[Korean Culture & Language] Play Ugly

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!

A popular K-pop duo, AKMU, continues to soar as their latest single ‘Nakka’ tops local music charts. The sibling duo reached a new milestone in 2021 with their first-ever official music release.

However, because Korea has a strong lookism culture and a strict standard of beauty, the sibling used to receive a lot of derogatory, nasty comments on the internet.

The title of one of AKMU’s renowned songs is ‘못생긴척(Play Ugly)’

The lyrics are as follows:

허구한 날 놀려 못생겼다고
They pick on me all the time and say I’m ugly

이젠 웬만한 상처도 안 나 (아니 상처가 안 나아)
I don’t’ even get hurt anymore (I mean, my wounds don’t heal)
‘안나’ and ‘안 나아’ sounds similar, except that ‘안 나아’ has a longer sound. However, ‘안나’ means ‘don’t get’ while ‘안 나아’ means ‘don’t’ heal’.

어이구 또 약 올려 더 못생겨졌다고
Ugh, they are picking on me again, saying that I’ve grown uglier.

뭘 또 표정을 확인해 괘안나 (괘않치 않아)
Why are you even checking on my facial expressions? I’m okay (I’m not okay)

그렇게 날 못생기게 만들고 싶나 봐(싶나봐)
I guess they want to think of us as ugly (They want to)

못생겼다 못생겼다 하면 못생겨지는 줄 아나 봐(no no)
Do they believe that we become ugly if they keep saying that we are ugly? (no, no)

정말 웃긴 애들이야 그치?
They are funny, right?

되게 재미난 애들인 것 같아
They are amusing.

너 지금 착각하고 있나 본데
I think you got it wrong.

사실 잘생긴데 못생긴 척 하는 거야
I’m actually handsome, but I’m playing ugly.
숨겨왔던 나를 말하는 중인데
I’m talking about my true-self, which I’ve been concealing.

왜 웃고들 있는 거지 주눅 들어 뭔 얘기를 못해
But why is everyone laughing? They’re discouraging me so much that I’m afraid to say anything now.

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