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| A show host and her guest, a professional cook, advertise a frying pan on home shopping channel GS Shop. Provided to Hankook Ilbo |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Flipping through television channels, one could easily encounter any of the tens of home shopping channels and mind-numbingly move on to something more exciting. But chances are he or she suddenly holds the remote after being hooked by upbeat music from a shopping channel and unconsciously becomes confused enough to press the "purchase" button.
The power of background music (BGM) has been a critical force behind myriad Korean home shopping channels (live) and TV commerce channels (recorded). Operators select a choice track list to anchor viewers, while consumers, unless they have a certain product or network in mind, make themselves vulnerable to audible sensations.
GS Shop, one of Korea's hottest home shopping channels, has been crediting the music it uses by releasing annually the 10 songs it played the most.
For the songs and their singers, channels like GS as well as others from Lotte, Hyundai, CJ, NS, Shinsegae and SK were another platform to promote themselves where people flock to check out the hippest products of the time ― from health supplements to affordable travel packages, high-end home appliances, luxurious fashion items, and even cars on lease.
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| Hyundai Home Shopping's fashion show "Style Talk" invited Korean fashion designer Logan, center, to advertise trendy items. Korea Times file |
On Sunday, GS released this year's top songs, studded with numbers by K-pop girl bands. The list was topped by "Boom Boom," a YouTube hit with more than 300 million views as of December 2018 that hoisted MOMOLAND to stardom early this year. GS Shop played it more than 700 times from Jan. 1 to Dec. 10 this year.
"BAAM," the latest hit from the nine-member band from MLD Entertainment, also made sixth spot.
TWICE was the band with the most songs played on GS Shop ― this year's hits "What Is Love?" "Ho!" and "Heart Shaker" from last year. The band's music videos and audios on YouTube have together had almost 480 million views.
Other singles among the most familiar tracks on GS were ELRIS's "Pow Pow," Gu9udan's "Chococo," AOA's "Bingle Bangle" and Red Velvet's "Red Flavor."
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| MOMOLAND performs at the "KSTAR 2018 Korea Music Festival" at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, in August 2018. Korea Times file |
What stands out in the chart is the late Michael Jackson's posthumous song "Love Felt Never So Good," which ranked fifth. A rework from the 1980 demo track released in 2014, the medium-tempo number was played to attract middle-aged consumers who are more familiar with the legendary American "king of pop" from the 1980s.
The toe-tapping numbers commonly carry from 130 to 160 beats per minute and addictive melody lines. Memorable puns and other repetitive lyrics also helped hook undecided consumers to loosen their purse strings.
A GS Shop official reportedly said the company "analyzes consumers' trends and proclivity" in selecting the music. The tool is so effective and influential it is also known as "the second shopping host."
Songs by British rock band Queen, active since the 1970s and which has gained unprecedented popularity in Korea only recently thanks to the box office hit "Bohemian Rhapsody," have also become favorite track selections, according to the company.
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