[Courtesy of Shofar Music]
In an unexpected leap, "Bolppalgan4", a rookie female acoustic duo, has topped major South Korean music charts with its new track "Say You Like Me", beating strong contenders like popular bands BIGBANG and TWICE.
The duo's strong showing is something to grab attention in South Korea's music community as strong competitors like iconic boy group BIGBANG have their songs lined up in the top ten of the real-time music charts. Critics say it's almost impossible for a rookie group to enter the top ten.
Fans point to the singing style of the duo, also known as "Bolppalgan Puberty", which is very catchy, unique, and fresh, compared to the strong style of girl group MAMAMOO and other famous artists.
The duo started off as a busking-acoustic quartet in Yeongju, a small city some 167 kilometers (103 miles) southeast of Seoul, and appeared in "Super Star K", a cable TV survival audition show.
The quartet was applauded for its unique singing style and fine performances but failed to enter the top ten in the audition. In April this year, two members -- Ahn Ji-yung and Woo Ji-yeun -- jumped into the professional music world using the same name while the other two returned to their college.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com