Don't Force It and its metaphor

“Don’t Force It” is a sorrowful love ballad performed by G.E.M. and Eric Chou who are both my favorite Taiwanese singers. The first time I heard and saw this music video was 2 years ago and it’s still the best music video I have ever seen until now. Not only the catchy melody and meaningful lyrics but also the visual effects on audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XSoVmT0qXo

Actually, I planned to evaluate this music video and its concept, as well as the color theme in my research paper about the Color Power of Media Work Method course. However, I found that this song impressive with not only its color scheme, but also valuable lessons about love through a variety of metaphorical subtleties; therefore, I’m writing this post to tell you all about them.

The song starts with the image of hedgehog which is used as a metaphor for a relationship’s status. Two main characters, a man and a lady, are two hedgehogs which attempt to hug each other but are unable to do so. Think about this carefully. It’s associated with a hesitant relationship in which two individuals are no longer suitable and love each other anymore so why should they continue being together ?

The tighter we embrace the hedgehog of love, the more heartbroken we will be

In the middle of the video, the male character tried to extract the thorns on his arm in pain while the female was full of wounds. They were trying to hold and love but all they got was hurt. In fact, the couple knew the truth but they just didn’t want to admit that this relationship can no longer continue. However, they need to know that even if the rose is beautiful, it will hurt if they hold it too tight. They must let it go.

We can only blame it on the fact that we weren’t made for each other

One of the hidden things I want to mention here is the color scheme. Throughout the music video, the man was always standing in the blue side; meanwhile his beloved was covered with the red light. This reminds me of two different worlds in which they live and can not enter each other’s. In color theory, red and blue are diametrically opposed colors and the director utilized it as a symbolic connotation effectively. At the end of the video, I also noticed the white and black blankets which two main characters covered on their body. I think it means they forced themselves to conceal their true color, their injury, and their fault to love each other once more.

When love goes right, it is love, and when love goes wrong, it becomes youth. In "Spirited Away", there’s a saying:

Life is a train to the grave. There will be many stops along the way. It’s difficult to have someone to accompany with you from beginning to the end. When your partner wants to get off the train, you should be grateful even if you don’t give up.

The meaning of farewell in this statement is especially appropriate for this song.

After all, you will get used to being alone. Don’t feel sad. Don’t be persistent. Don’t force it. And just say goodbye. When you can’t love and be loved, remember to love yourself as much as you can!