The choreography video of “MAGO,” the title track of GFRIEND’s third studio album released on November 9 last year, has been watched over 3.2 million times on Youtube as of January 10. Meanwhile, the number of views for the “eyepatch version” choreo video of the same song - unveiled on November 12 last year, a day after the official choreography video release - is over 3.8 million. The “eyepatch version” is posting higher views than the choreography video rolled out first to showcase the team’s overall choreographed dance. What’s more, this “Eye Mask version” video surpassed 3 million views on YouTube in 13 days of its release, an all-time high among GFRIEND’s choreo videos over the same period. Also, it ranked 7th and 16th each on YouTube’s trending videos during the 1st and 2nd week of the group’s promotional activities. There was also a flurry of derivative content produced, such as videos comparing the main choreo video vs. the “Eye Mask version” as well as reaction videos to the “Eye Mask version.”

GFRIENDs’ “Eye Mask version” choreography started out with members UMJI and EUNHA appearing on the TV Show Knowing Bros on October 31 last year, before the group made a comeback with their album 回:Walpurgis Night. After watching another guest on the show dance with an eye mask on, the two members danced to their song “APPLE” on the spot with eye masks. Their flawless moves and formations in spite of their blocked vision sparked immediate reactions. The two members’ choreo video uploaded with the title, “EUNHA x UMJI’s 'APPLE'♪ DANCE.mov Boasting Perfectly Synchronized Dancing with Eyes Covered” garnered over 4.8 million views on YouTube (as of January 10), which has the 12th highest number of views among videos uploaded on the Knowing Bros YouTube channel and 2nd among those with guests appearances. The 1st to11th spots are all claimed by BLACKPINK, one of the world’s most popular stars on YouTube. Right after Knowing Bros was aired, search words related to GFRIEND rapidly surged in NAVER ranking, and “GFRIEND” and “APPLE” made the hot keyword list in music streaming service searches.

GFRIEND’s agency, Source Music revealed that “there was a different version of choreographed dance video being planned” and “though we did expect some buzz, while watching Knowing Bros, the ‘APPLE dance with eyes covered’ generated a much bigger response than we thought. So we revised the plan, going with the eye mask dance featuring all members.” As much as the plan was rushed, members did the shoot as if taking on a new challenge, and the “video was created from start to end in one take,” to share the entire process with the viewers. Responses triggered by a TV program affect the direction of the Agency’s activities, and through such process, “MAGO”’s “Eye Mask version” - a new format that was once a dance choreography video and a short reality show at the same time - is created. During the 回:Walpurgis Night promotional activities period, GFRIEND was able to showcase a wide spectrum of choreo videos with varying styles through the synergies created among viewers, artists and the Agency. They came out with most of the recently popular choreo dance videos, including the main choreography video, official “fancam” videos of various music show and radio broadcasts, Studio CHOOM’s BE ORIGINAL, M2’s Relay Dance, Comeback Show Mu:talk Live, and added to this was the “Eye Mask version.” Choreo videos that started out to allow watching the team’s whole dance choreography – that failed to be presented on TV music broadcast - in one go, are evolving into a new entertainment genre with choreography at its heart.

On the evolution of choreography videos, Source Music said it “stemmed from changes in the patterns of public’s content consumption.” To the degree that they think “the boundary between TV appearance and YouTube roll-out for performance exposure to have vanished,” people grew used to viewing online content rather than regular TV programs, which diversified the role of choreo videos even more. If in the past, they were supplementary content reflecting the demands of fans wanting to see the dances better, now, as Source Music notes the importance of their “expandability as an entertaining content,” the role and meaning of choreography is widening. This is also why Source Music unveiled the refrain segment choreography of “MAGO” during EUNHA and UMJI’s appearance on Knowing Bros before the official release. The Agency targeted to have the videos become hot topics online after the first release of the “MAGO” refrain choreo video. And to do so, they made efforts to ensure that “choreography is not edited but rather made into clips and uploaded on the portal’s main entertainment page.” By timing the performance to the moment guests make their appearances to draw the viewers’ attention, the choreography was naturally incorporated into the video clip introducing the team. Moreover, anticipating that the production crew and JTBC marketing department too will consider the topicality index, the Agency proposed “[Premier Release] GFRIEND’s new song “MAGO” with a new member, Kim Heemi” as its title. With TV programs consumed in single clips on online portals and YouTube today, content like choreo videos is reshaped into optimal formats, in turn changing the agency’s PR methods.

Through this process, choreo videos on the Internet with YouTube in particular, also reveal a different aesthetics than the existing TV music broadcast. Source Music described the conventional music broadcast as having “content that integrates the music’s storyline and the performance in a three to four minute window with a clear narrative arc.” They add, “we also think many factors help viewers better understand the performance, such as stage sets fitting the topic, lighting changes along song composition, intricate camerawork and special effects.” Meanwhile, Studio CHOOM, in stark contrast to music shows, draws attention to the artist’s dance solely through lighting without staging or mise-en-scéne. Team chief Hanhyung Lee of Mnet Digital Studio, who came up with Studio CHOOM and Relay Dance shared that “as more video content is consumed on mobile devices these days, we thought watching elaborate sets and mise-en-scénes on small screens will only tire out the eyes. So we took out these elements and intended the gaze to focus entirely on the artist and performance.” Also Relay Dance with artists queuing up in a line to create a fun variation of the existing choreography, was produced after noticing “fancams” turn mainstream, then marrying the strengths of “fancams” with the traits and uniqueness of mobile screens that resulted in performance content with a modified format to support watching on a vertical screen.

These “original” digital performance content, optimized for new media platforms and the mobile environment, is already exerting substantial impact on the music industry. The number of “MAGO” viewings on YouTube showcased in Studio CHOOM’s BE ORIGINAL is over 7 million (as of January 10), the highest viewing among “MAGO” related choreo dance videos. These dance videos in BE ORIGINAL exceeded well over 3 million, a view number regarded high for performance videos, and many videos were watched more than 10 million times. It takes two weeks to produce an artist’s Studio CHOOM video, and one week to study ways to capture the performance of this single artist. To deliver a more competitive outcome in Studio CHOOM, Source Music too, “communicated with the production crew so that choreography seen as key moves in “MAGO” such as ‘spinning, flicking and jabbing,’ YUJU’s turning and SOWON’s kicking could look good on screen.” They also “monitored countless studio dance content” and concluded that “signature moves are commonly conveyed through full-shots regardless of the camera location and angle.” In addition, “many idol groups are said to engage in a separate ‘dance practice for relay dance’ these days. GFRIEND members, for example, crafted the relay sequence and ad lib moves themselves, and we tried out variations with UMJI taking SINB’s part for YERIN and UMJI’s joint moves in “MAGO.” New directions for choreo videos are pointed out beyond the sphere of music , through plans tailored to the unique features of digital content, production with a high level of execution to flatter the artists’ dance routines as well as novel ideas from artists and agencies.

“Digital performance content, not only allowed GFRIEND to demonstrate their best selves through impeccable performance, but also showcase a single performance expressed in a range of new moods.” Source Music’s assessment of “MAGO”’s various dance videos represent a facet of change in the music industry set off by choreo videos. The “Eye Mask version” once again reminded the viewers of GFRIENDs’ talent, already well known for their performance, and Relay Dance can show GFRIEND’s flair for entertainment – already on display through their self-produced entertainment content GFRIEND’S MEMORIA - but this time through their performance. And in Studio CHOOM, the level of performance execution can be spotlighted. Digital performance content, as a single performance portrayed through a variety of methods, streams continuously on platforms like YouTube, essentially creating its own music show channel. For instance, whereas traditional TV music programming had different artists performing back to back on stage within a program, on YouTube, various performance content by a single artist flows in a row. Once you click on a “fancam” video of “MAGO” on YouTube, “MAGO” performance videos of all stripes pop up as recommended videos. Such process sometimes offers new opportunities to those teams with strong performance caliber. The number of “MAGO” choreography video’s average views jumped roughly 300% compared to previous choreography videos, and “MAGO” music video topped the YouTube’s trending video list, a first time feat for GFRIEND. Moreover, eight “MAGO” performance videos also ranked high on the chart.

GFRIEND created a sensation with its “x2 dance” in MBCevery1 Weekly Idol and in 2017, TV Chosun Idol Festival, as they danced out their song “Me Gustas Tu” with eyes covered. It goes to show that GFRIEND has been popular for a long time. Here’s their unique strengths as described by GFRIEND’s performance director: “As they greatly value detail and harmony among themselves, they constantly review themselves and practice until any shortcomings were made up,” and “the deep trust shared by the members shines through powerfully in performances that stress how individual members pull together as a group.” GFRIEND also expressed pride in their choreo videos including the “Eye Mask version” seen as “an outcome that feels like a reward for all those training hours.” Teams that can present advanced performance in step with the new time can now appeal to more people with their merits. And this provides not only those teams but also artists who are “sincere” about their performance with new opportunities. Team chief, Hanhyung Lee said “75% of M2 and Studio CHOOM subscribers are international,” and the “key is performance content that can be enjoyed with eyes only without any language barriers.” He added that “people who initially encounter K-POP get curious due to the artists’ superb skills and distinct performance, then gradually get hooked.” The numbers prove his statement. Adding to “MAGO” receiving their best response on YouTube, GFRIEND came in record high in three charts: Billboard Chart’s Social 50 (17th), World Digital Song Sales (19th), and K-pop 100 (46th). K-POP grew into a massive market of its own in the digital platform, and choreo videos produced in such a market, stir up reactions from people all over the world as “MAGO” exemplifies. Beyond the boundaries of language and media, a vast plaza has been built online – where anyone can showcase “a dance for me” to everyone.