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CROSS GENE is a group that debuted back in 2012 with their album Timeless: Begins. Since then, they have had many impactful comebacks, including their song "Black or White," which stands out from the rest with its dark concept and focus on mental health themes.
Two Songs Become One
The concept for "Black or White" is particularly interesting because the song is actually composed of two separate songs: "Black Mind" and "White Mind." To create both songs, the six-member group at the time was divided into two units, Black Unit and White Unit, each containing three members. "Black or White" was made by taking the chorus from "White Mind" and everything else from "Black Mind," including the bridge shared by all three songs.
Despite this, if you were to play both "Black Mind" and "White Mind" at the same time, you would just get chaos, because the focus of the songs is to find balance by picking and choosing the best parts of these two sides.
Black Unit: A Story of Mistrust
The Black Unit included Seyoung, Takuya, and Casper, and worked on the song "Black Mind." It focuses on a relationship in which neither partner seems to trust each other. The so-called black mind of this person has learned from past experiences not to trust anyone, partly because they have similar tendencies themselves. The partner might be hiding things, but the main character is too involved to see the red flags.
The Battle Within
"Black or White" has a very interesting focus, however, as it shows the struggle for dominance between the good and the bad in each of the members. Right from the beginning of the music video, we can infer that this fight has been going on for a while, as they all seemed to have been running away from something, with the exception of Sangmin, who appears to be dead in a coffin.
Each member has a different scenario unique to them, but they all have something in common: in each scenario, an evil version of themselves shows up. They are all caught by surprise, so there isn't much of a struggle as these evil clones easily gain dominance and kill their innocent counterparts. We see them in what appears to be heaven as the bridge of the song starts. It is also right after this bridge that the good versions of the members revive, though they all seem significantly changed after their encounter with death.
A Song About Mental Health
This entire music video speaks to those struggling with mental health issues, particularly depression, which is a heavily stigmatized topic everywhere, including South Korea. It inspires fans to keep fighting, even when they feel defeated, because it is never truly over unless they have given up. Despite it feeling like a never-ending cycle, it is important to know that good will always overcome evil.
What other music videos are more than meets the eye? Let us know in the comments.
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