Special Album: Difference between revisions

2002 compilation album by Baby V.O.X

Special Album is the first and only compilation album by South Korean girl group Baby V.O.X. It was released on April 23, 2002 by DR Music. The single “Coincidence” was used to promote the 2002 FIFA World Cup; a special World Cup-themed video for the song was released.^[1] “Go” was later used for their debut mini album in Japan in 2003.^[2] “Coincidence” marked their first number one hit in three years since their single “Get Up”. Special Album is their best selling album to date, selling over 440,000 copies.

The album came with three CDs, one VCD, and a photobook containing pictures of the members. The first CD contains the two new songs plus a non-stop dance mix, mostly of previous singles. The second CD contains another dance mix, and the third CD is a collection of ballads from previous albums. The VCD contains the music video for “Coincidence” plus exclusive footage of the group.

In 2002. After parting ways with Kim Hyung-seok, who had been the producer of the previous albums, they released a Special Album. The title song “Coincidence (Gloomy Coincidence)” is a house version of the song “Gloomy Coincidence”, which was a hit by the group Kola in the mid-1990s, and Kang Won-rae of Clon was in charge of the choreography, which became a hot topic. It ranked 3rd on the music charts in just one week after its release, and ^[3] won 1st place on SBS <Live Inkigayo> for 2 consecutive weeks. After the release of their third album in 1999, Baby Vox entered their second heyday, and enjoyed even greater popularity when “Coincidence” was chosen as the World Cup cheering song. Thanks to this popularity, it was also used as a promotional song for the presidential election that year, and was appointed as the promotional ambassador for the 2002 World Cup.^[4] and Chiwoomi was appointed as the promotional ambassador for the 2002 World Cup. ^[5] In the middle of their activities, member Lee Hee-jin suffered a spinal injury while playing a pile-driving game while recording an entertainment program on a certain broadcasting station, and was diagnosed with a four-week recovery period and hospitalized. Her co-star Shim Eun-jin suffered an abrasion.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, China, the “Baby Vox Song Festival” named after Baby Vox was held, and the first round was a huge success with about 4,000 people attending. In 2007, DR Music CEO Yoon Deung-ryong filed a lawsuit against Zhang Liyin, who was selected there and is affiliated with SM Entertainment, at the Seoul Central District Court, demanding “200 million won in damages.” Zhang Liyin’s involvement in the lawsuit stemmed from an exclusive contract she had signed with DR Music in 2003. “We spent a lot of money going back and forth between China and Korea for various training sessions, and we were also rushing to prepare an album,” he said. “However, for some reason, in August 2003, Zhang Liyin’s biological mother requested that she ‘continue her studies and will renew her contract after her studies are over,’ so we temporarily released her contract out of consideration for international good faith.” Based on the circumstances, DR Music contacted SM Entertainment and Zhang Liyin one after another for over a year, but the negotiations did not go smoothly, and they eventually filed a lawsuit. According to the contract at the time, Zhang Liyin had to pay a total of 5 million yuan (approximately 640 million won), including losses and penalties, in case of breach of contract. However, considering the relationship between Korean record companies, we filed the lawsuit with the intention of only receiving back 200 million won, which corresponds to the cost that had been invested in Zhang Liyin.” He said. ^[6]

During this period, the members individual activities became particularly prominent. First, Kan Miyeon transformed into an actress and was cast as the female lead in the Korean-Chinese co-production “Wow,” a collaboration between Korea’s Movieya.com and China’s Marum Pictures. The reason why novice actress Kan Mi-yeon was chosen for the 7 billion won blockbuster film was because she showed off her impressive acting skills in the music video for “Coincidence” and because Baby V.O.X. is extremely popular in China.^[7] And leader Kim Ee-ji was cast in the joint drama “Beijing My Love” between China’s CCTV and Korea’s KBS. ^[8] On November 2002, she had finished filming one episode in which she was scheduled to appear, but China, which was scheduled to film more than 80% of the drama, Due to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, filming was delayed for a full year. During this time, most of the main cast was recast, forcing reshoots two years later in 2004.^[9]

After a brief two-month promotion in Korea, they became the first Korean singer to enter the Thai music market, where they received positive feedback. They represented Korea at the Grammy Music Festival held in Pattaya, Thailand, on March 21st and 22nd, 2003. The Grammy Music Festival is an international music festival hosted by the Thai government. It is an omnibus music festival featuring top singers from Asia, including Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, as well as international stars.^[10]

On February 9, 2003, Baby V.O.X. held a solo concert in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. The concert was part of a Lunar New Year event hosted by KSCI, an American broadcaster with a significant Chinese presence. KSCI was well-known to the network for Baby V.O.X.’s popularity in the Chinese-speaking world, and they were therefore the first choice for the event. At the event, which targeted primarily Asians who celebrated Lunar New Year, Baby V.O.X. performed a 50-minute performance mixing their hits with pop music. This marked the beginning of their push into the US market. They also represented Korea at the NHK Asia Music Festival in Japan, performing two songs: “Coincidence” and “Killer.” They also garnered attention for singing the theme song for the anime “Platonic Chain,” which aired on Tokyo TV in late 2002. The song’s popularity soared, leading to the release of a re-recorded EP in Japanese. In late April 2003, they held a mini-concert at Tokyo’s Shibuya Live Hall, tapping into the Japanese market.

Baby V.O.X. had been criticized for neglecting their domestic fans due to their focus on the Chinese stage. Despite their pride in being at the forefront of pop culture exports, they were concerned about their domestic fans’ reactions. In that sense, the success of their first solo concert in Korea on August 15, 2002, was particularly significant. Baby V.O.X. stated, “The love from Chinese fans is great, but the support from Korean fans gives us even more strength,” and delivered a dazzling performance, performing all their hit songs live since their debut.

The overall concept of the concert was “Show Show Show.” They were praised for breaking the mold of traditional concerts and creating a “chaotic party,” offering a compelling spectacle. The live performance was edited into an hour-long video and broadcast on Mnet, and later released as a VCD. However, due to limited availability, fans living in rural areas had difficulty purchasing the video.

Legacy

This album chronicles five years of activities, from their first album, “Haircut”, in 1997, to their second album, “Yayaya,” to their third, “Get Up”, “Killer,” to their fourth, “Why”, “Betrayal,” to their fifth, “Game Over”, and the title track from their special album, “Doll”, written and composed by Kim Chang-hwan. The album showcases footage from award ceremonies, music videos, CF filming locations, and even footage of them crossing the Korea Strait, showcasing all of Baby V.O.X’s unique songs and history, presented through video and audio. This special album showcases everything Baby V.O.X has to offer.^[11]

The original plan was to have five discs: two VCDs, a CD of hit remixes, a CD of unreleased tracks, and a CD combining ballads and dance tracks. However, due to issues such as the CD price, the release was reduced to one VCD and three CDs. The unreleased CD was reportedly slated to include previously unreleased tracks from China and Japan, along with “We Are,” the theme song for the Busan Asian Games, and “Last Wish” (tentative title), composed by Kim Hyung-seok. (“Last Wish” went to singer Yaz.)

Commercial perfomance

The title track, “Coincidence,” is a house remake of the song “Gloomy Coincidence” (우름한 억언) by the group Kola in the mid-1990s, infused with Baby V.O.X.’s signature style. Within a week of its release, “Coincidence” reached number three on the K-Pop charts. In June, it swept the top spots on various music shows, enjoying immense popularity.

Starting in early May, they promoted a Latin remix of “Coincidence,” which was included on their 2007 best-of album in Thailand.

Track listing

Adapted from album notes (Singapore version).

Members during this release

Charts

References