On Monday, Jun. 7, Billboard released their "50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far". Among the fantastic artists that made the rankings, Chungha stood out as the only K-pop act on the list!
Chungha Listed on Billboard's "50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far"
On Jun. 7, Billboard unveiled their 50 favorite albums of 2021 so far. Unlike its sister list of top 50 favorite songs, this list had no number rankings and was instead listed alphabetically.
Among the top 50 albums released this year, Chungha's Feb. 2021 album "QUERENCIA" stood out as the only album by a Korean act on the list.
According to staff member Nolan Feeney, Chungha's debut album is ambitious on all levels.
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Chungha's album contains 21 tracks divided into four thematic chapters. It spans numerous genres, such as EDM with "Stay the Night," rock-inspired ballads with "X," and Latin-inspired pieces, such as the iconic collaboration with Guaynaa, "Demented," which is sung in Korean, English, and Spanish.
"QUERENCIA" has a sophistication that pulls all of these sounds together, and with Chungha's chameleonic (yet always distinctive) vocals, Noland Feeney notes that the album definitely deserves a spot on the list. After all, even the interludes in her album are bangers!
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This is not the first time Nolan Feeney has complimented Chungha's album. When it was first released back in Feb. 2021, Nolan Feeney praised the album for its "ambitious and sophisticated sampling of global sounds."
He also noted that this album might serve as a turning point for K-pop's international reach due to Chungha's ability to dabble and collaborate in a wide range of genres.
On the Billboard World Albums Chart, "QUERENCIA" debuted and peaked at number 10 on the chart. On the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, she ranked at number five on the other hand, making it her second entry on the chart.
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Numerous songs from "QUERENCIA" charted on Billboard's charts. "Stay Tonight," which was initially released on Apr. 27, 2020, peaked at number four on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart.
"Bicycle," which served as the album's title track, debuted at number 11 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
Congratulations, Chungha!
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Chungha's "QUERENCIA"
Chungha released "QUERENCIA" on Feb. 15, 2021. Though initially scheduled to be released on Jan. 4, it was postponed after the idol tested positive for COVID-19. The album was released after Chungha had fully recovered.
"QUERENCIA" focuses on four themes: Noble, Savage, Unknown, and Pleasures. The album's main genre is pop, though draws influences from EDM, R&B, afrobeat, house, Latin-pop, and Korean ballad.
Talented artists worked on this album, such as Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa and singer-songwriter Baek Yerin.
"QUERENCIA" debuted at the top of the Gaon Retail Album Chart, with all of the songs from the album charting within the top 100 of the Bugs charts.
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Written by Alexa Lewis
