Will 2NE1 crush male ballad singers?

Recently, the k-pop industry has been dominated by male ballad singers like FT Island, 4men and Wheesung sweeping the music charts.

FT Island made a comeback after a 1 year hiatus with “Love Love Love,” and rose to 1st place on Ga-on’s digital chart within a week of the song’s release. FT Island also won the Mutizen on SBS’s “Inki Gayo” during this time.

4men’s “u” rose up in rankings by 10 notches, and Wheesung’s “I Even Thought of Marriage” rose by 17, placing 2nd and 3rd respectively. This seems to reinforce the impression that male ballad singers are currently carrying substantial weight in the music industry.

A representative of Ga-on Chart stated, “Since we are going into the fall season in September, ballad singers are becoming very popular. The dance and idol singers who have been leading the charts during the summer are losing their popularity since ballads are preferred in the chilly autumn weather.”


However, 2NE1 challenges this statement with their much-anticipated comeback, featuring their official 1st full album, “To Anyone“. The dance group dominated all manner of music charts, from Monkey3, Melon, mnet.com, Cyworld and more within just a day of their comeback.

2NE1’s three title tracks “Can’t Nobody,” “Go Away” and “Clap Your Hands,” are mostly strong hip-hop tracks, but there are also lyrical, slow tempo songs such as “It Hurts,” which fits the fall atmosphere.

The concept that “autumn=ballad” is cliché and old. However, if 2NE1 manages to dethrone the male ballad singers this fall, it will be a noteworthy achievement.



Source: allkpop