K-Pop Legends Epik High, CL, And ZICO Claim Their Thrones In “Rosario” — An Analysis
Korean hip-hop group Epik High is a legendary group that debuted all the way back in 2003 and there back again! This time with help from CL and ZICO (and many others who helped with the album). The music video for “Rosario” is still very new, so many are still forming their theories and analyzing, however, the message is clear, they are legends of K-Pop and they will not be forgotten.
The music video is very death-forward and the lyrics are very life-forward. Tablo is first seen with a bloody spot on his shirt where his heart would be and it is revealed at the end that he shot himself.
He raps “love me when I’m here, shut up when I’m gone… if you really wanted me to rest in peace, f*** ‘rest in’ say nothing more than ‘peace’“. He is describing his absence from the industry as a “death” and wanted people to love him when he is active but not hate him when he is gone. He is not dead, he just wants peace.
Most notably he states “I paved the way for everyone that is paving the way.” Since debuting in 2003, Epik High and he have practically started with nothing and built their way to the top, giving other groups and singers the chance to pave their own new way.
DJ Tukutz shows up as a man in a suit who is barefoot. Some believe this to be a reference to putting tags on corpses feet in morgues.
Mithra Jin recreates a famous scene from The Shining, which is a movie involving death and insanity. He challenges haters by saying “be unruly, be merciless, shake me down because I’m unbreakable. I raised a set of stairs with the stones you threw.” He grew from the hate and trauma he has received over the years.
CL is first seen in a painting, similar to those old portraits you see of famous people from the past but later is seen out of the painting and instead, dancing in the hallway. Then she is seen in front of a bed full of roses, which could symbolize a coffin that people throw roses on top of. Except, she is in front of it, symbolizing she is still alive in the industry.
Do what I wanna, say what I wanna. Go ahead, tear me to pieces and talk your s***. Don’t want your prayers, don’t want your roses, ain’t no one dyin’ today. Out of my way, I am a legend and I’m here to stay. Did it my way, where I set foot becomes the way.
—CL
CL is another singer who has been in the industry for a very long time as she debuted with 2NE1 in 2009. She too has received a lot of hate over the years. She enhances the funeral theme by referencing prayers, roses, and dying. However, she stands firm and tells the world she isn’t going anywhere.
ZICO then comes in to shade music sites and antis who gave him negative comments. “‘Zico is over, on his high horse and now he’s fallen off’ but not even a year later I swallowed up all of Melon.” ZICO has been in many controversies and hateful articles but he stands up and lets them know that they don’t control him.
Not to mention, the entire music video is filmed vertically, which makes the viewer feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. Enhancing the idea of the intense music industry.
Analyze the full music video below!
