Wings! Wings!

: LOOΠΔ’s Multifaceted Discourse on Metamorphic Individuality

Topic: I am studying the metamorphic characterization of LOOΠΔ and its atypical stride to

refashion contemporary Korean Pop through various subliminal discourse on self-acceptance,

inclusiveness, and women empowerment

Question: because I want to find out how do various subliminal discussions on self-

acceptance, inclusiveness, and women empowerment become relevant to LOOΠΔ’s

characterization in an attempt to refashion the stereotypical Korean Pop music setting.

1: Explication of topic

The third wave of Korean Pop popularizes LOOΠΔ, a 12-member girl group brought into existence

to create an unparalleled impact on South Korea’s highly competitive music and entertainment

industry. Formed by Blockberry Creative, the group started as a pre-debut project in 2016 with the

aim to individually promote the members in a periodic fashion before making their debut as a

group. Also, the group’s peculiar concept reveals their Korean name “Idalui Sonyeo” which

translates to “Girl of the Month” (Park).

Recruited as idol trainees from various agencies and dance academy, LOOΠΔ is conceived

1
to have three sub-units: LOOΠΔ consisting of HeeJin, HyunJin, HaSeul, and ViVi; LOOΠΔ Odd
3

Eye Circle with Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry; and LOOΠΔ yyxy introducing Yves, Chuu, Go

Won, and Olivia Hye. YeoJin, on the other hand, acts as a solo unit. Although little is known about

the company, the qualities of each member’s promotional single and music videos shot from various

countries are a noteworthy proof that LOOΠΔ is “establishing a signature sound which is designed

to be at its maximum potential” (loonatheworld).

Aside from showcasing the group’s visuals and versatility in televised and online media

platforms, LOOΠΔ’s empowering narrative has attracted attention not only to K-pop listeners but

also to non-listeners. One prevailing element to every music video of the group is the “Butterfly

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Effect”. Originally associated from the works of Edward Lorenz, Boeing renders “Butterfly effect”

as an idea that a small change can probably make bigger changes to happen (14).

Linked to the effect are various subliminal discourses on individuality such as self-

acceptance, inclusiveness, and women empowerment which are intentionally characterized in the

[XX] extended promotional single of LOOΠΔ. As described in “Butterfly” music video, “anyone

under the influence [of Butterfly effect], [in which through music where] listeners gain courage,

find oneself, and raise one’s voice, is another LOOΠΔ” (loonatheworld). With this initiative,

considering the influence that LOOΠΔ contributes to spread awareness and carry out societal norms

into a different perspective is a must to realize that there is a need to highlight it in the first place.

2: Explication of question and the significance

Heading towards discovering more about LOOΠΔ’s imaginative lore is the LOOΠΔverse, a term

coined by the fandom to contain all mysteries thoroughly and cleverly depicted all over the group’s

videography and discography. Each member has representative colors, shapes, animals, and fruits

that correspond to their role in the substantial otherworld. Controlling each member’s fate is an

irresistible force named möbius strip where each part of the LOOΠΔverse is placed on it and the

only way to free themselves from the trap is through breaking the loop (Ruben).

However, the “breaking of loop” has a deeper significance that is not only relevant to the

lore but also to the real world. Being remarkably active and ultra-competitive, South Korea’s

popularization of Hallyu wave or Korean subculture has been becoming a trend overseas

notwithstanding the fact that majority of K-pop groups prefer doing the same concept repeatedly

more than going beyond the given standards (Pacis 58). At the same time, Korean pop has given a

“misogynist, horrendously stereotypical, candy-pink, cutesy, and overly fetishized meaning” that

continuously places it in a deliberately deceitful context (Chakrabarty). In a seriously distressing

level, South Korea overpopulates an influx of adolescents and young adults who share the same

ambition of becoming successful idols but some of them are failing to a point that they tend to be

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depressed. Significantly, Koo discusses that suicide rate, over the last 50 years, has observed an

upward trend of having one with the highest number of mental health cases around the world (141).

Based on all the efforts the group has made to deviate from the norms and sub-standards of

the entertainment industry, LOOΠΔ could be almost the exact opposite of all stereotypes. By this

way, Blockberry Creative’s reverse engineering added noteworthy anticipation to the group. Aside

from it, they have a transformational figure such that LOOΠΔ’s music has been developed through

fusing genres uncommon by a listener like dream pop and Seoultronica.

Moving forward, having a thorough analysis on the character and discourse development of

LOOΠΔ paralleled to the concept of individuality will greatly help on having a better understanding

of how entertainment industries work and how crucial it is to step back and take the road less

traveled. Furthermore, relevant references with discussions on self-acceptance, inclusiveness, and

women empowerment will be used to address the questions while finding out essential connections

attributed by different ideas. Drawbacks of LOOΠΔ will also be discussed to provide contrast. Most

importantly, the analysis should ascertain to what extent we become LOOΠΔs with different stories

born to be told.

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 Works Cited

Boeing, Geoff. “Visual Analysis of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: Chaos, Fractals, Self-Similarity

and the Limits of Prediction.” Systems, vol. 4, no. 4, 2016, p. 37.,

doi:10.3390/systems4040037.

Chakrabarty, Urna. “What Misogyny and Homophobia in K-Pop Did to My Feminism As A

Straight Indian Woman.” Culture-Vulture: My Story, YKA Media Pvt. Ltd., 2018,

www.youthkiawaaz.com/2018/09/prostatantism-and-other-perils.

Koo, Soo Kyung. “Depression Status in Korea.” Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives

vol. 9, no. 4, PubMed Central, Aug. 2018, p. 141., doi:10.24171/j.phrp.2018.9.4.01.

loonatheworld. “Butterfly” YouTube, directed by Digipedi, 19 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/

watch?v=XEOCbFJjRw0.

loonatheworld. “favOriTe” YouTube, directed by Digipedi, 7 Aug. 2018, www.youtube.com/

watch?v=AFJPFfnzZ7w.

Pacis, Jessamine. “Popping the K-Pop Bubble: A Study on the World of K-Pop Fandom as a

Subculture.” Iskwiki, Apr. 2012, pp. 55–59, www.iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/

images/4/4a/PoppingTheK-popBubble.pdf.

Park, Ji Hae. “Why Look Forward to 'Girl of the Month'.” OhmyStar, OhmyNews, 13 Nov. 2016,

www.star.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/OhmyStar/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002260168.

Ruben. “The meaning behind LOONA's MVs revealed with this easy guide.” allkpop, 6Theory

Media, LLC, 1 Feb. 2019, www.allkpop.com/article/2019/02/the-easiest-guide-to-finally-

understand-loonas-mvs.

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