RED (Life5)

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**RED** is the debut single album of Tan from the K-pop girl group Life5. It was released March 10, 2023. The song “**Don’t Lecture Me**” serves as its title track. It comes in two versions: “Dream” and “Reality”.

## Background

Following the group's holiday at the end of 2022, YELLOW was the first release from the group in 2023. However, the members had been discussing making their solo debuts since they debuted as a group, brainstorming ideas and concepts for their respective solos. At first, this was more of a creative exercise, but they became increasingly invested in the project. Thus, they decided to pitch it to EXP in June 2022, following their surge in popularity from Tropicana.

RED is the second in the solo pentalogy to be released.

## Tracklist

**Composers**: Im Bong-cha, EXP
 2
**Composers**: Yo Jung
 3

(link to playlist)

## Music Video

File:Life5 Tan Dont Lecture Me MV Thumbnail.png

*Tan (Life5) 탄 - Don't Lecture Me MV*

File:Life5 RED Moodboard.png
The music video opens on Tan in front of a red velvet curtain on a stage in a music hall reminiscent of a glamorous 1920’s-esque dinner singing the first lines of the song. It pans to the crowd watching her before cutting back to her. After the line “I’m on my way”, it cuts to a scene of Tan walking backstage, supposedly after the performance we just watched. The verse follows her taking off her makeup and changing into more casual and traditionally less feminine clothing a la the “reality” concept photos, and leaving into the city.

The first chorus includes two major scenes: one of Tan in casual clothing dancing in a practice room in front of a mirror, and one of Tan performing on the same stage seen in the beginning, once again in the glamour of the “dream” concept photos. Interspersed between these shots are short clips of people in the crowd of the music hall finding pictures of Tan in her casual clothing on social media and ridiculing her. However, Tan is not able to see these people poking fun at her during her performance and only finds out during the scenes seen in the second chorus.

People are labeling Tan as a fraud, and her shows at the music hall are receiving fewer and fewer patrons. She tries to not let it get to her and continue performing, but the dwindling numbers combined with the rising harassment through social media eats at her, and the owner eventually cancels all of Tan’s future shows.

During the bridge, its obvious that Tan has been trying to find other jobs yet stay in the same industry but nothing has worked out. Until she receives a message from the new owner of the music hall she used to perform at reached out to her and gives her a second chance.
The final chorus is of Tan performing as she did before, however in her casual clothing rather than all glammed up.

When asked in an interview for the meaning of the music video, Tan explained that it’s about the juggling act of trans people and having to present hyper-feminine or hyper-masculine in order to have their gender be respected, while also having undertones of self-love.

## Lyrics

* Don't Lecture Me
* ให้ฉันเป็นเพื่อนกึ่งแฟนกับเธอได้รึเปล่า (Friend or Lover)

You don't know 사랑이란 말에

날 가둬놓지 마 yeah

널 위해 날 위하는 척은 no, no, no more

얄팍한 속을 내 세계로 투영하지 마

I'm gonna go

You'll never know

You're gonna lose

I'm on my way

(Hey, this goes out to all the boys

Who think they can control a woman

Now give it up for me, let's go)

다 아는 척 하지 마

해보란 말도 그만

판단하는 눈빛도 지겨워

내게 널 바라지마

누구도 날 강요하고 막아낼 수는 없어

I'm Amy 내가 내 미래야

제발 가르치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

날 감히 다그치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

난 나로 살아가

나를 사랑하고 배워

판단하지 좀 마

어설픈 손가락질은 너를 향해 세워줘

Sorry but I love myself

자극하지 마

말 보태는 것도 그만

가늠하는 눈빛도

지겨워 네가 날 칠하지 마

누구도 날 강요하고 막아낼 수는 없어

I'm Amy 내가 내 지혜야

제발 가르치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

날 감히 다그치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

난 나로 살아가

나를 사랑하고 배워

판단하지 좀 마

어설픈 손가락질은 너를 향해 세워줘

Sorry but I love myself

Please don't teach me 아는 척은 그만

Please don't teach me 널 위한 내가 아냐

Please don't teach me 저 높이 나를 봐

어설픈 손가락질은 너를 향해 세워줘

Sorry but I love myself

나라는 색에 널 흘리려 하지 마

너란 어둠에 날 잃기엔

Don't need you to be bright

나로서 빛이나

무너지고 상처가 나도 bright

제발 가르치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

날 감히 다그치지 마 don't teach me

No oh wah ah oh

난 나로 살아가

나를 사랑하고 배워

판단하지 좀 마

어설픈 손가락질은 너를 향해 세워줘

Sorry but I love myself

Please don't teach me (no, no)

아는 척은 그만 (제발 그만)

Please don't teach me 널 위한 내가 아냐

Please don't teach me 저 높이 나를 봐

어설픈 손가락질은 너를 향해 세워줘

Sorry but I love myself

Original song: Don't Teach Me by Ailee

TBA

Original song: Spectrum by Nine (CAC)

## Achievements

* Peak chart position: #1 (Flo and Genie)
* MV Views: 42.5M (3.4M within the first 24 hours)
* Album Sales (Physical): 48,590
* Album Sales (Digital): 50,340
* Other Achievements: Two music show wins for Don't Lecture Me *(Music Box & Inkigayo)*, the B-side Friend or Lover reached the Top 100 Songs in Thailand list on Spotify.

## Trivia

* Scenes for the music video were shot in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand
* Numerous actors in the music video are friends of Tan from her time in Thailand. Many of them are also transgender and work in the adult entertainment industry.

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