Teenagers these days don’t know about TVXQ… Rumors related to HOT Candy

HOT during the days of ‘Candy’

“I just said I love you~”

HOT’s famous song ‘Candy’, which shook the hearts of Korean girls in 1996, was resurrected on the music charts. For those who remember those days, it is sure to be a fun song to listen to at any time, but how will this song, which has passed 26 years, come in 2022 and capture the hearts of Generation Z (younger generation born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s)? might it have been

Released on the 16th, ‘Candy’ broke through the ‘brick chart’ amid the strength of 4th generation girl groups and once took the top spot on the real-time chart of Melon, the largest music site in Korea. The singer is NCT Dream, a junior from HOT’s SM, and he puts a hip melody in line with the team’s color and emphasizes a beat with solid energy that maximizes the sensibility of the 90s. Criticism is pouring in that it is a ‘customized remake’.

In general, remake songs are mostly released as events, but SM put ‘Candy’ at the forefront as the title track of NCT Dream’s album. As a glimpse of the planner’s confidence and certainty, it was a strategy that accurately penetrated the current situation where the Y2K (millennials popular from the late 1900s to the early 2000s) boom was on the rise.

In fact, the focus was on reproducing the ‘sensibility of those days’. The arrangement was made within the scope of not damaging the refreshing atmosphere of the original song as much as possible. Some of the beats or raps were new, but the development of the song and even the ‘chubby dance’ were kept intact. The members also wore colorful fur gloves, which can be called ‘Candy’s signature outfit. In this way, both the sound source and the record are reaping good results.

It is especially meaningful in that it was an attempt to encompass several generations. It has further expanded the K-pop consumer group, which is regarded as the exclusive property of October 20th. The sight of a teenage son taking on the ‘Candy’ dance challenge with his 40-year-old mother is somehow moving. In the comment section of the music site, ‘Candy, which I used to listen to when I was young, was interpreted well with the feeling these days’, ‘I’m 47 years old and I’m listening’, ‘I want to go back. I was a fan of ‘My Teenager’ and ‘HOT’, but now I have a 10-year-old child and will soon be in my 40s. Listening to it as a remake brings back memories.”

Remakes are common in the music industry, but the success of ‘Candy’ this time is considered an example of reminding the power of super IP (intellectual property) that appeals to the public regardless of the era. In the midst of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), the importance of IP has emerged in the industry. In a situation where face-to-face activities are difficult, existing artist contents have been developed in various ways such as videos, webtoons, and games. Cases of grafting with the metaverse also appeared. In this way, despite the pandemic, K-pop broke the physical limits and spread out all over the world.

Overseas fans who became interested in K-pop through 3rd and 4th generation idols showed interest in the history of K-pop online. HOT, as well as BoA, Shinhwa, Fin.K.L, SES, Sechs Kies, etc. I started looking for past music shows. It was a ‘backward spillover’ phenomenon in which fans of newly introduced singers were interested in past albums. On Instagram, channels that show the activities of artists at that time by year are popular.

Considering this demand, SM is carrying out a project to remaster and release music videos from the 1990s and 2000s in high-definition and high-quality sound. Prior to NCT Dream, the aespa version of SES ‘Dreams Come True’ was released and gained great popularity. Through this, it was possible to confirm the possibility of musical utilization of super IP.

In particular, as the sound source copyright business has become active recently, the value of ‘sound source IP’ has increased. RBW, which produced the group Mamamoo, was listed on the KOSDAQ last year and emphasized the fact that it has many sound sources. This was accepted as a strength in future-oriented businesses such as NFT and metabus.

SES ‘Dreams Come True’ music video and a music video reinterpreted by aespa / Photo = SM Entertainment YouTube

An industry insider said, “Past music and fashion are regarded as a trendy cultural genre for the younger generation. At the same time, they evoke memories and nostalgia for those who lived in that era. This is different from the ‘retro craze’ It’s a completely different consumption trend.”

He continued, “The success story of famous song remakes is different in that good content did not volatilize and end at the time, but was rediscovered and enjoyed by multiple generations. Because of this, people born in the 2000s who didn’t know TVXQ were originally 5 members are doing the ‘Candy’ challenge. It’s a fresh attempt and a discovery that can encompass multiple generations.” “It seems that it will become more important in the future how to cleverly reinterpret and utilize super IP to continue the virtuous cycle,” he said.

Reporter Kim Soo-young Hankyung.com [e-mail]