K-pop boy band TWS / Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment
By Dong Sun-hwa
In the past few years, K-pop girl groups like NewJeans, IVE, aespa and Le Sserafim have dominated the music scene, building solid fan bases worldwide while reigning atop major music charts. In the case of boy bands, however, finding their names on the top of most streaming charts took work, which implied that non-fans and casual listeners often didn’t have their songs on the playlists.
But rookie boy bands like TWS and RIIZE have changed the game in the K-pop industry, beckoning the general public with their easy-listening songs. Unlike their predecessors, who mostly put out powerful, intense songs and crafted fascinating yet complex musical universes to promote themselves, these fledgling K-pop acts have taken a different path to raise their profile.
Their approach has turned out to be a success on streaming charts. “Plot Twist,” the lead track of TWS’s debut album, “Sparkling Blue,” has ranked second on the real-time chart of Melon as of Sunday afternoon, only after “Love wins all” by K-pop singer IU. Melon is one of the biggest streaming services in Korea, with more than 6 million monthly active users.
TWS is also making waves on other platforms, taking second place on the real-time chart of Bugs while securing the No. 9 spot on Spotify’s Top 50 — South Korea chart.
TWS’s latest accomplishments are noteworthy for a rookie group, which debuted on Jan. 22. TWS, short for Twenty-four-seven With Us, is the first boy band to debut under Pledis Entertainment — a sub-label of K-pop powerhouse HYBE — in nine years since its launch of Seventeen in 2015. During a press event in Seoul marking its debut, TWS said it would showcase its own music genre called “Boyhood Pop,” highlighting the members’ natural and friendly sides.
“We will come up with the music that people can enjoy anytime, anywhere,” member Kyungmin said. “We want to spread positive energy with our authenticity and naturalness.”
Characterized by its refreshing vibe and the combination of drum, guitar and synth sounds, “Plot Twist” is a tune about the thrill of a first encounter.
K-pop boy band RIIZE / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
RIIZE is also hitting high notes in the streaming world, with its latest release, “Love 119,” attracting a legion of casual listeners. The group is K-pop behemoth SM Entertainment’s first boy band in seven years since it launched NCT in 2016.
As of Sunday afternoon, “Love 119,” dropped on Jan. 5, has ranked sixth on the real-time charts of Melon and Bugs. Earlier this month, the track soared to the No. 3 spot on Melon and conquered Bugs’ weekly chart for two consecutive weeks.
“Love 119” samples the 2005 song “Emergency Room” by band izi, which was featured in the popular 2005 TV drama “Sassy Girl Chun-hyang.” It revolves around the theme of first love and offers a glimpse into RIIZE’s distinctive music genre, “emotional pop.”
“RIIZE will play its unique genre ― emotional pop ― that illuminates various emotions and experiences the seven members will have as they attempt to achieve (musical) growth,” Kim Hyung-kook, executive director of SM Wizard Production that manages RIIZE, said during a press event in Seoul in September.
“Love 119” is an easy-listening pop track fusing piano riffs and drum beats. By depicting the universal theme of love and evoking a sense of nostalgia with the sampling, it has won diverse listeners’ hearts and helped RIIZE expand its presence in the highly competitive music industry.
“Get a Guitar,” the retro-infused debut track by RIIZE, has been going strong on streaming charts as well, taking the No. 22 spot on a Melon chart on Sunday. It was released in September last year, but its popularity is showing no sign of waning.