Iâm about to say something very controversial and I might ruffle some feathers, so scroll away if you have to.
Look, I think we can collectively agree that the the Supersonic music videos have A LOT of things to criticize:
The usage of AI and how theyâve dealt with it.
Karlo Kirriâs involvement in general. The walking ad/fashion show at the expense of narrative. A lot of posts have gone on about this, so I donât need to elaborate further.
The way women are objectified and used as props for the boys. The whole male gaze-iness of it all.
The lack of cohesive narrative/storyline. The confusing elements such as the antagonistic âvampiresâ and the jumble of a plot that ruins an interesting concept.
The excessive usage of B&W filters, and not in an artful way.
Lack of screentime for anyone who isnât Bojan (this still bothers me even with the second MV)
HOWEVER, I ask you to please learn to separately assess these things from the elements that are not exactly a crime to begin with, rather than lumping literally everything together and judging all of them as one terrible entity. One of these being the darker and more alternative aesthetic theyâre trying out.
Am I aware that some people prefer more colorful aesthetics? Yes. Do I know that the darker, more alternative aesthetic works for some members better than others? Yes (darker aesthetics works much better and more naturally on Jan than say, Bojan or Kris imo). Do I acknowledge that there are so many issues in the music videos that happen to feature this darker aesthetic? Oh, absolutely.
But that does not mean that going in the direction of a darker, more alternative and edgy aesthetic BY ITSELF is bad, problematic or toxic.
Iâm an alt and queer person in my early 30s. I have a small background in fashion design. Iâm also neurodivergent. Iâve been dark for most of my life. It makes me very happy to see a group of Eastern European guys try out elements of aesthetics that are darker and less mainstream, rather than something pared down and uninteresting. And it upsets me to see a number of fans (not all of you, most of you on this platform are thankfully levelheaded) begin to imply that the dark aesthetic is in itself problematic, bad and âtoxicâ. Iâve seen some being openly antagonistic towards the boys even TRYING IT OUT, insisting that dark colors and leather are inherently âmachoâ and âstraightâ, and thus inauthentic, and that they should go back to more palatable mainstream colorful palettes and stay in those lanes, for them to be seen as good and acceptable. In the year 2026 too.
Focus on the clothes, and only the clothes here. We all know AndraĹž is a mediocre and lazy designer who doesnât even make his own stuff. That is undeniable. However, since when have rhinestones and mesh been equivalent to toxic âmachoâ masculinity BY THEMSELVES? Since when did metallic silver see-through fabric become a staple among straight men?
We have to acknowledge that the actual fashion, them trying out darker and edgier styles, is not an inherently bad thing by itself. Some of the elements being used? Far from straight. Tell me with a straight face that toxic macho men wear mesh with rhinestones and lace-embellished crop tops like Jureâs famous one. Black leather? Again, it does not immediately equal straight and toxic masculinity. Black leather has always been a part of certain queer subcultures and circles. It has a queer aspect to it that not everyone knows of, and I acknowledge it. It doesnât mean that something is toxic and negative and bad, simply because it isnât colorful and bright and conventionally âprettyâ to look at.
I also have to state that colorful bright shirts, delicate details and florals were also the idea of a different stylist and designer on them (Ponorelii, who worked with them from 2021 to 2023). It was simply a trend of the time, and he had a very clear idea of how the Carpe Diem aesthetic should look like. Not only did he design and style those outfits but also the Demoni outfits and earlier looks such as Krizanke (promos and onstage) and Cvetlicarna (I have to verify the latter, but it definitely looks like his style). Does this make colorful palettes less authentic now? No. Simply part of their evolution and experimentationâŚtheir 60s/70s phase so to say.
There is ABSOLUTELY a way to incorporate these dark and edgy aesthetics into BETTER music videos, without all the problematic elements I listed above.
Hiring a better director with better ideas, BETTER WRITING SKILLS AND STORYLINES and who isnât a straight man.
Not using b&w shots so excessively and pointlessly. Using a mixed cast of men and women, or even just men (I know we want this and Iâm not exempt), if background extras are needed (and shot in a way that isnât objectifying).
Dropping storylines that simply boil down to âIâm hot. Look at all these girlsâ.
Trying out better designers and stylists who could pull off the darker and alt aesthetics better, who arenât as problematic as Karlo Kirri.
More screentime for all the guys. This is a BAND we love, after all.
At the end of the day, I just wanted to say that we should remember what the truly problematic elements are. Please do not demonize and rag on the boys for the dark aesthetic by itself. Criticize the whole context, sure. But let them be free to experiment with clothes and aesthetics. I know a lot of you love their colorful Ponorelii era and miss it, but one aesthetic is not morally and inherently superior to the other. And the boysâ preference could and would change over time.
And I hope they try this again in a better way, rather than drop it entirely. Something good and cool could come out of it. And cool is not inherently a BAD thing, despite what some people make it out to be.
Let the band evolve and experiment aesthetic-wise without being unnecessarily cruel and judgmental towards the aesthetic aspect specifically. Criticize a poorly constructed garment or an unflattering cut, but please do not suggest that dark aesthetics (and only the aesthetics I repeat) inspired by different alternative elements are bad and toxic and something they shouldnât touch in order for them to be âa band we love as girls and gaysâ.
Not everything has to be cutesy all the time to be good. To assign moral and inherent superiority on one AESTHETIC over the other while stating so certainly that a specific aesthetic is âbadâ and âproblematicâ on them in isolation is not okay.
To fanartists who do love one or more of their individual looks in the MV, do not be afraid to depict the guys in these looks or looks inspired by darker alt fashion in general, and take the aesthetics and fashion as something separate from the more problematic aspects. The darker fashion and aesthetic by themselves are not problematic. One must admit after all that some of these looks are VERY striking, and could be even better with a few tweaks such as better footwear for anyone who isnât Jan, individually colored glowing lace prints instead of white for everyone, a more flattering open jacket for Jure and some jewellery (Jan looks especially amazing in this lookâŚhe was made for dark and alternative aesthetics). Imagine what a better stylist and designer can do with dark alternative elements!
(Note: I think they should try having Claudi SovrĂŠ as their creative director for a photoshoot or a music video. Heâs a queer Slovenian artist who can handle these things very well, and take care to not make things objectifying, or TOO safe and fluffy all the time. Weâre mostly adults hereâŚI think we can acknowledge that we love our boys when theyâre sexy, no need to play coy.)
