Decoding BIGBANG’s latest MV – “Still Life”: Why does T.O.P wear a rabbit mask, are the 4 chairs related to Seungri?
There are many interesting details that you might have missed while watching BIGBANG’s Still Life MV.
The comeback of BIGBANG is one of the most noteworthy events in April. After 4 years of waiting, fans were moved to tears by the appearance of four members in the “Still Life” MV. Furthermore, the hidden meaning behind many details of the MV causes long-time fans to revisit lovely memories, and they can’t help but feel drowsy and regretful since this might be BIGBANG’s farewell.
4 members represent 4 seasons of the year and can’t appear together
Throughout the 3 minutes and 13 seconds of the MV, the 4 members of BIGBANG performed individual scenes and did not have any scenes appearing together. Spring has passed and summer has come; autumn and winter cannot come at the same time. This detail seems to imply that this will be BIGBANG’s final product and that the members will not be able to stand next to each other anymore once they lose any of the pieces.
Taeyang’s scenes are inspired by the Bible
Right from the first scenes of the MV, Taeyang‘s appearance on an ark full of flowers immediately gives us the feeling: Still Life is continuing the story of Flower Road. However, that is not all that the flower boat scene wants to convey.
The image of flowers on the ark may have been inspired by the ruins of Noah. Noah’s ark is mentioned in chapters 6 to 9 of the Book of Genesis the Bible. Noah’s Ark is often described as the rebirth of all things. It aptly reflects who he is as a Christian man and now as a husband and father.
Noah overcome the hardship because he believed in God’s glory and trusted Him. Noah endured adversity and eventually discovered that his tenacity was rewarded. The inscription can be clearly seen on the rock on the flower boat. “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing. Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness” (Pslam 30:11).
Two lines are quoted in the book of Psalms, expressing the joy of humans, “hurrying to turn mourning into dance” when receiving God’s forgiveness.
Daesung’s clock and the nostalgic black and white scene
A series of contrasting color and black and white scenes can be clearly seen when Daesung appears. The color of the film is black and white as if Daesung is going back in time, with the clock representing the time. And when the image became colorful, Daesung’s hair also changed. Over time, everything in the world will change to develop and mature.
The watch that appears in the MV is a sundial without hour and minute hands. If you notice when the sun shines in, the clock strikes 3 o’clock. In the Bible, God died at 3 pm. It may be an eternal goodbye, but God will always be remembered forever.
The white rabbit T.O.P is ready to be “reborn” to be a better version
T.O.P‘s scene is especially noticeable with his artistic appearance on the moon. He wore a rabbit mask, walking in the cold and lonely snowy background. This scene is like a re-enactment of the time when T.O.P faced the scandal and tried to overcome it on his own.
The detail of the rabbit mask seems to be related to the folk tale of the white rabbit and the moon. And it’s also a symbol of rebirth in Korea, which seems to go well with T.O.P‘s rap in the song: “A round-trip ship running, risking its life to start anew/ I’m going to change more than before/ A good person more and more/ A better person more and more”
The image of a white rabbit also appears in a popular Korean children’s song:
In the deep blue sky, down the Milky Way
Riding a ship with no sails, no oars, they say
The white ship, its only crew, is a white rabbit
To the west it drifted, quietly through the night.
The leader G-Dragon and the artistic image recreate the whole career of BIGBANG
G-Dragon‘s umbrella and rainbow-colored hair symbolize the light that comes after difficult times, overcoming adversity. Of course, because after rain there will appear a rainbow. It symbolizes the song: “After the rain, instead of sadness comes a happy end. A seven-colored rainbow slanted like a sneer”. That is also the career of BIGBANG with many ups and downs.
The image of G-Dragon looking at fans filled with golden light from BIGBANG’s lightstick also shows the bravery and responsibility of a leader that G-Dragon has had to bear for the past 16 years. Having gone through all kinds of difficulties, G-Dragon is still the leader of the “legendary” group of Kpop.
V.I.P appeared as an integral part of BIGBANG
It’s obvious that an idol can not truly be an idol without their fans and the most tear-jerking of this MV must be the one when G-Dragon just standing there, immersed in the sea of V.I.Ps’ gold lightstick. In the future, it will be difficult to see all 5 members of BIGBANG standing on the concert stage with thousands of fans. It might be the most beautiful memory of youth that BIGBANG’s members have lived fully to their passion.
4 chairs but 5 members?
The image of the 4 chairs in the MV appearing can make many people feel disappointed when thinking about BIGBANG’s complete number 5. However, there hasn’t been a chair for G-Dragon. In the following scene, there is a director’s chair for Kwon Ji Yong – G-Dragon. Thus, it is possible that the 5 pieces of the group G-Dragon, T.O.P, Daesung, Taeyang, and Seungri have all appeared in the MV, just like the logo image appearing at the end of the MV. The logo with 5 lines is also the only scene showing the image of 5 members appearing together.
However, the image of a halo appearing only in G-Dragon‘s chair poses a sad prospect for BIGBANG. Maybe, in the near future, the only member who is still active is G-Dragon. If T.O.P announced his departure from YG after 16 years to focus on his individual activities, the other two members, Taeyang and Daesung, also gradually go on a hiatus with less frequency of appearances. In particular, Taeyang has become a father with a happy family. As for the youngest Seungri, after the shocking scandal Burning Sun, he is nominally no longer an artist of YG.
The text behind the large backdrop reads “Happier Times Are Gone”. Is the message means that BIGBANG wants to put an end to their career? The lights are still on, but there’s only G-Dragon‘s chair left.
Still Life – Life goes on
Exactly 10 years ago, BIGBANG reached its golden age and made a comeback with “Still Alive” – a statement affirming the group’s strong existence. And now, after 10 years, “Still Life” gives fans a sense of nostalgia with BIGBANG in a completely different position, looking back on their enthusiastic youth with lots of ups and downs.
But in the end, BIGBANG is just a “planet” creating a “big bang” in Kpop. And when the light passes, they gradually recede into the darkness, but life goes on. But one thing is for sure, the level of the “kings” will still be remembered by many generations of Kpop fans.
