[Park So Young’s PS.Y] AKMU of “Charming” Department, Next “Korea’s Brother and Sister”
[스포츠서울닷컴│박소영 기자] Brother and sister LEE CHAN HYUK and LEE SOO HYUN of “Charming Department”
Pop music fans are happier than ever nowadays. Recently, music charts are swept by “legendary singers” including Lim Chang Jung, Cho Sung Mo, Lee Seung Hwan, Lee Eun Mi, Park Hyo Shin, and Lee Sora, as well as young singers who do a variety of genres such as Mad Clown, Crush, and LOCO. Now, there has come a new face on the charts. That is AKMU, who made an official debut on the 7 with their first full-length album.
AKMU’s debut album “PLAY” created an incredible scene upon being released at noon on the 7, with all the 11 songs in the album entering music charts. “200%” and “MELTED”, the double title tracks of the album, showed a big potential by sweeping the first and second places on major music charts of Korea, including Melon, Bugs, Soribada, NAVER Music, Monkey 3, Daum Music, Mnet chart, Olleh Music, Cyworld Music, and Genie chart.
AKMU is really incredible. Of course, they already proved their potential when they won SBS “I Love Sunday”’s “K-Pop Star 2” last year. Well, did YG’s head Yang Hyun Suk know that these teenagers would grow into such a “Music chart gangster”? Some Internet users mention “Super Star K”’s Busker Busker and AKMU together and call them “Korea’s” national singers. Busker Busker receives so-called “cherry blossom pension” with their mega hit “Cherry Blossom Ending” and now, AKMU is called “Korea’s brother and sister”.
AKMU is all the more complimented for their fresh appeal. LEE CHAN HYUK, the “brother’ who composed and wrote the lyrics of all the songs included in the debut album, freely plays in his music, like the title of the album “PLAY”. AKMU’s songs captivate listeners by giving a fresh perspective to things that everyone encounters in their everyday lives. “GIVE LOVE” was inspired by the heart needed play a smart phone game and “ON THE SUBWAY” compares the world to the subway. “HAIR PART” also gives a fresh feel, with its lyrics that say a changed hair part attracts more boys.
“ARTIFICIAL GRASS” which expresses the heart of artificial grass that envies real grass, “DON’T HATE ME” that talks about a story of an outcast, “ANYWAY” in which eyes of ordinary people on the street are wittily explained, and “IDEA”, a song that sings the lack of idea for songwriting. All those songs boast a fresh ability to playfully shift a viewpoint, which is AKMU’s flagship charm, so they make listeners wear a “Mom’s smile” naturally.
“Sister” LEE SOO HYUN’s innocent tone is also good. Her moderate vocal and unique style create a perfect harmony together, making the songs all the more stand out. Her stable and comfortable voice adds a pure power to the music. A brother who plays the guitar and a sister who sings a song. The stage of the brother and sister is perfect for “healing”. It goes so well with the expression “organic music”.
That sheds a spotlight on Yang Hyun Suk’s “foresight of the God”, which took AKMU to YG swiftly. What is more remarkable about him is that he gave much freedom to AKMU to do their own music, freely from YG’s way. Yang “put these talented brother and sister out to the pasture” to play in their music on their own way, and that created a pleasant result. As a music fan, I couldn’t be happier.
2014. 4. 8.
