Davichi has officially taken its place as the current queens of K-Pop. With the release of their single “Don’t Say Goodbye” on Aug. 29, Davichi achieved the No. 1 spot on the K-Pop Hot 100 for the second week of August, and now the ladies have earned their second consecutive No. 1 crown! This marks the first time an artist has held the top ranked single for consecutive weeks in the K-Pop Hot 100 chart’s young history (launched on Aug. 25). Adding fuel to Davichi’s current success is the fact that Korean music consumers have switched the bulk of their digital purchases from the buoyant dance beats of summer to the gentle ballads of the fall. On a somewhat contrasting note, this week’s chart feature article highlights four boy band songs, Infinite’s “Be Mine,” Super Junior’s “Mr. Simple,” MBLAQ’s “Mona Lisa” and U-Kiss’ “NEVERLAND.” These four boy bands are forces to be reckoned with on the K-Pop Hot 100 and are beginning to spread their talent across Asia. Here’s an overview of their hit songs below.
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Infinite: “Be Mine” (No. 17)
Boy band wonder group Infinite has been on a tear as of late. They released their first full album, “Over the Top”, on July 21 and the title song, “Be Mine”, has spent nearly two months near the top of various Korean digital sales charts. “Be Mine” is a medium tempo, pop dance track with a simple yet buoyant melody that may remind listeners of the 1980s euro-pop scene. As the name suggests, the boys sing out to their lovers asking them to be theirs forever. The popularity of “Be Mine” has risen steadily after its release and was finally awarded first place by the cable TV show “MNET Countdown” on Sept. 1. Along with their popularity in Korea, the seven members of Infinite have started performing in various Japanese concert venues and TV shows and have been met with great success for their powerful dance choreography and rhythmical beats. Infinite’s members are: leader and vocal Kim Sung Kyu, rapper Jang Dong Woo, Hoya, Nam Woo Hyung, Lee Sung Yul, L and Lee Sung Jong.
Super Junior: “Mr. Simple” (No. 18)
Super Junior is one of the representative stars of the K-Pop movement in Asia as their popularity brought on by their pretty boy good looks and buoyant funky dance tunes has transcended the boundaries of the peninsula called Korea and is spreading rapidly throughout Japan and China. The 13 young men of Super Junior debuted in late 2005 and have never looked back. Only nine of the 13 members participated in Super Junior’s fifth full album, “Mr. Simple”, as two of the members are in mandatory military service with one member singing solo in China and another immersed in an acting career. Over the years, Super Junior has played a huge role in popularizing the electronic dance, funky dance movement in Korea and is best known for their precisely coordinated group dance choreography and the entertaining personalities of its members. The title track of the album, also named “Mr. Simple,” is a song that advices young men to live “simple” and ignore the negative opinions of those around them. Super Junior belongs to Korea’s largest entertainment management company, SM Entertainment, which also manages TVXQ, Japanese superstar Boa, Girl’s Generation and many other K-Pop artists.
MBLAQ: “Mona Lisa” (No. 60)
It is tough to start one’s career buried in the shadow of another superstar, however, that is exactly how the five member boy band MBLAQ debuted in 2009. MBLAQ was created as the pet project of the world famous K-Pop star Rain, who in 2009 was at the height of his popularity. After its debut, MBLAQ was unable to find its own identity as it was mentioned only as a reference to the group’s hugely popular producer. Now after releasing one full album and having recently released their second EP, “Mona Lisa”, on July 12, MBLAQ is coming into its own. It has been a full two months since MBLAQ’s title track hit digital music websites but its popularity amongst the female teen population is still going strong and has secured the No. 60 slot on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 this week. In this electronic dance hit, the four gentlemen liken their lovers’ confusing feelings towards them to the mysterious Mona Lisa painting. MBLAQ’s five members are leader SeungHo, G.O, CheonDung, Joon and Mir. An interesting fact about member CheonDung is that his elder sister Sandra Park is a member of leading K-Pop girl group, 2NE1. MBLAQ has recently started performing in Japan and has been greeted with open arms by the Japanese female K-Pop fans.