Squid Game: A Metaphor For Real Life
From Seoul to Surrey, Squid Games have taken lead over the world’s pop culture events, crime documentary series, and cultural plays. With a long history of creating a unique impact on different nations, Korean dramas have now become one of the cornerstones of global entertainment today. Before the advent of mainstream platforms, a few TV channels took chances to show Korean and non-English programs. However, accessibility for non-English language titles became a problem for the audience as they don’t like to read subtitles on the screen. It was tiring or distracting as they lose flow while watching the play. The streaming giants like Netflix emerging in 2016 created 80 shows using Korean talent and creators that were watched with different subtitles or dubbing tracks from anywhere in the world. Consequently, Netflix created a global platform for Korean drama, Squid Game to gain popularity among Netflix viewers across the world.
South Korean drama content has fast-tracked onto screens around the world. Squid Game gradually became one of the tops most-watched dramas on Netflix. An original Netflix drama produced in South Korea is a streaming phenomenon. Released on 17 September, within two weeks the TV series has reached a global audience of 111 million, making their biggest series launch ever!
Squid Game takes the audience through a secretive game, the Chicago-based group broke into six-game stations. People played Marbles Games, Ddakji Game, Tug of War, Honeycomb shape cutting, Red Light, Green Light, and Squid Game. These are all games played by the characters in the nine episodes of season one of the series. The prize for the winner is 46.5 billion won (around A$50 million). At the outset, 456 participants are taking part in the game. However, they are unaware of the result, there is a twist. There can only be one winner and the rest of the contestants will die along the way.
The content has won the trust of the global audience as they discovered the Squid Game stories unique from other plays. The stories of Squid Game don’t need to be told in English to get hit in English-speaking countries due to its exceptional stories and themes, tone, action, and high-quality production. According to the writer Hwang Dong-hyuk, the story of Squid Game depicts a real vulnerable society where people suffer from poverty and injustice.
Squid Game is an allegory about modern capitalist society. The characters navigate the impact of capitalism on modern society. The drama has created vibrant cultural scenes describing people fighting to survive while facing social injustice. The stereotypes scenes showing social injustice class divisions and financial inequality, or even gender-related issues proved to be a game-changer since these social problems exist around the whole world. Millions of people are struggling with them. These elements made the show resonate strongly outside of Korea, reaching global audiences. According to critics, regardless of its Korean setting, the themes of Squid Games are relevant everywhere. Along with the coronavirus pandemic, global inequalities have worsened.
British Rappers Got Inspiration from Squid Game Themes?
South Korean culture has been on the rise over the last few years, with the UK being one of the latest countries to embrace the Korean Wave. British rappers have been highly inspired by the Squid Game series and its themes of war and poverty. Many UK Hip Hop artists were attracted by the mysterious game in the story. They portray the modern capitalist society, something that depicts extreme competition in life. Moreover, the element of suspense and adventure was one of the reasons that compelled British artists to compose their albums based on the Squid Game series.
One of the rising UK pop music artists, Alayi MacPepple — Jaja professionally known as Morph got the idea to create a visual rap video based on the sequence of six sadistic survival games. He flipped the Squid Game themes into a spine-chilling mid-tempo rattletrap that created unique music.
Morph is a rapper and songwriter who is recognized to encapsulate audiences both across the globe and in his native London. Making his musical debut as an artist in the hip hop and rap genre in the year 2020, this British rapper has pioneered the local hip-hop scene with his talent, skill, and creativity. He is praised for his unwavering freestyle skills along with powerful beats. Morph has come up with exquisite tracks like Ackee Freestyle’ which made him an astounding lyricist. With his thrilling captivating voice, he has enthralled the audience by dishing out brilliant and lively tracks in eclectic genres.
The British rapper is highly inspired by the themes as he analyzes all the stories and he chooses to pick up the story of the old man that shows how social inequalities and ill health affect real life. The story of Old Man Who Always Wanted Gi-hun To Win portrays the old man as a kind-hearted man dying from a brain tumor. Therefore, the old man decides to take part in the games and enjoy the nostalgia of his childhood games. As Morph was inspired by the old man’s character, he based his musical Track, ‘Beggars Can’t Be Choosers Remix on the story of the mastermind character.
The old man and Gi-hun have a real connection that evolves throughout Squid Game nine stories. Il-nam introduces himself as an innocent old man with a deadly brain tumor, and he and Gi-hun quickly strike up a friendship. Everyone thought that the old man desires to help Gi-hun to win from the very beginning. He befriends Gi-hun, helps some others pass various rounds of the competition, and then seems to die in round 4, after being beaten by Gi-hun in marbles However, the final episode of the show reveals that Il-nam survived and that he is the founder and leader of the evil organization running the games.
Squid Game’s old man twist is one of the most important and shocking moments of the entire show. For most Squid Game fans, the old man appeared as a generous and compassionate person. Being inspired by his mastermind play, tricks, and boldness, and in the entire competition, Morph imagined himself to be wearing the squid game tracksuit. Morph characterizing himself as a mastermind player, wanted to gain experience as Player 001.
According to Morph, Player 001’s is strong and sturdy, and observant. While many contestants show fear and anxiety during the opening moments of Red Light, Green Light, Player 001 charges ahead with a pleasing and thrilled expression on his face. He does not fear, he watches others fail but he marks himself to advance further into the competition. Consequently, it is learned that it is nearly impossible for Player 001 to lose the game in the competition. Through hard work and good luck, he achieves success.
Morph, impersonating himself as an old man desires to create dub, reggae, afro beats, drum, bass, and rap music modern as a source of entertainment and excitement for those who are fighting-to-the-death battles, or people whose life is filled with pain, suffering, and misery. To alleviate boredom, agony, and distress in one’s life, he has created play tracks that have amusing and whimsical orchestral. Rapper and Grime music style in Morph’s musical track, Beggars Can’t Be Choosers Remix includes rhythmic piano, carefree soprano, double bass, brush drums and tap dancing percussion that makes fans groove and provides a comforting feeling. The soundtrack though gives a sobering effect, however, it aims to reflect real-world realities. The musical track illustrates the impact of war, poverty, and other social issues that have devastatingly impacted human lives.
“The growing tendency to prioritize profit over the wellbeing of the individual is a phenomenon that we witness in capitalist societies states Morph. South Korea’s history is occupied by war, poverty and authoritarian governments, which UK pop artists have responded by exploring misuse of power, violence and social issues in their musical track.”
The Hot Rap Songs of Morph focuses on other themes of the popular Netflix drama, Squid Game such as Red Light Green Light. The song features Morph dressed as the Front Man, organizing the games). Standing in front of people he is dressed as the worker who is playing Hunger Games’ trying to fight their way out of debt.
UK pop artists have been inspired by Squid Game which has become a global phenomenon now. Like other UK pop singers who have blended K pop in their musical tracks, Morph’s music mergers multiple music styles of K-pop culture. The most attractive K-pop music is choreography. The sensational music is also mixed with more current Electronic Dance Music (EDM) styling. Moreover, Morph through his music has helped to reduce racism within the mainstream. The people of color have overcome racism with the help of listening to the popular music scene in the UK.
By organizing festivals and live shows, Morph has helped communities to fight against prevailing social evils such as sexual abuse, intercountry adoption, and disability. All these social problems focusing on real-life events have deepened inequality in our society. Having our morals corrupted by money, we have lost moral values. Both culturally, and socially, our lives are degenerating and we are sinking into anarchy. Morph believes that in a real-world scenario, there is a competition between the upper class and elite class that has caused a monolithic monopoly in the capitalistic market. The social exploitation emphasized in Squid Games reflects how competitive pressures have led to economic desperation. Through his songs, Morph has emphasized eliminating inequality and internal oppression from society. He believes that capitalism is better than socialism.
Morph’s music videos reach over 100 thousand views on YouTube and are streamlined by different countries’ media platforms. He aims to promote Korean culture and KPOP in his music which has helped to build new transnational cultural connections with the world. With his songs, he has condemned racism and even educate the people around them. Moreover, he has used pop music to spread love and positive vibes. His fans are connecting to messages of love, compassion, peace, and social consciousness.
The popular content of K pop culture has reached across the globe and has attained a worldwide fandom through digital media platforms. The K-Pop industry has proactively used Korean culture through drama and K Pop culture to encourage the global youth to make positive contributions to society. By advancing into the UK’s music scene, they motivate UK pop singers to include global culture in their songs. Moreover, it has opened the doors for UK rappers to bring more innovation to music. Hence, UK pop artists through their aesthetic and appealing music have connected people through a shared love of music and cultural diversity.
