HyunA’s style in “I’m Not Cool” is as daring and eclectic as she is. Her persona in the music video is honestly not much different from that portrayed in her social media. This comeback is in many ways a loud exclamation and tall middle finger towards public disagreements on everything she is. “I’m Not Cool” didn’t reinvent HyunA’s image; it took the obvious and threw it straight back at our faces. “I’m Not Cool” is her way of stirring outcries and laughing it out in a sassy fashion – literally.
If you haven’t noticed HyunA before, then she most definitely stands out from the crowd now. One of the craziest outfits HyunA wore in the “I’m Not Cool” music video is this asymmetrical jagged-cut jumpsuit. The odd outfit is free from carrying a brand name and price tag, directing the attention more towards HyunA herself. The outfit is also very eye-catchy, highlighting commonly overlooked spots of her body that most of her previous outfits haven’t highlighted before. Her chest and underwear aren’t exposed like before; instead, you see her feet and torso. It’s almost mind-boggling for viewers who rapidly search for the familiar body areas they expected to see, yet eventually discover something else. Adding to the playfulness of her outfit is the extremely long braided ponytail, which could symbolize growth and maturity. (I’m basing the meaning off of how older tribal women have long braided hair. Braided hair does have cultural and historical significance.)
Another noteworthy (and my personal favorite) outfit from the “I’m Not Cool” era is the “e-Girl outfit”. I added quotations because I’m not sure if the fashion stylist really intended to make HyunA look like an e-Girl, but it really does seem like HyunA assumed the role of an e-Girl. The e-Girls that come to mind are the ones that take pride in being trendy fashionistas, spend a lot of time on the Internet (as their name suggests), and/or are attention-seekers. In this outfit, the words of “I’m Not Cool” do sound more like she’s mimicking the toxic netziens she’s come to know so well. At the same time, HyunA acknowledges that she enjoys feeding off of the online gossip with her greediness. To top off this outfit, she wears a washable mood tattoo on her wrist. It’s right below HyunA’s real black tattoo. Despite how tattoos are pretty taboo in Korea, she appreciates them as an art of self-expression. The four colorful moods emphasize the fact that she’s human. They also show that she embraces freedom of expression; unlike most other idols that control their emotions and reactions in front of their fans, HyunA isn’t afraid of truly expressing her innermost beliefs and desires.
The “I’m Not Cool” era has really caught the attention of those who’re familiar with her 2nd and 3rd gen. K-pop image. As HyunA continues to further cement herself as a legendary idol under PNation, I hope that she continues to let her raw personality shine through her comeback concepts.
MCTTAN 