Change Your Playlist With These Lovely Songs From The Duo Bolbbalgan4
BolBbalgan wiped the Korean music industry with their easy listening music, youthful looks, and strong lyrics. In 2016 and 2017, their songs became some of the most popular songs on the music charts. Some, Galaxy, Tell Me You Love Me, and host of other popular songs earned the duo many music awards.
BolBbalgan4 is an indie group that consists of singer-songwriter Ahn Ji-young and guitarist Woo Ji-yoon. The group appeared and competed on SuperStar K6 in 2014 before signing with the indie label Shofar Entertainment. Their group name means Blushing Youth, and they wanted to make music with pure and honest lyrics about their stories while going through puberty.
BolBbalgan4’s songs are easy listening with mixture of indie pop, k-pop, R&B, and folk rock. Their songs can brighten up most days and lift your mood. In this article, Byeol Korea will talk about the duo, and introduce some of the popular songs by BolBbalgan4. So stay tuned!
To My Youth
To My Youth was released as the title track for the extended play Red Diary Page. 1. The EP was released on September 28, 2017, and sold 13,277 copies. The title track became one of BolBBalgan4’s most popular songs, and reached its peak positions number three and on the Gaon Digital Music Chart and number two on the Korean Billboard music chart. It also amassed more than 2,500,000 downloads from online music stores.
Red Diary Page. 1 was about the awkward, cute, and lovely feelings of every teenager in their puberty years. From the fluttery first meeting to the farewell, all the romantic feelings of puberty were written and expressed in the first page of Red Diary.
To My Youth offered comfort to teenagers suffering from life’s growing pains. The BolBbalgan4 duo wrote a song that comforts and supports youth suffering from their immature and volatile characters. The song hopes that these young people will conquer their problems and shine in their life. To My Youth was written and composed by BolBBalgan4’s main singer, Ahn Ji-young.
The music is filled with a calming piano melody, rhythmic acoustic guitar, and the sweet voices of Ahn Ji-young and Woo Ji-yoon. She must have endured many difficult periods throughout her adolescent years, and she wanted to comfort and support those that were in the process of adolescence
Some
Some is the hit title track from Red Diary Page. 1. It hit the number one position on the music charts, becoming one of the most-downloaded single tracks in 2017. It was streamed more than 2,500,000 on Korean online music stores.
When the EP Red Diary Page. 1 was released to public, all five songs from the EP peaked in the top 25 in various music charts. It was a record-making EP for the indie-label singer group. Some reached a peak position at number one on the October music chart, and reached number 75 on the 2018 Melon music chart.
The lyrics of BolBbalgan4’s Some told a story about a boy and a girl in their early stages of dating. Both of them had a special interest in each otherm but the boy made a very slow approach to the girl. After a lot of thinking and waiting, she decided to make the move to confess her feelings to the boy. Expression is an important factor in love, and the girl decided to express her feelings for the crush.
Some’s music video gained more than 45 million views since the publication date. The video showed a young girl eagerly anticipating and preparing for their date. Their music arrangement is fresh, with fast tempo and acoustic guitar rhythm. Some is an encouraging song for adolescent girls trying to start a relationship with their crushes.
Galaxy
BolBbalgan4’s Galaxy was released on August 29th, 2016, in BolBbalgan4’s full album, Red Planet. Galaxy was downloaded more than 2.7 million times on online music charts, and reached its peak position at number two on the Gaon music chart.
Galaxy‘s lyrics expressed the desire of a young girl to give the universe to her crush as a proof of her love. She wanted to be the cosmonaut in her crush’s world and wanted to be with him all the time and anytime. She would love to give all the stars in the galaxy to the lucky boy. The size of her love is equal to the size of the galaxy. BolBbalgan4’s Galaxy features warm lyrics and cheerful melodies. It is a perfect song for a girl that has a crush and waits for the crush to tell his feelings.
The Galaxy music video has received 76 million views as of March 2020. The song became one of the most streamed songs in 2017 and was considered as the breakthrough single that catapulted BolBbalgan4 to the top of Korean music charts.
Bom
Bom was released as the title song from BolBbalgan4’s 2019 EP Puberty Book/Bom. The EP was released on April 2, 2019, peaking at number 16 and selling 5.162 copies in Korea. The title song, Bom, peaked at number one on the music charts. Bom was released with a spring concept, with lyrics about a love story in spring. The warm spring breeze brought warm feelings to a teenage girl wanting to stay close to her crush. The music started with strings, and the chorus was filled with repeated riffs of acoustic guitar that bring the freshness and warm energy of a spring breeze.
We Love
We Love was a collaboration project between BolBbalgan4 and singer 20 Years of Age. The single was released in June 13, 2017. We Love is a duet project between BolBbalgan4’s ssweet voice and easy listening music and the young and talented male singer-songwriter. The single was a huge success, and gained attention in the indie music industry. BolBbalgan4’s We Love reached its peak position at number one, and was downloaded more than 2.6 million times. By March 2020, the We Love music video was viewed close to 18 million times on YouTube music channel
We Love started with a combination of 20 Years of Age’s sweet voice and Wo Ji-yoon’s guitar riffs. The song told stories about romantic relationships in the young generation. Their relationship started with words and ended with words, as well. It is better to enjoy the moment and cherish the memory in romantic relationship.
Fix Me
Fix Me was one of the singles in BolBbalgan4’s super popular second EP, Red Diary Page. 1. The album was released on September 28, 2017. Fix Me peaked at number 11 on the Gaon Music chart, and sold 467,335 copies in Korea.
The track Fix Me is a song about a love confession from a young girl that has lost her appetite and spirit in doing anything. The only thing that can fix her is the smile and love from her crush. Cool guitar riffs by Woo Ji-yoon, and the sweet and calming voice of Ahn Ji-young made Fix Me an easy listening track with calming and simple melodies. Fix Me was written by Woo Ji-yoon and composed by Vanillaman.
Blue
Blue is also one of the tracks in BolBbalgan4’s second EP, Red Diary Page. 1. Blue sold 757,087 copies and reached its peak position at number five. Blue was a song that expresses the feelings between two lovers. Both were feeling blue due to their recent breaking up. The song contains strong, repeated guitar riffs and has a mid-tempo.
In the music video, lead singer Ahn Ji-young woke up in her bedroom feeling blue and downbeat. Her room and everything in it was blue, and she was feeling blue, as well. As she woke up, she recollected memories from past dating. Scenes from the video for Some were reintroduced to recollect good memories of things that were missing in her current life.
Mermaid
Mermaid was released as part of Puberty Book/Bom on April 2, 2019. Mermaid reached its peak position on the charts at number four. In the first verse of the song, Ahn Ji-young was singing while being accompanied by a sad piano melody and melancholic strings. The tempo and arrangement became tense as the song was running up. She thinks of herself as a mermaid that gave up everything in order to stay with her lover, even as the time is running out for her. Mermaid was inspired by Disney’s Little Mermaid. BolBbalgan4’s Mermaid expressed the sacrifices every lover must make their loved one.
25
For the young generation at the age of early and middle of twenties, they can take some advice from the lyrics of BolBbalgan4’s 25. Through their lyrics, 25 expressed that life is unpredictable. Even though you only know something, even though you don’t know what to do in the future, BolBbalgan4 said that everything would still be all right. The members wrote a supportive letter through the lyrics in 25, to support every member of the immature young generation. They said that pain is part of the struggle, learning, and growing processes. Through love and breakups, people learn, little by little.
25 was written and composed by Ahn Ji-young. The track was released as part of BolBbalgan4’s EP Two Five on September 10, 2019. 25 reached its peak position at number 33 on the music charts.
Wind
Wind was released on May 24, 2018, from the EP Red Diary Page. 2. Wind expresses the feeling of a young woman when a man came to her and touches her heart. He came like a gentle breeze, and took her off-guard. She felt that she wasn’t mature enough to be with him, and she looked forward to the future when she is prepared to love him completely. Wind is a song the delivers the purity and freshness of first love. Fresh love is like a warm spring breeze after a cold winter day. The song was composed and written by BolBbalgan4’s lead singer, Ahn Ji-young. Wind reached its peak position at number 20.
The Wind music video showed Ahn Ji-young doing laundry in a laundromat. Out of nowhere, a young and handsome man appeared in front of her. When she looked at him, she felt a warm breeze and suddenly she felt like being in a rain forest or at a seaside resort.
Lonely
Lonely expressed loneliness after a relationship going flat. When love is neglected and forgotten, love left people in a relationship. Lonely is filled with calming and soothing piano tune and strings. The song expressed the sad feelings after having a breakup from a failed relationship.
Lonely was released on May 24, 2018, in the EP Red Diary Page. 2. It peaked at number 24 on the Gaon music chart, and number 40 on the Korean Billboard music chart.
My Trouble
BolBbalgan4 participated in the making of OST Part 1 of the drama Why: The Real Reason You Got Dumped, releasing the title hit song My Trouble. My Trouble was released on November 15, 2018. BolBbalgan4’s My Trouble told the story about a lover being dumped by the former lover. Though she is still in love with him, she didn’t know the real reason behind the breakup and his intention to part ways.
Travel
Travel was released as the title hit from the EP Red Diary Page 2. The EP was released on May 24, 2018, and successfully peaked at number one on several Korean music charts. Again, lead singer Ahn Ji-young wrote and composed the song. BolBbalgan4’s Travel was streamed more than 2.5 million times on the Gaon music chart.
As a young generation trying to earn a living and working in a company, BolBbalga04n expressed their intention to leave behind their busy, everyday life and travel to beautiful places like London, Paris, and New York City. Traveling is a way to escape from an exhausting life and to find a new hope for themselves. Travel was arranged with a rock-based music sound, and has witty and sympathetic lyrics that are very relatable to most youth in their struggling puberty days. In the music video, the duo moved from the busy and congested city to rainforest and beautiful seaside travel destinations. Almost two years after the single was released on the YouTube channel, the video has been viewed more than 60 million times.
Workaholic
BolBbalgan4’s Workaholic is the title hit single of the EP Two Five. The EP was released on September 10, 2019. Workaholic climbed to the number one position on the Gaon Music Chart, and number two on the Korean Billboard music chart. Ahn Ji-young wrote and composed the song. BolBbalgan4 included acoustic guitar and acoustic drum sounds to the musical arrangement of Workaholic.
The concept of the EP Two Five was mainly about the struggles after going through puberty and entering adolescence. In their middle twenties, Koreans struggle with their lives as they start working in companies. Workaholic delivered a supporting message to tired young workers that are facing an empty and uninteresting life.
That was all the information about popular songs from BolBbalgan4. Their songs will surely lift your mood and cheer your days. Don’t forget to share your opinions and thoughts in the comment section below!
