This week we launched our 2014 KMA series where we take a look at all the nominees for the 10th Korean Music Awards. Starting with the Album of the Year nominees yesterday, today we proceed to listen to the nominees for Song of the Year.
EXO – ”Growl (으르렁)”
SM Entertainment’s latest idol boyband success EXO released first album XOXO (Kiss&Hug) in June 2013. When the repackaged version came out in August it opened with the song “Growl (으르렁)”–continuing the wolf theme from the original release. The song reached no.2 at Gaon’s singles chart (#56 on the yearly chart) and no.3 on Billboard’s K-Pop Hot 100 chart (#19 on the year-end chart). “Growl (으르렁)” has already won Song of the Year at the 2013 Melon Music Awards and the 2013 KBS Music Festival.
EXO’s ”Growl (으르렁)” is also nominated for Best Dance & Electronic Song while the idol group itself is competing for the title of Rookie of the Year.
Yoon Young Bae – ”위험한 세계”
“위험한 세계” is the title track of singer-songwriter Yoon Young Bae’s most recent album, released in August 2013. The title translates to ‘dangerous world’ and the poetic lyrics speak of pylons and farmers.
While “위험한 세계” is nominated for both Song of the Year and Best Modern Rock Song, the album with the same name is nominated for both Album of the Year and Best Modern Rock Album. “자본주의” from the same album earned Yoon Young Bae his second nomination in the Best Modern Rock Song category this year. At last year’s KMA Yoon Young Bae’s “좀 웃긴” earned him a nomination for both Best Pop Song and Best Pop Album.
Jang Pil Soon – ”맴맴”
More than a decade after the release of her sixth album, folk musician Jang Pil Soon returned with Soony Seven in August last year. In the middle of the 9 tracks is “맴맴”–it was composed by Lee Kyu Ho and has been delicately arranged by Park Yong Joon and Jo Dong Ik. The title corresponds to the sound cicadas make when they chirp.
In addition to being nominated for Song of the Year, “맴맴” is competing in the Best Pop Song category. The album which it comes from, Soony Seven, is nominated both for Album of the Year and Best Modern Rock Album with Jang Pil Soon herself nominated for Artist of the Year.
Cho Yong Pil – “Bounce (바운스)”
In April 2013 veteran singer Cho Yong Pil put out his 19th full-length album Hello. Opening track “Bounce” had been released as a digital single a week earlier and soon topped the charts, earning it second place on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 year-end chart 2013 and 20th place on Gaon’s yearly single chart. It was written by a team consisting of Swedish songwriters Alexander Holmgren and Carl Utbult and country singer Marty Dodson. “Bounce” has already won Song of the Year at Mnet Asian Music Awards and KBS Music Bank K-Chart while getting awarded for Best Rock at the Melon Music Awards.
Besides the nomination for Song of the Year, “Bounce” is nominated also for Best Pop Song while Hello is nominated in the corresponding album category. Cho Yong Pil is nominated for Artist of the Year.
Crayon Pop – ”Bar Bar Bar (빠빠빠)”
After a year of obscurity, promoting on the streets of Hongdae and elsewhere around Seoul, idol girl group Crayon Pop got a surprise smash hit with ”Bar Bar Bar (빠빠빠)” after it was released in June 2013 as the ‘five cylinder dance’ paired with a beyond catchy song spread widely. It managed to claim the top spot of the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 chart (#9 on the year-end chart) and peaked at no.3 on Gaon’s single chart (#53 on the yearly chart). ”Bar Bar Bar (빠빠빠)” has already won Crayon Pop the New Rising Star award at the Golden Disk Awards.
Crayon Pop’s ”Bar Bar Bar (빠빠빠)” also has a shot at becoming the Best Dance & Electronic Song at this year’s KMA.