In the last few months of 2012, the K-pop landscape has changed: ballads, also known as “healing” music, have been ruling the charts. Lee Seung Gi, the charming prince of such songs, contently spends five weeks atop the K-Pop Hot 100 with “Return” off his mini-album, “Forest.”
The feat ties the all-time chart No. 1 record set by PSY‘s monster hit “Gangnam Style” (set July 25 to Aug. 29 of this year) and IU’s five-week stretch for “You and I” that lasted from December 2011 to January 2012.
With promotional activities slower during the end of the month and the continued sales and interest of Lee Seung Gi, it may be possible for the ballad singer to make history and break the all-time K-Pop Hot 100 chart record next week for six weeks at No. 1.
Girls’ Generation spent 2012 focused on overseas promotions in the U.S. and Japan, but they’ll kick off the new year back in their home country with a new album released on New Year’s. To hold fans over, the girls pre-released an almost five-year-old track, “Dancing Queen.” The track samples Duffy’s “Mercy,” but throws in just the right amount of SNSD charm.
The track (which precedes the official first single “I Got A Boy” coming soon) makes big moves on the chart as the week’s biggest debut at No. 4. Should “Dancing Queen” or “I Got A Boy” go to No. 1 it would mark a second topper for the ninesome who topped the charts in November 2011 with “The Boys.”
Be sure to check back Thursday when the K-Pop Hot 100 (along with all the other Billboard charts) are refreshed to see if Lee Seung Gi can make K-Pop Hot 100 history!