Can K-pop turn baseball into a full-on empowerment anthem?
Absolutely — Koreans love baseball, and NOWZ prove it with their third single “Home Run.”
Just like BABYMONSTER’s “Batter Up,”
“Home Run” loads every line with baseball metaphors —
but with a heavier, grittier punch.
This track isn’t just about the game —
it’s about pressure, risk, and hitting big when it counts.
Today’s lines?
A full stadium of tension and determination:
“벼랑까지 몰린 이 순간, 팔을 뻗어
패배 또는 Winning, 판가름할 Inning
내 전부를 걸어”
“Driven to the edge, at this very moment — I reach out.
Defeat or winning — this inning will decide it.
I’m betting everything I’ve got.”
—
🔥 1️⃣ 벼랑까지 몰린 이 순간, 팔을 뻗어 – “Backed to the cliff, in this moment — I reach out”
• 벼랑까지 → to the edge / cliff
• 몰리다 → to be driven / pushed
• 이 순간 → this moment
• 팔을 뻗어 → stretch out one’s arm / reach forward
💡 Interpretation:
This is the moment before the swing —
the pressure is suffocating, everything is on the line,
but you still reach forward, not backward.
—
⚾ 2️⃣ 패배 또는 Winning – “Defeat or winning”
• 패배 → defeat
• 또는 → or
• Winning → English loanword (intentionally bold, direct)
💡 Meaning:
They frame it just like a final pitch:
two outcomes, no in-between —
you either strike out or send it flying.
—
🏟️ 3️⃣ 판가름할 Inning – “The inning that will decide it all”
• 판가름하다 → to determine / to decide the result
• Inning → borrowed baseball term
💡 Language note:
Calling this the inning that decides everything evokes
the ninth inning, bases loaded, do-or-die tension —
that classic Korean-drama baseball intensity.
—
🔥 4️⃣ 내 전부를 걸어 – “I’m betting everything I’ve got”
• 내 → my
• 전부 → all / everything
• 걸다 → to stake / to risk / to wager
💡 Emotion note:
This is the emotional home run:
risk it all, swing hard, no backup plan.
—
✨ Why It Matters
“Home Run” turns baseball into a metaphor for ambition —
pressure, risk, adrenaline, and the courage to swing even when everything is stacked against you.
“벼랑까지 몰린 이 순간 / 패배 또는 Winning / 판가름할 inning / 내 전부를 걸어”
captures the very heart of the song:
When life throws the final pitch — swing with everything you’ve got.
It’s gritty, driven, and pure NOWZ power.
💭 What other K-pop song nails sports metaphors the best?
Drop a ⚾ or 🔥 below!