Kai’s sophomore EP, Peaches, is just around the corner. Following the timeline released on November 17, EXO’s official accounts shared the prologue film on November 26, 12 AM KST. The prologue film wasn’t Kai’s first pre-release video. Back in 2020, ahead of his self-titled debut EP, he released “FILM : KAI,” a short film featuring snippets of the album tracks.
With his visually impactful content, fans had high expectations for Kai’s prologue film. The prologue film features a highlight from “Vanilla.” The song is described as an indie-pop song that matches Kai’s tone. It also sends listeners to the experience of a dream, like diving into calm waters.
카이, 새 미니앨범 수록곡 ‘Vanilla’ 나른&몽환 매력 예고!
26일 프롤로그 필름 공개! ‘Vanilla’ 하이라이트 음원 미리듣기!https://t.co/5qG7z6uru9#카이 #KAI#엑소 #EXO #weareoneEXO#Peaches pic.twitter.com/B82tnMy0iB— EXO (@weareoneEXO) November 25, 2021
Giving In to the Water
The two-minute video starts off in black and white. Kai wakes up in a daze and stumbles to the water. There, he meets his reflection before diving into the water. The scene shifts into a large cave. Soon, colors pop out and the video continues to carry a dream-like atmosphere. The soothing sound of bongos and guitar builds up as Kai’s voice breaks through the sounds. Soft but impactful, he immediately catches the attention of the listeners.
Humble Beginnings
One of the prologue film’s highlights is the dance scene. Through the video, Kai presents his two selves: the rookie Kai from 2011 and the current Kai from 2021. The latter wears an outfit reminiscent of the one seen in his pre-debut video. They unite to build an emotional dance, mixing sharp movements with the fluidity and grace of a ballet dancer. Water surrounds him as he amazes the viewers with his dance.
this part got me emotional because it really reminded me of pre-debut/debut kim jongin 🥺 the first video was his first teaser when he first got introduced as an exo member 🤍#피치바닐라믹스#PrologueToPeaches
프롤로그 카이
KAI PROLOGUE FILM pic.twitter.com/yZ5Qmk3O7M— maria ✴︎ (@ohsenh) November 25, 2021
#KAI from 2012 to 2021 pic.twitter.com/oUKPigfwQo
— ً (@JONGINHOURS) November 25, 2021
Caved In
Analyzing the video further, references to Plato’s allegory of the cave are visible. The allegory recounts a group of men chained in a cave. Forced to only see the shadows of the objects that others are putting in front of the fire, they perceive the shadows as reality. One day, a prisoner becomes free and takes a stroll outside. His reality changes as he finally sees the fire as the source of the shadows in the cave. In the prologue film, we see Kai dancing in a cave. The shots consistently alternate between his shadow and his real self. At the end of the video, we see Kai finally reaching the light, his body floating towards its source.
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https://twitter.com/_Mystomi/status/1463898987057106954?t=bLdbQmdpuHDhybC1DlMWdA&s=19
"Allegory of the Cave" by Plato.
"The cave represents people who believe that knowledge comes from what we see and hear in the world – empirical evidence. The cave shows that believers of empirical knowledge are trapped in a 'cave' of misunderstanding"
KAI PROLOGUE FILM pic.twitter.com/z3xCUf4jeC
— Everything in time ✵ (@revengepsycho) November 25, 2021
Fans React
EXO-Ls were elated by the prologue film release. On Twitter, they discussed the highlights of the film and shared their excitement. They also commented on how great “Vanilla” is as the film’s accompanying track. With more to come, fans are definitely looking forward to Peaches.
KAI AND HIS TELEPORTATION POWER SHOWN AGAIN pic.twitter.com/8sIiRsiUIQ
— ari 💌 (@oshcuddles) November 25, 2021
#KAI for Peaches (Vanilla) prologue film, 2021 • Ascension, 2000 and Going forth by the day, 2002 by Bill Viola #피치바닐라믹스#PrologueToPeaches pic.twitter.com/DBd6cbUbgW
— ً (@kjiculture) November 25, 2021
if you go through the comments it’s literally people writing paragraphs praising kai’s artistry 🥲 i am so happy. pic.twitter.com/3n0vm4Lbry
— Cass™ (@filmzkldin) November 26, 2021
Kai is THE soloist. Sorry but no one is doing it like him.
— Rue (@motleycruetits) November 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/K90spic/status/1463888700367065099?s=20
https://twitter.com/EXOintensity/status/1463886392405094400?s=20
kai’s prologue is giving me allegory of plato’s cave
— m (@ksgparks) November 25, 2021
Peaches is set for release on November 30 at 6 PM KST. The new EP will have six tracks with various genres and will venture into showing Kai’s new sides. To keep up with Kai and his music, follow him on Instagram and subscribe to EXO’s YouTube channel!
Want more Kai news? Check out our coverage of his Seoul Fashion Week appearance here!
