The CLC members aren’t just more beautiful than the Mona Lisa for their new comeback, “Helicopter”. They also referenced its creator, Leonardo da Vinci, and more in their art-laden music video. Take a look at 5 awesome allusions you might not have noticed.

1. Da Vinci’s ornithopter

The fluorescent white wings on Yujin‘s back in the “Helicopter” music video aren’t just a sign of how angelic she is. They’re also a reference to one of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous invention drawings.

When da Vinci was a baby, a hawk once hovered over his cradle. The artist saw this as a prophecy, inspiring his desire to invent a contraption for human flight. One drawing from his journals showed a design for an “ornithopter” (flying machine) with mechanical bat-like wings.

Look closely, and you’ll notice Yujin’s wings have the same skeletal design—just upgraded for more impressive visuals.

2. Da Vinci’s aerial screw.

And this winged flying machine isn’t the only sky-high da Vinci invention referenced in “Helicopter”. Did you notice the spiral structure behind Seunghee in this scene?

It’s actually a reference to another contraption Leonardo da Vinci dreamed up—the aerial screw. This design is one of the earliest-known precursors to the modern-day helicopter, making it a perfect reference for CLC’s latest concept.

3. Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man”

The final reference to Leonardo da Vinci flashed up on screen during the music video’s intro so quickly, you’d miss it if you blinked. The image you see at the 33-second mark is da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man.

Some of his notes can be seen in the background, too. The Vitruvian Man was drawn to represent the ideal body proportions of a human male, and has since become one of the most recognizable classical art pieces in history.

4. Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam”

CLC showed Leonardo a lot of love in “Helicopter”, but he wasn’t the only classical creator who got a shoutout. Take a look at these awesome 3D hands that appear in front of the members while they ace the choreography.

Astute fans believe the hands were likely modelled after Michelangelo’s famous fresco painting, The Creation of Adam. The artwork depicts the hands of Christiany’s God and the first man, Adam, almost touching hands.

5. The “Helicopter” lyrics

Last but not least, CLC tie the whole art theme together in their lyrics. Yeeun‘s first self-written rap of the song starts with “Paint every day-day-day and I draw-draw-draw“.

She goes on to say, “Began from a little thing called curiosity inside my painting“. According to the members themselves, the song’s lyrics are a metaphor for confidence in the face of future fears. It sounds like CLC are aspiring to fly high with this comeback just like da Vinci did with his flying machines!

See the references for yourself in the “Helicopter” music video right here: