A Hellish War on Music Charts - IU, T-ARA, Kahi, Jung Jun Young, & More
'Why the 2nd week of October?'
Many fans will be asking this question as they see the flooding of new albums from beloved hot-issue stars in the same week - so much so that the weekend music program lineup is expected to be comprised solely of comeback stages.
Who joins the fray of the 2nd week of October? IU releases her 3rd official album on October 7th, followed by T-ARA, Kahi, and Jung Jun Young on October 10th. October 12 is the day that Nine Muses are releasing their single. If that's not enough, SHINee is rumored to comeback in the same week.
This is a first since the fall of 2008 when Rain, TVXQ, and Big Bang all had their comeback around the same time. It was more of a fan war back then, but this time it looks like it will be an online battle more than anything. Each of the big name stars draw more than 2,000 replies per featured article, so it's safe to say that online music charts and internet forums will decide the victor in this fray.
IU is coming back with her 3rd album, Modern Times. She emerged at the center of a scandal last summer, but she's taken this chance to change her image and come back with a more modern, sexy appeal. Her teasers have been more revealing of that concept. The knock on IU was always the fact that her cuteness takes away from her talent, so expect more of her vocal prowess to be showcased in this comeback.
The hot potato of Superstar K4, Jung Jun Young, is releasing a new single. He was at the center of a scandal that claimed that his live singing skills were terrible and unfit for the show. His new single, "It's A Disease," is a rock song that promises to showcase his vocals well.
Kahi is coming back as a solo artist after leaving After School. She's prepared an entire year for this album, so anticipation is sky high.
The heavy hitter in this match is none of the above - it's T-ARA. They were in the middle of a firestorm scandal concerning their bullying of Hwayoung. Their album release bombed, and they were away from the music scene for over a year. Now that they are coming back, they want to put the past behind and appeal to their fans again. Their performance will hopefully win over the favor of the fans.
SHINee's comeback is also imminent, and it is garnering much attention due to their recent TV exposure. The general public always thought of them as a perfect, almost robotic group that sings and dances well. The recent TV appearances have shown the more emotional and personable sides of SHINee. Their upcoming album, combined with their TV popularity, can very well be a recipe for success.
What about Nine Muses, MYNAME, and Boys Republic? They are also set to come back and 'fearlessly' join in the fray of the big name superstars.
How will they fare? Who will come out on top? As fans of their music, this is the one time that their misery is our pleasure.