Interpretation of Golden Child's Paganini Stage

The reason why Golcha was eliminated

This was a stage that I see everyone having a hard time to understand at once and which requires a lot of thinking. You need to have the background knowledge about Paganini too

But even on broadcast, the story on stage didn't clearly tie up, so people who only watch the stage once think that there's no story on stage
Actually, it was a stage filled with a massive story

First of all, they chose the song 'WANNABE'. This song itself is about how one desires for something without mentioning the particular object
On this stage, Golden Child's 'WANNABE' is
‘The perfect, complete musician’
The thing that you need to observe on this stage is the two violins
The white violin hanging from the ceiling - The ‘perfect musician’ ‘A higher musical ability’ that one desires
Normal violin - One's current musical ability that they're not satisfied with

As the white violin is shown, they start the choreography with a hand coming out between the members surrounding it, reaching for the white violin
The members - The heart that is not satisfied with their current musical ability
The hand - The heart that keeps wanting to reach for the complete musician

There are many choreo of them reaching their hands toward the white violin

They want to be the perfect musician, but they're continuously not pleased with themselves, so they can't reach it

When the song starts, Joochan is holding the white violin and he starts while sitting down
<The lyrics>
I’ve lost my smile
I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be happy
As if darkness has fallen
Lay me down

They're in despair because they can't be what they think as the perfect musician
This is what I thought, but the reason why he's holding the white violin is actually because he's already a musical genius, but he always wants to reach a higher level, so I think it expresses how he's unsatisfied

<The lyrics in the middle>
Save me, let me hear your voice
Fill my ears with your melody
Show me, teach me about yourself
In this world that’s only filled with darkness, your eyes
Make my eyes open, make me dance
Endless fantasy
I want you
I wanna be wanna be you
I wanna feel you
I wanna live in you
I wanna be wanna be you

The lyrics describe ‘The perfect musician’ as a wannabe that they keep dreaming of

<Rap lyrics>
I want you even more
I’m so thirsty, I’m drinking you in, dump dump
Closer to you
I wanna be you

In this part, the members playing normal violins are spread out in all directions
Jangjun thirsts to become the perfect musician, but his current self that is unsatisfied with himself is tormenting him from every side. When he raps "I wanna be you", Jangjun does the gesture as if he's shaking something off, and that's when the members disperse

Joochan plays the Paganini piece with the "Make my eyes open" lyrics
This is an explanation I got from the Youtube comments

(The beginning part of the piece was mixed in. FYI, this is a piece that is famous for being difficult to play. And Paganini was a genius, his musical talent is even described as 'selling his soul to the devil', but he was crazy about music, practicing for more than 10 hours every day and he was said to be always eager to climb to a higher stage of musicality. Now back to the stage again, Joochan starts playing Paganini's piece after the rap part)

His face looks very immersed in playing the normal violin

As we're building up toward the peak of the performance, the members around him reach their hands toward the sky and dance as if they are in despair
Their ambition is starting to appear

At the end as he plays the normal violin, he makes a distressed face, and when he stops playing with the lyrics "Make my eyes open", the members also disperse

This is the part that is filled with the most story
At first, they were absorbed in their own musical talent, but they get tormented more as they thirst for a higher musical ability

As the lyrics "I wanna be wanna be you" repeat

They extend their hands toward ‘the perfect musician’ and ‘a higher musical ability’, but they can't reach them, and it ends

It can be said that it's unfortunate this was performed at a competition, where everything needs to be in plain sight at once, but actually, it was a stage that was very highly completed
The 'WANNABE' song lyrics and the stage are connected and well-made. It's like it tell the story of real life singers Golden Child's desire toward a higher musical ability
I hope you can reevaluate my take on this

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[+213 | -11] I guess it's real that Golcha wasn't eliminated, they just graduated early. This is crazy...

[+182 | -13] What the, they exactly fit the theme, even the storyline fits the song. They express the storyline with dance and even a violin recital. This is like a music stage that you need to pay money to watch..But I think the show screwed it all upㅋㅋㅋYou would think that the show can't contain them, no? Golcha, be successful!!! The storyline is hard if you have no background knowledge. However, from the POV of a viewer, a stage where I can chew it, rip it, and taste it like this is way better for meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[+140 | -10] "The story of real life singers Golden Child's desire toward a higher musical ability" this is f*cking goosebump-inducing.....Whoa, crazy, crazy. This is really really awesome

[+78 | -12] I felt it from before too, but I think they're the team with the highest understanding of the competition theme

[+67 | -8] These guys are really kids who came out wanting to let us hear their own music ㅠㅠ Their understanding of the competition theme is very solid

[+62 | -7] Joochan practice violin for 8 hours and even bruised his shoulderㅜㅜㅠ There's nothing our main vocalist can't do

[+61 | -5] The intensity of the performance can be considered weaker compared to the other teams, but this is what you call a powerful performance... It becomes a never-ending talk of the town and people talk about the story. They're the team that shows that the best in the 1st and 2nd round.

[+56 | -10] Guys, did you know...? Actually, the member who plays the violin, Joochan, doesn't know how to read sheet music... He just listened to Paganini's Caprice No. 24 and plays it perfectly. I wonder if he's really a genius

[+51 | -4] This stage is really only staged for the members. It tells the story of self-ego, it's enough that their "props" are only the members

[+48 | -3] Heol, this stage management is very refined and such a classic and I thought it's pretty so I saved itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I looked at it again after saving it, and the camera moved so that at the end, it looks like the person has gotten a hold of the white violin. F*cking goosebumps...

[+31 | -0] This is what I felt when I read the post explaining ONEUS' stage in the 1st round
I think Mnet is really stingy at explanation
Even their editing points are always vague, the camera on stage cut the performances into pieces, and they don't put the live sound, so the performers get sworn at..
It feels like they don't have much understanding about idol stage ㅇㅇ

[+24 | -0] Whoa, the story is solid *shivers* No, Mnet, you need to broadcast that kind of story-making. What are you trying to do;; I hope I can know more about the interpretation

[+24 | -0] Whoa...I got really got goosebumps while reading this....

[+22 | -0] Whoa....I really want to put them in a praise prison and just keep praising themㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠI'm filled with pride for themㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠGood job, good job, good job. You're really the best, the bestㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

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But why are people saying that Golcha's stage has no story?

For me, I interpreted it as someone who couldn't reach the violin at the intro, sold his soul to the devil, slowly became a crazy violinist and finally succumbing

I thought it was good at expressing the life of Paganini as everyone saw it, but is this not storytelling?

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1. I honestly thought the story was awesome too. I thought it was great that they chose the song that they got their first win with for "My Song"

2. Whoa.....This so much...

3. Was Paganini that kind of person?? I seriously don't understand music, so I was curious as to why they chose Paganini!!!!!

∟ The way Paganini played was very splendid and with high-level techniques, so the people at that time thought that he gained this ability because he sold his soul to the devil. Hence, his nickname was 'The Devil's Violinist' or something??!

∟ Whoa, that's amazing. So they expressed that. I only vaguely? thought of the story and couldn't find any connection to Paganini, but I think I really watched this with what I knew

∟ For me, the music and dance on stage became more intense. I was really satisfied with the violin solo on the second part because they expressed it so well. But I keep seeing people saying that there was no story so I felt sadder about it

4. I don't know about Paganini, but when I only watch the beginning and ending parts, I knew that there was a story... In my opinion, the story can be felt to be weak or minor, but calling it 'no story'..ㅎ

5. The Paganini story isn't easy for the general public to understand, so I think that's why. I also feel that the camera didn't capture it well

6. I'm not that well-versed in music, so I think I would've understood it better if the explanation about the relationship with Paganini came out on the show, even just a little bit...

∟ I thought the explanation on why they chose Paganini would come out on the show, but it didn't..

7. I interpreted it as this too. Is it because I know Paganini?

8. Whoa, this. But nothing related to Paganini came up on the show... Anyway, I'm cutting relationship with Mnet. Bye bye

9. Whoa, I didn't know and just vaguely watched it as a musician who desired a violin? But seeing this, I understand the stageㅜㅜㅜ So you really watch as much as you know..

10. Whoa, I understand the stage better after reading your explanation. Thank youㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ