Check out this new(ish) video of Ukranian boy group, Kazaky. Already with almost 1,200,000 hits on Youtube in 1 month; this video has gone viral in the art/fashion/music world. There certainly is a niche in the industry for these guys! Watch the video here!:
I found out about this in February from Ali's Blog and was blown away by the music video directed by the talented Yevgeniy Timokhin. Kazaky are made up of Oleg, Arthur, Stas and Cyril and aren't your typical 'boy band'. I think popular culture and the music industry is ready for 'alternative pop' with a twist.
I particularly love how they dance so effortlessly in heels and manage to pull off (I believe are Gareth Pugh designs as he is mentioned in the lyrics) with style and look masculinely glamorous (which is a hard thing to do!) Their dancing is amazing as it's so fluid with grace and attitude forgetting the fact that they're dancing in high heels.
At the beginning I like how the dance with black scarves and how the video cuts to symmetry. Then in the break section with the organ sounds I like how they rotate (as if they were ballerinas in music boxes) with a single light source highlighting their bold physique. At 2.02 I like the macro shot of the eye and how it rolls up staring at the viewer for a second. Then they start dancing with (garlic shaped head pieces) with a white background so you can see the lovely heels.
I must admit I wasn't too keen on the actual song itself, it was too simple and didn't involve a lot on singing ability however as the music industry becomes more digitalized and more obsessed with image, Kazaky certainly know how to wow audiences with their looks and dancing. This song does slowly grow on you after a long while.
The video is rather surreal and I love the lighting effects and how its all shot in monochrome which emphasizes the drama. I particularly like how the concept of this video addresses that men can dress up feminine and still look masculine. There is a lot of stigma against men who do without being 'drag queens' or transvestites. Females can dress in a boyish manner with low-cut baggy jeans and trainers and still look feminine yet this isn't labelled as 'transvestite'. I think everyone should be able to embrace the opposite gender's traits once in a while; it shows you're very comfortable in your own skin!
