Weekly K-Pop Music Chart 2012 - November Week 3

Lee Ha Yi, the runner up on the K-Pop Star competition, impressively takes over the top spot this week with her first solo single “1,2,3,4”. She becomes the only new artist to hit No. 1 so far this year. This is not a surprise at all as “1,2,3,4” has topped M!Countdown for two weeks now and also tops almost all independent and internet charts in Korea. Lee Ha Yi is making a late run for the top new artist award. Where she will land at year end will depend on how long “1,2,3,4” remains popular. “1,2,3,4” also becomes the second digital single ever to top our chart. Ironically, the first digital single to do it came from earlier this year and was by another YG Entertainment artist: 2NE1’s “I Love You”.

Rookie artists claim the top two spots this week as Ailee’s “I Will Show You” remains No. 2 this week. Last week, “I Will Show You” just barely lost out to K.Will’s “Please Don’t…” by a single point. “I Will Show You” finally moves past “Please Don’t…” (drops to No. 3) this week with a score higher than last week, but again has to settle for second best as “1,2,3,4” is too strong. Despite losing the No. 1 battle to Lee Ha Yi this week, Ailee is still on track to win the best new artist award this year.

There are four new songs in the top 10 this week. The highest one comes in at No. 5 as Kim Jong Kook’s “Men Are All Like That” makes a big 20 spot jump. Kim Jong Kook’s comeback success adds another name to male soloists who enjoys a very good year in 2012.  Kim used to be the top male soloist in the last decade. He swept the Daesangs from all three major TV networks back in 2005. He is still very popular now. “Men Are All Like That” is the title song from Kim’s seventh album “Journey Home.“ It is a beautiful number with lyrics on how initial love slowly dies down as two lovers get to know each other, from a male’s point of view.

The remaining three new songs in the top 10 are from underground/indie artists.  It is nice to see these songs breaking into mainstream top 10 in the music chart usually dominated by idol artists.

Moving up ten spots to No. 6 is hip-hop artist Primary’s “?”.  Prior to the release of his first LP “Primary And The Messenger”, Primary already released three singles earlier this year but “?” is his first top 10 hit.  Primary worked behind the scene as a music producer under the same label with some of the most talented hip-hop acts in Korea like Dynamic Duo, Supreme Team, Tiger JK, etc.  “?” features Dynamic Duo’s one half in Choija, and also Zion.T.  This mid-tempo song makes easy appeal to mainstream listeners yet doesn’t lose its underground flavor.

At No. 8, indie R&B mixed trio Urban Zakapa hits the top 10 again with “All The Same”, the title song of their second album. Just a few weeks ago, Urban Zakapa was in the top 10 with the digital single “I Hate You.”  Now the group is releasing their second full length. Urban Zakapa always impresses fans with their pure vocals. Their songs have very simple arrangements so the members can showcase their vocals even more.

At No. 9, hip-hop duo Geeks score their first top 10 hit with “Officially Missing You, Too”.  This hip-hop style ballad features the vocal of Sistar’s Soyu, perhaps a major reason it is ranked high on many music charts. This song is coming from a project named recode episode 1. It aims to promote underground artists collaborating with more famous artists.  Earlier this year, Geeks debuted with a hip-hop version of Tamia’s “Officially Missing You”. The sequel “Officially Missing You, Too” samples the original song with a new intro.  Soyu’s great vocal surprises many fans as she shows another side that we often don’t see from her in Sistar.

1. (+7) Lee Ha Yi – 1,2,3,4 ***1st Week @ No. 1***
Score: 966
Genre: R&B

Music: Choice 37, Lydia Paek / Lyrics: Masta Wu
Album: Lee Ha Yi digital single 1,2,3,4
Watch: MV

2. (–) Ailee – 보여줄게 (I Will Show You)
Score: 937
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Kim Do Hoon, Lee Hyun Seung / Lyrics: Kang Eun Kyung
Album: Ailee 1st mini-album | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

3. (-2) K.Will – 이러지마 제발 (Please Don’t…)
Score: 880
Genre: Pop Ballad

Music: Kim Do Hoon / Lyrics: Kim Ina, K.Will
Album: K.Will Vol. 3 Part 1 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

4. (-1) Miss A – 남자 없이 잘 살아 (I Don’t Need A Man)
Score: 844
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Park Jin Young / Lyrics: Park Jin Young
Album: Independent Women Part Ⅲ | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

5. (+20) Kim Jong Kook – 남자가 다 그렇지 뭐 (Men Are All Like That)
Score: 758
Genre: Pop Ballad

Music: / Lyrics:
Album: Kim Jong Kook Vol. 7
Watch: MV

6. (+10) Primary – ? (feat. Choija, Zion.T)
Score: 717
Genre: Hip-Hop

Music: Primary, Zion.T / Lyrics: Choija, Zion.T
Album: Primary And The Messengers LP
Watch: MV

7. (-3) Hyuna – Ice Cream (feat. Maboos)
Score: 683
Genre: Pop/Dance

Music: Brave Brothers / Lyrics: Brave Brothers
Album: Hyuna 2nd mini-album | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

8. (+10) Urban Zakapa – 똑같은 사랑 똑같은 이별 (All The Same)
Score: 656
Genre: R&B

Music: Kwon Soon Il / Lyrics: Kwon Soon Il
Album: Urban Zakapa Vol. 2
Watch: MV

9. (+11) Geeks – Officially Missing You, Too (feat. Sistar Soyu)
Score: 562
Genre: Hip-Hop

Music: / Lyrics:
Album: re;code Episode I
Watch: MV

10. (-3) Block. B – 닐리리맘보 (Nillili Mambo)
Score: 542
Genre: Hip-Hop

Music: Zico, Pop Time / Lyrics: Zico
Album: Block B Vol. 1 | Purchase this Album
Watch: MV

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE:

Cleo – 동화 (Fairy Tale)

Genre: Pop Ballad

Album: Cleo Vol. 4 (2003) Track 6

Comments: Cleo (Come Listen Everyone) debuted in 1999 with leader Kim Hana, Park Ye Eun, and Chae Eun Jung. The group underwent membership changes throughout their career. Park Ye Eun left in 2000, and Han Hyun Jung joined as a new member. In 2004, Chae Eun Jung also decided to go solo with a new stage name Enjel and she was replaced by Jung Yebin.

Cleo released a total of five albums from 1999 to 2004.  Unlike most of the girl groups those days who puts focus on dance genre music, Cleo had promoted songs of various genres.  Even though they are not considered a top notch girl groups at the time, Cleo has their share of hit songs.  “Fairy Tale” was the title song of their fourth album in 2003.  It was a top ten hit and was also the group’s last hit song before they disbanded (Cleo released another album in 2004 prior to their disbandment, but that album did not generate any hit songs).

Members of Cleo are not active in K-Pop now, but they do make news overseas.  Han Hyun Jung married a wealthy Chinese man and was involved in a scandal last year in which she was accused of stealing $5 millions from her husband.  That later proved to be a false rumor only.  As for Chae Eun Jung, after releasing several songs under the stage name Enjel, she went to Hong Kong and became a successful fashion model there.

About the Soompi Music Chart:

Soompi Music Chart is unlike any other music charts or television rankings.  It takes into account rankings by various major music charts in Korea and airplays of each song, 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 (Olleh, Bugs, Melon, Soribada, Naver, Daum) – 15%
Billboard Korea – 15%    
SBS Inky Gayo – 10%
MBC Gayo Chart – 10%
KBS Music Bank K-Chart – 10% 
MNet M!Countdown Chart – 10%