Bite Review: Key Explores Two Personas in “Hunter”

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Key has released his third studio album, and its title track “Hunter.” The MV for “Hunter” takes place in an apocalyptic world, where two different versions of Key’s persona are battling against each other. Through the intricacies of dance and storytelling, Key brings the song’s concept of the hunter to life.

Key plays two personas in the MV — the hunter and the hunted. In the first part of the MV, the black-haired version of Key is being targeted by a red-haired version of himself. Noticeably, they are dressed similarly except that the red-haired Key’s clothes are tattered, implying that he has been through a traumatic event. This also foreshadows the implication that these are the same person but at different times in their lives.

In the second half of the MV, the black-haired Key becomes the new hunter. After being tortured and seemingly killed, the he emerges with a Victorian-style outfit. The clothes bear resemblance to those of Dr. Jekyll, who is a character from a book about a man with two contrasting personalities. This switch also embodies the lyrics of the song, which speak about the duality of a person who is both hunter and hunted:

> We’ve become one > You’re the hunter > We seep into each other > I am the “I” got you > Eye to eye contact > You’re the hunter

The use of dance is used to flesh out the concept and add little details to the story. For instance, the red-haired persona uses a large number of background dancers to create a suffocating tone. The zombie-like dance moves add to the mood by implying that they are the monsters that are hunting victims down.

As for the black-haired persona, his dance routines are tighter with more theatrical interpretation. In one dance routine, he mimics a confrontation with the dancers who are there to kidnap him. In another, he puts his hands around his neck to symbolize being decapitated. The differences in dance techniques help further distinguish the personas in the story.

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Dance is also used to imply the transformation of the black-haired persona. On top of donning a new outfit, Key does a dance-walk that expresses his newly cocky attitude. No longer is that Key running in fear because now he is the hunter. Noticeably, there are no background dancers during this scene. However, they are shown in a separate location where there is a hanging corpse. The scene implies the death of the hunted, but an emergence of the hunter.

Through the use of dance, Key tells a story about two contrasting individuals, but with a twist. In the end, while being vastly different, both are one in the same. The concept of the MV is derived from the lyrics of the song, whose voice also speaks about the duality of someone’s personality. This is yet another successfully thought-out MV, and a great addition to Key’s discography.

(Youtube. Lyrics via Genius. Images via SM Town.)