A note on Maniac

 I just want to note down interesting things about Maniac before I forget them. 

A quick note on SKZ's music & MV styles

I made a couple of vids about things people may not notice in SKZ's kingdom performances last year. Many people asked how I can notice them, or maybe I have music/theatre background, but this is not the case. It's just that I have been following SKZ for a long time and I get to understand their music styles and production. This helps to pick some points up a bit easier.

As Stays are probably all aware, SKZ as a team (SKZ, Div1, PDs, choreographers etc. ) has a pretty high attention to detail. This reflects in all of their MVs. From the scenes, the styles, to the dance, everything tends to tie neatly to the song. They put the song at the center and everything else will portray the song in slightly different ways. 

As Hyunjin once said in an INTRO, SKZ's dance is like drawing a picture, they draw the song on stage. Their choreo reflects what is in the song, in the lyrics, sometimes it goes to the extent that every single move may reflect a segment, a point, a line in the song. The choreo is telling the song as it goes. I'm not able to interpret all of them, but let's say, we can all pick st up.

With the recruitment of M/V director Bang Jae Yeop (from God's Menu), this style gets extended heavily to the M/V. It may only be here and there in older M/Vs, but with BJY, it goes to another level. The M/Vs now are also tied very tightly to the song. The scenes and effects represent very closely the lyrics and what is going on the song. He draws the song in his own way. 

So after 4 years, if we want to dive deep into it, SKZ's MV can be pretty complex, with multiple layers of drawings (lyrics, composition, M/V, choreo). All unites by the song and its msg. 

If a random person just passes by, with those complex levels, he/she may think it is kind of too much, yet, at the end, all will probably be able to pick up one or two things out of skz' s painting and their message.

About SKZ's music, from very early on, SKZ already has the tendency of playing with different types of sound, to create a certain atmosphere or just to play with an unconventional sound/"noise" and turn it into music. 

It probably happens way before, but I think Chan said about it explicitly at around Miroh, that's the 1st time he pointed out (at least to me) that he likes to play with the sounds effects (for Miroh, it's lion roar & eagle sound ) (which may not traditionally be used in Kpop as "music") to make a jungle atmosphere. And we see them consistently pushing in this direction over the years (side effects: medical side effects ad, back door: door knocking & opening sound) 

Recently, it evolves to not only sound effects but also the combination of different types of sounds + out-of-kpop-music. They twist and incorporate different things in a playful and interesting way. (Thunderous: traditional Korean storytelling pansori + spitting sound + thunder sound, children songs in multiple songs like wolfgang, ttath, Chirstmas EveL; traditional Xmas songs).

Another thing is song structure, it is something Chan said that he also pays a lot of attention to. There are probably more about their styles, but these two points are related to Maniac, 

Maniac Message

In short, the lyrics talk about everyone has a "Maniac" inside, and just be yourself. Does not matter how hard you try to hide, to lock it in, not only it's tiring but also your true self will eventually be revealed. You dont need to "cosplay" what society defines as "normal". 

The lyrics repeat a couple of wordplay & imageries:

Maniac (crazy) & loose screw (also mean crazy)  & spinning (head spinning) & smoking head (when going crazy) & walking like Frankenstein & live vs holding on

We see these themes and keywords are portrayed in multiple ways throughout the dance and the MV

Maniac Music

I find the reaction of this Kpop producer interesting.  Some notes from his reaction

  • The song starts with a riff, a repetition of an addicting sound that normally loops from the beginning to the end. Many recent Kpop songs follow this trend of using one. However, with Maniac, in the verse, skz alter this riff (probably to boost the diversity) instead of simply looping it through out like many other songs.
  • Normally other producers will make the buildup more melodic, however, skz switches things up and utilizes rap as the buildup and the melodic is in the bridge. This structure plays well to their strengths

Sound effects as the drop:
  • Drill sound 
  • Bird sound

 We see SKZ 's style here. They utilize the drill and bird sound as the drop. These are not something we normally see as "music" in kpop. But they dont just use them randomly, the sounds are used intentionally and they fit in the overall themes and messages.

The drilling sound, drill image in the mv and drill dance fit neatly to "loose screw" (using the drill to loosen the screw on your head, reveal yourself, go crazy)

Then why the bird? Changbin explained this during weekly idol, he said it's when people have their head "spinning", you have birds flying around. 

We see this type of image very common in manga drawing. I guess something like this


and hence the birds sound is there.

Maniac MV & dance

The choreo portrays the themes and keywords in multiple ways



loose screw on the head

walking like Frankenstein

via GIPHY

"Like the seam of a torn doll, eventually you will expose your real self". Here the MV also adds in the "seam"/thread that got cut. Hyunjin lies down like a doll.

via GIPHY

and many other spinning moves



The MV follows the lyrics very closely, nearly to every single line.

In the MV, we have 2 worlds: the normal (cafe, train) and the oddinary. The outside and the inside of the head, The MV goes in and out of these 2 worlds. The styles switch from normal to more unique (oddinary) clothes. They are "normal" at the end in the normal world, and going crazy, jumping, running around in the oddinary world

 One interesting scene:

via GIPHY

Han in his "maniac" style in the middle of the "normal" train. Then it goes from the "normal" world to the abnormal world where they are dancing and jumping around. 

Then it comes back to the normal world in a later stage, Han is just "holding on" in the train (also holding on in life)

Some examples of the MV following the lyrics closely

lyrics " after blinking once", the effect simulates the blinking, transiting from 1 scene to another.

The seam of the doll (previously) and holding on the train (previously)

"When the Locket is open, we are all the same". (Multiple same IN jumped out from inside)



I believe the choreo and the MV effects at this part all aim to portray the lyrics of "dormant volcano" exploding

One interesting find:

Finally, the MV follows the song closely and adds in the bird image, but director BJY adds in a slightly different yet interesting interpretation. It is more than just the bird flying around your head when having your head "spinning", but it also represents oneself. When it's in the oddinary world, the bird is chirping and flying around, In the normal world, it is in a cage. 


 And the final scene of Lee Know is another interesting switch from nearly going "maniac" to back to normal (you cant hide it, you will reveal yourself one day)



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