Michele Mendez
K-Pop’s first openly gay idol, Holland, has just released his debut single “Neverland,” along with its music video, which received over 700,000 views in its first day of release. The video received special attention for its inclusion of a gay love story, a rarity for the South Korean entertainment industry.
The song’s title, “Neverland,” is in reference to a fictional location in author J.M Barrie’s novels, made most famous by the Peter Pan story. In Holland’s song, the singer uses “Neverland” to describe the feelings of a man who wants to escape to a place where he can “avoid discrimination” and “love freely,” according to Billboard. Holland used a picture from Disney’s Peter Pan, the animated movie released in 1953, to tease the single before its official announcement.
Watch Holland’s music video for “Neverland” below!
In the video, Holland is seen spending a romantic day on the beach with a man. Towards the end, the two share a sweet kiss at home while lying in bed.
The video received praise for its gay story line, a topic rarely addressed in K-Pop and the South Korean entertainment industry overall. To show support for Holland, K-Pop fans made the hashtag #HollandDebutDay trend worldwide on Twitter.
