Indie band knocks out K-pop idol groups
Indie duo Bolbbalgan4 poses at a showcase at Ilchi Art Hall in Gangnam, Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Shofar Music
Bolbbalgan4 opens up about 'self-duplication'
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Indie duo Bolbbalgan4 has towered on local music charts again with “Travel,” the lead song of their second mini-album “Red Diary page.2,” knocking global boy band BTS from the top spot.
The female duo released the track last Thursday and it has clinched the No.1 spot on some of the biggest online streaming services including Melon and Olleh Music and ranked No.2 at Naver Music and Soribada.
In doing so, Bolbbalgan4 matches K-pop idol groups like BTS, SHINee and AOA. BTS made its phenomenal rise on May 24, and since then has topped the Billboard 200 album chart. Being the first Korean act to rise atop the U.S. mainstream chart, President Moon Jae-in congratulated the band for their unforeseen success. Meanwhile, SHINee and AOA both landed on music charts on May 28.
The duo, which consists of Ahn Ji-young and Woo Ji-yoon, possesses the innocent charms of a typical girl band, but they have distinguished themselves by taking charge of the lyrics and composition. Ahn, the main vocalist and singer-songwriter, is also well known for her “honey-dripping” voice.
Last September, the songs “Some” and “To My Youth” off their first mini-album “Red Diary page.1” also dominated most of the leading music charts, taking Korea's music industry by surprise.
The new song “Travel” is a gift to worn-out youngsters who wish to fly away. “I went on trips and I was able to have fun making music during my time off. I got inspired by meeting a lot of people and exploring new places,” said Ahn, who composed the song and wrote the lyrics. The track opens with Ahn's unique windy vocals and builds with a sing-along-ready hook before snapping into tropical house infused-pop rock.
Their other song “Wind” is a soft, emotional pop ballad that uses wind as a metaphor to a loved one.
Woo composed and wrote the lyrics for “Clip” that encompasses a nylon-string acoustic guitar sound. “This song comes after my desire of wanting to keep invaluable memories in forms of video clips,” Woo said.
While the duo is highly acclaimed for their musical talent, the members faced criticisms over a “self-duplication” issue. “I can guarantee we've changed this time. As we got older, we found ourselves listening to different songs and meeting up with different people. And as our lifestyles shifted, we ended up making new kinds of songs,” Ahn said.
The duo first became known by appearing on the sixth season of Mnet music talent show “Superstar K” in 2014, and they officially debuted in April 2016. Their hits include “Galaxy,” “Tell Me You Like Me” and “Some.”
Bolbbalgan4 are set to hold their third solo concert series on July 14 and 15 at Olympic Hall in Seoul.