Breakdown & Lore-Dive into LOONA's "&3" Trailer
And I am still attempting to pick pop my jaw, after witnessing the 3rd Trailer "&3" unleashed unto the world yesterday, not to mention the Album Preview just dropped - none-too ironically as I was prepping up THIS blog-feature (as the time count down to 11pm SG time lol)... nevertheless I am not giving up on publishing this, so...
This'll be my breakdown and attempt at delving into the lore, with what looks to be a very heavy LOONAVERSE colored outing - at least for their comeback title track "PAINT THE TOWN", from their 4th mini album [&] - dropping June 28 at 6pm KST!
Also, FAIR WARNING: This post ahead is focused on the lore and happenings in the LOONAVERSE, and has not focused on the MUSIC itself, beyond what we can hear in the trailer (reposted below) and more in the Album Preview!
Also featured ahead are the "media release" in description of the trailer "&3" release, provided for South Korea media, and translated by @orrery_nim on Twitter.
PRESS RELEASE: "@loonatheworld has revealed the visual teaser video for their upcoming release, "&"."
PRESS RELEASE: "The video begins with Olivia Hye in a burning temple, beating a drum with all her strength. This marks the prelude to the story of becoming one with the expanded LOONAverse."
As with her holding a flaming torch and flinging it away at the end of "So What", perhaps reigniting the HaSeul's white feather - Olivia Hye seemed to be the protagonist caught up in all the furore, and perhaps continues her task in "PAINT THE TOWN"?
Pre-LOONA-debut, the members of OEC /Odd Eye Circle were tasked to gather the members of LOONA, but once that task had been achieved (in "So What" and "Why Not?"), what's next? Is it up to Oliva Hye, and HeeJin to give purpose to the girls?
PRESS RELEASE: "Next, Kim Lip, Jinsoul, and Choerry boast blinding visuals below the lights in their representative colors, and Vivi, Yeojin, Go Won, and Olivia Hye raise expectations with objects (T/N: i.e. works of art) that also make one think of their representative animals."
Excitement with Odd Eye Circle members Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry appearing with color-coded light rings around them (Kim Lip = Red / JinSoul = Blue / Choerry = Purple) - like a body-halo we first saw in Kim Lip's debut MV from 2017 with "ECLIPSE"!
I've wondered since "WHY NOT?", if the Choerry we saw then (who was upside down) was the "Mirror Choerry" from the parallel world? Who only manifests herself within the color purple - as is THIS Choerry in this trailer with a purple halo-ring...? Neither Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry were shown with their "Odd Eye" ... or is in this instance, JinSoul and Choerry's "Odd Eye" is manifested in the color halo-ring? Except Kim Lip, as she is already bathed in her RED ...
ViVi looked to be counting down with her fingers? Or she's just gesticulating ... Besides YeoJin, ViVi is the only other one seen in the trailer thus far moving her fingers, besides Yves as part of her dance moves...
A melancholy YeoJin looks lost in the forest ("melancholy" because it's raining?), with a subtle reflection of orange (her signature color) ... or has she grudgingly "awoken to young adulthood"?
Go Won with butterflies accessories on her hair - a look that makes her stand out from the rest? Although it is a similar head-wear theme going on amongst the girls ...
Olivia Hye going all tribal with her Wolf-(skull?)-Head = which is exceedingly interesting to me..! A little while ago, I started a feature on my main TOYS-blog, where I intended to pair Designer Toys alongside each member of LOONA, in relation to their designated "Animal" icon in the LOONAVERSE - I started with Chuu with "Penguins", but never proceeded beyond (Still want to do it one day, even if no one else reads or reacts to it), but the figure I had planned to pair with our "Baby Wolf", was to have been "SKOLL" - a character creation by South Korean artist/creator Choi Eunbyeol (aka @sunnyandcloudyweathershop / @lofi_collective) - where the character was based off a Celtic-mythical design (Read Origins Here), where Skoll is "a wolf girl who chases the sun and causes lightning", and she wear a wolf-head! Here's my toy-review video for visual context:
OR it's NOT a "wolf-skull", and I'm just howling up the wrong moon ~ LOL
With the slogan/message of "And all LOOΠΔs are one", seems LOONA is attempting on encompassing multiple cultures and tribes from around the world, at least aesthetically, and remains to be seen how the entire music video will play out, if the issue of "Cultural Appropriation" questions/accusations online would be answered/addressed.
PRESS RELEASE: "In addition, the mysterious 4-dimensional shapes wrapping around Heejin and Yves bring about curiosity, while Hyunjin, Haseul, and Chuu brought forth more symbolic elements, creating a range of interpretations."
Yves returns with long hair and is by far superior a visual, as are her enchanting moves. I seriously doubt the world is ready...
HyunJin with her signature YELLOW (with her head-wear an object of contention online, if online chatter is any indication).
Chuu with her soft PEACH environment, with foreground flowers partially obscuring but never denying her charms, which hit differently here, than her bubbly adorable persona we have been seeing online recently, and I am feeling so proud of her for this (if I may intrude)!
HaSeul rises like a phoenix, burning "wings" or curved "feather" behind her ... brings into mind her reverse burning feather - seen at the end of "So What" with Olivia Hye. You cannot deny me this is LORE, as evident as she looks gorgeous.
As the young'uns say online: HeeJin SERVED. 'Nuff said.
PRESS RELEASE: "The background music reveals the rhythm of the title track PTT (Paint the Town), exciting fans by teasing a powerfulness while also being calm, with a regional atmosphere.
PTT is a dance hip-hop genre song with explosive energy, combining all the essential elements of a Bollywood song. It holds the meaning of not getting trapped in taboos or caught up in what others think, but rather to independently establish and redefine oneself." (All Text translation via @orrery_nim)
Releases 2021.6.28 pm6 (KST)
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INTRODUCING LOONA
LOONA & on TUNESTALKSG
LOONA on TUNESTALKSG
If for any reason you do not want to purchase their album via regular source(s), or for when availability is scarce (if you happen to find this blog-feature later :p), the following are listings on Amazon (with a noticeable price difference, FYI), for your considerations, cheers.
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