Throwback Thursday: Digital Monsters
Earlier this week, MelOn released their top 100 songs of the decade. As we hurtle towards the end of the year (and end-of-the-year award shows), let’s take a look back at some of the digital monsters from the last ten years.
“Cherry Blossom Ending” - Busker Busker
Starting off with the top of the top, Busker Busker’s 2012 song “Cherry Blossom Ending” came in at No. 1 on the list. The song is actually the band’s title track off their debut album and while it was an instant commercial success, it’s the longevity that really makes this song a hit. Ever since its release, the song starts to climb up the charts around January, usually peaking in March when winter starts to melt into spring.
“Through The Night” - IU
Any K-Pop fan knows that IU is the queen of the music charts in Korea, so it’s no surprise her 2017 track “Through The Night” was MelOn’s second most streamed song of the decade. After all, the Korean general public loves ballads, but they especially love ballads by IU. Serving as the title track off her fourth album Palette, “Through The Night” earned IU multiple awards, including “Song of the Year” at the Golden Disc Awards.
“Wild Flower” - Park Hyo Shin
“Wild Flower” is a digital single that ballad singer Park Hyoshin released in 2014. A longtime favorite in Korea since his debut in 1999, the track was released after the singer took a four-year hiatus. At the time, the song garnered the top spot on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100, even edging out legendary K-Pop hits like Apink’s “Mr. Chu.” With vocals as heart-wrenching as Park Hyo Shin’s, it’s no wonder that people keep coming back to the song, even six years later.
“Every Day, Every Moment” - Paul Kim
Paul Kim’s “Every Day, Every Moment” appeared in the 2018 drama Should We Kiss First? and boy, did it stick with the Korean general public. That year, the track won “Best Original Soundtrack” at the Genie Music Awards, Melon Music Awards, and later at the 2019 Golden Disc Awards. The song has since been certified by the Korea Music Content Association as double platinum in downloads and triple platinum in streaming.
“You, Clouds, Rain” - HEIZE feat. Shin Yongjae
HEIZE first gained recognition for her appearance on Unpretty Rapstar, but it was her 2017 mini-album /// (You, Clouds, Rain) that took her career to new heights. “You, Clouds, Rain” served as one of two title tracks, showcasing HEIZE’s characteristic jazz-infused sound. The song topped all the Korean music charts in real-time, earning HEIZE an “all-kill,” and consequently topped the Gaon Digital Chart. The song was nominated for “Song of the Year'' at the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards and ultimately won HEIZE the award for “Best Vocal Performance - Solo.”
“Galaxy” - Bolbbalgan4
Bolbbalgan4 frequently sits atop Korean music charts and the 2016 track “Galaxy” landed the then-duo solidly at the No. 2 spot on the Gaon Digital Chart. The song comes off the album Red Planet, and as a result, helped land the album at the No. 15 spot on the Gaon Album Chart. Having only debuted that year, the duo was still relatively new to the scene but “Galaxy” started to garner them attention, including a win for “Best Indie” at the 2016 Melon Music Awards.