DICERED have quickly locked onto the eyes and hearts of social media with their magnetic debut single “ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)” released on the 22nd of August. With its music video racking views and propelling the whole DICE collective to new heights, it might just be one of T-Pop’s best this year.
If the name DICERED doesn’t ring a bell for you, it’s probably because the five-piece are pretty brand new. The name DICE, however, might sound familiar if T-Pop is within your daily rotation. A quick Google search will put it bluntly: DICERED is the second sub-unit to debut from DICE.
If you’re completely lost on who any of these people are, the rundown is pretty simple. The 10-member parent group emerged from a survival show (as it often goes) under the organisation of TADA Entertainment. 789 SURVIVAL presented months and months of rigorous training before funnelling down to its final members in August 2023, however this lineup did not include the 10 DICE members. After remaining as trainees for a brief period, T-Pop sub-label SONRAY MUSIC announced that these boys – Alex, Apo, Cheese, Frame, Jay, Jisang, Maddoc, Min, Obo and Otto – would form a new group. Together, they debuted under the name DICE in March 2024 with their single “Mona Lisa”.
It wasn’t until earlier this July that the group announced that they would be entering a new era with two sub-units: DICEBLUE and DICERED. The split looked to usher another “roll” in DICE’s growing identity by having each capture different vibes in their concepts and sounds. DICEBLUE (consisting of Alex, Cheese, Jay, Jisang and Obo) represent “the calm shades of DICE”, with their debut single “ลองกอด (smoke)” channelling this through wispy blue motifs and soothing melodies perfect for late-night drives. While DICEBLUE debuted first in late July, DICERED (consisting of Apo, Frame, Maddoc, Min and Otto) have now brought “the energetic shades of DICE” to their debut single “ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)”.
“ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)” in a nutshell is cocky, commanding, and another “c” word along those same lines that can’t be said here (yet is used in the most adoring of ways). The song is produced by MAYOJAMES while Fizzie and the iconic GALCHANIE helped guide the storytelling. Additionally, the members have expressed their involvement in the song’s creative process which ultimately landed them on a direction that felt authentically DICERED. This included adding more melody to the song, where the original demo set to mainly feature rap, and overseeing final edits and lyrics.
Predominately driving the flow is a simple yet punchy combination of rhythmic layers. You immediately hear grainy kicks pound over an 808 that often dances across the offbeats, while a seriously addicting cowbell rings out to assert its place as the production’s starlet. A whirring alarm can also be heard from time to time that, much like the song’s intent, seeks to grab your attention and build anticipation to the next bar.
Beyond its percussive elements, the song blends in a collection of textured synths. Its leader, which pulses through the verses and choruses, is brassy and distorted, complementing the beat nicely in rhythm and energy. The pre-choruses on the other hand bring an army of much brighter, almost symphonic synths that make your body feel like it’s levitating. It takes the plunge back into those gritty choruses that are more satisfying, and above all, hip-drop worthy.
Vocally, the group mix singing, rapping and spoken-style declarations of possessiveness in both Thai and English. The panning and doubling allow your ears to sit tight against the lyrics, and ultimately immerse you in the flirtatious banter DICERED offer up.
The story goes as follows: imagine you’re on a night out, having a great time, when suddenly you spot the hottest person in the room. Everything (and everyone) seem to fade away at that moment. The growing attraction is rapidly all-consuming, and even with just one glance, the feeling elicited is electrifying. Without sounding too much like a self-insert fanfiction, DICERED essentially capture the intensity of having eyes for one person, and only them: “ล็อกเป้า ๆ ล็อกเป้า” (“Locked on, target locked”). The execution of the titular lyrics by Otto and Frame particularly elevate this: their hypnotic quality resembling some sort of love spell being cast not only on the “target”, but the listener too. Whether or not you speak Thai, don’t be surprised if you suddenly become fluent whenever this part comes on.
In true DICE fashion, the songwriting stays effortlessly playful. The group name represents the thrill associated with rolling dice and playing games, and in this case, DICERED invite their targets to a game of flirtation. In one of the the most viral moments from the song and music video, the group sing “เล่นหู เล่นตา เล่นถู เล่นทา (…) เล่นด้วยกันหน่อย”, or as the English translation puts it:
“Play with my eyes, play with my heart (…) come and play with me”.
Later in verse three, they even put their own spin on classic games by turning “Rock Paper Scissors” into “Rock, paper, scissors, who gets the first kiss?”. It paints a sort of cat-and-mouse dynamic that keeps you on your toes. The group clearly show stronger affection towards their targets but would rather coax them into making the first move instead, even teasing them by saying “I just wanna say, ‘Hi’, I ain’t even tryna flirt”. Beyond the lyrics, the music video does a good job of expanding on these ideas under the direction of Lin Rinrada.
If you’ve heard of “ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)”, chances are it’s because of the music video which has made its rounds on TikTok and Twitter. Overall, the visuals play well into the song’s themes and group’s signature red. The opening shot pans across an eye chart to spell out “LOCK PAO” while close-ups of the members’ eyes are cut in between. Once the beat drops, we’re taken to the main set which revolves in and around a glass box.
DICERED can be seen inside this container, dancing like a spectacle trying to draw attention through the glass. It’s no surprise they end up capturing the gaze of the video’s two leads – a man and woman adorned in red – when the choreography is this killer. Each member handles every move with such prowess and confidence, and the post-choruses particularly deliver a synchrony and fluidity that just ooze with the group’s chemistry. By the time the outro rolls around, the members don’t just sit back and play it out. No. The lights flicker red, the camera gets more antsy, and all of a sudden the group come alive in an electrifying dance break to finish off.
In DICE’s reaction video to the MV, Min and Apo admitted that the choreography took around two days to learn, detailing how it demanded them to absolutely give it their all. Some of Frame’s freestyling also weaved its way into the finalised choreography under Director Lin’s request.
Of course, the dancers of TikTok have wasted no time trying to recreate the moves DICERED have popularised. However, while the music video was a dancer’s haven for some, others had their interest piqued by who the members were dancing with. More specifically, the interactions between the members and the two leads have sparked online discussion among long-standing fans and new prying eyes alike in a way we often don’t see with idol groups.
Viewers watch the group take turns “locking” onto the two leads through dance and playful intimacy. What’s interesting is how differently each member chooses their target: some chose only the man, others only the woman, and the rest had their try with both. One cool moment that displayed this was when Min played out his “Rock, paper, scissors, who gets the first kiss?” lines with each lead.
Everything is up to interpretation at the end of the day. Fans, however, have seen these moments as reflections of the members’ identities, where DICERED themselves have shown support to the conversations through likes and reposts. We are seeing increasingly more LGBTQ+ themes and visuals shine as the years pass – especially from idols a part of the community. Arguably, T-Pop has already been ahead of the curve for quite some time now. However, in comparison to the wider idol world, it goes a long way to see queerness and gender expression be championed so openly where it can, and “ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)” has shown that DICERED are no exception.
From a fierce song to an even fiercer music video, DICERED prove they are a sub-unit here to stay. Their debut seamlessly embraces the “energetic shades” of the group’s original concept, and it’s evident they can get hearts racing by simply being true to themselves.
Maddoc puts this nicely in the DICE reaction video:
“I think that’s really the reason we made this unit, so that each of us could do what we wanted to do, and be who they wanted to be (…) it was just everyone having fun doing what they love.”
“ล็อกเป้า (LOCK PAO)” is out now on all streaming platforms. DICERED can be found on Instagram here.