You Are Not Alone: A Music Video Review

Groundbreaking and timely, SEVENTEEN finally released the latest music video for "Not Alone (Hitori Janai/ひとりじゃない)" last Sunday, April 18th as part of their Japanese comeback for the album with the same name this coming Wednesday. Below would be my review of this stunning music video.

KPop powerhouse SEVENTEEN in Not Alone music video released on Sunday

Signifying the "last stretch of youth" (which seemed to be connected to their last Korean comeback Semicolon that signifies invitation of the youth), premiere KPop boy group SEVENTEEN had their 5th Japanese comeback for their 3rd single album Not Alone. Before its official release on April 21st, the group had the pre-release of the official audio on different streaming platforms last April 15 and the official music video yesterday, April 18.

Today, join me as I try to give my honest opinion and review on how the 13 member-ensemble nailed their latest musical release.

You are not alone

Written by member Woozi in Nihongo along with Bumzu and HARU.ROBINSON, the song meant its title, per se. It tells the listeners that they are not alone and there would always be someone at their side.

You’re not alone
In your heart, (I) remain as warmth.
Don’t you worry, the dawn will definitely come after the night.
And definitely, surely, we’ll be able to meet.
You’ve always stayed by my side, didn’t you?
There’s no need for tears, because you’re not alone.
Because you’re not alone.

Lyric Snippet of the song (Parts of members DK, Joshua, Seungkwan, and Woozi)

Given the snippet above, it is safe to say that the song reminds us that we are not truly alone. Applying the famous quotation, "no man is an island," the song serves as a memento that there would always be people who'll support you and will always stay by your side. Despite all the ups and downs that we have encountered, despite the circumstances that led us to what we are right now, we should always remember there would always be someone who will stay right by our sides and will constantly point to us that hope is there and we should look at the bright side of this. Don’t you worry, the dawn will definitely come after the night, like what the lyrics had said.

The fact that it is composed and written by one of the members is very fascinating, but it is much enticing knowing that it is written originally in Japanese. Aside from the creative lyricism, what I truly like about the song is that it brings so much comfort when you listen to it. Its beat is light and not intensely synthetic, which is perfect if you want to unwind and reminisce. It may not grow upon you at first, but it is very attractive to the point that you'll listen to it on loop.

The MV Review

Photos courtesy of SEVENTEEN Japan Official Twitter (@pledis_17jp)

Members (in order): S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino

Like what is mentioned above, PLEDIS Japan had the audio and music video released earlier than scheduled. Upon the release, the group along with the corresponding hashtags were on the trends list. The track is also placed in numerous charts and is considered as a bang as it tops the Japanese charts.

The music video, which is released last Sunday, is very vivid, bright, and aesthetically pleasing. Yet, the concept is very timely and full of hope. Being said to be the "last stretch of youth," the video's color grading is very light and blooming. Youthful as per its visuals, the cinematography gives the music more energy and a lot more alive.

What captures my eyes is how the scenes move from one shot to another. The way transitions were edited is visibly flawless and will leave you in awe. Another key point to notice in the music video is the match scenes. Correlated with the scene's transitions, it is very satisfying to see how pristine is the editing for this music video is.

But what I like about the music video is its very timely concept. As we all see, we are isolated in the comfort of our own houses because of the worldwide pandemic. The music video shows how this disastrous (Yes, it is.) situation affects us, and them as artists. Incorporating scenarios like wearing facemasks, staying at home, having meetings and conversations online, and being away from your loved ones for a long time makes it more memorable and heartwarming. It goes to show that despite what we have right now, there would always be a person or if not, people, who will always let us remember that we are not by ourselves.

Overall, I have no bad judgments about the video. I may be too subjective but I am sure that everyone who will stumble upon that video would be interested in them as well as would appreciate the cinematography and aesthetics of the video.

My Rating: Spectacular Showstopper (10 stars)

Maybe at some point in your life, you think that you have nothing or there is no one at your side. But let me remind you that you are and you will never be alone. You have your family and relatives, colleagues, and your circle of friends. In these trying times we have right now, let's help ourselves and be a ray of hope and sunshine to everyone we love. Let us hope that the better days will come very soon so that we could be back to normal and we could enjoy the things we had used to do before.

You can watch the music video below, and listen to the track by clicking it right here. You could also see one of their performance for the song right below the music video. You could send me a message if you are interested in them! 😉

Please leave your comments or suggestions below. Thank you!