LeeSSang hits Melon roof twice more before giving in to SISTAR19

Despite releasing their latest single Tears a week ago, LeeSSang managed to hit Melon‘s roof two more times on January 31st. This incredible feature is reminiscent of their ASura Balbata days when various songs of the album hit Melon’s roof over 20 times.  Nevertheless, LeeSSang had to give in the lead on all real-time charts to the sophomore release of SISTAR19.

The Starship Entertainment sub-unit confirms its rank amongst the greatest of the day along TaeTiSo and Troublemaker. Their latest single “Gone Not Around Any Longer” has taken an hold of all real-time charts; scoring an unofficial all-kill. It is now a battle against two digital giants in the charts. If SISTAR19 wants to get their all kill certified, they will need to remain on top of all charts for another 24 hours. If they want to equal LeeSSang and The Seeya by scoring a perfect all kill, they will have to stay continuously on top of all charts until Monday morning for their release came too late in the week to top the weekly Instiz chart.

Giving that SISTAR19 did not top Melon roof (as shown above), a safe bet will be that LeeSSang will come out as the strongest song of this battle while it is comfortably cementing his place as current song of the year.

Source:  Melon  Daum  Instiz

Who would have guessed? Beast makes dangerous long overdue comeback

[An editorial of 'Who Would Have Guessed' 2012 series]

Following Wonder Girls and 2NE1, here is an artist that greatly suffered from a long absence. After rising to prominence in Korea in May 2011 with the release of their first full-length album, Fiction and Fact, BEAST went on to make a mild debut in Japan, followed by an seemingly endless world tour that kept them from a Korean comeback until last July. In the meantime, rapper Jun Hyung featured on several other artists’ title-tracks, Hyun Seung was part of one of the most successful collaboration in recent years (Troublemaker with fellow Cube Entertainment star Hyuna), and BEAST later released the well received, though short-lived ballad track, I Knew It, last January.

Though their hiatus was slowly getting nerve-breaking, nobody would have anticipated the slap in the face BEAST’s latest title-track, Beautiful Night, would receive upon release – especially when their teasing comeback track Midnight, received such a warm reception. After being absent for so long, BEAST’s decision to operate a u-turn in music style, right at the moment when they seemed to have found the successful formula of tormented ballad tracks, has been met by much perplexity by the general audience and fans alike. The group that made a killing on digital charts last year with Fiction and Rainy Days could barely make it in the Top 10 of any chart for the whole ten days that followed the release of Beautiful Night (as showed above). While the worst could be feared, with all attentions being poured on either PSY‘s Gangnam style, T-ara‘s controversy, BoA‘s lip-syncing or the Olympic Games, BEAST stood their ground and remained confident in their live performances, while seeing unsatisfying sales for the comeback.

 Beautiful Night

During the month of August, the general audience that didn’t recognise the group they madly fell for last year, grew fond of the boys anew little by little. Despite a slow debut on the charts, Beautiful Night didn’t die off prematurely, it managed to hang on and even climb back spot by spot within the Top 10 week after week. Five weeks after release, BEAST can finally breath; their audacious and perhaps poorly planned change did not flop. It is now charting honorably, though its disastrous start on the charts makes it unable to rival against their previous records. They played with fire with this long overdue comeback and this UPSET could have cost them a lot more. BEAST is arguably not as big as they were last year, but they’re headed on a different track – allegedly of their own accords. It is up to them now to learn their lesson and consolidate their new start by being more consistent on the music scene.

 Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the individual and not of hellokpop as a whole.

Sources :  News and Photos :   Daily Kpop (1, 2)   Gaon (Screenshot)   Instiz   Video : beastofficial