Underground Musicians Topping Music Charts, 'TV Artists Vs. Underdogs'

There has been an increasing number of unfamiliar names near the top of music charts in recent weeks.

Zion T, which ranked first place in various music charts such as Melon, Mnet and Bugs, is not yet a familiar name to K-Pop fans. In addition to his title song, "Babay," which is topping many charts, his other song is also ranked in the top 10, making his presence felt up top.

Also, a Hip Hop duo Geeks climbed to the top of charts with their new release of "How About It." They are not a household name, either. In addition, Ra.D and Verbal Jint found their way near the top of the charts recently.

Earlier this year, Baechigi swept the charts with its "Shower of Tears" and went on a long run at the top, setting a precedent for this year's music trend.

The wide success of no-name artists who are not as well-known to the public signifies the emergence two types of artists: 'song' artists and 'TV' artists. For example, many indie bands are achieving successful entry into music charts without much advertising or public appearances other than their concerts. Considering the close ties between major record labels and online music charts, such phenomenon is striking.

Many explain that the main driving force behind the success of the underdogs is word of mouth. Due to the virility of SNS, something good can catch the attention of thousands in a matter of hours and spread the word on underpublicized artists with ease.

It remains to be seen whether artists like Zion T, Ra.D and Geek's will be able to make a name for themselves on TV. With increased stakes of music sales on ranking systems in music shows, we may see another Busker Busker's "Cherry Blossom" which vied for the number one spot on "Music Bank" a year after the song was released due to its strong sales.