Sunmi, the hitmaker of “Gashina” and “Siren” has made a comeback with her new single “Noir”. Earlier, the singer released the meaning behind the word to hint at the possible theme for the song. Noir is a french word that alludes to pessimism and danger. Taking on this meaning, Sunmi attempts to unveil the paradoxical world of social media.
Her new song might immediately remind people of Dean’s Instagram where the R&B singer talked about the futility of the façade people put forth on social media platforms. Thematically, Sunmi’s song works on the similar narrative. But as a concept, the music video light-hearted. The darker themes are made digestible with vibrant background and Sunmi’s straight face. The latter can be a visual metaphor for the loss of common sense when people attempt to seek attention on SNS, without thinking of the repercussion of their actions.
Instead of bashing everyone using social media, “Noir” targets people who take the platform too seriously (sometimes, putting their lives in danger). Recently, there has been a debate around the time people “waste” on SNS, while getting disconnected from their reality. The debate extends to some people’s reliability on likes, subscriptions, and comments to validate their worth. As a “noir” work, the song is a brilliant social commentary on the irony of such reliance.
Sonically, the sound of the song has a tiring effect which can be interpreted to the repetitiveness of the life lived by people being addressed. As the consumption of social media is increasing, we need such songs to showcase the “no so glossy” side of the online world. The message conveyed via “Noir” seems to make an impact.
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