Dreamcatcher(드림캐쳐) 'OOTD' Dance Video
Added 2024-01-16 06:09:11 +0000 UTCINTRO - 0:00
REACTION - 1:11
ANALYSIS - 4:11
OUTRO - 29:52
Comments
This is sooo intriguing!!! We are talking close to an ATEEZ level world view here 🔥🔥 I AM HERE FOR IT!! Thank you for sharing your perspective so well!! Makes me excited for their next comeback as a group haha!!
Jessica Holyfield
2024-01-19 19:13:49 +0000 UTCThe reason why I love this comeback so much is because I think it is so well executed on so many levels. Even the criticisms of it mesh so well with the intentions behind the choices that it’s hard not to be impressed. It scratches the part of my brain that loves plots and narratives that juuuust slide into place perfectly. First, I should clarify something though: When I say “even the criticisms mesh well”, I don’t mean it in the “HAH! You are critiquing but that’s EXACTLY what they wanted!” or “You just don’t get iiiiiiit” way. Criticisms based on taste are never really “wrong” even if there isn’t a good and rational “reason” for them. I mean it in the sense that the specific output that can be criticized a certain way actually works with the intention of the overall piece. The choreography not allowing for good singing is a very good example of it. The criticism is perfectly justified and it could have been fixed if it was a priority. It’s very understandable for people not to like that art direction. But when I’m thinking about the whole of the concept, the dance not allowing for good vocal delivery actually thematically fits super well by emphasizing unattainability and the artificiality of the presentation (we act like it’s effortless and we are above everyone else, but you actually can’t do this and neither can we – what you see and hear are all processed!) and adds a new dimension to the performance! It’s not an excuse and it’s not a gotcha – it’s even perfectly possible that it wasn’t a conscious “let’s do it this way so it means this” call by someone. But in the end, I as a viewer engaging with the concept can read it that way and be super satisfied with the outcome (despite being a huge stickler for live vocals and live instrumentation > everything else in general, that’s just my taste and what I prioritize). That’s the beauty of personal interpretation. And this was just ONE aspect of the entire comeback. I can write long paragraphs about so many other details, but I want to focus on the big things: Dreamcatcher, as performers, wanted specific things from a concept, and Dreamcatcher the overall project (so, including members, composers, staff, etc.) hit all of it JUST right. Among the concepts that they wanted to do, several members pointed out a sexy concept and a self-confidence concept before. This concept as a whole took those and knocked it right out of the ballpark by infusing them with the two major cores I think for Dreamcatcher – horror and social commentary. The super detailed ARG (I recommend everyone go check the details out here, this is a very good compilation by fans: https://dreamcatcherarg.carrd.co/ ) set the horror mystery so well before the song or the MV. It used the “this creepy story I read online” vibe, and its limited point of view together with us as fans not knowing what the song would be even about really amped up the mystery and anticipation. The story hit notes of getting manipulated by an outside force, becoming obsessive, losing control of your life, and alienating yourself from others. Then, the song by itself laid even more themes out in a pretty smart way: A girl-crush self-confidence song (which is still infused with rock, I just think the subgenre of it wasn’t as familiar or expected for so many of the fans since it wasn’t one of the subgenres of rock DC uses way way more, like J-Rock for example), but only on the surface. The English and the bland repetition, along with the deadpan vocal delivery for the key parts, kind of masked the parts of the song that were not repeated but laid out the satire aspect. That and the heavy distortion in digital instrumentation I think worked well to evoke the “what you see on the surface and what you can see underneath don’t match” vibe. The MV enforced that beautifully as well (and if I wrote in-depth about it, this comment would double in size so I will keep the long thoughts for later when you have also seen it in full). The only detail I don’t want to leave out is how they structured the MV and its ending very smartly: Without the bit in the ending, the song and visuals could tell the social commentary side of things by themselves, no ARG knowledge required. But the ending was just ugh CHEF’S KISS because it 1) brought the horror aspect to the forefront, 2) teased a hidden storyline to people who had NO idea about the narrative side of the concept. I can’t wait for the next installment because I’m so invested in the story now. I hope they really live up to this flawless set-up in my opinion. I am very curious because, again, going back to the “criticisms actually reinforce the concept” thought: The overall style of the comeback feeling different (the vocal production, the dance style, etc.) from everything else Dreamcatcher has done before work real well to emphasize that this is a parallel world and this is not the Dreamcatcher we know. I am really curious whether the second and final instalment will have the Dreamcatcher we know come back to save us from their villainous alternate selves (so, maybe, the overall style will feel more like non-OOTD Dreamcatcher) or if it will stay in this parallel world fully with no new and familiar influence to tie up the storyline with what the villain group does (so, maybe, the overall style will feel like OOTD again). As long as either narrative decision is fully backed up in all facets, I will probably be satisfied. (The “hero” hints they have been giving in interviews make me think they will do something like the former, but with Dreamcatcher I’m always prepared to be surprised. But the final arc of the first ARG also gives me another narrative thread that works for the latter possibility. It was during the OOTD promotions so only Somnias who were following the schedule physically could participate in them first-hand. One story beat was during a fan-event which required Somnias to crack a coordination clue and go to a café to order something specific. Their orders came with 7 unique USB sticks – so from what I understand, only the first 7 orders were given them? – that had spliced sound recordings. When put together, the conversation between the 7 villain DC members basically showed them almost at each other’s throats now that they were close to accomplishing what they needed to do as a team… but there could only be one winner among them after that. IT’S SO SINISTER I LOVE IT. THAT’S THE PERFECT WORD FOR EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS COMEBACK: SINISTER!)
Eafiu
2024-01-19 14:29:43 +0000 UTCVery valid point made! I can agree for sure and the only way to see the long term results is to keep looking at what they bring in the future and we can glean from that!
Jessica Holyfield
2024-01-16 19:24:34 +0000 UTCWell, the fandom was divided with Piri, with Déjà vu, with Scream, with Maison... Now it's with OOTD. It's always the same, and the girls are still getting new fans, and some fans must accept that they are growing, maturing, changing, and experimenting, probably now even more than before because they finally got their first win. And all in all, they still are integrating rock into their title tracks whatever rock genre it is. The only critic I saw which may be legitimate, is about the sound and the integration of the ATEEZ producers (the pizza team) : too much distortion, not much use of real instrumentation since Bon Voyage... which may become a real issue. Personally, my first listen to OOTD was "are they dissing Blackpink?? Or groups like Blackpink?? " and I liked the song, the only regret is that it doesn't showcase their vocals as much as for example Bon Voyage. But it doesn't make me dislike the song, and I easily vibe with it. And if I want vocals, there are other title tracks and so many b-sides to satisfy me that it's ok.
Thibaut
2024-01-16 19:17:19 +0000 UTC
