5 Creative Uses Of Food In K-Pop MVs

We all need food to survive, but more than that, food can symbolize so many different feelings. It’s often the center of the most joyful and tender moments in our lives. What food can express is endless. So it’s not a surprise that many K-pop music videos heavily feature food. Check out some creative uses of food in these K-pop music videos below!

Red Velvet – “Peek-A-Boo”

Red Velvet often uses food as a motif in their music videos (after all, even the group name is food-based), but the jewel-encrusted pizza in “Peek-A-Boo” creates a sense of unease as the pointy, shiny jewels contrast with the round shape of the pizza. It’s high culture meets low culture. Coupled with the Red Velvet members chasing down the pizza delivery boy, the imagery perfectly serves the cat-and-mouse game of the lyrics.

GOT7 – “Just right”

In this music video, the GOT7 members appear tiny in bowls of cereals and candy, encouraging a young girl to feel more confident in herself. While the colorful food matches perfectly with the upbeat melody, perhaps the food is also symbolizing more. In a world where young girls are often made to feel a lot of anxiety around what they eat, the GOT7 members are telling her that it’s ok. She is “just right” as she is.

Woosung – “FACE”

In this sultry song, Woosung incorporates food metaphors in the lyrics to describe falling for someone. And of course, these metaphors made it into the video from ice cream melting to bright red cherries being dunked into a glass of milk. They provide poppy and fun visuals to the flirty lyrics.

TXT – “Can’t You See Me?”

The TXT members start off eating cookies and strawberries, but eventually, the food devolves into chaos as the strawberries get blended without the top on to full-on food fights. How messy the food turns out represents the lyrics of the song well as it deals with the aching confusion of a break-up. Something as ordinary as food can suddenly make no sense.

ITZY – “WANNABE”

In the “WANNABE” video, Lia kicks food off of a long banquet table. She has a mischievous expression on her face, delighting in her actions. She knows she’s not supposed to, but she doesn’t care. It’s a short and sweet way to capture the message of the song to “no matter if you love me or hate me, I wanna be me, one and only me.” You can go along with it or not, but who in the end doesn’t want to engage in shenanigans now and then?

There are so many other K-pop music videos that use food! What are some of your favorites? Tell us in the comments below!

Sarah K. is a freelance writer. She enjoys watching Korean movies, and her favorite groups include SHINee, Red Velvet, BTS, and Epik High.