A ŌĆśremakeŌĆÖ refers to a song sung by a new artist after re-arranging the original work. Sometimes, the new versions are released without any ties to the original pieces like Jo Jung SukŌĆÖs cover of ŌĆ£Aloha,ŌĆØ which received great love last year. But in other times, remakes are released in the form of a tribute album as a sign of respect for senior singers. We have cover songs that didnŌĆÖt stop at ŌĆ£re-singingŌĆØ but went all the way to coloring the song with artistsŌĆÖ unique charms. ┬Ā
OH MY GIRL ŌĆō Listen to my word (A-ing) (Feat. SKULL & HAHA)
This is the song that pushed OH MY GIRL to the mainstream. The cute sound of ŌĆ£A-ingŌĆØ stands out, and the membersŌĆÖ expressive faces on stage became a hot topic. The original song belongs to Papaya. The fact that a K-pop group remade another K-pop groupŌĆÖs song made headlines. MimiŌĆÖs rap after the first verse and Skull and HaHaŌĆÖs featuring highlighter the reggae tune of the song even more. Notably, the rhythm of the original music was completely changed, creating a cleaner and more stable arrangement. Although itŌĆÖs a summer song, the group released it as a remake album with three other tracks rather than a single album. ŌĆ£Midsummer NightŌĆÖs Christmas,ŌĆØ ŌĆ£Je TŌĆÖaime,ŌĆØ and ŌĆ£Lies You Can SeeŌĆØ were also re-arranged to sound more like OH MY GIRL. ┬Ā
GirlsŌĆÖ Generation ŌĆō GirlsŌĆÖ Generation
This is the title track of GirlsŌĆÖ GenerationŌĆÖs first full album. The group applied the ŌĆ£power girl conceptŌĆØ from their debut song ŌĆ£Into the New World.ŌĆØ Though it was a risky move to choose a cover song as the first albumŌĆÖs title track, the group pushed ahead with a firm belief in the rearrangement. Yes, the song title was perfect. But besides that, the narrative of the lyrics perfectly suited the group, successfully imprinting GirlsŌĆÖ Generation on the public. The original song by Lee Seung Chul was already widely known. Still, this remake allowed all generations to enjoy the song once again after 20 years. The person who played the biggest role in the songŌĆÖs success was none other than songwriter Kenzie. From the new melody, dynamic session rearrangement, and Taeyeon and JessicaŌĆÖs ad-libs ŌĆō customizing an already-released piece to fit new artist proves KenzieŌĆÖs impressive skills. ┬Ā
IU ŌĆō A Flower Bookmark
IU was already KoreaŌĆÖs top-tier singer, but this remake album allowed her to move on to the next level. The singer reinterpreted the songs with her own vocal style and turned the album into her own without being bound by the word ŌĆ£remake album.ŌĆØ She didnŌĆÖt stop with this and released A Flower Bookmark 2, solidifying her position as a top vocalist. Not only did the album itself showed great results, but it also showed excellent strategic planning. It actively utilized IUŌĆÖs image as an artist that started with her cover of ŌĆ£Old LoveŌĆØ (original singer Lee Moon Sae) with a guitar. The fact that the common denominator of everything, such as IUŌĆÖs vocal and ambition in music, was melted into this one album added more meanings. ┬Ā
JOY ŌĆō Hello
Joy became the second Red Velvet member to make her solo debut. And for her debut project, she chose a remake album. Last year, songs like ŌĆ£Introduce Me a Good Person,ŌĆØ inserted in a TV series, received a great response and performed well on the charts. So the agency must have had good faith in its attempt to challenge the remake project. The biggest upside of the album is that all six tracks were made specifically for Joy. There were no mistakes in their challenges, including singing in higher notes and some excessive rearrangement. But mainly, all six tracks naturally flow together and connect the emotions even when they are all covers. This may be due to JoyŌĆÖs vocal that suits the mood of the songs, but the A&R teamŌĆÖs impeccable song selection plays the most prominent role. The fact that they chose songs with a similar vibe is impressive, but the fact that they even considered the popularity of the songs is even more special. All six songs were released a long time ago, but they still remain as good memories for many listeners. Therefore, the album evokes nostalgia and allows us to focus more on JoyŌĆÖs expression. ┬Ā
BIGBANG ŌĆō Sunset Glow
This song, which is considered one of Big BangŌĆÖs best songs, tells the remarkable success story among all K-pop groupsŌĆÖ cover songs. Among all the remakes, it has the most changes. Even the lyrics were changed to fit the artist and the time. And in the end, the song recorded an all-time hit. The original song was a hit song by Lee Moon Sae, one of KoreaŌĆÖs best singers. And yet, the remake became the title track of a full album because it was recreated entirely to match Big BangŌĆÖs color. Especially, the song showcases many signs of agony to emphasize Big BangŌĆÖs image as a K-pop group: English narrations in the intro and throughout the song; G-Dragon and T.O.PŌĆÖs rapping; the easy to sing along bridge part that goes ŌĆ£Ah- Ah-ŌĆ£; and changes in the lyrics from ŌĆ£Yes, I love youŌĆØ to ŌĆ£I love you.ŌĆØ Although barely any traces of the original song can be found in the remake version, the famous chorus was kept the same. Hence, allowing all listeners to sing along after just one listen. Above all, this song allowed them an opportunity to appeal to the people in their 30s or 40s who only considered K-pop groups as those who make music thatŌĆÖs hard to understand. ┬Ā Editor Yoon: I love music, especially K-POP, and I dream of becoming an A&R person, lyricist, artist, etc. I will cover various articles, including song reviews, artist reviews, and K-pop market analysis. Translator Kim Hoyeun: If you are a fan of K-drama, K-movie, and K-pop, I am your guy. I will continue to provide you with up-to-date K-entertainment news.
