2006 Soompi Gayo Award Results

2006 is a year of change in k-pop. On the bright side, we had a lot of good new artists debuting, and also a lot of current or former group members releasing their first solo albums. Most of these current or former group members chose a different music style than that from their groups, which is a pleasant surprise to the listeners. On the flipside, we saw album sales continue to decline, and the emergence of digital singles or single albums. Because of the World Cup tournament in the summer, the usually busy month of June became very quiet. As a result, a lot of major albums were not released until the end of summer or even in the Fall. All of the above events mean that the competition is getting a lot tougher, and everyone has to make better music to please the fans.

Our 2006 soompi gayo award results have a few surprises, even though some of our readers are pretty close in predicting the outcome. Before I announce the results, I like to list our scoring methods once again: all awards except the Daesang are based purely on our weekly top 20 chart scores, adjusted for these factors:

Competition: The total scores of all 20 songs added up for each week, compared to average score (over 51 weeks) in 2006. The weeks with above average scores means that the songs on that week are facing stronger competition, and thus are “rewarded” with an adjustment factor to which it is above the average score. Likewise, songs appeared in a week that is under average are “penalized” with an adjustment factor to which it is under the average score.

Seasonal: Albums and songs released towards the end of the year are weighted higher than the beginning of the year because more popular singers and important albums are usually released in the 2nd half of the year. The seasonal factor is by month, applying to each song:

January: 0.88
February: 0.90
March: 0.92
April: 0.94
May: 0.96
June: 0,98
July: 1.00
August: 1.02
September: 1.04
October: 1.06
November: 1.08
December: 1.10

Positional: Songs ranked higher in the chart each week received a higher factor (fewer discount) – No. 1 song (1.00), No. 2 song (0.95), No. 3 song (0.90)……..No. 18 song (0.15), No. 19 song (0.10), No. 20 song (0.05).

The DaeSang award is based on 60% chart scores adjusted for the above factors, 20% album sales, and 20% fan votings (thanks for the 1665 members who participated in the voting).

I hope this answers the questions when you read the results below as to why these songs or artists won their awards.

Here are the results. First up is the top 20 songs of 2006:

Top 20 songs of 2006 – from our weekly top 20 charts, we select the 20 songs with the highest accumulated chart scores, after adjusting for competition, seasonal, and positional factors. Non-original songs (remakes and covered versions) will be excluded. To be fair to all singers, each singer will only have 1 top 20 songs. If they have more than 1 song among the top 20 scores, the song with the highest scores will be chosen as their top 20 songs.

1. Ha Dong Kyun – 그녀를사랑해줘요 (Please Love Her) *** 2006 SONG OF THE YEAR ***
Genre: R&B Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 15
Album: Ha Dong Kyun Vol. 1 Track 3 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Ha Dong-kyun’s first album titled “Stand Alone,” this ballad song’s poignant lyrics and sweet melody are in perfect harmony with Ha Dong-kyun’s powerful vocals. Its simple and refined arrangement nicely blends with Ha Dong-kyun’s unique vocals. His powerful musicality and husky vocals hidden behind his delicate look is quite amazing.

 Music: Park Soo Jong / Lyrics: Choi Kap Won

Score: 9949

2. Turtles – 비행기 (Aeroplanes)
Genre: Pop
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 13
Album: Turtles Vol. 4 Track 3 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Turtles’ 4th album titled “Buy Turtles!”, it’s a refreshing Turtles-style dance track blending the cute melody with the exotic sound of Hawaiian baby guitars. This song brings back the childhood memories to people who are tired of their everyday lives. Its addictive rhythm adds an exquisite fascination to the music.

 Music + Lyrics: Lim Sung Hoon (Turtleman)

Score: 9134

3. Baek Ji Young – 사랑안해 (I Won’t Love)
Genre: Pop/Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 17
Album: Baek Ji Young Vol. 5 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Baek Ji-young’s 5th album, titled “Smile Again,” this popular track features the singer’s soft and deep voice as well as her lyrical and appealing vocal techniques. It also brings out her husky but soft pipes.

 Music: Park Keun Tae / Lyrics: Cha Eun Taek

Score: 8971

4. Sung Shi Kyung – 거리에서 (On the Street)
Genre: Pop Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 9
Album: Sung Shi Kyung Vol. 5 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Sung Si-kyung’s fifth album titled “The Ballads,” this song displays a new vocalism by uniquely using the falsetto. Its lyrics, written by Yoon Jong-shin, are about a man walking the street that holds precious memories of his lover from whom he has just separated. It is a Sung Si-kyung style ballad song displaying his gentle tone and vocals. Sung Si-kyung’s kissing scene with a Japanese actress was the highlight of the music video.

 Music + Lyrics: Yoon Jong Shin

Score: 7823

5. Vibe (featuring Jang Hye Jin) – 그남자그여자 (That Man, That Woman)
Genre: R&B / ballad
Highest charted position: 2
Weeks in chart: 16
Album: Vibe Vol. 3 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on R&B group Vibe’s third album, titled “Re Feel,” this track features Jang Hye-jin, known for her alluring femininity and explosive vocalism. Her voice is layered on top of a beautiful melody while it sings about the state of mind of a man and a woman.

 Music + Lyrics: Ryu Jae Hyun

Score: 7560

6. Shinhwa – Once in a Lifetime
Genre: Pop / Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 13
Album: Shinhwa Vol. 8 Track 4 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Shinhwa’s 8th album, titled “State of the Art,” this ballad song brings out gentle vocals and a sweet melody, delivering a message about earnest dreams through beautiful lyrics. Plus, the chorus, sung by the group’s fan club “Shinwha Creation,” nicely blends with the music, presenting an emotional harmony.

 Music + Lyrics: Brian Kim

Score: 6863

7. Psy – 연예인 (Performer)
Genre: Pop / Hip-Hop
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 10
Album: Psy Vol. 4 Track 3 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Psy’s 4th album titled “Ssajip,” its lyrics are very much like the one from Psy’s hit song “Utopia” with exciting and refreshing rhythm. In this song, he sings about being an entertainer to a woman he loves. Psy plays a double role of a genuine man and a comical angel through this music video.

 Music: Psy / Lyrics: Yoon Gun Hyung

Score: 6848

8. SG Wannabe – 내사람 (Partner for life)
Genre: R&B / mid-tempo ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 10
Album: SG Wannabe Vol. 3 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on SG Wannabe’s 3rd album, titled “The 3rd Masterpiece,” this track features a unique instrumental composition that is a departure from SG Wannabe’s previous music style, taking on a new tempo. It’s a European-style ballad that’s all about extraordinary sadness. The song also displays SG Wannabe’s musicality.

 Music: Cho Young Soo / Lyrics: Ahn Young Min

Score: 6479

9. Buzz – 남자를몰라 (Don’t know about man)
Genre: Rock Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 11
Album: Buzz Vol. 3 Track 7 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Buzz’s 3rd album, titled “Perfect,” this song nicely blends Buzz’s unique emotional ballad and a rhythmic rock style. It expresses the sorrowful heart of a man who loves only one woman. Through this music video, Buzz’s guitarist Sohn Sung-hee performs in an intense action scene. The piece also features a love triangle with up-and-coming stars Jung Eui-chul and Jung Da-hye.

 Music: Lee Sang Joon / Lyrics: Kim Jin Ah

Score: 6209

10. Lee Seung Chul – 소리쳐 (Screaming)
Genre: Pop Ballad
Highest charted position: 2
Weeks in chart: 10
Album: Lee Seung Chul Vol. 8 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample
Arirang TV: Featured on Lee Seung-chul’s eighth album titled “Reflection of Sound,” this medium tempo ballad song nicely blends a poignant melody with Lee Seung-chul’s unique vocals. Its simple lyrics and melody delivers the true meaning of love with which we can all empathize.

 Music + Lyrics: Hyun Jin Young

Score: 6167

11. Kim Jong Kook – 편지 (Letter)

Genre: Pop ballad

Highest charted position: 2

Weeks in chart: 11

Album: Kim Jong Kook Vol. 4 Track 3 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on “Fourth Letter,” Kim Jong-kook’s fourth and last album before his military enlistment, this song is about a simple, honest man who has trouble expressing his love, and who experiences pain and yearning. The lyrics are reminiscent of a letter written to a lover, with its affecting melody and sorrowful vocals. The harmony of these elements will help fans deal with the void left by Kim Jong-kook’s enlistment in the military.

 Music: Hwang Chan Hee / Lyrics: Yoon SaRa
Score: 5364

12. Koyote – I Love Rock & Roll
Genre: Pop / Dance
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 9
Album: Koyote Vol. 9 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Koyote’s ninth album titled “London Koyote,” this song blends a rock & roll melody that is familiar to Korean listeners with a particularly heavy blues rhythm. Joo Young-hoon wrote the song while Shinji wrote the lyrics. Kim Jong-min’s fascinating low-toned voice is in perfect harmony with Shinji’s playful vocals.

 Music: Joo Young Hoon / Lyrics: Shin Ji
Score: 5134

13. MC The Max – 사랑은아프려고하는거죠 (Love After the Pain)
Genre: Rock Ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 7
Album: MC The Max Vol. 4 Track 4 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on MC The Max’s 4th album, titled, “The Rusted Love.” This ballad song features a beautiful melody that melds nicely with Lee Su’s poignant voice. The song expresses the pain and suffering of love as opposed to the joy and happiness it can bring. The message? That the pain is worth it.

 Music: Hirose Kohmi / Lyrics: Yang Jae Sun
Score: 5047

14. See Ya – 여인의향기 (The Scent of a Woman)
Genre: R&B /mid-tempo ballad
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 9
Album: See Ya Vol. 1 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on three member female group See Ya’s first album, titled “Scent of Woman,” this song was written by Cho Young-su, who also composed SG Wannabe’s “Going Crazy” and Big 4’s “Untouchable.” It is a medium-tempo song with a bright melody that ironically blends well with sad lyrics. See Ya’s harmonies go exquisitely well with the song’s simple and cheerful melodies.

 Music: Cho Young Soo / Lyrics: Ahn Young Min
Score: 4816

15. Se7en (featuring Teddy) – 난알아요 (I Know)
Genre: R&B / Hip-Hop Dance
Highest charted position: 1
Weeks in chart: 8
Album: Se7en Vol. 3 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Se7en’s 3rd album, titled “24/7,” this medium tempo hip-hop song gives off a stronger hip-hop vibe compared to “Passion,” from the artist’s last album. Its refined beats and expressive lyrics make up an impressive combination. Hip-hop fans are sure to enjoy this new hit.

 Music: Teddy,E-tribe / Lyrics: Yang Hyun Suk
Score: 4813

16. ERU (feat. Daylight) – 까만안경 (Black Glasses)
Genre: Pop Ballad
Highest charted position: 2
Weeks in chart: 9
Album: ERU Vol. 2 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Eru’s second album, this song was written by composer Yoon Myung-sun. It is a sentimental ballad song which talks about separation between lovers through the lyrics. Singer Daylight also features in the song. As a highlight, actor Ahn Sung-ki makes his first appearance ever in a music video. Along with him are actress Lee Young-ah and SS501’s Kim Hyun-joong who also play leading roles.

 Music + Lyrics: Yoon Myung Sun
Score: 4714

17. Lee Seung Ki – 하기힘든말 (Words hard to tell)
Genre: Pop ballad
Highest charted position: 2
Weeks in chart: 11
Album: Lee Seung Ki Vol. 2 Track 1 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Lee Seung-ki’s 2nd album, titled “Crazy For U,” this song brings out a whole new sentiment that departs from Lee Seung-ki’s original vocalism. The emotional lyrics, about letting a lover go, are communicated poignantly through Lee Seung-ki’s voice.

 Music: Kim Do Hoon / Lyrics: Choi Kap Won
Score: 4654

18. MC Mong – 아이스크림 (Ice-cream)
Genre: Hip-hop
Highest charted position: 2
Weeks in chart: 8
Album: MC Mong Vol. 3 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on MC Mong’s 3rd album titled “The way I am,” it is a fast tempo hip-hop song with a strong instrumental sound. MC Mong wrote the lyrics, which express the heart of women who feel resentment at quick love comparing it with ice-cream that melts easily. MC Mong plays the role of a nice but unemployed person in the music video.

 Music: Kim Gun Woo / Lyrics: MC Mong
Score: 4567

19. Lee Soo Young – Grace
Genre: Pop Ballad
Highest Charted Position: 1
Weeks in chart: 8
Album: Lee Soo Young Vol. 7 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Lee Soo-young’s 7h album, titled “Grace,” this song is both cheerful and sad. Her vocals communicate affection for a past love and promise for a new life. The music video attracted much attention even before its making. It stars actor Lee Joon-ki, who catapulted to stardom after a starring role in the movie, “King and the Clown.”

 Music: Hwang Sung Je / Lyrics: Lee Soo Young
Score: 4504

20. Lim Jung Hee – 사랑아가지마 (Love, Don’t Leave)
Genre: Pop ballad
Highest Charted Position: 5
Weeks in chart: 11
Album: Lim Jung Hee Vol. 2 Track 2 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Lim Jeong-hee’s 2nd album, titled “Thanks,” the song softly expresses this street diva’s powerful vocals, making for a smooth, trendy track. The music video deals with the painful love between a cyborg and a human. An impassioned performance by a cyborg, a mysterious girl named “Woori,” is very impressive.

 Music: Hikaru / Lyrics: Cho Eun Hee
Score: 4318

Songwriter of the year – The songwriter with the highest charted score:

Cho Young Soo: He has written the melody of ten top 20 hit songs in 2006, including 2 No. 1 songs (in bold below):

Big 4 – Untouchable
KCM – 태양의눈물 (Tears of the Sun)
SS501 – Fighter
See Ya – 여인의향기 (The Scent of a Woman)
See Ya – 미친 사랑의 노래 (Crazy Love Song)
SG Wannabe – 내사람 (Partner for life)
SG Wannabe (Feat. Danny Ahn) – 사랑했어요 (I Love You)
Jung Jae Wook – 들리나요 (Can You Hear?)
Kim Jong Kook – 사랑한다는말 (Words of Loving You)
The Name – 사랑은… (Love Is…)

Lyricist of the year – The lyricist with the highest charted score:

Ahn Young Min: Mainly teamming up with Cho Young Soo, he has written the lyrics of ten top 20 hit songs in 2006, including 2 No. 1 songs (in bold below):

Big 4 – Untouchable
KCM – 태양의눈물 (Tears of the Sun)
SS501 – Fighter
See Ya – 여인의향기 (The Scent of a Woman)
See Ya – 미친 사랑의 노래 (Crazy Love Song)
SG Wannabe – 내사람 (Partner for life)
SG Wannabe (Feat. Danny Ahn) – 사랑했어요 (I Love You)
Jung Jae Wook – 들리나요 (Can You Hear?)
The Name – 사랑은… (Love Is…)
Big Bang – 눈물뿐인 바보 (Tears of a Fool)

Best single of 2006– The single which received the highest charted scores in 2006:

Superjunior – U
Genre: Pop / Dance
Highest Charted Position: 1
Weeks in chart: 8
Album: Superjunior: U (Single) – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: Featured on Super Junior’s first single album titled “U,” it’s a strong beat dance track released with the group’s transformation into a thirteen member group, bringing in a new member Kyu-hyun. The song was revised many times to display Super Junior’s refined and masculine music style.

 Music: Ken Ingwersen + Kevin Simm / Lyrics: Tae Hoon

Score: 4874

Best Drama / Movie OST song of 2006 – Songs from a drama or movie that received the highest scores on our chart:

See Ya – 미친사랑의노래 (Crazy Love Song)
Genre: R&B ballad
Highest Charted Position: 3
Weeks in chart: 9
Album: KBS Drama “Invisible Man Choi Jang Soo” OST Track 3 – Listen here for 1 minute sample

Arirang TV: This is the theme song of the drama “Invisible Man, Choi Jang-soo”, which stars Chae Si-ra and Yoo Oh-sung. Also featured on the O.S.T of the drama, the song’s sad lyrics and medium tempo with bright melody give ironic color to the song. The music video is a sequel to the song “Slippers” from the group’s first album.

 Music: Cho Young Soo / Lyrics: Ahn Young Min

Score: 4544

Best new artist of 2006:

Gold: See Ya (Score: 13424)

Silver: Superjunior (Score: 11863)
Bronze: Brown Eyed Girls (Score: 3814)

Top group singer of 2006:

Gold: SG Wannabe (Score: 10214)

Silver: Turtles (Score: 9134)
Bronze: Fly To The Sky (Score: 7942)

Top female singer of 2006:

Gold: Baek Ji Young (Score: 8971)

Silver: Lee Soo Young (Score: 4823)
Bronze: Bada (Score: 4749)

Top male singer of 2006:

Gold: Lee Seung Ki (Score: 11442)

Silver: Kim Jong Kook (Score: 10105)
Bronze: Ha Dong Kyun (Score: 9949)

Album of the year: The album with the highest scores of its charted songs on our top 20, averaged by the number of tracks from that album:

SG Wannabe Vol. 3 – The 3rd Masterpiece (Score: 3037)

This album produced 5 top 20 hit songs from its 15 tracks, including 1 No. 1 song (listed in bold below):

내사람 (Partner For Life)
느림보 (Slow Steps)
사랑했어요 (Feat. Danny Ahn) (I Love You)
바람과함께사라지다 (Big 4) (Gone With The Wind)
Untouchable (Big 4)

The last 2 songs were first featured on Big 4’s project single album, but later also appeared on SG Wannabe Vol. 3.

And the last award:

2006 Soompi Gayo Daesang: 60% adjusted chart scores + 20% album sales + 20% fan votings (again, thanks for our 1665 voters). You can see the voting results here:

https://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102152

The 2006 Soompi Gayo DaeSang Award goes to………………..

SG Wannabe!!!

SG Wannabe participated in 9 top 20 songs in 2006, including 1 number one song (listed in bold below):

내사람 (Partner for Life)
느림보 (Slow Steps)
사랑했어요 (Feat. Danny Ahn) (I Love You)
사랑가 (Feat. Vibe) (A Song of Love)
Big 4 – 바람과함께사라지다 (Gone With The Wind)
Big 4 – Untouchable
See Ya – 사랑하기 때문에 (Feat. SG Wannabe) (Because of Love)
S.101 – 바람만바람만 (Only Wind Only Wind)
SG Wannabe + Brown Eyed Girls – Must Have Love

Congratulations to SG Wannabe for having such a fine year.

Here are the final scoring of the DaeSang award (Chart score (60%) + Album Sales (20%) + Fan Voting (20%) = Total Score)

1. SG Wannabe: 600 + 169 + 38 = 807
2. DBSG: 386 + 200 + 200 = 786
3. Kim Jong Kook: 594 + 60 + 19 = 673
4. Shinhwa: 433 + 121 + 104 = 658
5. Se7en: 492 + 61 + 65 = 618
6. Ha Dong Kyun: 584 + 16 + 1 = 601
7. Fly To The Sky: 467 + 82 + 43 = 592
8. Baek Ji Young: 527 + 37 + 7 = 571
9. Turtles: 537 + 23 + 3 = 563
10. Buzz: 439 + 68 + 6 = 513