[Pop-up Music] BIGBANG→SECHSKIES/WINNER/iKON, perfect take-over of YG baton
[헤럴드POP=박수정 기자] Boy group SECHSKIES and WINNER are filling the vacancy of BIGBANG.
BIGBANG of YG Entertainment (“YG”) had to halt the career of the team temporarily, as its member T.O.P joined the police for his mandatory military service in February this year. Starting from T.O.P, BIGBANG members have to complete their mandatory military service in the next few years. So, BIGBANG will be absent from the music scene for the next couple of years. Even though each member will perform as solo artists, the vacancy of the whole team BIGBANG is a big gap for YG, as BIGBANG is the boy group that represents the company. SECHSKIES and WINNER are emerging as the next leading artists of YG that is faced with a task of nurturing boy groups to follow the footsteps of BIGBANG.
WINNER released a new album on April 4. Title track “REALLY REALLY” took No.1 on music charts and quintuple crown in TV music shows. The reason why such success bears all the more significant meaning is because it was achieved after WINNER was restructured into a boy group of four members.
WINNER was absent from the music scene for one year and two months before the release of their new album. In the meantime, NAM TAEHYUN left the team and YG by the end of last year. However, new WINNER of four members perfectly succeeded in keeping their fan base despite the team’s restructuring and raising the public’s interest in the team.
WINNER also successfully proved the quality of their music. “REALLY REALLY” is a song directly written by KANG SEUNGYOON. WINNER is following the footsteps of BIGBANG who hit Korea’s music scene hard with songs written by themselves, taking No.1 on charts and in TV music shows with their own songs.
SECHSKIES is also showing great potential as a first-generation idol group and YG’s newest boy group as well. Both of “SAD SONG” and “BE WELL”, the double title tracks of SECHSKIES’ 20th anniversary album released on April 28 are creating sensation.
SECHSKIES has been drawing keen attention all the way from their reunion last year and took No.1 on charts with “THREE WORDS”. SECHSKIES’ success on domestic charts was expected to some extent, but SECHSKIES has gone beyond such expectation and took No.1 on foreign charts as well with their new album. SECHSKIES proved their global popularity by topping iTunes albums chart of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Philippines. In addition, “SAD SONG” topped the K-pop new songs chart of China’s Kugou Music, on April 28.
It is not unusual for top idol groups at the peak of their career to take No.1 on foreign music charts, but No.1 of SECHSKIES, one of the first-generation idol groups who debuted in the 1990’s, on foreign charts after the team’s reunion after long time of separation and absence from the music scene was possible because of the synergy between SECHSKIES and YG.
YG is now preparing for iKON’s comeback in May, after WINNER and SECHSKIES’ successful comeback. On May 1 in the morning, iKON’s comeback teaser poster was unveiled, to announce the news of the team’s comeback after one year of absence from the music scene. As such, YG’s baton is being passed perfectly from WINNER, SECHSKIES, and then to iKON.
2017. 5. 1.
