To My Boyfriend
| "To My Boyfriend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SinglebyFin.K.L | ||||
| from the albumBlue Rain | ||||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Released | May 20, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Genre | Bubblegum pop | |||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | DSP | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kim Young-ah | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Fin.K.Lsingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "To My Boyfriend"onYouTube | ||||
"To My Boyfriend"(Korean:내 남자친구에게;RR:Nae namja chingu aegae) is a song performed by South Korean girl groupFin.K.L,released on May 20, 1998, as part of the group's debutstudio albumBlue RainbyDSP Media.Stylistically, "To My Boyfriend" is a summer-themeddanceandbubblegum popsong that lyrically resembles that of a love letter written towards the members' romantic interests.[1]
Background and release
[edit]
Fin.K.L's debut studio albumBlue Rainspawned the singles "Blue Rain", "To My Boyfriend", and "Ruby". The album was met with commercial success in South Korea, where it sold over 231,000 copies by August 1998.[2]The song's accompanying music video was included in the group's compilation DVD albumForever 1998-2005 Music & Story,which was made available on November 18, 2005.[3]
Reception
[edit]"To My Boyfriend" was positively received domestically following its release. It became a popular mobile phone ringtone in the years after, particularly around Valentines Day.[4]"To My Boyfriend" was named one of the top 100 K-pop Masterpieces of all time by a panel of 35 Korean music experts in a collaboration withMelonand newspaperSeoul Shinmunin 2021. Critic Lee Kyu-tak contrasted the song's "exciting beats, sweet melody, and cute lyrics" with the group's "calmly toned-down costumes and stages" presented in their debut track "Blue Rain", and said that the concept shown in "To My Boyfriend" perhaps suited the group's image better. Lee added that "The non-exaggerated cute and lively images that Fin.K.L showed in 'To My Boyfriend' had a great influence on later K-pop girl groups", which is why, "along withS.E.S.,Fin.K.L are remembered in K-pop history. "[5]
Accolades
[edit]"To My Boyfriend" achieved the top positions on the programsInkigayoandMusic Bankfor two weeks each in September. The song additionally ranked number one onKMTV's cable music programShow! Music Tankfor three non-consecutive weeks.
| Program | Date |
|---|---|
| Inkigayo | September 6, 1998 |
| September 13, 1998 | |
| Music Bank | September 22, 1998 |
| September 29, 1998 |
Cover performances
[edit]
The song has been covered by numerous artists since its release in 1998. Taiwanese singerYuki Hsucovered the song in her third studio albumThe Angel(1999), which included multiple covers of South Korean songs. The tracks "I Can’t Cry" and "Call Me" were adaptions of Fin.K.L's "Ruby" and "To My Boyfriend", respectively.[6]Boy groupSS501,also managed under DSP, performed a cover of the song at their December 27, 2006 concert at theCOEX,where they appeared in similar schoolgirl uniforms Fin.K.L wore for promotions in 1998.[7]Girl groupsWonder GirlsandKaraadditionally covered the song at the 2007KBS Song Festival[8]and 2012MBC Gayo Daejejeon,respectively.[9]
At the DSP Festival held on December 14, 2013, Kara andRainbowteamed up and performed a cover of "To My Boyfriend".[10]On music programs,Lovelyzperformed it onMusic Bank's Christmas Special in 2015[11]andGFriendperformed a special stage on the March 3, 2016 broadcast ofM Countdown.[12]At the MBC Gayo Daejejeon at the end of that year,Hani,Seolhyun,andTzuyucovered the track while sporting pink checkered skirts.[13]Weeeklyadditionally covered it onM Countdownon July 23, 2020, a month after their debut.[14]
References
[edit]- ^Sumampow, Gabriela Caeli (February 23, 2021)."The Guide to Getting Into K-Pop, From Super Junior and Girls' Generation to BTS and Blackpink".Vice.RetrievedJanuary 7,2022.
- ^"March to August 1998 Total Record Sales".Recording Industry Association of Korea. September 10, 1998. Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2001.
- ^핑클, 데뷔부터 7년 활동 담은 ‘베스트앨범’ 18 ngày 출시[Fin.K.L releases 'Best Album' on the 18th of 7 years since debut].Herald Pop(in Korean). November 15, 2005.RetrievedJanuary 7,2022– via Naver.
- ^휴대폰 사랑의 세레나데 ‘강추’[Mobile phone love serenade 'Highly recommended'].Kyunghyang Shinmun(in Korean). February 13, 2006.RetrievedJanuary 7,2022– via Naver.
- ^K-pop 명곡 100: 88위 내 남자 친구에게 – 핑클 (Fin.K.L)[K-pop Masterpieces 100: #88 To My Boyfriend – Fin.K.L] (in Korean). Melon. August 2021.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022.
- ^타이완 여가수 유키의 앨범《천사》[Taiwanese singer Yuki's album 'Angel'].Yonhap News(in Korean). July 2, 1999.RetrievedJanuary 7,2022– via Naver.
- ^Kim, Young-hyun (December 27, 2006).SS501, 무대에서 핑클 의상ㆍ노래 소화[SS501, performing in Fin.K.L costumes and singing on stage].Yonhap News(in Korean).RetrievedJanuary 7,2022– via Naver.
- ^KBS '가요대축제' 돋보인 스페셜 공연[KBS ‘Gayo Grand Festival’ special performance].TV Report(in Korean). December 31, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.
- ^Choi, Min-young (December 31, 2012).'MBC가요대제전' 카라 vs 핑클, 같은 노래 다른 느낌 '90년대의 귀환'['MBC Gayo Daejejeon' Kara vs Fin.K.L, Same song, different feeling 'Return of the 90s'].Xports News(in Korean).RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.
- ^Choi, Hyun-jung (December 15, 2013)."DSP Festival, 22 years of history condensed into 3 1/2 hours concert".Star N News.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Yahoo!.
- ^성탄특집 ‘뮤직뱅크’ 러블리즈, 핑클로 변신…‘내 남자친구에게’ 완벽 재현[Christmas Special 'Music Bank' Lovelyz transforms into Fin.K.L, perfect reproduction of 'To My Boyfriend'].Sports Kyunghyang(in Korean). December 25, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.
- ^Yoo, Eun-young (March 3, 2016).여자친구, '엠카'서 핑클 '내 남자친구에게' 무대 선보인다[GFriend to present the stage of 'To My Boyfriend' on 'M Countdown'].Busan Ilbo(in Korean).RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.
- ^걸그룹 외모 담당 하니-설현-쯔위 ‘내 남자친구에게’ 무대[Hani-Seolhyun-Tzuyu's 'To My Boyfriend' stage].Seoul Shinmun(in Korean). January 1, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.
- ^'엠카운트다운' 위클리 '내 남자친구에게' 커버…상큼+청량 무대['M Countdown' Weeekly performs 'To My Boyfriend' cover... Fresh + refreshing stage].Sports Dong-a(in Korean). July 23, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 8,2022– via Naver.