Start off the year with RIIZE’s new single “Love 119,” released January 5, to greet the new year right! After the successful hit releases of “Get A Guitar” and “Talk Saxy,” RIIZE is back to showing off their unique sound, which has taken the 5th generation of K-pop by storm. This much-awaited single follows after the boy group took home their first Bonsang and Rookie of the Year awards at the Seoul Music Awards (SMA), held January 2.
Accompanied by a wintry and nostalgic atmosphere, “Love 119” perfectly encapsulates the different emotions felt when experiencing a first love. Just like RIIZE’s past releases, “Love 119” has an addictive melody and beat under the Emotional Pop genre. This new track also samples South Korean band Izi’s hit song “Emergency Room”, released in 2005. “Love 119” also earned praise from Oh Jin Sung, the original singer of “Emergency Room” and vocalist of Izi, who showed his support on social media.
With the old-school sound and vibes of “Love 119,” RIIZE members Shotaro and Wonbin were also involved in the song’s performance production. Together, they created the chorus choreography, including the 1-1-9 point gesture, to add to the catchy tune. Along with this, “Love 119” captures the retro style that RIIZE experiment with in their music and performances. As the boy group continues their promotion period for their latest track, watch the music show debut of “Love 119” here.
Despite the song sounding upbeat with a fun choreo, “Love 119” has an emotional and story-driven narrative. RIIZE invites viewers and their fans (named BRIIZE) to relive the memories of their first love. This is also RIIZE’s first music video where they showcase their acting skills, adding to the overall emotional performance. The music video possesses a dreamy atmosphere in the past, setting the scene for RIIZE’s love story. The story begins with Sohee in his room as a radio news broadcast plays mentioning satellites, and his phone glitching. When Sohee picks up his phone, the text reads: “Jan 5th, 6pm, you’re going to fall in love.” The other RIIZE members also receive the same text, telling them to confess at a specific time before they miss their chance.
This is where the title “Love 119” comes in, a love emergency as expressed in the lyrics, the urgency to confess to someone you have feelings for. The RIIZE members are all pining for the same girl, and their longing for her shows in their acting. The song encapsulates both the sentimentality and vitality of youth. It highlights the emotions one goes through in a first love: curiosity, happiness, longing, regret, acceptance and more. “Love 119” shows a heart-pounding story of falling for someone, to take risks and confess before it’s too late. Despite the bittersweet story, RIIZE shows how first love still lives on in their hearts and memories.
Watch the “Love 119” music video here and watch their story of first love unfold:
What did you think about “Love 119”? Let us know on our Twitter and Instagram!
Show RIIZE some love on their Instagram too!
