AC Music

Fans of the pop singer Baek Ji-young, who returned after a two-and-a-half year hiatus, had expected dance music such as “Dash” and “Sad Salsa.” But she introduced a more mature ballad called “I don’t love you,” gaining second place in radio broadcast frequency, third place in connection tone download rate (Nate.com), fifth on the streaming chart (Bugs Music), as well as a host of on and off-line music charts during the last week of April.

Baek said, “In the music arena where teenage idols dominate the music charts and ‘trot music’ caters to the elder generation, people in their twenties to forties did not have much of a selection. I want to provide songs that quench their thirst for music.”

The genre of 2006’s music is “AC”-

Baek’s music is AC, or Adult Contemporary. Following the footsteps of Lee Moon-sae, Shin Seung-hoon, and Lee Seung-cheol, Korea’s AC music was put on hold with the introduction of 90’s dance music by Seotaeji and Kids, followed by teenage idol groups such as HOT and Tong Vang Xin Qui. But with last year’s medium tempo ballad and remake songs by SG Wannabe and Kim Jong-kook, Korea’s AC music is again on the rise.

AC music, including the male duo Vibe’s “That Man, That Woman”; “Like A Man”; and “Blood,” which were introduced in the end of February and placed in the top position on a number of online music charts, as well as the male duo Fly to the Sky, who recorded more than 100,000 records in sales, the newbie female trio C ya’s ballad “Scent of a Woman,” pop musician Seo Young-eun’s new “Laugh,” and Lee Han-cheol’s “Superstar,” which is known more through ad jingles, have all dominated the music charts. The dance group Coyote also produced a special ballad album catering to the AC code.

Teenagers also interested in AC music-

The popularity of the AC code garnered attention from those in their 20s to 40s in an arena that was populated by teenage idol stars. By transcending the adult music-trot music equation, progressively younger generations are starting to enjoy adult music. According to the Internet music site Bugs Music, as of April, 36.5 percent of its members were teenagers or younger (6 to 19 yrs), surpassing the twenty-somethings (29.8 percent), but the top five chart included AC music by SG Wannabe, Kim Jong-kook, Vibe, and Baek Ji-young.

Pop columnist Lim Jin-mo stated, “Korean AC music is not a genre but focused rather on generations, but now that’s not even the case, as all generations have come to enjoy it,” and added, “AC music has a generational feel to those in their twenties and thirties, while teenagers who are immersed in rock, hip-hop, and teen pop consider this type of music as ‘alternative.’”

bsism@donga.com