sand castle, unvs | review

hi, hello, 언녕

the unvs team is back, and this time

we’re   here   to   review this amazing

group’s     most     recent    comeback:

sand castle if you haven’t seen it or

heard it yet, I strongly suggest you

you do! then you can compare your

reaction to the song, mv and choreo

to ours ! !

how this review will be broken down

is that   each   member of the team,

there’s only three of us right now (but

the next member could be you!), will

shortly   review   each   of   the   three

categories of song, mv and choreo.

we thought it might be interesting to

see    how     al l    our    opinions   and

descriptions of the song’s parts differ,

despite it all being one release. so

hopefully you enjoy !

#unvsteam

applications | [ ! ]

about the author | [ ! ]

         song.

i will say this as many times as I have to until I convince every single person on the face of the earth that they should listen to unvs, but the production value of this song’s instrumentals and vocals are just stunning (as they are for all of their songs). I could probably take an entire week for me to talk about every single little instrumental accent and vocal tone of this song, and I’d still have the ion to have the same talk next week! but seriously, if you even pay the smallest amount of attention when listen to sand castle, you’ll immediately hear what I’m talking about. even in the song’s most quiet of moments, there’s a musical depth within its layering and composition that sends shivers down my spine.

if I were to point out the places that strike me as this songs, killing points instrumentally, I’d point you towards the prechorus and chorus itself, but the later half of the chorus specifically. much of the song includes a heavy percussion and bass element, and it itself until the prechorus that I believe we get the full instrumental feel of the song itself. yes, even since the first second, there’s been a growth of the instrumental, adding a unique sound after another, but it itself until 0:51, the prechorus, where we hit the spot that I begin to lose my mind. there’s a particular instrument that’s added in this section which at every 4th beat comes in with four quick escalating tones. by this point of the song thats already a lot going on, but those four notes never fail to draw my ear in as their movement towards a higher sound entirely contracts the rest of the song which seems to stay to more long and stagnated notes. the prechorus I’m describing can also be heard again at 2:02.

moving onto the chorus, we have a continuation of the overwhelming instrumentals, but we’re soon able to catch a break as towards the end of the chorus phrasing, the instrumental lightens up and the pacing of the song slows down, and we’re left with a moment to appreciate their beautiful vocals. much of the chorus as a whole comes off as a very musical open song, including instrumental harmonies that make me feel almost melancholic, but it’s especially strong when the song takes a second to pace itself. I know when I first heard this section, I stared in shock as songs don’t normally take such a pause at the height of their impact, but sand castle does and it really gives the listener a unique feel while watching it. I feel like it helps the listener to realize that even though this song has such an interesting and appealing sound, at its heart, it’s a tragic romance song. it’s simply and instrumental that plays with your emotions and thoughts as it pulls you in.

         mv.

can I just say I love this mv? I feel that we never get enough nature mvs in kpop, but this mv has fulfilled my desire for nature mvs for the rest of eternity. it’s such a stunning music video! It might be a little simple sure but the song itself is complex enough to cover any seemingly lacking ‘wow’ factor of higher budgeted groups, but if you ask me, it’s beautiful just the way it is! unvs doesn’t need anything crazy to make an amazing and beautiful mv. they found some pretty scenery and they’re filming their pretty selves so what more do they need? but no seriously, I really do enjoy this music video. the scenery is seriously beautiful, including locations such as a sandy beach with bright blue waters where they focus on their sharp and sensual choreography, sunset shots where you see the boys acting all with their own female counterparts, and several night scenes one on a car and among the stars, another around a fire, and a third highlighted through neon, which is definitely one of the more visually interesting parts of the song.

now if I’m going to be honest, as much as my fan girl heart wants to scream in jealousy, my favorite parts of the mv is when we get to see the boys with their girls. in those moments, we get a scene of the mv’s narrative. the song itself through the lyrics tells the story of a man pleading for his lover back, asking for his lover to not let him drown as the waves sweep him away and break their sand castle, which would definitely represent their relationship. later the lyrics say how he will wait for her as he can’t erase her footprints which are engraved in the sand. these words of painful love are expressed in the scenes with the couples. even though the scenes themselves are filled with smiles and love, i think they are what the boys are thinking of as they plead for their girl’s love again. in many of the couple scenes, you see flickering as if the scenes are being replayed on old pieces of film, something that could represent a distraught man after a break up replaying all of the happy memories in his head. with this in mind, the scenes themselves are beautifully filmed and quite heartwarming from a first appearance, but I really do appreciate that through these scenes, I can dig into a concept such as painful love through this mv and song.

         choreography.

much to my dismay, unvs hasn’t performed any live stage or releases any choreography video for sand castle, which I would honestly love to get my hands on because I can just tell that the full choreo is amazing! I can’t wait for it to be released. however, I can try my best to go off what is shown in the music video! what I love about choreographies is how much small emotion and power they can fit into their sharp movements. they aren’t a group known for their crazy unique moves, but there’s always an air of confidence and elegance to their dances that never fails to intrigue me. in this choreography in particular, I love how much their movements match with the beat. within the first few second of choreo, we get snaps, body ticks, and any step or arm wave that syncs with the pacing of the instrumental. it helps to create something that not only matches the sound of the song but also the feel. for example, the choreography utilizes sharp and quick movements to reflect the harsh percussion in the verses but later it uses more open and broad movements to reflect the opening of their vocals and emotions as the song moves into the chorus. and then towards the end of the chorus choreography, we get a unvs classic, a body roll. we couldn’t have a unvs song without their sensual and elegant style of their mature tone. unvs are simply just fantastic performers in my eyes and I can’t wait until I can get my eyes on a full choreography of theirs! I know it’ll be perfect!

about the author | [ ! ]

         song.

A track that creates its own ambiance is a sure-fire sign of genius. That was something that immediately caught my attention about this track and it’s become my favorite thing happening. Many songs are emphasized by the visual concept that the company has paired with that comeback. This song creates its own concept and it’s like the visuals simply...agree with it! The song itself has so much flavor; it tells a story from the music, alone.

It starts with the bird sounds in the beginning; they have a noise-cancelling kind of effect. It’s like they have a way of removing other distractions and zeroing you in on what you’re hearing. Combined with the haziness, it’s a totally captivating sound. We hear this again during the bridge for a split second. Including it again at the end of the track ties it all together in a really cohesive way that gets me PUMPED. This particular bird sound reminds me of something we’d hear in a dream sequence during a movie. It flutters in and signals that something is different. When the first verse begins, the beat drops and that bass line makes me feel like I’m underwater. It contributes to that dreamlike vibe as it distorts the rest of the melody. The ad libs included in the final chorus add to the dreamlike (or honestly...drunken effect) of the entire track. It feels like a peak of that feeling they’ve been setting up for the whole song. This is emphasized by the way the beat turns into halftime for the ending; it’s as though time slows down for a moment.

The way the lyrics help create this drunken or dreamlike effect along with the instrumentals is life-giving for someone like me. These are the kinds of symmetric things that give me LIFE in music. There are multiple references to being in a dream, not wanting to wake up, like “don’t wake me, wake me up” and “in a deep dream.” There are also moments in the lyrics that talk about WANTING to be woken up, like “wake me up with your lips” and “breathe new life, wake me up from deep hypnosis again.” The way the lyrics connect to the music, which connects to the visual concept is the kind of content we need. It’s like a whole different level of artistry. I can see the sound of this track not being everyone’s cup of tea, but you have to appreciate the way everything threads together. There are so many layers to this song and they all paint a consuming picture.

         mv.

There are approximately 29,294,779 things that I love about this video. Let’s begin with #1...ha! At first, I thought about focusing on how the time progresses in this music video. I really love how it opens on what feels like the brightest part of the day. Then as it goes along, we get further along, deep into the evening. As the day and night move along, so does the whole mood of the story they’re telling. There’s some tension and even a tinge of desperation, but then at the very end, it’s just joy and life as they have a fun time all together. The progression feels really natural and adds to the storytelling, which I always appreciate.

But honestly...my very favorite thing about this video is the love story going on. Even better - each group member has a love interest! Yes! Something about UNVS that has stood apart since their debut is the maturity in their sound, their lyrics, and now we’re seeing it even more in the story of this mv. It feels so appropriate for them and for their ages. They aren’t trying to fit into any kind of KPop mold, filled to the brim with younger groups. We have individual shots in this video, paired shots with the group and their partners, then whole group scenes. There’s so much to see and each carries its own signature. We get to see a really romantic side from each group member, which feels refreshing!

We need more of this in KPop videos, to be totally honest. It reminds us that they’re people who deserve connection and it also adds even more meaning to their romantic tracks, like this one. Those pairings that we get to see breathe new life into lyrics like, “I wish everyday was you...it has to be you.” I was honestly surprised when I first saw YY with his partner sitting on the beach; we don’t see a lot of coupling in KPop videos. Then I slowly realized that each group member got a girl and it made me so happy. Haha. It makes a simple music video feel like a short film! It made me feel invested in each pair, in a way, and root for them to have a happy ending as the video closes out. I can’t the last time I cared so much about a video’s storyline. The POWER of UNVS.

         choreography.

There are moves that just POP, emphasizing the music. I understand that this is choreography’s job; it’s meant to complement the song. But THIS choreo hits differently and acts as like an ACTUAL highlighter, bringing out attention to certain moments in the music. We see this in the very beginning as that snapping sound starts out the track; YY is literally snapping his fingers (in a low key aggressive way). Right away, he has our attention as he guides the beat. Their heads pop up as the beat drops, furthering that emphasis. During Jen’s part in the first verse, there’s a clap on a prominent beat. The chorus is filled with moves like this, but my absolute favorite is during Changgyu’s chorus moment. The intensity that his part brings to the overall choreo is so memorable because it happens as the music switches to halftime for a few seconds. Moments like that in music are the kind that make people go, “WHOA what was that??” So to then ALSO highlight it in this way during the choreo is mad genius. We also see emphasis on lines like in the chorus on the “down, down, down” part. The way they move their shoulders to the beat really underlines that part of the lyrics. These are moments in the music video that I look forward to every single time!

about the author | [ ! ]

         song.

With “Sand Castle”, UNVS delivers yet another mesmerizing single with the ideal sound for your summer playlist or a song that will certainly put you in an amazing and positive mood! From the very beginning the song incorporates the tropical and edm elements, which are very reminiscent of the sounds we associate with summer. The production reminded me of something that you could easily hear playing at a club. One of my favorite parts has to be the chorus; it’s catchy and it allows for the vocals to shine! I love the layering with the harmonies as it makes the chorus sound richer. Additionally, during the choruses throughout the song, there is this moment of suspension of the production accompanied with amazing vocals - the boys are basically breaking it down - which creates a great variation in the song! I did praise the vocals but of course the rap parts are equally amazing. The verse with Jun.H and Jen was amazing and I loved the dynamic between their voices; definitely created a more hyped up atmosphere in that part of the song. Another thing worth praising regarding the song is how mature the sound is - this will come up in other parts of this review too but just by looking at the lyrics, you can tell how the story we’re following fits the mature concept/sound UNVS has going on here. I am glad they’re allowed to discuss various aspects of relationships in more depth and discuss themes like attraction and the more sensual side of a relationship. I have to say, when I first listened to the song I had its chorus stuck in my head (that is very much still the case) and mainly the “don’t let me drown” part. If you don’t feel inclined to sing along that part, then you probably have to listen to the song again!

“Sand Castle” musically did not disappoint - granted the production is not revolutionary and it presents few variations throughout. However, the beat is extremely catchy, the vocal and rap parts are superb, those harmonies and that layering are both gorgeous and the atmosphere is certainly addictive. It is exactly what you need to add a little brightness and that summer tone to your daily playlist!

         mv.

There are several things to be said about this visual blessing we were graced with, thanks to the caring and giving gods named UNVS. To begin with, I think the music video matches the song perfectly! They released the song before releasing the music video so I had already started painting a visual in my head; the outcome didn’t disappoint at all! In fact, this music video called me single and alone for three minutes and thirty six seconds :”). I absolutely adored the beach setting and the campfire one! Both give off the summer aesthetic they were going for given the tropical and edm elements of the production. I liked that we got both bright and dark visuals in the music video. There are points in the song’s meaning where the lyrics narrate the darker feelings within a relationship - whether that is longing for someone or even being in heartbreaking pain - and I found the darker neon sequence quite fitting and visually elegant. The neon sequence was mainly dominating the bridge of the song and let me tell you - everyone looked absolutely breathtaking! I really enjoyed seeing only the neon face paint parts being illuminated within total darkness, as well as their eyes with the s! Their s added to the already captivating visuals, creating this almost otherworldly beauty. In of outfits (or their lack thereof), let’s say UNVS loves giving us a hard time. The sleeveless shirts were majorly present and this whole beach look was the main inspiration behind the outfit choices! I have to say there was also a mixture with the more ‘hip hop’ outfits during the rap verse which I also really liked! Again the bright and dark contrast was prominent in the outfit choices just like in the music video.

One last thing I’d like to address is that I loved that the boys had brought in girls for the music video. The concept as mentioned is more “grown” and therefore, I am glad that they were given the option to interact with dancers/actors more. It increased the singleness I experienced but it’s a good thing! xD I love seeing my boys be able to present their content in the way they’ve pictured it! Within an industry, where sadly this seems to be frowned upon by a percentage of the public, UNVS and their company strive to present a different and more liberating image. Their company’s CEO even explained how he wanted to give them the freedom to speak about their own experiences and express themselves more. All in all, a gorgeous outcome!

         choreography.

Writing about the choreography is a bit difficult given that we haven’t seen the full dance yet and only a bit of it was featured in the song. Hopefully with their live stage in the concert, we will have a better picture of what the entire dance looks like. We did get the dance in some of the beach sequences in the music video and first of all, sand doesn’t help with one’s dance moves for sure; it actually makes it really difficult for someone to show their moves as imagined because it makes in general movement slower and harder. However, the boys didn’t make any difficulty visible and in fact focused a lot on their hand movements, which were sharp and quite expressive. The snapping sound in the production was also incorporated as a dance move by YY and I love that it also initiated the movement of the other who were forming a half-circle around him as if it ‘activated’ them. As mentioned the focus of the dance was mainly on the upper body part ; the shoulders and hands created a beautiful “weighing” movement which was greatly balanced and it was accompanied by smooth and slower leg movements. I really enjoyed how their dance moves would start as slow and end on a sharp note and on a beat. It felt really satisfying having production and dance match. The chorus had similar moves with the addition of a bit of shoulder swaying and of course some lethal body rolls with Eunho at the front. I really enjoyed Changgyu’s solo dance moment: the moves were slightly more aggressive and he managed to deliver them beautifully.

Following the bridge of the song, during the final chorus and during the campfire scene, the dance moves - with the exception of the coordinated spins of YY and Jen - resemble the kind of chill dance you would do at a party! I like that they’re dancing with the girls and not just side by side as you would typically get in a dance routine. Their moves blend together and it matches the hype and atmosphere you might associate with a summer party.

^

^

in conclusion,

sand castle is an amazing release and

we’d be   so happy if you want and

checked it out if you haven’t already!

if you have, then please let us know

your thoughts on it and our reviews!

’’

question time,

do you stan unvs?

how did you like this comeback?

how does it compare to their other songs?

⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢

cover + edits by me

og pics from tw + ig

⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣⌣

— ƒɑҍӏҽs