The meaning of iKON’s “debut that feels like comeback” [iKON sensation ②]
[OSEN=정유진 기자] Some people seem to achieve a lot from their very first attempt. iKON (B.I, BOBBY, JINHWAN, YUNHEYONG, JU-NE, DONGHYUK, and CHANWOO) has got straight-A report card for their first test. The team’s debut warm-up release “MY TYPE” took the No.1 on all real-time music charts within one hour of its release. It is an exceptional record for an idol group who has just made their debut.
iKON’s debut warm-up release “MY TYPE” unveiled on the 15 at 0 o’clock took the No.1 on the real-time chart of music-streaming websites including Korea’s biggest Melon, Bugs, Genie, Soribada, NAVER Music, Olleh Music and Monkey 3, for the past few days. The song is also enjoying big popularity overseas. On the 17, the song took the No.1 on the iTunes single chart of Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and on the same day at 2pm, the number of views of the song’s music video on YouTube recorded 3,084,406, surpassing three million views within three days of release.
Then, what is the reason of iKON’s big success from the very beginning? The answer lies on “debut that feels like comeback”. Even though iKON is an idol group who has just debuted, they already have substantial recognition among the public and enormous fandom as well. Their popularity is even incomparable to that of other idol groups who debuted before iKON. That was possible for iKON as the team presented their talent and appeals in some TV shows before their debut and built recognition in the process.
As music fans already know, iKON made first public appearance in Mnet’s “WIN” show which was YG Entertainment’s rookie debut program. In the show aired in 2013, iKON members grouped in team B competed against team A, who debuted first as idol group WINNER. Even though team A debuted as WINNER first as they won the competition, team B gained substantial recognition by showing unique talent and characters different from team A.
Another opportunity that made iKON the “next-generation leader of YG” was Mnet’s “MIX & MATCH”, YG’s another rookie debut project that was aired last year. In “MIX & MATCH” show, iKON members had to go through another round of YANG HYUN SUK’s harsh testing, but their hard work to engage new members and to grow more despite a fear of getting excluded from the team, greatly appealed to many people. People became the supporter of these young boys who never stopped challenging for their dream, and finally became their fans.
While the members of the team were selected in those TV shows, there was another TV show that highlighted iKON again, which was, “Show Me the Money 3”. B.I and BOBBY, key members of iKON, appeared in the show to fight against people’s prejudice against large music labels’ trainees and to prove their real talent. Notably, BOBBY fully displayed his rapping skills by becoming the final winner of the show and he earned big popularity as well. That is not all. BOBBY and B.I once again proved their talent as hip-hop musician by featuring for YG senior EPIK HIGH’s “BORN HATER” released in October last year.
The process of YG Entertainment’s training and preparation for iKON’s debut has been like lighting charcoal. It has taken some time for lighting the charcoal sufficiently, but that will make the charcoal burn longer and hotter. “WELCOME BACK”, the title of the team’s debut album, also means a lot. It may not the right name for an idol group who really present themselves to the public for the first time, but it is the perfect name for iKON who have been working hard ceaselessly in the presence of the public for the past two years to realize their dream.
Meanwhile, iKON’s debut will begin in earnest from next month. On the 1 of next month, the team’s debut half album “WELCOME BACK” will be released and on November 2, debut full album “WELCOME BACK” will be released. Plus, iKON will hold debut concert on October 3 to meet fans at the Olympic Gymnastics Hall in Seoul, which is a very rare case for an idol group who has just made their debut.
2015. 9. 18.
