AUDIO + LANGUAGE + MESSAGE
BY MEGAN STRICKLAND
Listening to a K-pop song is an experience that requires more context than most content that is displayed in an audio medium. It is completely possible to listen to a K-pop song without extra context, but understanding what the song is actually about, the MESSAGE of the song, requires textual information. K-pop is, of course, in Korean which automatically sets up a LANGUAGE barrier for all non-Korean listeners. Many resources are available for international K-pop fans such as lyric translation websites. As a result of this desire to understand the MESSAGE, a quasi-new medium has been created: color-coded lyric videos. These VIDEOS, mostly on YouTube, combine TEXT, LANGUAGE, and AUDIO to provide an all-in-one piece of media in order to provide the full MESSAGE to international audiences.
STATEMENT
"The 'content' of any medium is always another medium. The content of writing is speech, just as the written word is the content of print, and print is the content of the telegraph." - Marshall McLuhan
The purpose of this project is to understand the roles that AUDIO, LANGUAGE, and MESSAGE play in the international K-pop fanbase's experience with K-pop songs. Color-coded lyric videos combine TEXT, ACOUSTIC SPACE, and VISUAL SPACE to create a VIDEO that is able to accurately convey the song's MESSAGE while preserving the song's LANGUAGE. This is a form of NEW MEDIA that is a result of the international fan's need to bypass the LANGUAGE barrier that comes with the genre, and desire to enjoy the song as any Korean speaker would.
SONG
Here is a link to the song "Colors" by IZ*ONE. This link provides audio only and no visual or textual information about the track or its lyrics. This is meant to provide the purely audio-based experience the average listener would have when hearing the song.
VIDEO
Below is a video I created that combines the AUDIO and MESSAGE of "Colors" by IZ*ONE while utilizing the LANGUAGE of the song's lyrics.
These color-coded lyric videos are incredibly popular in the K-pop fan community. For example, there are already 13 color-coded lyric videos for "Colors" by IZ*ONE on YouTube, and those are just from the first page of search results. Some offer English translations, some Spanish translations, some Portuguese translations. These videos exist out of the desire to not necessarily understand the LANGUAGE, but to gain the whole MESSAGE of the song.
lyrics
Below are the lyrics for the song "Colors" by IZ*ONE. Because the song is in the Korean language, the lyrics can be displayed in several ways. Lyric translation websites are very popular in the K-pop fan community due to the large amount of fans who do not speak Korean, and most sites will provide the Hangul, a Romanization of the Hangul, and an English translation. ColorCodedLyrics, one of the more popular lyric sites, lays out the Hangul, Romanization, and English side by side, as mirrored below. The site also color-codes the lyrics to show which member is singing which part, which you can see here. K-pop groups can have more than 10 members, so sometimes it's difficult to differentiate members' voices. This is why color-coding is such a big deal in the K-pop fan community.
HANGUL
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
끌리네 그 누구와도
다르게 변하고 싶어 나
너를 바라보면서 Ye
너를 알아가면서 Ye
상상이 내 감정을 더 움직여
열두 가지 색색깔의 무지개
나는 과연 어떤 색일까
우리 더 빛나게 해볼까
천천히 하나 둘 그리는 하얀 종이 위에
(빨주노초파남보 우리 어울리는 색은 뭐)
늘 너의 곁에서 나
I will always be with you
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
색다른 주문을 걸었지 내 입술
Magic shop인 것처럼 나로 물들여
첫 번째 시간은 내 맘대로 미술
하늘 붕 뜨는 기분 괜히 두근거려
Black and white 세상 위에
칠해놓은 나만의 색깔 ooh
서로 다른 우리가 모이니까
벌써 멋진 그림이 돼버리잖아
느낌 있어 모든 색이 다
짜릿하게 번져가니까
Look into my eyes
원하는 대로
(우린 다 할 수 있어)
손끝부터 발끝까지 다
별빛처럼 반짝이니까
Look into my eyes
원하는 대로
(원하는 대로)
천천히 하나 둘 그리는 하얀 종이 위에
(빨주노초파남보 우리 어울리는 색은 뭐)
늘 너의 곁에서 나
I will always be with you
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
자꾸 색칠하고 싶어 좋은 기분
(어떤 색) I like that
네 맘을 흔들어 나만 보게
투명한 유리컵 안에 담은 Color
짜릿해져
자꾸 색칠하고 싶어 좋은 기분
(어떤 색) I like that
네 맘을 흔들어 나만 보게
투명한 유리컵 안에 담은 Color
너무 좋아 Baby
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
ROMANIZATION
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
Ggeuline geu nuguwado
Dareuge byeonhago sipeo na
Neoreul barabomyeonseo Ye
Neoreul aragamyeonseo Ye
Sangsangi nae gamjeongeul deo umjikyeo
Yeoldu gaji saeksaekggalui mujigae
Naneun gwayeon eoddeon saekilkka
Uri deo bitnage haebolkka
Cheoncheonhi hana dul geurineun hayan jongi wie
(Bbaljunochopanambo uri eoullineun saekeun mwo)
Neul neoui gyeoteseo na
I will always be with you
Oh ireon areumdaun keolleo
Nado moreuge jakku ikkeullyeo
Yeppeun jeo haneule dama
Nareul geurigo sipeoyo
Neowa naega mandeun keolleo
Urimanui bimili yeollyeo Baby
I'll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
Saekdareun jumunul geoleotji nae ibsul
Magic shopin geotcheoreom naro muldeulyeo
Cheot beonjjae shiganeun nae mamdaero misul
Haneul bung ddeuneun gibun gwaenhi dugeungeoryeo
Black and white sesang wie
Chilhaenoheun namanui saekkkal ooh
Seoro dareun uriga moinikka
Beolsseo meotjin geurimi dwaebeorijanha
Neukkim isseo modeun saeki da
Jjarithage beonjyeoganikka
Look into my eyes
Wonhaneun daero
(Urin da hal su isseo)
Sonkkeutbuteo balkkeutkkaji da
Byeolbitcheoreom banjjakinikka
Look into my eyes
Wonhaneun daero
(Wonhaneun daero)
Cheoncheonhi hana dul geurineun hayan jongi wie
(Bbaljunochopanambo uri eolullineun saekeun mwo)
Neul neoui gyeotseo na
I will always be with you
Oh ireon areumdaun keollo
Nado moreuge jakku ikkeullyeo
Yeppeun jeo haneule dama
Nareul geurigo sipeoyo
Neowa naega mandeun keollo
Urimanui bimili yeollyeo Baby
I'll show you my colors
Jakku saekchilhago sipeo joheun gibun
(Eoddeon saek) I like that
Nae mameul heundeuleo naman boge
Tumyeonghan yurikeob ane dameun Color
Jjarithaejyeo
Jakku saekchilhago sipeo joheun gibun
(Eoddeon saek) I like that
Nae mameul heundeuleo naman boge
Tumyeonghan yurikeob ane dameun Color
Neomu joha Baby
Oh ireon areumdaeun keollo
Nado moreuge jakku ikkeullyeo
Yeppeun jeo haneule dama
Nareul geurigo sipeoyo
Neowa naega mandeun keolleo
Urimanui bimili yeollyeo Baby
I'll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
Have you ever seen anything?
Areumdaun saek areumdaun saek areumdaun saek
Have you ever seen this color?
Areumdaun saek areum daun daun daun daun
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
I’m being drawn,
I want to change into something different than anyone else
As I look at you, ye
As I get to know you, ye
Imaginations move my emotions even more
Rainbow with twelve different colors
Which color am I
Shall we make it even brighter
On top of the white paper we are drawing slowly one by one
(Red orange yellow green blue indigo violet which color fits us)
I am always next to you
I will always be with you
Oh this beautiful color
I keep getting drawn by it without me knowing
Put it into that pretty sky
I want to draw myself
The color you and I made
A secret just between the two of us will open baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
I have casted a uniquely colored spell
My lips, as if I’m a magic shop I become colored as well
First period is art because I want it to be
I feel like I’ll float into the air my heart starts to thump
On top of this black and white world
I have colored it with my own color ooh
Since all of us who are different gathers
It already became an awesome picture
Each color has a certain feel to it all
Since it spreads out electrifyingly
Look into my eyes
The way we want
(We can do it all)
From our fingertips to the tips of our toes
It all sparkles like the starlight
Look into my eyes
The way we want
(The way we want)
On top of the white paper we are drawing slowly one by one
(Red orange yellow green blue indigo violet which color fits us)
I am always next to you
I will always be with you
Oh this beautiful color
I keep getting drawn by it without me knowing
Put it into that pretty sky
I want to draw myself
The color you and I made
A secret just between the two of us will open baby
I’ll show you my colors
This good feeling of always wanting to color
(Which color) I like that
I shake your heart so I can see it alone
Color that is put inside a transparent cup
Becomes electrifying
This good feeling of always wanting to color
(Which color) I like that
I shake your heart so I can see it alone
Color that is put inside a transparent cup
it’s very nice baby
Oh this beautiful color
I keep getting drawn by it without me knowing
Put it into that pretty sky
I want to draw myself
The color you and I made
A secret just between the two of us will open baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
Have you ever seen anything?
Beautiful color beautiful color beautiful color
Have you ever seen this color?
Beautiful color beautiful ful ful ful
COLOR CODED
Each member of IZ*ONE is assigned a color as seen below. The text of the lyrics are then colored to match the member who sings that line. This can be tricky to follow as it requires the viewer to remember each person's color while they read the lyrics. For example, if a viewer reads a line that's orange, they must remember that Yuri is the member who is orange, or they must scroll back up to the top to see the assigned colors. This also requires the viewer to be able to read Hangul, though some sites will color-code the Romanization as well.
Eunbi Sakura Hyewon Yena Chaeyeon
Chaewon Minju Nako Hitomi Yuri Yujin Wonyoung
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
끌리네 그 누구와도
다르게 변하고 싶어 나
너를 바라보면서 Ye
너를 알아가면서 Ye
상상이 내 감정을 더 움직여
열두 가지 색색깔의 무지개
나는 과연 어떤 색일까
우리 더 빛나게 해볼까
천천히 하나 둘 그리는 하얀 종이 위에
(빨주노초파남보 우리 어울리는 색은 뭐)
늘 너의 곁에서 나
I will always be with you
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
색다른 주문을 걸었지 내 입술
Magic shop인 것처럼 나로 물들여
첫 번째 시간은 내 맘대로 미술
하늘 붕 뜨는 기분 괜히 두근거려
Black and white 세상 위에
칠해놓은 나만의 색깔 ooh
서로 다른 우리가 모이니까
벌써 멋진 그림이 돼버리잖아
느낌 있어 모든 색이 다
짜릿하게 번져가니까
Look into my eyes
원하는 대로
(우린 다 할 수 있어)
손끝부터 발끝까지 다
별빛처럼 반짝이니까
Look into my eyes
원하는 대로
(원하는 대로)
천천히 하나 둘 그리는 하얀 종이 위에
(빨주노초파남보 우리 어울리는 색은 뭐)
늘 너의 곁에서 나
I will always be with you
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
자꾸 색칠하고 싶어 좋은 기분
(어떤 색) I like that
네 맘을 흔들어 나만 보게
투명한 유리컵 안에 담은 Color
짜릿해져
자꾸 색칠하고 싶어 좋은 기분
(어떤 색) I like that
네 맘을 흔들어 나만 보게
투명한 유리컵 안에 담은 Color
너무 좋아 Baby
Oh 이런 아름다운 컬러
나도 모르게 자꾸 이끌려
예쁜 저 하늘에 담아
나를 그리고 싶어요
너와 내가 만든 컬러
우리만의 비밀이 열려 Baby
I’ll show you my colors
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운
Have you ever seen anything?
아름다운 색 아름다운 색 아름다운 색
Have you ever seen this color?
아름다운 색 아름다운 다운 다운 다운