Get ready to "Breakdown" with Kim Hyun Joong on June 8!

I was pleasantly surprised to see two things today --- that my temperature had gone down (because I was running a low fever yesterday - definitely need to take care of myself more), and that Kim Hyun Joong had just dropped his new MV for the title track of his new album, "Breakdown". When I checked online, my friend Grace commented on my status --- "DENNISSSSSSSS...!!!" I already knew what was going on, and when I checked my RSS feed for the blogs I read, I saw that KHJ in fact just released him MV.

Hyun Joong is set to release his album on June 8 in Korea (and simultaneously I think in many other Asian countries), but I'm not surprised that he and his management team decided to  release the MV earlier than expected. I've seen many artists do that, but for KHJ, apparently he does it for his fans. He's even giving 4,000 of his fans a free concert / showcase in Korea to thank them for being patient for waiting for his comeback. No wonder this guy has such an ardent fanbase (they're just as enthusiastic here in Manila, trust me!).

Now, on to the video...

"Breakdown" as a track is catchy since it captures two definite crowd-pleasing genres --- electro-dance pop and hip-hop. I like how the entire song is driven by the bass beat background. Kim Hyun Joong also attacks the song differently in terms of vocal style --- he goes deep and raspy for this one. It isn't as clean a vocal performance as "Please", but it definitely is appropriate for the theme of the song and the MV.

The MV theme and sets are definitely strongly influenced by urban hip-hop. Dark, secluded settings, with a strong interplay of light and shadow. Interestingly, no matter how ghetto-ish the settings try to be, it's balanced out by the costuming and the choreography, which lend a good amount of sensual sophistication to the atmosphere.

My favorite element of the video would most probably be the choreography for the song. It's simple, clean, and interesting to watch. Considering it's a fast paced electro-pop dance, you'd expected a sharper, more complicated choreography --- but then again, complicated doesn't mean good right away. All the moves were well timed to the groove of the song. I especially liked a combination of moves that I'd like to call KHJ's "jump-and-pump" (hahaha! I thought it was cool!) ---  he jumps in the air with his legs crossed and his arms pointing to the left, then when he lands, he does a series of hip thrusts after. Talk about sexy!

"Breakdown" by Kim Hyun Joong (MV Only)

If Kim Hyun Joong was gunning for anticipation, I think he did a great job in releasing his MV a few days before the album comes out. It's got me wanting for more, and I'm pretty sure the Henecians out there are going crazy after getting a good eyeful of Hyun Joong in a 3mins 45sec video! 

A few more days to go before we all "Breakdown"!