PENTAGON Faces Vulnerability in “Coward”
Written by Kaitlin Kim | As they approach their 10th anniversary, PENTAGON returns with their new single, “Coward”
Nearly three years away from group music, PENTAGON is back. The seven-member group, made up of Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yea One, Kino, and Wooseok, debuted in 2016 and has spent the past decade building a discography that has always made room for both bright, playful moments and more vulnerable ones. Now, with their 10th anniversary approaching on October 10, the members have reunited for “Coward,” their first group release since 2023’s “With UNIVERSE.” Instead of going for something more celebratory, PENTAGON returns with a song about missing someone and wondering if it is possible to find your way back to them.
YouTube PENTAGON
There is a nostalgic quality to “Coward” that feels reminiscent of earlier K-pop. At a time when many songs are built around shorter runtimes and recognizable hooks, the track gradually builds from softer vocal verses into the rap section and then into a warmer burst of energy in the pre-chorus. Each section flows naturally into the next, allowing different parts to come together without feeling rushed. The nostalgia carries over into the music video as well, with its visuals centering on real-world locations such as tiled subway corridors, brick building exteriors, and urban streets rather than relying on futuristic concept sets or CGI. Scenes such as the members hesitating to mail letters and lingering in empty hallways visually reflect the uncertainty expressed in the lyrics. As the track moves into the fuller chorus, the visual energy matches that emotional shift through the group’s choreography and camaraderie, culminating in an ending with fireworks. Ultimately, both the music video and the track turn towards a more grounded, narrative-driven approach rather than relying on quick hooks or highly stylized visuals.
With member Kino helping to write and compose “Coward,” the song feels like a personal reflection rather than simply another anniversary song. The track is about looking back on a relationship that ended and realizing that, despite trying to move on, those feelings never really disappeared. It follows someone who still longs for someone long after a relationship has ended and questions whether they could start over again, but the hesitation and doubts are what stop the narrator from actually initiating. It opens with an awkward attempt to reach out to someone from the past: “잘 지내? 아냐 좀 뻔해” (Are you doing well? No, that’s a little predictable), giving the idea of someone who has rehearsed what they wanted to say but still can’t quite bring themselves to say it. This is followed by, “미안해 용기가 안 나서 그래” (I am sorry, it is because I cannot gather the courage.) From the very beginning, the problem isn’t that he doesn’t know how he feels, but whether he’s brave enough to act on it.
Photo PENTAGON
This hesitation comes throughout the rest of the song as he questions why he always hesitates and holds himself back when he knows what he wants and what he wants to do. Looking back, he remembers how young they were and how natural it seemed to fall in love with this person. He remembers these past memories in such a tender way that at times, it doesn’t feel as if they broke up in the first place. Even though time has passed, and the pain has become easier to carry, the feelings themselves haven’t completely gone away.
The pre-chorus, “난 겁쟁이 그저 숨기만 해” (I’m a coward, I only hide,) and chorus “겁쟁이 나는 겁쟁이” (A coward, I am a coward,) are where the title and concept of “Coward” become significant. The narrator calls himself a coward for being afraid of the possibilities if he admits his feelings and reaches out again. That fear comes through “내가 널 다시 사랑해도 될까?” (Can I love you again?) and “네가 날 다시 사랑할 수 있을까?” (Could you love me again?) There’s a difference between the two questions, with the first asking himself whether he’s allowed to fall back into those feelings and the second asking whether there is a chance those feelings could be reciprocated. This uncertainty and fear is what keeps him locked in place.
Photo PENTAGON
The track also allows for the person at the center of the song to be viewed from a different perspective. Instead of being a romantic partner, and although the lyrics naturally lead to being focused on an ex, they can also be connected to the relationship between PENTAGON and their fans, UNIVERSE. After three years apart, the group finds their way back, making a song about connection, distance, nostalgia, and the fear that comes along with it. “Coward”, in a sense, is less about romance and more about fear, an emotion that can extend beyond a love story. By the end, the narrator is still scared and unsure of what the answer will be, but he is willing to take the chance anyway. Whether you’re hearing “Coward” from the perspective of a past love or through the lens of a relationship between an artist and their fans after time apart, the feeling remains the same: after all this time, there is something worth returning to.
On August 10, PENTAGON announced their 10th anniversary tour 101010, with stops in Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong in October and November.
PENTAGON
Comments