K-Song Review: BIBI Vengeance by BIBI

Tirna Sarkar, Kolkata, West Bengal

A SoundCloud musician went on to become one of the most famous K-pop artists of recent times, who is none other than BIBI and her albums do not disappoint. Kim Hyung-seo also known by her stage name BIBI is a singer, songwriter and actress. She participated in The Fan in 2018 and became the runner-up. In 2017, BIBI signed up with Feel Good Music after Yoon Mi-rae discovered her self-produced songs on SoundCloud. She made her debut with the song ‘Binu’, in May 2019. In 2021, BIBI released her solo song ‘The Weekend’ in collaboration with 88rising, which topped the Mediabase Top 40 chart. BIBI became one of the first female Korean solo artists to achieve such a feat. The Vengeance song is part of BIBI’s ‘album ‘Lowlife Princess: Noir’ which was released in November 2022.

MV Interpretation

The music video of this song imitates a revenge thriller, and the meaning of the song is deeper than what the lyrics say. The song Vengeance emerged as a much more popular track than the other songs. The theme of the MV is revenge and is directed by Kim Hyun-soo and produced by SEGAJI. The music video opens with BIBI coming out of a car wearing white and she bows to pay her respects at a funeral.

An influential politician pours a bottle of soju on her as he laughs, and this is when the song starts. The music video showcases BIBI in different roles. In the beginning, we see her as a silent woman who is dressed in white, representing peace. As the beats of the song begin, BIBI is seen as a female gang lady dressed in a black suit flanked by an army of female gang members who set out to take revenge on the man who humiliated her.

BIBI steps out of a typical Korean female artist and is not afraid to become violent with those who mistreat her. The politician is kidnapped and blindfolded as BIBI circles around him in a car. BIBI’s outfits show a ruggedness and adequately portray her in the role of a violent gang lady. The lyrics emphasize how she is willing to put up with everything but also warns that if they cross the line the bad girl might come out. 

“Watch me dance; Watch me sing; I’ll let you go up to here; Run away quickly;
Watch me dance; Watch me sing; Don’t ever get caught again; You’ll thеn see; The bad bitch”

BIBI confidently embraces femininity with power

The chorus of the song is quite addictive and has been trending on TikTok and Instagram reels. BIBI is seen to wear nails similar to what Johnny Depp’s character wore in the movie Edward Scissorhands. The choreography of the song is unique and unconventional compared to the K-pop industry but powerful. The choreography is done by Özge Çaltakoğlu who is Turkish.

BIBI abandons every ounce of femininity and softness and acts like a violent crime lord who does not forgive disrespect and takes vengeance in her way. In a significant scene of the music video, the kidnapped politician begs her sorry and asks her to let him go, and BIBI looks at him and laughs which surely sends chills down the spine.

The artist has explained that the song was inspired by her own experiences, and she calls out every person in her life who did not fairly treat her. Currently, the music video of Vengeance has 1.6 million likes and has surpassed 54 million views. BIBI has also acted in movies like Hopeless and in the latest K-drama The Worst of Evil co-starring Ji Chang- wook and Wi Ha-joon.

Have you listened to this song? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!