:55 Yeah, and then Soom was, oh my God, Soom is so good. Again, another pre-picked choreographed song. And the video was like really dramatic, of course, but the vocals were there. You heard Soom, they switched to pre-chorus and whoever sang that part was singing her face off. Whoever sang in the verse was singing her face off. And you get to the bridge and you get this long extended note that Yang Yosef can still hit to this day.
00:08:55 --> 00:09:07 yeah so there's a lot going on so I liked it was very theatrical we enjoyed the theatrics yeah I remember when Sook came out not so much Shock I actually don't love Shock
00:09:08 --> 00:09:31 But Soom, I love. I think it makes me miss how dramatic these songs were back in second gen. Like, if these songs were sad or dark, they would really go there. Yeah. While at the same time, though, they try and make it sexy, too, right? So, like, Soom has the breaths of the stuff. Yeah. Like, it's just so...
00:09:31 --> 00:09:46 Not subtle at all. Not at all. Which makes it fun. Which makes it fun. Yeah. So, yeah, I remember Zoom really, really well. And that's when I was like, okay, like this group stands out for sure. But it would be the next song that really solidified my fandom.
00:09:46 --> 00:10:15 And so we're going to talk about when they clapped. And that happened with Beast's first full-length Korean album, Fiction and Fact. And it was released on May 17, 2011. And it quickly became a commercial success. It features the singles on Rainy Days and Fiction. And the album peaked at number one on the Kaeon album chart, which is now known as Circle Chart. And by the end of the year, it had sold over 142 copies and became the fifth best-selling album of 2011 in South Korea.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 He
00:10:30 --> 00:10:57 And it would be the success of Fiction that marked a pivotal moment in the group's career because it won multiple awards, including Song of the Year at the KBS Music Festival, solidifying their status as one of the top acts in Korea and K-pop, excuse me. Fiction is a poignant track featuring a piano-led dramatic melody that evokes the feeling of a ballad, and the song seamlessly blends electronic elements with a solemn production, creating a powerful and emotionally charged track.
00:10:57 --> 00:11:23 The lyrics explore the theme of a man struggling to let go of a former lover and imagining their love as an unending story, even if it's just a fictitious scenario. Sheesh, that synopsis sounds just as dramatic as this song. But it's true. The hole that this song had on me, I don't even remember where the heck I was when I heard it. I just saw, what's his name, Joon Young? Joon Young with his hair over his face. I'm like, what the heck is this? What's going on?
00:11:23 --> 00:11:47 So I press it and you see the desert. Oh my gosh. This song is interesting. I remember trying to write like an English version to this song. I think every single K-pop fan that doesn't do dance covers and has interested in learning how to sing or write has tried to make an English cover to any generation. I've tried. Whatever language you speak, you've probably tried. The melody is really addictive. And I think the...
00:11:47 --> 00:12:15 piano made it sound like a ballad for sure um and k-pop and i came up korea ballads are king i didn't realize how cool like how important it was until busker busker one when exo and bap were like you know mama awards so i think ballad having it sound like a ballad but then taking it and making it beastified highlightified was really cool um i really do hate how easily swayed i was with this song um
00:12:15 --> 00:12:44 The vocalist emoted well, like I mentioned earlier. And I think Joon Young was an asset in this group for sure, because he was the sole rapper. But every single time he delivered his verse, you know, he wrote it, first of all. But also, he wrote the beat so well and would actually rap in a way that didn't feel like a karaoke style that you would get with like 2 p.m. Or like with M Black. I don't think they had a rapper. Really, they did. They did Mir. They had Mir and Dara's brother. But that was it.
00:12:44 --> 00:13:02 So, yeah, I think they really did well. And I was looking at the performances that were happening around the time the song came out. No one was touching them. There was focus. FCA's focus. That was the only group that could have possibly maybe kind of. No one was touching them at the time when the song came out, too. So there's a lot of like elements that went into like.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:31 how easily it went up the charts, but also because it's good. I've said it on this show before. Fiction is one of my favorite pop songs ever. Honestly, I think it's perfect in pretty much every way. I love the dramatic start and end with the writing sounds. The intro that loops back as a bridge. The production is so beautiful. Yeah, the way they did kind of the ballad feel while it's actually a dance track, essentially. Yeah.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:58 um it's done so well and the way they did the echoing keyboards and everything and you can feel kind of the desperation even just in the production um and and the and yeah the solemnness of it all is is really well done and yeah the melody of every single part of the song is perfect super beautiful i love the extended long notes with the you know fiction that yeah it's so beautiful and the vocals are amazing from every single member like yeah
00:13:58 --> 00:14:18 Even in the little moments, Dong Woon's falsetto in the background of the rap verse, Do Jun's bridge where he sounds like he's going to cry. Oh my gosh, yeah. And of course, Yosob sounds brilliant on the chorus as well. Like, there's no fault in this song at all. I think every single element is perfect. It's a really, really well written pop track.
00:14:19 --> 00:14:39 It is. And the music video is interesting. It's like it displays the lyrics of Jinyoung's rap, like to the letter. So Jinyoung is writing this, rewriting a love story between him and a loved one, as he mentions in this rap. And the relationship ended in a way that's unclear to the viewer. But the memories live on in his mind.
00:14:39 --> 00:15:06 And he essentially attempts to craft an ending where the couple ends up together. And there are books full of pages of Jung Hyun's words where his fantasies will never come true as they all live in fiction. And as you have mentioned, and the chorus, as beautiful as it is with all the balladishness of it, it is a dance track. And there is a dance, like all K-pop songs have a dance, called the Penguin Dance. Get up, get up.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:31 This choreography for this video was done by PrePix. I've mentioned them before. They're a great dance group, great dance team. And it features like this complex choreo throughout the verses that they hit on the little piano keys. The ding, ding, ding. But also the most iconic section comes in the form of a seemingly simple set of footwork.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:50 And the highlight of the Queryo is the penguin dance, as we've been calling it, but it's a variation of bedrock footwork, which is, you know, common out here, like in commercial hip-hop and just regular hip-hop in general. But it's called bedrock for those who don't know. But penguin dance is what it became to be known as. And, yeah, this video, I'm not going to lie, it was a little cheap looking, right? Yeah. Like the one-room...
00:15:51 --> 00:16:20 The green screen on the book, you know? The desert, the random dance scene that kind of looked like the dance scene from the Bad Girl music video. Like I said, it wasn't like well thought out, but luckily this song was good enough for you to be like, whatever. You know, that and the dance scenes were like really good too. The dance scenes were, and on the rooftop, like Gotham City dance scenes kind of saved it because the penguin dance was in there, you know? Mm-hmm. So that was it.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:42 Yeah, the music video isn't great, but I like the lighting of it. It all feels very post-apocalyptic, you know, which makes sense. It's a reflection of just like how they feel like their life is over, right, with this relationship being over. So I appreciate that. I do not like the desert scene. Like, what is that weird alien spaceship thing in the background? Like, it just makes no sense at all. It doesn't add anything visually.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:58 So, yeah, really, it is the penguin dance that makes it stand out because even the styling and stuff, it's fine. Like nothing very memorable. That brown leather? What do you mean? That was memorable as heck. I love the brown leather on them. Yes, it was delicious.
00:16:58 --> 00:17:21 But yeah, I think the choreography is, you know, as good as the song is, like you said, the choreography did definitely play a big part in the success of the song, because I think everyone was probably trying to emulate it. You know, it's just, it's hard to listen to the song and not picture it or be doing it, you know? So yeah, that's a great example of what a point dance is, right? Which is now what we call that dance.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:41 The main focus of the dance, yes. And it shows that you don't have to be sitting there doing all this fiction, throwing your body around. I'm not going to identify any dancers or groups right now, but it definitely shows that you don't have to do a lot with the chorus. Yes. And I don't think I've ever seen them lip sync it, ever. Yeah, no, they will sit there and...
00:17:41 --> 00:18:07 flare their nostrils and breathe like they're dying and get those notes out. Fiction, as we have said, has been credited as what helped shape K-pop in its sound at the time with its emotional lyrics, those soaring vocals, and memorable melody, inspiring a wave of similar tracks from other K-pop artists. And overall, fiction is considered a landmark release in the history of K-pop and remains one of the most beloved and iconic songs in Beast's discography.
00:18:07 --> 00:18:35 And yeah, I will never, ever get sick of fiction. Like every time it comes up, I never skip it. Every time they perform it and it shows up on my recommended, I will watch it. Like this is very much one of my favorite songs ever. Like transcending K-pop, transcending boy bands, you know, like just in general, I think it's a really great song. And it's interesting. I kind of went down the hole when preparing for this and it was watching kind of performances through the years.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:50 And now, of course, it's only the four of them, and they do skip the raps. But now Yosef does all these extra ad-libs over that section where the rap is, so it's kind of nice, actually. And their vocals have matured really, really well. They...
00:18:50 --> 00:19:10 kind of emote very effortlessly now and everything kind of just sounds a little fuller um so it's aged very well uh and i think the song is still super effective and i think even new k-pop fans now if they heard it i find it hard for anyone to not at least appreciate it
00:19:10 --> 00:19:29 I think because they grew up in the second-gen overacting, they can actually kind of dial it back now. They do. Oh, God! It's interesting because being a former dancer, the energy was way different than what it is. Before, it was like, yeah, have technique, but also have a personality. Now it's like if you can throw a trick...
00:19:29 --> 00:19:51 or like do an aerial, lift your leg up really high and put your leg behind it, you're getting points. So the generation of dancing and dancers or even like performer has definitely changed. But not saying that people are untalented now. I'm just saying that the standard is different. Like it was like you had personality. Oh, those are points. So with this, it was like if you were overacting as a K-pop group, you were killing it.
00:19:51 --> 00:20:19 Because I saw nothing wrong with it back then. I was like, oh, this is great. Oh, my God. This is one of those songs where, like, K-pop is so much better than American music because American music was not doing it for me at the time. But, yeah, it's a good song. And like I mentioned, groups cover their songs, like, beautiful, like the cute ones. And this is a song I would love to see done with the footwork and whatnot. They did do an end-of-a-year show with the girl group members, but they had remixed it so much so that,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:36 where they only kept the main melody of the piano and processed the vocals so much where it just lost its soul, essentially. So it was nice to see them kind of harken back to it, like they did with the FX performance, like with rum, pum, pum, pum. Yeah.
00:20:36 --> 00:21:04 But yeah, I really want to see like a boy group do a song like this or even cover it and not just do the cute song because they do. Because covers actually kind of keep these groups alive. Just kind of going back to what we were talking about. It keeps groups alive because if you don't hear it, like you said, it's hard for a K-pop fan now. What K-pop fan really knows it that got into K-pop like what? Like three years ago, you know? Unfortunately, unless they're doing their due diligence, they won't know. So, yeah, I mean, this is a good song and I'm glad they're still performing. I think they just left a tour in Taipei recently. So they're fine.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:16 They're great. They're happy. They got rid of all their nasty members. So at this point, like everyone who's meant to be there is there. Watch their Killing Voice performance of it from last year.
00:21:16 --> 00:21:42 great stuff yes i'm so glad they're still together and i love all the new material like we reviewed alone which came out recently and i love that song i i do still list them as one of my favorite k-pop groups for sure i've been lucky i've seen them live a couple times as well i would love for them to do a u.s tour maybe um i don't know what the demand is there but they always perform with a live band on their concerts so you know i love that
00:21:44 --> 00:22:12 Always a good time with Bees. And if you are new to Bees, high slash highlight, or if you aren't, let us know what you think about the song and the group. And what other songs do you think are absolute pop perfection that we should discuss? Don't forget, you can hang out with us and the crew over on patreon.com. And you can also comment below or message us at CCTV Pops on social media. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on those notifications for our YouTube channel. And if you're enjoying the show on a podcast,
00:22:12 --> 00:22:23 platform please give us a follow rating and a review until next time that's great that's jan and we are signing off from cctv the non-stop pop show