ZUTTER ANALYSISĀ
To celebrate pride month, I wanted to share my lyric analysis of GD&TOPās Zutter. Iāve never done this before and Iāve never seen my thoughts shared anywhere so I donāt think a lot of people will agree with me, but I thought what the hell! To me this song is such a powerful queer song. Itās them saying a big fuck you to Korean media entertainment and all the conservative homophobic, sleazy fuckers that try to fuck with them. I just KNOW Seunghyun and Jiyong felt empowered every time they performed this song. šā¤ļøĀ
A quick preface, but if you donāt truly believe Seunghyun and Jiyong were in a relationship then itās best to stop reading now because Iām not going to try to convince people that they are together. I analyzed this song with the full understanding that these two are together (and have been together for a lot longer than most people think). If itās not your cup of tea, then please move along. This is obviously not for you.Ā Ā Ā
Warning for a lot of crassness and a lot of ideas that might sound unbelievable to some people. Everything here is of course my opinion. Like I said before, Iām not here to over explain why I believe certain things (I think a lot of people would have issues with my thoughts; gtop lovers or not) but these are just from my observations from being a longtime fan. And I still edited down my thoughts to not be completely slaughtered.
Now with the song analysis!
Ā I just have to start out with the fact that the backtrack of this whole song is filled with so many moans and groans and sex like noises. They wanted to make people mad and uncomfortable by being as gay as they could together. They are laughing in the faces of their haters.
Tonight we're getting freaky-freaky, yeah
Baby, give me some, give me, give me some, yeah
You and me, we're getting electric, yeah
Can you give me some, give me, give me some, yeah
Tonight we're getting freaky-freaky, yeah
Baby, give me some, give me, give me some, yeah
You and me, we're getting electric, yeah
Can you give me some, give me, give me some, yeah
I imagine this is Jiyongās and Seunghyunās chant before getting in front of the camera together. They love to play their games and get freaky on stage. And the best thing about it is that no one knows except for the people they want to know. Itās an electric feeling. One where they are constantly playing with fire and being wound up. It gets them excited and horny. The people around them are livid and stressed about it and they thrive off that feeling. It's a very purposeful taunt towards their haters.Ā Itās not only pointed towards each other but theyāre goading the people around them.Ā
This song is dope, my rap is dope, my style is dope
I'm just that dope
I tap my feet, make money, I walk in the sky
Ayy, do you wanna?
The word jjeoreo, similar to how we use it in English, can mean both sick in a positive or negative way. Obviously, this song comes across as them saying āEverything about us is so dopeā, but since this is a song targeted at their haters, they are saying everything about us that you love is āsickā as in everything about us is so gay or queer. Theyāre mocking the fact that people would view them as sick. So, with this in mind theyāre saying everything starting from this song to my style is queer- Iām just that gay. Jjeireo is also most commonly used in a positive light. They are playing on both meanings and saying their āsicknessā is what makes them amazing.
Tapping their feet reads as them saying āwe do our lil' dance for the cameras and make moneyā, but theyāre doing it with a higher purpose in mind. Walking in the sky could be similar to the expression āwalking on airā. They create queer art with extreme joy and purpose without worrying about what the people below them will think.Ā
And because we know Seunghyun and Jiyong are both very philosophical people, āWalking the skyā could be used to describe āreaching the impossibleā. They are making queer music in a country where it shouldn't be possible. āWalking the skyā is also a famous New York sculpture where it depicts people walking a steep pole into the clouds to represent human aspiration. They aspire for a greater future in Korea where queer voices are heard and loved.Ā Ā
Tapping your feet is also a subconscious movement people do usually to express impatience or boredom. They are bored by these people around them. Thereās nothing stimulating them (other than each other). When they make money- usually events or activities forced by their company- it's at its best a tedious task for them. They are impatiently waiting for these things to end so they can work on what really matters to them.Ā
Ā āAye do you wannaā reads as them being confrontational and also as an aside to each other. They're confronting their haters straight on. As in āDo you wanna go?ā, but also it reads as them talking to one another in a provocative way. A double entendre. A fuck you to their critics by making them uncomfortable and why Seunghyun likes to grab his dick a lot of times during this line.Ā
Jiyongās Verse
It's a mistake to call me GD, call me G-O-D
If you want, I'll flip it over and become D-O-G
Jiyong starts his verse setting the tone of the whole song. He boasts heās a God among these men and then immediately flips it to create this submissive side of him. Itās so purposely provocative and provoking! Of course, you canāt read that line and not imagine him getting fucked doggy style but itās also him saying that āwhen I get in front of the media, I can flip a switch and become this obedient dog for you.ā Because at the end of the day itās nothing to him. Heās still going to be successful and change people's lives. Heās above their foolery.Ā Ā
But I also think heās making a wink at a certain dynamic between his and Seunghyunās relationship. Jiyong is theā dogā and Seunghyun is the āmasterā. Heā sicsā Jiyong on these men to rile them up and expose their intentions. But just like a dog who is loyal he will always go back to his master. I always think of Seunghyun's cane with the dog head as the handle during the Made era.
Ā And Seunghyun is a beast in his own right, getting riled up himself as these men become more brazen in touching Jiyong and then like a "reckless King Kongā he has to dominate these men. These are just some of the little ways they are able to take the power back into their own terms to survive in such a hazardous environment.Ā
Forget useless formulas, just remember this
I'm ill plus one, Jiyongi (oh)
One of my favorite verses in the whole song because itās such a powerful and strong statement. He tells people to forget useless formulas on how to be successful (in getting with him) and the only thing they should remember is that itās me and my other half. Itās me and Seunghyun. And he uses the sound of 1 asā illā purposely.Ā Heās āillā because thatās how the majority view being queer in South Korea and then plus one more "illā person. Seunghyun.
Then he wraps it up perfectly; 1 plus 1 more illness equals Jiyongi (2). Jiyongi is the name that Seunghyun calls him affectionately but itās also a more feminine version of Jiyongās name. Wink wink. And why there is that āohā. Heās saying āyeah, I said what I saidā. Another thing south Korea views as āillā.Ā
It makes me think that heās also saying that Seughyun is what makes Jiyong be Jiyongi. In Seunghyunās song "Turn it Up" (a song bragging about having Jiyong as his partner) he has the line āI can make even a flower that won't bloom, blossomā.Ā
Ā His key to success is how Seunghyun and him complete each other. Meaning thereās nothing to learn because their relationship is truly one of a kind and no one can take his spot. One soul in two bodies.Ā
Ā Also why Seunghyun pokes his cheek during that line. ā¤ļøĀ
My age, add two and seven, it's natural (Oh)
I never lose, dealers suffer brain hemorrhages (Oh, shit)
The number 27 has literally so many meanings and is a very powerful spiritual number. Jiyong and Seunghyun are spiritual people and because Jiyong and Seunghyun both have shown to believe in numerology I believe this line has everything to do with that. 27 represents spiritual awakening and in certain contexts it represents the number of twin flames. Something Jiyong and Seunghyun firmly believe that they are for each other. Queue the million examples of them talking about their āother halfā (just the line before this). And the way Jiyong phrases this - separating the two numbers- seconds the idea that heās using the philosophy behind these numbers as individuals and together in his meaning. Iāll keep it to its simplest terms because it goes very deep and Iāll need to edit myself or this will just turn into a numerology post.
Ā 2 represents partnership and harmony. Two is also representative of the High Priestess in tarot. Who is a figure that sits back and is able to receive whatever is coming to them full heartily. A strong, difficult skill few have of taking in other peopleās truths without forming an immediate rebuttal. Iām going to use an analogy I read about but itās similar to a cup. Able to hold truths and knowledge inside itself.
Ā If 2 is the cup, then 7 is symbolic of a spring. Itās a standalone source of wisdom. A wisdom that can only be defined by completing a whole cycle of something. Like the knowledge you only access after living a whole life. Seven is also representative of The Chariot in tarot. A figure that is symbolic of someone who is able to move forward even when two forces are pulling in opposite directions. Someone who is able to live with two contradictions within themselves without completely destroying the other. Two sides of Jiyong, two sides of the appearance of their reality vs. actual reality, two stories they have to weave for the public vs. their personal life. Both of them, and especially Jiyong, constantly have to live double lives.Ā Ā
So, when the cup meets the spring or the receiver meets a great source of wisdom itās able to fill itself in its stream and become full.Ā
Which leads us to the sum of its parts. Heās telling us to add them together (2+7=9). Nine is the end result of the cup being filled. Itās the most important and highest number in numerology. Itās reaching that enlightenment. The ability to hit all three planes of existence and have the highest sense and awareness of humanity. It attracts the most love than any other digit. And the purpose of 9 is to give. With all its knowledge and wisdom, it lights the path for others behind it.
A light in the darknessā¤ļøš and as Jiyong says, āitās naturalā. Itās his natural path to be a voice for the queer people in South Korea. Itās his life mission and the reason why he can put up with anything. And he can do it because he has his lover by his side. Strengthening one another and consistently filling each other's cups.Ā
Ā Number nine is also nicknamed the āMother Theresaā of the numbers. Very fitting for his 27th birthday cake.
Ā Heās not only saying heās at the highest divinity or a voice for the marginalized but heās taunting the men who sexualize him while he does it. āItās naturalā comes off very āyou wanting me is inevitable". But also, because we know this song is challenging their critics and haters āits naturalā comes across very much like he's saying being gay or queer is natural.Ā
And āsuffering brain hemorrhages" is a double entendre. There's nothing that rings better than saying āsuck my dickā to someone who wants to see your downfall, and you keep winning. Anyone who tries to ruin him in any shape or form will end up sucking his dick so hard they will suffer brain damage.Ā Anyone who tries to fuck with him and Seunghyun will be fucked tenfold. And because heās the playing on such a high playing field, they will suffer brain hemorrhages for even trying to figure out how they got fucked in the first place.
Wanna be successful? Yes, I'm the manual
Wanna experience me? Then keep it sexual
Ā He calls the bullshitters out here veiled in artful bragging. ā¤ ļø The tone when he says āYes, Iām the manualā is said sarcastically. His biggest haters are the ones that constantly try to copy him (*cough* Seungri *cough*). The next line suggests something foul but hidden in truth (their specialty). Jiyong is a very sexual person, but his heart and intentions are reserved for Seunghyun. And all these acts he does at the end of the day are for Seunghyun because itās all a part of their games. And to quote āTurn it upā again Seunghyun says āBesides, in the end she'll stay by my side anywayā.Ā Ā Ā
But it reads a lot darker than that. Jiyong faces constant sexual advances, weird looks and sexual assault from men he's forced to interact with in the industry. And he knows he canāt escape it, so he chooses to have fun with it and create a game of cat and mouse with Seunghyun. Truly Tom and Jerry. It can come across as him trying to make Seunghyun jealous (which he obviously does get) but itās part of the excitement of the game. Back to the dog and master dynamic.Ā Master T.O.P!Ā The static that creates the electric tension between them. They *are* a freaky couple. Itās an amusing and consensual (con-sexual lol) game of theirs where they like to see where they can stretch the limits and make other men become hypocrisies/fools of themselves.Ā A way to take control of a helpless situation.
When looking at these lines together it reads as though the sexual aspects of his experience and the overt sexualizing of him was a component of his success. It is not a cry of help or a call to action but more as though he's taking the power back and mocking the industry and their vile acts upon him. He fully understands that the way to stay on top (for him) is to unfortunately have to immerse himself in this world to not only survive but to get to the highest point to reach the most amount of people. And why not have fun while doing it with your lover?Ā
School of hard knocks, you drop out, it's so (Sick)
I'll shit on all the boring raps without consideration
These lines look like your typical boastful rapping. Calling out other rappers who knock him down, by saying they could never make it through the adversity and lessons he has gone through. And he wouldn't think twice about shitting on their raps.Ā
But since this song is framed as a queer celebration and trolling on their haters, I see it differently. Given the lines right before this about his experience being sexualized; he's talking directly to his suitors.Ā Telling them that ānot only will you learn how hard it is to be with me, but you will never make itā. Heās saying it's so āsickā sarcastically.Ā It's āsickā how many āstraightā men are knocking at his door. The hypocrisy is unbelievable.Ā
The thing is no one ever will be Seunghyun. Heās never going to consider anyone else. All their ārapsā are boring. And it's not that heās going to just ignore them. Heās going to shit on them. Heās going to have a laugh. And heās going to make his lover laugh too. ā¤ ļø And Iām pretty sure Seunghyun is personally handing out some of these hard knocks. šĀ
I don't rely on my name or my company's reputation
Even if I talk nonsense, I get a standing ovation (Guess I'm famous; Oh)
This reads as a call out to people within his own company. Seungri especially since that's all he would do; rely on Jiyongās name and YGās legacy. Those things don't make Jiyong who he is and he doesnāt need them. We know his worth resides in himself (and in his view of self: Seunghyun).Ā
In the next line heās saying, āall the shit I say in front of the camera is pretty much nothing but liesā.Ā Most translations say heāll āget applause for taking a shitā because thatās exactly what heās doing to these people. Shitting on everything they say and do by running circles around them. Because they will never allow him to be truthful about who he really is and the person he's together with. So, like an actor or better yet as a clown in this media circus he just says the dumbest things and plays along while rolling his eyes and laughing at the āfakenessā of everything. āGuess Iām famousā is him reflecting on coming to a realization of what being famous really means- you are not seen as a whole person anymore. Just an idea of who people think you are.Ā
This is a mind-blowing entrance ceremony welcoming you as a fan
He just told them what to expect when they become his āfanā. The ground rules pretty much. In other translations this line is āThis is the orientation to welcome your unbelievable fandom.āĀ Heās patronizing them. They will be fans of him regardless. He's not only nodding at the fact that he's revealing some āmind blowingā or unbelievable truths, but that the whole idea of them is a joke.Ā Also, itās a jeer towards the men that will fawn over him regardless of the fact heās shitting all over them in this song.Ā
You keep running your mouth every day, got too much money?
My bank account is like a billiard table, too many balls/ zerosĀ
Heās threatening the people who keep running their mouths. He will take their money because he could expose every single one of them. And he has been doing it for years. His bank account is filled with too many balls because there are so many men that pay him to keep quiet. Why do you think T.O.P stands for āthe official pimpā? It's an inside joke between them. Heās okay with Ā Jiyong fucking around with these men because not only do they get paid, but they have power over all of them. Billiards is also a very social game where people take turns hitting balls in holes- itās not only that he has too many men in his bank account, but he also has fun with the strategy of the game. Sinking these men in holes and making money.Ā And as they should! Make fools out of these men and get paid.Ā
In this part of the choreography Seunghyun and Jiyong both hit the āballā into the hole and in some instances, Jiyong sets it up for Seunghyun to hit the āballā in. This solidifies the idea that they work together to bring down these men.
Seunghyunās line in ADHD about his Pandora's box that could bring everyone down is exactly this.Ā
Ā Seunghyunās verse
Yeah, rrah
T.O.P, people call me a ghost
Da Vinci has reincarnated, yeah, my brain
Since this song is mostly a call out to the people jealous of them and specifically the aspect of where they fall for their tricks with Jiyong's seductive plays; I love the imagery of Seunghyun coming out of the shadows and scaring these men with ārahā.Ā
Then his claim of TOP (the official pimp).Ā Jiyong is his and all these ālittle boysā are just fodder to his games. He calls himself a ghost or a gwisin to be more specific. A gwisin is a type of ghost in Korea, specifically a person who has died and seeks revenge. Or to take care of a loved one. And in both definitions, heās doing that. Heās this scary apparition always in the wings for Jiyong. His shadow. He scares off these men- vengeful for the acts put upon them and in doing so protecting Jiyong from their advances. And they donāt know it until he makes himself known. Just like a ghost.Ā
Like Da Vinci, heās a master of painting a scene. Everything is crafted to his liking and heās always one step ahead. Also, Jiyong is art to him and heās the one with the brush. Moving art through time. Da Vinci was the quintessential renaissance man, and also a gay man. Heās making it very clear to those who open their eyes what he's implying.Ā
Your music puts me to sleep, decaffeine
You respect me? Hop on board the Shinkansen
Heās calling out the people in the industry who fake respect him. They ārespectā him as though theyāre saying I know youāre gay or queer but I *still* respect you or āI respect you for bagging G-Dragon.ā š And heās over it. āYour music puts me to sleep.ā Their words are decaffeinated. Empty. Also, it's very similar to Jiyong saying he shits on boring raps. Thereās no one that will make his heart flutter and excite him like Jiyong. And we know he likes his coffee black. š He hears these fake niceties countless times: āHop on boardā with everybody else.Ā
Trains in general could be considered phallic and the shinkansen more so than others, So I canāt help but think heās implying to āhop on his dickā as in āget fuckedā.
Also, the word Shinkansen literally translates to ānew main line.ā Heās saying if you truly respect me get on the train Iām driving. A new way of thinking- a progressive way of thinking. And if not, you will be shot. Bullet train is the common slang for the shinkansen, and we already know they like to āshootā their haters in songs like āBang Bang Bangā.
Francis Bacon in the corner of my kitchen
I'm like Calder dancing on top of your head
Of course, we know that Seunghyun has Francis Bacon and Calder pieces in his kitchen and from an art perspective a kitchen could be symbolic of a place where you ācook up ideasā.Ā
Ā Francis Bacon was a gay artist who made a lot of controversial, unapologetic queer art during a time when being gay was illegal. A man that crossed dressed and was often mixing the binaries of man and women in his art. Obviously, he would be a great source of inspiration for Seunghyun but since this is a āfuck youā song I believe heās referring to Jiyong- someone who also fights the binaries all the time and is always being unapologetically queer in his music (if you know how to look at it). Heās making art for queer people in a homophobic country. And him being in his kitchen is not only a ā ha-ha we live togetherā but itās him saying that Jiyong is a source of his inspiration. He ācooksā up ideas with him. They are a unit that canāt be divided.Ā Ā
Which perfectly transitions into the next line. Like Calder mobiles, the thoughts of them dance above their haterās' heads. Calder mobiles are all about synchronization and balanced movement. Seunghyun is working on a level where all his actions are part of a bigger play, and all the industry can do is watch from below as Jiyong and him soar above them with all their perfectly succinct actions.Ā
All you critics who are way too serious, what do you even know?
Since I was fat as a kid, I understand the taste/value of pig/money.Ā
People are constantly on him for taking risks and being ācarelessā on stage. For playing with fire. Jiyong and him constantly put more than their careers on the line when they push the boundaries of what is ārightā when they are forced to be in the public eye. But heās saying they know exactly what theyāre doing.Ā He knows how to tip toe the line between ruining these men and making money off of them. He used to be fat when he was younger could be implying that āhe ate like a pigā meaning when he was younger he had similar thoughts and habits to these men so he knows how these ā pigsā think.Ā
He could also be saying heās been āeatingā these men since he was younger. This is not his first rodeo. He knows the taste of them because heās had firsthand experience and has been destroying them since day one. Seunghyun and Jiyong met in middle school and Iām assuming heās been scaring off men like this from day one. He also understands the value in these men trying for them. He understands how to make money off of them. And phonetically the line reads as āmy slaughterā. He's going to take them out one by one.Ā
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
All you little kids, go back to your mama's arms
Heās calling the entertainment industry the Roman Empire. Jiyong and Seunghyun have to adopt the behavior of the people around them to survive in the industry.Ā He says this line sardonically. He's mocking the fact that they are just doing what everyone else does but they are at the top of the game and the people are mad! They know thatās how to be successful in infiltrating this system and beating these men in terms of their ego games.Ā And the little kids or in another translation ā little onesā who donāt understand this wonāt survive. Because itās not comfortable and you have to be very strong to make it. Only the strong will survive in Rome. But the fact he says little ones could come across as a warning to the younger generations as well.Ā
Ā Rome was also a place where there were no labels in terms of sexuality. It was all based on hierarchy and being a dominant figure vs being passive. Which goes back to the industry being a perverse place in that itās seedy and full of hypocrisy. But thereās also this undertone of sarcasm saying āyeah weāre gay and together but weāre just doing what you guys are doingā š He is pointing the finger right back at them.Ā The closet is full in South Korea.Ā
When you see the pinnacle, you'll realize reality
Little boy, hurry and go back to mama
Ā He says specificallyā little boyā here and I take it as him talking directly to Jiyongās pursuers or predators to be more exact. Telling them they need to hurry and go back to their mamas because they wonāt ever have a chance once they fully understand the love and devotion that they have for each other! Not only that, but they are both beyond being bothered by something as small as this. They are at the top and the rest of their haters are part of a āfake realityā. Heās saying āOnce you realize the level that we are working and playing at you will be so out of your depth that you will be scared.Ā You are a child nipping at my heels.ā
It also reads as though heās saying once you reach that higher level of thinking, you will realize how all your actions and desires have nothing to do with what is really important in life. Your desires and wants are childish and you still have a lot to learn.Ā
Light radiates (Uh-uh), it spills over (Uh-uh)
It overflows from me, I'm the one source of inspiration (Wow)
This goes back to the spring and cup idea. If Jiyong is the cup then Seunghyun is the spring. Heās Jiyongās once source of inspiration. His spring of knowledge fills Jiyongās cup.Ā From his music to the clothes and jewelry he wears. āIt overflows from meā- heās theĀ source of this light that spills over and out of Jiyong. Jiyong radiates a light that people canāt help but follow. Itās like he's saying Jiyongās light is so bright that others canāt help but blind the people around him ( fall for him). The public who adores Jiyong and follow all the trends and styles he starts just by loving Seunghyun. The source of Jiyongās radiance comes from his relationship with Seunghyun. And he's bragging about the fact that everything they wish they could have in Jiyong is for him. Jiyong is his in ways people could only dream of. It's really a āwowā type of realization. And goes back to him saying once you see the pinnacle ( him) you will realize you are nothing.Ā
In the choreography for this part Seunghyun is behind Jiyong as he faces the girls walking towards them. Jiyongās facing the people. Itās such a clever way of saying that Seunhyun is behind all of Jiyong's motives and music. He's the ghost lurking behind him. The inspiration / ghost writer for his music.Ā They are always connected and it's their love that brings people to them.Ā
Also, because this is a song about queer celebration, heās saying that their love is radiant. That it shines a light in the darkness for the younger queer youth.Ā
He pronounces the word ālightā heavily as the word ābitchā and he likes to repeat it over and over in live performances. Just goes back to how much a fuck you this song is to all the people hoping for their downfall and how empowering it must feel to rap about it. āBitchā also has a derogatory meaning in someone who is cowardly; someone who āruns back to their mamaāsā.Ā
Anyone can see that I'm so sick
Sick with alcohol? They tell me, he's art, so sick
His last line is a little harder to interpret and there are multiple varying translations. This was the most common translation of this line so Iām going to assume it's the most accurate.Ā
āAnyone can see Iām so sickā comes across as him not only saying his ācoolnessā just radiates off of him, but he could be playing on the fact that heās saying anyone can tell Iām so different or queer. Due to him being so enraptured and possessive of Jiyong it is pretty obvious that he is. And the fact that someone as amazing as Jiyong is devoted to him also goes into how everyone can see that heās so amazing.Ā
In this last lineā heās artā also sounds like heās saying, āheās alcoholā. He could be referring to an aspect when people are drunk, and their inhibitions are down they come to him and confide that what heās doing is art. He could also be referring to the fact that even when heās wasted on alcohol, something we know he had a habit of doing to be able to handle the reality of the world around him, heās able to produce amazing art.
But I canāt help but think this line also has to do with Jiyong as well. Calling Jiyong his art and drink at the same time. His āfixā for the world around him. In this part of the choreography, he usually is facing Jiyong and, in some cases, will fall down to his knees. And Jiyong comes up perfectly timed to sing the chorus when this happens. The imagery makes it seem as though heās ādrunkā off of Jiyong because heās pure art. And as we know from Stendal Syndrome, Seunghyun has shown to get delirious because of his lover.Ā
G-Dra-Goni and Daegil teaming up, put on a big smile
The two of us are Tazza
G-Dra-Goni and Daegil teaming up
Load the bullets and bang, bang, bang
The fact that they use Tazza to describe themselves perfectly encapsulates what this whole song is about.Ā Daegil, the character Seunghyun plays, is made into a fall guy and is betrayed and forced into hiding and left with a huge debt he needs to pay off. He teams up with his first love *cough cough* to play a high-stakes game to reclaim his honor and seek revenge. It highlights the treacherous world of gambling, and he faces many adversaries along the way. The story follows the same notes that Seunghyun and Jiyong face every day throughout their time in Bigbang. It also highlights a lot more darker notes that are going behind the scenes. I canāt imagine the black mail and torment they were put through. But they are like Tazza. They are playing the game knowing what stakes are on the line, and they are willing to risk it all.Ā
Also, the word tazza literally translates to swindler. They constantly are swindling people around them. If itās from swindling these men out of their money by threatening to expose their āsecrets" or if it's swindling the public into believing someone, they are not. Jiyongās moniker in this is very interesting. Itās obviously a play on G-dragon but it also has the words ādragā pronounced explicitly. As though G-Dragon in character itself is swindling people into believing the masculine straight persona that he puts on in the public eye.Ā
Ā āPut on a big smileā is not only what they have to do most of the time but it's what they expect from the people around them. The fact that they are āteaming up "together makes a lot of people unhappy within the industry. The āputting onā of the smiles comes across as a demand from them. Pretend to be happy or else they will load the bullets and ākill youā.Ā
Loading the bullets and shooting also creates this imagery of a shootout which is exactly what they are doing with the hateful people around them. They have to fake nice and put on these smiles, but all their interactions are filled with tension and jabs at one another. People constantly try to bring them down or shame them. But they are so clever and above it that they are to shoot right back. And just as the MV depicts- Theyāre Bonnie and Clyde. Outlaws in the entertainment industry.Ā
This song is just so powerful. They didnāt waste their chance to do their one song together on this album by not saying some real shit. You have to imagine they had to move a lot of strings (I donāt think thatās how you say that lol) to be able to put out this song. A lot of gunfire you could say. Itās such an amazing moment in LGBTIQ history in South Korea- especially for young queer people. They have perfectly tip-toed the line between making a statement and coming off as the personas that they are forced to feed the public. Truly masters of their art. The way they have to work extra hard and be extra clever to release a song like this just shows how dedicated and amazing they are as artists and as people who fight for change.Ā And it makes me so happy and grateful I get to be a part of the story they continue to write. ššš©·
I want to close on linking this fan-cam of them doing an encore for Zutter on the Mnet stage. This was right after their first performance of Zutter and there's something about this performance where you can really feel their passion and "fuck you energy". There must be a lot of conflicting emotions performing on a stage like this. A place where the people don't respect you and you feel as though you have a target on your back. But they understand the power move it is to perform this song and they have fun with it. The consistent checking out of each other during the song and moaning at the end are some of my favorite bits. And you know Seunghyun was kissing that award not only to mock them, but as a stand in for what he would do to Jiyong if he was allowed. š„²











