In collaboration with Disney, K-pop supergroup Exo released a special song, “Lightsaber,” for the upcoming Star Wars installment this week.
A slight departure from their usual style, the beat and melody of “Lightsaber” has more of a dubstep identity, decorated by electronic quirks and the occasional, necessary Star Wars sound effects. A deep, ominous exhale from Darth Vader opens the song, followed by the pulsing of a swinging lightsaber to establish the Star Wars feel.
The music video showcases what Exo do best: smooth and powerful vocals, mysterious narratives, and close-up camera angles that highlight their smoldering good looks. In the video, Kai, Baekhyun, and Sehun, three of the nine Exo members, take the screen as modern Jedis in Seoul. Although, as the video progresses, it’s unclear what their back stories or purposes are—and it doesn’t necessarily make any sense. Why is Kai all beat up and bloodied? What’s got Baekhyun so mad that he’s tearing up an abandoned grocery store? And where is Sehun going on that slick motorbike?
While the catchy song is enough to hook Exo fans, it’s debatable how convinced Star Wars fans may be. Unfortunately the video falls short in building a strong connection with the Force. The only links displayed in the video are the close-ups of the members holding or twirling the hilt of a deactivated lightsaber and scattered signs around town.
The video teases action near the end with a foreboding red light, but a starry credits screen disappointingly crushes our hopes of seeing any of the Exo members showing off their Jedi skills. (At least we can see something close with this performance from their summer concert series.)
Exo are official ambassadors for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Exo’s host company, SM Entertainment, has previously begun establishing relations with Disney through a collaboration with the SM Rookies and Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club.
Aside from that, as one of K-pop’s most popular groups, it only makes sense Exo would be chosen for the job. And it might help that the group’s concept characterizes them as aliens from Exo Planet with special elemental powers. They’d probably fit in to the Star Wars universe just fine.
Screengrab via SMTown/YouTube
