High4. (N.A.P. Entertainment)
The K-pop scene has come to a virtual standstill since the April 16 sinking of the ferry Sewol, but two rookie acts are creating some excitement in charts.
High4, a four-member boy band, retained the top spot on major digital music charts on Sunday, with its debut single “Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms.”
Featuring popular singer IU, the song is a sweet, mid-tempo ballad about loneliness during the blossoming season.
As of noon Sunday, it topped Melon, the country’s most popular real-time digital music chart, followed by “200%” by Akdong Musician, another rookie group.
Akdong Musician. (YG Entertainment)
On Mnet and other charts, High4 is vying with Akdong Musician for the top spot. The top spot on the Naver chart went to “A Thousand Winds,” a song by pop-opera singer Lim Hyung-joo dedicated to the victims of the ferry disaster.
High4, composed of two vocalists (Kim Sun-gu and Baek Myun-han) and two rappers (Yim Young-jun and Alex), is scheduled to release its debut album in May.
Brother-sister duo Akdong Musician released its debut album “Play” on April 7 after taking the SBS survival audition show “K-pop Star” crown more than a year ago.
By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)