Music fans have been treated to a healthy dose of K-pop’s indie-folk side with Bolbbalgan4’s new EP earning the duo their very first showing on the charts.
Bolbbalgan4 make their first appearance on a
Billboard
chart thanks to their
Red Diary Page. 1
debuting at No. 9 on the
World Albums
ranking dated Oct. 21, 2017. While
BTS
continue to reign on the chart as
Love Yourself: Her
celebrates its third week at No. 1 on World Albums, Bolbbalgan4 can claim the second-highest selling K-pop album in America this week thanks to their top 10 placement.
Since their introduction on Korean singing competition
Superstar K6
in 2014 to signing as a duo, Bolbbalgan4 has slowly but consistently become a major chart force in their country.
Red Planet
, their debut full-length from August 2016, helped them gain unexpected, mainstream adoration thanks to its lush, jazz-inspired single “Galaxy,” leading to a string of chart-toppers that continue with
Red Diary Page
.
When it comes to the domestic charts
, “Some” has been the leader with light-yet-bubbly guitar strums and sweet harmonies detailing the awkward in-between phase between friendship and relationship. Meanwhile, “Fix Me” blends buoyant guitar and pop melodies, “Blue” goes into a bouncier territory with their signature, subtle jazz influences, with it all capped off by the intimately breathy ballad “To My Youth.” Throughout, the entire EP is strung together by playful, remarkably personable and intimate lyrics making the “Diary” title all the more appropriate.
Bolbbalgan4 doesn’t boast the same flashy music videos or entertaining choreography as most K-pop acts making their start on the charts all the more promising thanks to their emphasis on evocative melodies and songwriting connecting with audiences even in the States.