Weekly K-Pop Music Chart 2011 - July Week 2

Nothing could stop 2PM as they rocketed to the top this week with “Hands Up” on just the song’s second week on the chart. They easily overtake “Hot Summer” by F(x) and the Secret’s “Starlight Moonlight”, which was the top song for the last two weeks. 2PM was not active in the K-Pop scene for nearly one and a half year, and they sure have made a triumphant return.  With girl groups pretty much dominating the chart for a long time, it is nice to see one of the prominent boy bands returns to the top.

“Hot Summer” by F(x) has to settle for No. 2 again. This song did move past its main challenger Secret’s “Starlight Moonlight” this week, but was not able to hold off 2PM’s “Hands Up”.

After the top three, the next three are all new entries eager to challenge the top in the next few weeks.  At No. 4, Rainbow continues their rise with another top five hit “Sweet Dream”. This song comes from the repackaged version of their mini-album. With back to back top five hits, Rainbow keeps increasing their popularity. Time will tell whether they will become another signature girl group under DSP Entertainment, such as FINKL and Kara.

8Eight is returning to the top five with “Block Those Lips”. There are more co-ed groups in K-Pop now, but there are none unique and popular as 8Eight. Hitman Bang has written all 8Eight’s hit songs so far in their career and is still a major presence in their latest mini-album. For a change, the title song “Block Those Lips” is written by singer-songwriter Park Sun Zoo, who co-penned the lyrics with 8Eight’s Baek Chan and another singer, Gil Hak Mi.  This song obviously has a different beat from the group’s past hit songs.  Let see if the new sparks can land 8Eight’s first chart topping hit.

Another prominent girl group 2NE1 is returning with their latest hit “I’m The Best”.  The quartet just had their warm up song “Lonely” last month and and are now promoting another new song. Despite topping most internet rankings already, this song’s score is hurt by being a digital single (no album sales score). Despite album sales only accounted for 5% now, still no digital single has ever topped our chart. Will this song be the first to do so? We’ll find out in the next few weeks.

SOOMPI CHART for 2011, Month 7, Week 2

1. (+7) 2PM – Hands Up ***1st Week @ No. 1***
Score: 922
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Park Jin Young / Lyrics: Park Jin Young
Album: 2PM Vol. 2 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

2. (–) f(x) – Hot Summer
Score: 878
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: / Lyrics: Kenzie
Album: F(x) Vol. 1 repackaged version | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

3. (-2) Secret – 별빛 달빛 (Starlight Moonlight)
Score: 853
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Kang Ji Won, Kim Ki Bum / Lyrics: Kang Ji Won, Kim Ki Bum
Album: Secret single album Vol. 2 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

4. (+8) Rainbow – Sweet Dream
Score: 729
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Park Se Hyun, A.I.P, Daishi Dance / Lyrics: Gil Hyuk Mi, Double K
Album: Rainbow 2nd mini-album repackaged | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

5. (+6) 8Eight – 그 입술을 막아본다 (Block Those Lips)
Score: 683
Genre: R&B Ballad

Music: Park Sun Zoo / Lyrics: Park Sun Zoo, Baek Chan, Kim Ina
Album: 8Eight mini-album: 8Eight | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

6. (+7) 2NE1 – 내가 제일 잘 나가 (I’m The Best)
Score: 665
Genre: R&B/Hip-Hop

Music: Teddy / Lyrics: Teddy
Album: 2NE1 digital single “I Am The Best”
Watch: MV

7. (-4) Kim Hyun Joong (SS501) – Break Down
Score: 626
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Steven Lee / Lyrics: Steven Lee, Joy Factory
Album: Kim Hyun Joong mini-album Vol. 1 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

8. (+1) Kim Bum Soo – 끝사랑 (End Love)
Score: 554
Genre: Pop Ballad

Music: Yoon Il Sang / Lyrics: Yoon Sa Ra
Album: Kim Bum Soo Vol. 7 Part 2 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

9. (-5) 4men – 살다가 한번쯤 (One Time In Your Life)
Score: 538
Genre: R&B Ballad

Music: Kim Bo Min, Yoon Min Soo / Lyrics: Min Yeon Jae, Yoon Min Soo
Album: 4men Vol. 4 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

10. (-5) Sunny Hill – 미드나잇 서커스 (Midnight Circus)
Score: 477
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Lee Min Soo / Lyrics: Kim Ina
Album: Sunny Hill mini-album Vol. 1 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

THIS WEEK IN 2006:

In this segment we go back in time to re-visit charts of the same week in past years. The Soompi music chart began in January 2005. At first we had only 20 songs and later expanded to 50 songs.

We have many great choices for No. 1 songs in July Week 2 for the past six years.  Brown Eyes, See Ya, and Yoon Do Hyun all have their chart topping hits this week in past years.  But I am choosing a very meaningful song by a legendary boy band.

Shinhwa is one of the most popular and influential boy bands in the history of K-Pop.  Debuted in the glory days in late 1990s where K-Pop is starting to blossom, Shinhwa is one of the three signature groups in SM Entertainment along with H.O.T and SES.  Most of the groups debuting in that era have disbanded but Shinhwa is still together despite the lack of activities as a group in recent years due to members’ solo careers and also military duties.  Shinhwa has perhaps the most loyal fans you’ll see in K-Pop, and the popularity of each of their individual members is very high. Known for their dancing skills and up-tempo songs, Shinhwa chose a ballad “Once In A Lifetime” instead for the title song of their 8th album in 2006 to showcase their vocals. This song is especially meaningful as it is one of the theme songs for team Korea in the 2006 World Cup. For many players, it is a “Once In A Lifetime” opportunity to participate in the World Cup. This song topped our chart five years ago when the World Cup is in the final stage.

To re-visit the MV of “Once In A Lifetime”, click here.

About the Soompi Music Chart:

Soompi Music Chart is unlike any other music charts or television rankings.  It takes into account not only sales and rankings by various other charts in Korea, but also airplays of each song, the number of live performances and appearances, making it an unbiased and objective tally of what’s going on in the world of K-Pop.  Our chart is composed of the following sources:

Air Monitor Chart – 15%
GAON Music Chart – 15%
Various Internet charts (Dosirak, Bugs, Melon, Naver, Monkey3, Daum, Cyworld, Soribada) – 15%
ChartKorea – 5%  
Hottracks Weekly Album Sales (1 weeks lag) – 10%
SBS (Inky Gayo Take 7 + SBS Mill weekly rankings) – 10%
MBC Inky Top 100 Chart – 10%
KBS Music Bank K-Chart – 10% 
MNet M!Countdown – 5%
Gasoo appearance  on gayo shows  (MBC Music Core, SBS Inky Gayo, KBS Music Bank, M!Countdown) – 10%

Thanks to Mardi09 for helping on this week’s internet chart research and motoway065 for song title translations.