By Baek Byung-yeul
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Cho Yong-pil
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While Psy is a worldwide YouTube sensation again, the chubby, galloping rapper might not be the most popular singer in his own country.
That title has long belonged to Cho Yong-pil, the 63-year-old singer-song writer of iconic status, and he doesn't seem too interested in giving it up.
Cho Tuesday released ''Bounce,'' his first new song in a decade that will be included in his upcoming album, ''Hello,'' which will be the 19th of his career that spans over four decades. Music fans reacted explosively to Bounce, which has topped all the major download charts aside of Melon and leaving ''Gentlemen,'' Psy's follow-up to his viral hit ''Gangnam Style,'' a distant second.
The last time Cho released an album, CDs were still relevant. The popularity of Bounce proves that his music is resonating with the generation of music listeners that grew up on iPods and peer-to-peer music sites.
Cho's voice and style of music has virtually stayed the same over the years and so have his lyrics about emotional troubles involving love, loneliness and death. While Bounce seems to be another work that is fully occupied by Cho's moodiness, music critic Yeo In-hyub said it was evident that he was trying to give his new song a contemporary edginess.
''I can't jump to conclusions at the moment because Bounce is only one song from a new album that has yet to be released. Nonetheless, the song still shows that Cho is avid listener of contemporary music and sensitive to new trends,'' said Yeo, chief editor of online reviewing site IZM (izm.co.kr).
''Cho's decision to liberally use computer-programmed sounds on Bounce was surprising as he has mostly been about the piano and guitar. In some parts of the song, he even used the computer to alter his vocal sounds, a process using Auto-Tune software, to strengthen his pitch and range. You rarely see singers as old as him boldly embrace technology like this.''
Beginning his career in 1968 as a guitarist of rock band "Atkins," Cho performed in several bands such as Five Fingers and the Kim Trio before going solo.
His breakthrough came in 1975 when ''Come Back to Busan Port'' became a nationwide hit and one of the country's most beloved pop songs of all time. He followed this with ''The Woman Outside the Window,'' which was included in his first studio album released in 1979 and considered by many critics as the best song of his career.
Cho's other hits include ''The Leopard of Kilimanjaro," "Short Hair" and "Let's Go on a Trip.'' He has sold over 10 million copies of his albums in Korea and also has a large following in Japan.
The release of Bounce was met with excitement on the music scene.
''How could I be compared to the King of the singers? I am simply honored anytime I am mentioned in the same sentence with him,'' Psy tweeted after his new single, ''Gentleman,'' rose to No. 12 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Chart after its first week.
Cho will perform at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Olympic Park in southern Seoul from May 21 to June 2, and will kick off a nationwide tour that will stop off at Daejoen, Uijeongbu, Jinju and Daegu.
"조용필이 음원차트 '올킬'하는 걸 보고 싶다"
新曲 '바운스' 主要 음원차트 10位圈..後輩 歌手들 感歎 릴레이
지난 16日 싸이의 新曲 '젠틀맨'李 유튜브에서 突風을 일으키는 가운데 國內 온라인을 들썩인 歌手가 있다.
바로 10年 만의 앨범인 19輯 '헬로'(Hello) 發賣를 앞둔 조용필(63)이다.
이날 조용필이 온라인에 먼저 公開한 新曲 '바운스'(Bounce)'가 17日 새벽 벅스 1位, 네이버뮤직 1位, 다음뮤직 2位, 소리바다 3位, 올레뮤직 4位, 멜론 7位 等 主要 음원차트 最上位圈에 올랐다.
西歐 팝 市場에서는 最近에도 英國 록스타 데이비드 보위가 10年 만에 發表한 앨범이 英國 UK 앨범차트 1位, 올해 結成 30周年을 맞은 밴드 본 祖妣의 앨범이 美國 빌보드 앨범차트 1位에 올랐지만 우리에겐 낯선 風景.
10-20代 歌手들이 主導하는 음원차트에 還甲이 넘은 歌王(歌王)의 이름 석字가 반가울 程度다.
이날 SNS 타임 라인에는 終日 조용필 音樂의 破格的인 變身과 카랑한 音色에 對한 好評이 쏟아졌다. 네이버 等 포털사이트에서는 '조용필' '조용필 바운스'가 檢索語 '톱 10'에 올랐다.
트위터에는 빅뱅, 샤이니, 2AM 等 아이돌 歌手를 비롯한 많은 後輩 歌手들, 有名 人士들의 '感歎' 릴레이가 이어졌다.
'조용필 先輩님, 미리듣기 音源이 이렇게 좋을 수가. 心臟이 바운스 바운스 두근대~.'(빅뱅의 太陽)
'말이 必要없지요. 들어보세요. 尊敬해요 先生님!!'(샤이니의 종현)
有名 漫畫家 강풀은 '조용필님 新曲 反復해서 듣는데 왜 눈물이 나는지 모르겠다'고, 힙합歌手 主席은 '形容하기 힘든 여러가지가 凝縮된 느낌.(中略)組 先生님은 월드 '스타'가 아닌 眞正한 韓國代表 월드 '클래스' 뮤지션'이라고 所感을 傳했다.
映畫評論家 허지웅은 '조용필의 나이가 올해로 예순넷이다.(중략) 歌王의 새 앨범이 世代를 超越해 音盤차트 올킬하는 걸 보고 싶다'고, 作曲家 김형석은 '이런 아티스트가 든든하게 큰 兄님으로 계셔주니 우린 얼마나 福받은 뮤지션들인가.(중략) 名不虛傳입니다'라고 했다.
네티즌의 關心도 높았다. '永遠한 오빠! 왜 假王이라 하는 줄 알겠다' '엄마한테 다운로드 받아 보내주려고 하다가 내가 팬 됨' '음원차트 올킬하면 大박이겠다' 等의 呼應이 잇따랐다.
'바운스'는 最近 미디어와 大衆音樂 評論家 等을 對象으로 열린 앨범 鑑賞會에서 音樂性과 大衆性이 가장 調和를 이룬 曲으로 꼽힌 曲이다.
題目에서 느껴지듯이 통통 튀는 듯한 피아노 伴奏를 始作으로 드럼과 어쿠스틱 기타가 調和를 이루다가 후렴구에서 30餘個의 코러스 트랙과 일렉 其他가 合流하는 輕快한 曲이다.
노랫말에는 사랑하는 戀人에게 告白하며 설레는 感情이 담겼다.
'그대가 돌아서면, 두 눈이 마주칠까, 心臟이 바운스 바운스 두근대, 들릴까 봐 겁나~.'
勿論 조용필의 音色은 카랑카랑하고 짱짱하다.
그는 19輯이 發賣되는 오는 23日 올림픽公園 내 올림픽홀에서 '프리미어 쇼케이스'를 開催한다.