Kyrgyz Music Friday is a weekly feature in which I post a pop music video from an artist in Kyrgyzstan. It could be catchy, annoying, funny, insightful, brilliant, awful, or anything in between. It’s what’s playing on the radio, what all the cool kids are listening to these days. Kyrgyz Music Friday is not trying to appeal to your musical taste (which I’m sure is awesome), but simply gives you a glimpse into how pop music is done on this side of the world. Feel free to share your thoughts on this week’s video in the comment section!
A new video from Mirbek Atabekov! This one is called “Алдадың,” which means “You lied” in Kyrgyz (drama drama!).
I have to be honest, I was generally unimpressed with the song. Once the pre-programmed techno beats start up (right after the main girl decides to split from her wedding), the song ends up sounding so… uninspired. I know, it’s pop music, not exactly the most revolutionary display of creativity in the first place, but I give the song a “meh“.
I do like the video though, mainly because it thrills me to no end to see parts of Bishkek in the video that I recognize from real life. The restaurant where she had a flashback of getting engaged? I’ve been there. The street where the groom decides to steal somebody’s four-wheeler to chase down his lady? Pretty sure I’ve been there too.
And yes, the four-wheeler is ridiculous. I’ve never seen one just hanging out like that anywhere in Bishkek, but I enjoyed that the groom doesn’t even look like he can stifle a smile. He can’t pretend it’s serious. At least he’s having some fun while his fiancee is abandoning him.
I can’t tell exactly what the story is. Girl and guy #1 get engaged – guy #1 has heart attack while bowling – guy #1 (presumably) tells girl that he’s going to Germany over instant message (that was all I could pick up from the Kyrgyz) – girl decides (reluctantly) to marry guy #2, ditches him, takes a taxi to a golf course where guy #1 is sitting with a suitcase – guy #2 steals a four-wheeler and runs out of gas (clearly the loser of the situation). Who lied? Also, I’m not sure if I like how Mirbek Atabekov is not actually involved with the video’s plot, but rather just sings under a gazebo with soulful expressions and a guitar that he doesn’t play (but just holding it makes him look real cool, am I right?) like an omnipresent narrator.
He may be Kyrgyzstan’s biggest male pop star, but unfortunately he’s not making me swoon. Sorry Mirbek!