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Sun, August 14, 2022 | 04:19
Food
'Acoustic' the new K-pop
K-pop 아이돌 홍수 가르는 '솔직 담백 어쿠스틱'
Posted : 2016-05-08 15:45
Updated : 2016-05-08 19:12
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Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap
Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday.
/ Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan


Fans' taste for K-pop has moved on from idol bands' dance music filled with bouncy beats and incomprehensive foreign jargon to acoustic folk songs focused on storytelling.

The trend is reminiscent of the style before the millennium. But it also differs from the retro style in that the lyrics are more incisive and rude, similar to how hip-hop music is oriented. Hankook Ilbo referred to the style as "a mutant of acoustic music."

Two-member band Akdong Musician (AKMU) is a successful example of the new trend. On Children's Day on Thursday at Seoul Forest, the band comprising two siblings held a mini concert in front of about 10,000 people.

The concert came a day after the winner of the 2013 SBS TV audition program "K-pop Star 2"released its album "Puberty-Former." Lee Chan-hyuk, 19, played acoustic guitar and rapped while his sister, Soo-hyun, 16, sang as they performed the album's two lead tracks, Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap"Re-Bye" and Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap"How People Move."

Gentle, restrained melody and catchy lyrics are the heart of the duo's music that entrances fans from teenagers to the middle-aged, who generally are more accustomed to acoustic music.

AKMU's numbers ranked first and second on eight major charts on Wednesday morning, including MelON, Genie Music and Olleh Music. The group beat I.O.I, a pop-dance girl band from TV audition program "Produce 101" on Mnet. Four other tracks from AKMU's album were also included in the charts' top 10.

Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap
Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap
10cm(top) and Jung Eun-ji

Other acoustic trendsetters include two-member band 10cm and idol singer Jeong Eun-ji from girl band Apink. 10cm last month released the single Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap"What the Spring?" a cynical comment about young adults hungry for romance and aimlessly waiting for spring. In the same month, Jeong released Akdong Musician performs in a live mini concert at Seoul Forest on Thursday. / Yonhap"Hopefully Sky," a mellow number featuring guitar and harmonica. Both topped online music charts and TV music programs.


"The new acoustic trend shows that the public has become tired of idol bands' dance music," a music critic said, according to a report. "Some bands with foreign members like JYP Entertainment's TWICE sometimes deliver lyrics that are hard to understand.

"The new acoustic K-pop, on the other hand, is drawing attention from a broad range of age groups because it focuses on persuasive storytelling while sticking to an old-fashioned music style."


K-pop 아이돌 홍수 가르는 '솔직 담백 어쿠스틱'

'우리가 사춘기를 지나온 입장에서 '사춘기 때 우리 이랬지'를 기록한 앨범입니다.'

남매듀오 악동뮤지션(이찬혁·수현)이 4일 발표한 새 앨범 '사춘기 상'(思春記 上)에 대해 '사춘기 하면 10대들의 질풍노도 시기, 중2 병을 떠올릴 텐데 우리가 지내온 사춘기를 기록한 앨범이니 가사에 집중해 들어달라'고 말했다.

악동뮤지션은 어린이날인 5일 오후 3시 성동구 서울숲 야외무대에서 새앨범 청음회를 열고 더블 타이틀곡 '리-바이'(RE-BYE)와 '사람들이 움직이는 게' 등 수록곡을 라이브로 들려줬다. 

찬혁이 '2년 공백기 동안 수현이가 사춘기여서 그때 내가 느끼는 바가 많았다'고 하자 수현은 '오빠가 나를 뮤즈로 삼은 것에 감사하게 생각한다'고 말해 웃음을 자아냈다.

이날 청음회에는 1만명이 운집했고 네이버 브이앱 생중계 시청자도 10만 명을 돌파해 이들의 높은 인기를 실감하게 했다. 이미 새앨범은 음원차트 1위를 '올킬' 했고, 수록곡들도 차트 10위권에 '줄 서기'를 했다.

남매는 '걱정을 많이 하고 긴장했는데 어떤 곡이 가장 좋았으냐'고 물은 뒤 '음악에 대한 좋은 반응과 환호에 감사드린다'고 인사했다.

이어 찬혁의 기타 반주에 맞춰 앨범 수록곡을 한 곡씩 소개하며 짤막하게 들려줬다.

찬혁은 '리-바이'에 대해 '가사만 들으면 이별 노래라 생각하는데 사실은 아니다'며 '내가 사춘기 때 사람들과 만나 금방 헤어지는 게 상처였다. 이럴 때 아무렇지 않은 척 해보자는 마음에서 쓴 곡으로 사람에게 상처받은 분들이 이 노래를 들으며 아무렇지 않은 척 해보면 괜찮을 것 같다'고 소개했다.

'사람들이 움직이는 게'에 대해 수현은 '가사를 보면 알 수 있듯이 그냥 신나는 곡으로 '사람들이 움직이는 게 신기하다'는 내용'이라고 말했다. 

앨범의 유일한 사랑 노래로는 '새삼스럽게 왜'를 꼽았다.

'원래 이 노래는 OST를 위해 만들었는데 (양현석) 사장님이 듣고서 '이건 너무 좋다, 너네 앨범에 넣으라'고 하셨어요. 제가 불러도 너무 달콤한 노래예요. 제 목소리가 아니라 노래가…. 하하.'(수현)

찬혁은 '내 파트가 많이 없는 곡인데 내 목소리 나오는 부분이 좋더라. 그 부분을 부를 때 내가 귀여운 것 같다'며 '내가 좋다면 좋다고/ 아니라면 아니라고 해/ 사람 헷갈리게 하지 마 이 바보야'란 부분을 들려줬다.

앨범에서 유일하게 어두운 노래는 '주변인'이라고 설명했다.

찬혁은 '보통 주변인 하면 겉도는 사람, 혹은 사춘기를 겪는 사람들을 뜻하는데 어른도 아이 쪽에도 속하지 않는 사람들을 위해 곡을 썼다'며 '오늘 청소년도 많이 온 것 같은데 이 노래를 듣고 힐링했으면 좋겠다'고 말했다.

관객의 열정적인 반응에 악동뮤지션은 '라면인건가', '다리꼬지마' 등의 히트곡도 들려주며 분위기를 유쾌하게 이끌었다.

찬혁은 '1집 청음회를 이곳에서 했는데 2집도 하게 됐다'며 '오늘 비가 오지 않고 날씨가 좋다. 우린 날씨 운이 좋은 것 같다. 산뜻함을 모는 악동뮤지션'이라며 웃었다.

관객들이 '수현이가 너무 예뻐졌다', '찬혁이 잘생겼다'라고 환호하자 수현은 '지난해 12월 말부터 열심히 다이어트를 했다. 공백기 동안 인생 최고 몸무게를 찍고서 8㎏을 뺐다'고 고백하기도 했다.

남매는 이번 앨범이 '상'(上)인 만큼 '하'(下)도 나올 것이라고 다음 앨범을 예고했다.

이들은 ''하' 앨범도 기대해달라'고 강조했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailaoshima11@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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