Block B returns with new single, carnival concept

K-pop boy group Block B has come out with new single “Jackpot” and a wild, carnival-crazy music video.

The single was released via Youtube, social media and local music websites on Tuesday.

“Jackpot” is filled with electro hip-hop beats, rhythmic rapping and lively vocals. The song features an interesting mash-up of diverse sounds ranging from piano and brass to bass, children chanting and gunshots.

The music video, reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s famous children’s story “Alice in Wonderland,” presents the members of Block B as strange men wearing frightening clown masks and wacky hairdos. The music begins with a confused little girl waking up in a colorful world of carnivals and schizophrenic lights.

The song’s melody and the music video progress in disjointed sections. The girl, played by young actress Kim Sae-ron, is turned into a puppet, tied to a rotating dartboard and even frenetically given a haircut. Throughout the song, the Block B members continue the crazy carnival theme with their hyped-up playful dance moves.

At the end of the video the young girl, now dressed in shiny rocker clothes, confidently marches off as she flips off the Block B members ― a bold move for a K-pop music video.

Block B will stage its first live performance of “Jackpot” on MNet’s flagship music program “M Countdown” on Thursday.

The group is also scheduled to deliver its first solo concert series titled “2014 Blockbuster” in May. The group will perform at Olympic Hall in Seoul from May 17-18 and at Busan KBS Hall in Busan from May 23-24.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)