Day6 (JYP Leisure)
Bands are dominating native charts for the time being, led by JYP Leisure’s pop-rock sensation Day6.
With 4 of their previous and new tracks among the many prime 10 on Melon’s music chart as of Friday — “Completely satisfied” and “Welcome to the Present” claiming the No. 1 and No. 3 spots and “Soften Down” and “Time of Our Life” holding sturdy at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively — it’s clear the Korean music scene is within the midst of a band craze.
Day6 isn’t any newcomer. However it’s only now that it has reached this stage, 9 years since its debut in 2015. Whereas Day6 has lengthy been favored by native music fanatics, that is the primary time it has achieved such broad mainstream attraction.
Amongst all-female bands, four-member challenge band QWER is main the rock style.
“My Title is Malgeum” from the band’s second EP, “Algorithm’s Blossom,” which launched Sept. 23, presently ranks No. 2 on the Melon chart, the upper than any Ok-pop lady group. This locations QWER above aespa’s hit “Supernova” at No. 4 and NewJeans’ “How Candy” at No. 8.
The primary motive for the surge within the recognition of such bands appears to be rising fatigue with the high-octane, addictive hooks typical of Ok-pop idol teams. In distinction, the music of such bands is taken into account simpler to take heed to.
“The presently standard band music follows conventional melodic buildings that enable listeners to naturally really feel the emotional contours all through the music. It’s a well-known sample that has lengthy been acknowledged for evoking pleasure,” stated music critic Lim Hee-yun.
Day6, for instance, employs acquainted, catchy melodies and combines them with universally relatable lyrics. “Time of Our Life,” for instance, provides encouragement to younger folks, with traces equivalent to, “Let’s write a fantastic chapter of our youth collectively.”
“Day6’s songs don’t convey aggressive messages or advanced themes. Fairly, they resonate as anthems for a weary era,” stated music critic Kim Do-heon. “With the members actively concerned in writing and composing their songs, they’re gaining much more love for his or her authenticity.”
QWER (Tamago Manufacturing)
Japanese subculture and anime content material have additionally influenced the rise in recognition of bands in Korea. Native bands typically function preparations and melodies much like Japanese rock bands that create anime soundtracks.
“The recognition of Japanese anime movies like ‘The First Slam Dunk’ and ‘Suzume’ appears to have influenced Korean bands’ music. The youthful ardour and power in these movies, mixed with their distinctive, refreshing imagery, typically accompanied by rock music, have contributed to this pattern,” Lim added. “As Japanese content material continues to realize traction amongst youthful generations, there’s a rising choice for Japanese-style rock and melodies.”
It’s not solely Ok-pop bands which are gaining recognition — indie bands are additionally experiencing a surge in recognition. Native indie rock band Silica Gel offered out three concert events at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul in Might, a feat hardly ever achieved even by standard Ok-pop teams. Notably, Silica Gel has turn into a band to reckon with primarily based on its music alone; the band doesn’t seem on TV reveals, which has typically been the quickest path to stardom for underground musicians.
One other indie band, Wave to Earth, presently boasts over 8.19 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify, a determine that’s 1.5 instances increased than IU’s 5.3 million, as of Thursday. IU is without doubt one of the most profitable feminine Ok-pop solo artists right now.
“Brief-form movies on social media have helped indie musicians within the band scene achieve immense recognition. The fan base for area of interest band music has snowballed as content material is shared amongst fanatics who recognize much less mainstream sounds,” Lim stated.