Turbo and the “AGAIN(다시)” Comeback
On December 21, 2015, K-Dance group Turbo made their triumphant return to the music scene with their sixth album AGAIN 다시 along with the music video for title track “AGAIN(다시).” It was the group’s first release in 15 years, and the first release for the group as a trio instead of a duo. As mentioned in our B-side article about Turbo back in February, original member Jungnam left the group after their second album NEW SENSATION was released in 1996, and Mikey joined Jongkook for BORN AGAIN and subsequent releases. AGAIN 다시 features a slew of artists, including Lena Park, Jessi, K.Will, and San E. Jongkook’s Running Man co-star Yoo Jaesuk is also featured in the title track.
The Music Videos
“AGAIN(다시)” opens with a shot of Turbo walking down a smoky street in black suits and sunglasses before we’re greeted to flashes of a marquee sign advertising Turbo’s twentieth anniversary and a futuristic corridor. They board the Turbo Train with their “restart” tickets, showing that we’re now getting the new beginning of Turbo as three instead of two. Much of the video’s shots are set in futuristic-looking train cars on the Turbo Train, giving the entire video a Men in Black kind of vibe (which is fun given the fact that Jongkook and Mikey collaborated with Will Smith for a version of “Just The Two Of Us”). The coolest set has to be the black hallway featuring the English titles of previous Turbo releases, including “검은 고양이 네로 (Black Cat Nero),” which has seen a resurgence in popularity since the Turbo-themed episodes of Immortal Songs 2.
While there are choreography shots set in the building, the ones set outside are definitely the best, as Turbo and dance group Star Crew are more spaced out and it’s easier to see Jongkook, Jungnam, and Mikey. The video ends with a large dance scene, but then rewinds and a Chinese version of the track begins to play. Credits for everybody involved in the music video scroll over a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the first Turbo music video in 15 years, and special cast members, Cha Taehyun and Lee Kwangsoo, give their own dance performance as well.
The music video for “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)” was released two days later, and is a sharp departure from the futuristic vibes in the title track, though we do still see the train station from “AGAIN(다시).” Opening with Jongkook’s beautiful voice as he sits on a bench in the snow, we’re treated to scenes of young kids playing together nearby. It seems to be that the kids symbolize Turbo’s youth as they sing about a past love and wonder where they’re at now. It’s a beautiful track, and the muted color filter over the music video gives the whole thing an air of nostalgia. While “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)” may be about Turbo’s childhood, anybody can relate to the message in the song.
The Comeback Performances
Turbo’s comeback performance happened on January 15, 2016 on an episode of Music Bank, where they performed “AGAIN(다시)” and “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질).” The performance for “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)” gave off the similar nostalgic vibes from the music videos, with the screens behind the group showing snow falling on a tree lined pathway before cutting to different wintery scenes. “AGAIN(다시)” had the members in outfits from the music video and the screens behind them alternated between showing past song titles and other iconic set pieces from the video.
Prior to that, the group were on an episode of Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook, where they performed six songs: “AGAIN(다시),” “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질),” “Love is… (3+3=0)” (though the track name is incorrectly listed in the video’s title), “White love,” “Twist king,” and “December.” The six songs covered the three main eras of Turbo: when Jungnam was in the group with Jongkook (“Twist king” and “Love is… (3+3=0)”), when Mikey filled his position (“December” and “White love”), and when the trio came together (“AGAIN(다시)” and “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)”).
Later in 2016, Turbo took to the stage of KCON LA, where they performed “AGAIN(다시)” and “Twist king,” as well as Jongkook’s solo song “사랑스러워 (Loveable)” (though, once again, the track name is incorrectly listed in the video’s title).
The Legacy
At the beginning of 2015, Turbo released Reboot: The Best, which led to many of their past hits popping back up on the Gaon Weekly Digital Chart. While a few managed to crack the top 20 tracks in the first week, most of the songs dropped off the following week. The tracks that charted include “Love is… (3+3=0),” “White love,” “나 어릴적 꿈,” “Twist king,” and “검은 고양이 네로 (Black Cat Nero).” “나 어릴적 꿈,” the group’s debut song off of 280 km/h Speed, lingered on the chart the longest, lasting six weeks before being knocked off. Even though AGAIN 다시 didn’t release until the end of 2015, the release of Reboot: The Best definitely piqued interest in the group’s return.
Turbo took the Gaon charts by storm once again, with many of the tracks appearing on the Gaon Weekly Digital Chart and the Gaon Weekly Download Chart the final week of 2015. “AGAIN(다시)” peaked at No. 1 on both charts, while “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)” peaked at No. 16 and No. 11, “댄싱퀸” at No. 33 and No. 21, “어느 째즈바 2015” at No. 32 and No. 22, “잘 지내 (feat. Lena Park)” at No. 38 and No. 23, “하얀거리” at No. 46 and No. 26, “가요 톱 10 (feat. Lee Haneul, Jinu & Lee Sangmin)” at No. 47 and No. 29, “우리 (feat. K.Will & Jess)” at No. 54 and No. 32, “...Is Love” at No. 53 and No. 33, “나비효과” at No. 55 and No. 36, “행복했으면 좋겠다 (feat. San E)” at No. 56 and No. 40, and “악몽” at No. 92 and No. 55.
“Sunshine (feat. Soya),” “Skit,” and “Happy Birthday To You (Bagagee Viphex13 Remix)” only appeared on the Gaon Weekly Download Chart, peaking at No. 57, No. 86, and No. 97 respectively. “Intro” and the two instrumental tracks from the album didn’t appear on either chart.
Tracks from AGAIN 다시 also appeared on the Gaon Weekly Streaming Chart, with “AGAIN(다시)” peaking at No. 5, “Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)” at No. 49, “댄싱퀸” at No. 88, and “잘 지내 (feat. Lena Park)” at No. 94. AGAIN 다시 did not appear on the Gaon Weekly Album Chart until 2016, where it peaked at No. 3; however, Reboot: The Best popped back up on the chart at the end of 2015, charting at No. 69. Earlier that year, it peaked at No. 11.
On the January 3, 2016 episode of Inkigayo, Turbo got their first (and so far only) music show win with “AGAIN(다시).” While they won on that episode, it does not appear that they performed on Inkigayo until mid-January, and the group was not nominated for any end-of-the-year awards.
While we may never get another Turbo release (their last release was in 2017 with their first mini-album Turbo Splash), the fact that the group was able to take the charts and public by storm 20 years after their debut and 15 years after their last release just proves their star power and their impact on the Korean music scene. They weren’t considered the kings of dance music for no reason, and we can only hope that the group can come together again to release more music in the future. We are patiently awaiting your return, Turbo.