Many K-pop songs are about relationships, love, and heartbreak; however, there are a few songs and music videos that express the darker side of romance, where a relationship has become toxic or abusive. With that said, this is a warning as some of the music videos listed below contain depictions of domestic violence, abuse, and blood.
1. GOT7 – “If You Do”
GOT7‘s “If You Do” is a perfect example of a toxic relationship that involves manipulation, emotional abuse, and mental abuse. The title sums up the relationship perfectly, as the victim is told they can not do something, but if the abuser does it, it is ok.
The song is told from the victim’s point of view as they suffer from their partner’s endless circles, whatever they say is wrong, and the end of their relationship, but their partner can do no wrong. As expressed in the very beginning of the song “If you do it’s GOOD, if I do it’s DONE…”
2. KARD – “Gunshot”
KARD, through this song, shows how even one’s words can be as sharp as a dagger. The title track to the group’s first single album, Way With Words, highlights the much too overlooked consequences of verbal abuse. With the chorus expressing “Your words are like a gunshot,” the members express how words can be just as detrimental as any other form of abuse.
3. Tablo – “Bad”
When a relationship has turned you cold and unloving is exactly the kind of relationship “Bad” expresses. Tablo opens the song with the phrase “They something has changed, Everyone says I’ve changed, They say the person who used to be so affectionate has become somewhat cold before they knew it.”
Although the song repeats “Love is Bad,” it really means this type of love is bad. The kind of relationship where it has become twisted to the point that, as seen in the music video, two people hurt each other in the process.
4. KARD – “You In Me”
Yet another KARD entry on this list! “You In Me” is about how two partners can see themselves in one another, and how they influence each other for the worse.
The chorus highlights the dependency of each side on the other, while the rap parts express the toxicity and pain their relationship bears on them. As simply expressed in the chorus and the rap verse that follows, “My love, you are my everything… (You’re mine) forever… You should’ve been my reason to breathe, but instead, you suffocate me…”
5. 2NE1 – “Go Away”
Although it is a breakup song, “Go Away” shows a scene of physical assault in its music video, following a breakup. The lyrics express a message to girls after her boyfriend breaks up with her, expressing “although it is sad right now, I will be over you soon.”
However, the music video shows CL as the girlfriend who is struggling with this heartbreak and drunkenly shows up at her ex’s step. Upset, her ex punches her in the face to leave him alone, an infuriating scene that shows how, despite being broken up, a relationship can remain abusive.
6. Soulstar – Right Now
Soulstar is an R&B group that few know about. Starring Kyung Soo Jin, the dark and heartbreaking music video depicts a woman in a physically abusive relationship.
In various scenes, she attempts to appease her abuser, covers the bruises on her face with makeup, and suffers until she ultimately decides to leave, taking her heart with her. The video, however, is different than what the lyrics express as the trio sing of lost memories, a love that has slipped away, and a sad breakup.
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Shay1105 is a featured writer for What the Kpop! Personal note here, but I have adored Soulstar’s “Right Now” since its initial release. However, the music video still enrages me to this day.
Media: As Credited