Stellar Highlights Sexuality in “Vibrato”, Sparking Conversation
Stellar released the single 'Vibrato' on July 20 and showed the K-pop industry just how to gain attention despite the comeback of numerous acts, especially all-female groups like Wonder Girls and Girls' Generation.
Members Gayoung, Minhee, Hyoeun and JeonYul pulled out the stops through skimpy outfits and sexual concepts in the music video. This didn't come as a surprise considering that previous singles 'Mask' and 'Marionette' also portrayed suggestive content.
Like these two tracks, 'Vibrato' created a buzz among netizens - supporters and critics alike. Fans defended Stellar, stating that some groups also have hyper-sexualized music videos. BigBang's 'Loser' and 'Bae Bae', for example, have sexual content. CL, on the other hand, was in her birthday suit in 'Missing You'. These aren't the only K-pop acts who highlight sexuality in their songs. People who support Stellar wanted to point out that the girls were getting far more attention than other groups.
Whether the decision to show explicit content was theirs or the company's, they effectively gained attention. They may have received negative comments; they were able to spread word of mouth about their new track and increase views nonetheless. It was still effective promotion.
Some netizens remarked that the girls could have mellowed the content down. Then again, their music video wouldn't have stood out, according to other users. They went beyond pink rooms, stuffed toy animals and pompoms.
In an industry where a lot of girl groups try to look cute and dress up like high school students, Stellar certainly stayed true to themselves and ignored haters. They gave the audience shock value by showing sexual moves and images that symbolize female reproductive organs (for instance). The concept may be overtly suggestive but it gained widespread attention.
If you haven't seen 'Vibrato' or you've seen it but never really gave much thought about the content, check out the video below and determine if it's really over the top.
