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| Seo Tai-ji and IU's collaboration "Sogyeokdong" |
Last year, the tvN drama "Reply 1994" reignited memories, events and songs of the 90s. As the OST swept music charts across Korea, some people were wondering whether a song like Superstar K3 contestant Lim Kim's "Happy Me" was the pop singer's latest tune. But those who were old enough to recognize the song knew that it was a remake of the popular song by 90s female group, Eco.
Music from the 90s seems to be making a return to mainstream music. Recently, a series of top singers in the 80s and 90s have made a comeback to the music scene, proving that they are just as good now, if not better, than they were many years ago.
Seo Tai-ji, a legendary singer and producer from the 90s, whose boy band Seo Tai-ji and Boys arguably gave birth to K-pop, has returned after five years of hiatus with "Sogyeokdong," a collaboration with IU. IU's version of the music video was released Oct. 2, a preview for Seo's own version and upcoming album "Quiet Night," to be released on Oct. 10 and 20, respectively.
The six-minute music video for "Sogyeokdong" reveals a mysterious love story between a boy and a girl in a setting of what seems to be the Sogyeokdong neighborhood in the 80s. The electronic sounds of the synthesizer meshes with IU's feminine and smooth singing voice to create a beautiful balance of electro and modern pop. Upon release, the track has reached number 1 in various music charts across the nation.
Similarly, veteran singer Kim Dong-ryul released an album on Oct. 1 titled "Accompany." The title track is a ballad, with a soft piano beat in the background. His melodic voice starts and completes the entire song.
The music video for the song "How I Am" features top actor Gong Yoo. The lyrics tell a story of a man who has broken up and is trying to let go of the past. Soft drumbeats, piano and string instruments accompany the sad love song. All the tracks on the album reached the top of the charts and the tickets for his nationwide concert were sold within two minutes, attesting to Kim's unceasing popularity.
Another veteran singer Lee Sun-hee, in celebration of her 30th anniversary since debut, made a comeback earlier this year with the album "Serendipity." She recorded number 1 on numerous music charts and her song "Meet Him Among Them" beat popular idol groups Orange Caramel and 4Minute for the number 1 spot on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100.
Cho Yong-pil's sensational return should not go without mention. In April 2013, Cho released an album "Hello," which dominated music charts. His track "Bounce," incorporating modern elements while retaining some of his 80s and 90s flavor, showed that the peak of his career was not only in the 80s and 90s, but also in the 21st century.
Veteran singers have returned to the constantly evolving Korean music market, demonstrating that their talents, music and popularity are not fixated to any particular point in time, but simply growing.
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