Bluetory

Bluetory
EP by
CNBLUE
ReleasedJanuary 14, 2010 (2010-01-14)
VenueFNC Music Studio
Genre
Length19:17
LanguageKorean
LabelFNC Music
ProducerHan Seong-ho, Kim Jae-yang, Han Seung-hun
CNBLUE chronology
Voice
(2009) 		Bluetory
(2010) 		Thank U
(2010)
Singles from Bluetory
  1. "I'm a Loner"
    Released: January 14, 2010

Bluetory is the Korean debut mini-album by South Korean pop-rock idol band CNBLUE. It was released on January 14, 2010, under FNC Music and distributed by Mnet Media. After being signed to the record label, the quartet was sent to Japan, where it independently released two mini-albums. While working with the band, frontman Jung Yong-hwa was cast in the television drama You're Beautiful (2009), where he first garnered recognition.

Following a series of video teasers for each member, Bluetory and its lead single "I'm a Loner" were concurrently released. CNBLUE was met with immediate commercial success; the mini-album topped the Gaon Music Chart for two consecutive weeks, and "I'm a Loner" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. The latter earned the quartet two music show wins, the first being on Music Bank two weeks into its debut.

Background

[edit]

After being scouted by FNC Music's casting director, Jung Yong-hwa, Lee Jong-hyun, and Kang Min-hyuk met while auditioning for the agency. The three kept in contact before being accepted by the record company.[1] FNC Music decided to send CNBLUE to Japan "where the idea of a band is more recognized"; the band saw it as an opportunity to "improve on our skills".[1] The quartet initially debuted there under AI Entertainment in 2009, where it released its first two independent mini-albums Now or Never and Voice.[2][3] The band would perform on the streets and in small venues throughout the country.[4] Unable to speak Japanese, the members learned the language "in order to survive out there".[1] In late September, bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the band due to "personal reasons" and was replaced by Lee Jung-shin later that year.[1][5]

During this time period, Jung was cast in Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) television series You're Beautiful,[6] where he played guitarist Kang Shin-woo in the fictional band A.N.Jell.[1] The drama saw popularity in international markets, which fostered the growth of his popularity.[4][7]

Music structure

[edit]

Musically, Bluetory is a pop-rock record.[8] Jung described it as being an alternative rock mini-album, which also incorporated hip hop, rap, and balladry.[1] Originally sung in English for the band's Japanese mini-albums, the tracks "Y, Why...", "Now or Never", and "I Will... Forget You..." were re-recorded in Korean for inclusion on Bluetory.[1][9] "Y, Why..." encompasses a "refreshing" guitar, while the latter was classified as a modern rock song with an "explosive" guitar in the chorus.[8] Frontman Jung identified the lattermost track as the first ballad in CNBLUE's catalog.[9]

Release and promotion

[edit]

CNBLUE was dubbed "the second" F.T. Island since its inception.[10] In early December 2009, Jung first revealed that CNBLUE was set to debut in South Korea "early" the following year.[7] On January 5, 2010, CNBLUE's debut was announced to be on January 14.[11] In addition to video teasers, each member was accompanied by a word that made up the acronym BLUE, which was meant to portray their individual images. The first 35-second teaser was released on January 7, which revealed Lee Jong-hyun and the word "burning".[12] The following day, Kang Min-hyuk and the word "lovely" were revealed.[13] The video teaser for Lee Jung-shin with the accompanying word "untouchable" was published on January 11.[14] The fourth and final teaser featuring Jung with the word "emotional" was revealed one day prior to the release of the mini-album.[15]

Bluetory and the lead single "I'm a Loner" were concurrently released on January 14.[16] The band partook in an album showcase later that day at the Textile Center in the Samseong-dong area of Seoul.[17] On the following day, CNBLUE began promoting "I'm a Loner" by performing the song on weekly music chart shows, beginning with Korean Broadcasting System's (KBS) Music Bank and SBS's Inkigayo.[18][19] On the January 29 broadcast of Music Bank, CNBLUE ranked number one on program's music chart, earning the band its first music show win.[20] CNBLUE won the Mutizen Song award on Inkigayo two days later, the band's second and final win.[21] At the time, CNBLUE's initial win two weeks into its debut was unprecedented.[22] It held the record for shortest amount of time to win a music show award after debut until Winner won its first music show on August 17, 2014, five days into its debut.[23]

Performing only in Japan up to its debut, CNBLUE also sought to execute a series of guerrilla concerts in South Korea.[24] The quartet decided to go in order of its acronym for the members' individual images (BLUE). The first performance was decided by guitarist Lee; dubbed the "Burning Street Concert", it took place in Hongdae, Seoul.[9]

Commercial performance

[edit]

On the chart dated January 10–16, 2010, Bluetory debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart.[25] It went on to top the chart for a second consecutive week.[26] By the end of the year, the mini-album sold 77,183 copies and was ranked at the 12th best-selling album in South Korea.[27] In the four years that followed, the record sold an additional 41,782 copies in the country, accumulating sales of 118,965 in total.[A]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."I'm a Loner" (외톨이야; Oetoriya)Han Seong-ho, AmenKim Do-hoon, Lee Sang-hoKim Do-hoon, Lee Sang-ho3:38
2."Love Revolution"Jung Yong-hwa, Han Seong-hoHan Seong-ho, Kim Jae-yangOwl3:17
3."Y, Why..."Jung Yong-hwa, Han Seong-hoJung Yong-hwa, RyoOwl, Ryo-ta Fukuoka3:48
4."Now or Never"Shusui, Family BusinessShusui, Family BusinessHirofumi Sasaki3:45
5."I Will... Forget You..." (그럴 겁니다... 잊을 겁니다...; Geureol Geomnida... Ijeul Geomnida)Shusui, Thomas G'sonShusui, Thomas G'sonHirofumi Sasaki4:49
Total length:19:17

Charts

[edit]

Weekly

[edit]
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Five Music J-pop / K-pop Chart[32] 1
G-Music J-pop Chart[33] 1
Gaon Album Chart[25] 1

Year-end

[edit]
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[27] 12
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[28] 66
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[29] 149
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[30] 204
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[31] 326

Release history

[edit]
List of release dates, showing region, edition, formats, label, and reference
Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label Ref.
South Korea January 14, 2010 Standard CD, digital download
[16]
Taiwan August 10, 2010 Version A CD Warner Music Taiwan [34]
Version B [35]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Accumulation of Bluetory sales per year: 77,183 (2010),[27] 24,889 (2011),[28] 9,297 (2012),[29] 5,365 (2013),[30] 2,231 (2014).[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kim, A-reum (February 1, 2010). 꿈의 무대를 코 앞에 둔 씨엔블루. Elle Korea (in Korean). Hearst Joongang. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  2. ^ 韩娱每周一星：CNBLUE--花美男乐队的音乐抱负. Sina (in Chinese). Sina Corp. October 5, 2010. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  3. ^ Kim, Sook-hee (January 19, 2015). [캐리커처로 보는 이슈피플] 데뷔 5주년 씨엔블루, 대표 한류스타 '우뚝'. news2day (in Korean). Seoul. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  4. ^ a b 씨엔블루, 오늘(14일) 쇼케이스로 베일 벗는다 '가요계 출격'. Newsen (in Korean). January 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  5. ^ 씨엔블루, 일본어학교 다니던 과거사진 포착 '풋풋하네'. enews24 (in Korean). CJ E&M. May 16, 2012. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  6. ^ Moon, Wan-sik (August 19, 2009). FT아일랜드 이홍기, '미남이시네요' 캐스팅. Starnews (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Lee, Mi-yeong (December 1, 2009). 정용화, 해외 러브콜 봇물…"내년 한국 데뷔가 먼저". Joynews24 (in Korean). inews24. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Lee, Eun-jeong (January 13, 2010). 씨엔블루 "할아버지 밴드 되기로 약속했죠". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Yonhap. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c 씨엔블루 홍대 게릴라 콘서트!. CNBLUETORY. Episode 2 (in Korean). February 17, 2010. Mnet. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  10. ^ Hyeon, Ji-seung (October 9, 2009). 샛별 정용화가 정경호 동생?. Starnews (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Park, Se-yon (January 5, 2010). 정용화 씨앤블루, 14일 쇼케이스로 베일벗는다! 200팬 초청 이벤트. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  12. ^ Lee, Un-hyeok (January 7, 2010). '정용화그룹' 씨엔블루, 이종현 티저공개 인기폭발 '터프매력 물씬'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  13. ^ Kim, Si-eun (January 8, 2010). 정용화 소속 CNBLUE, 두번째 티저 공개 "사랑스러워". Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  14. ^ Cha, Yeon (January 11, 2010). 씨엔블루, 세번째 멤버 공개 '언터처블' 콘셉트..기대감 '증폭'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  15. ^ Lee, Un-hyeok (January 13, 2010). '수건남' 정용화, 씨엔블루 티저영상 전격공개 '14일 쇼케이스 기대'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Cha, Yeon (January 14, 2010). '정용화 밴드' 씨엔블루 데뷔곡 '외톨이야' 세련미+중독성 '대박예감'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  17. ^ Lee, Mi-hye (January 15, 2010). 씨엔블루, 오늘(15일) 첫 방송데뷔 '음반발매 동시에 엠넷차트 1위'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  18. ^ Lee, Un-hyeok (January 15, 2010). '정용화그룹' 씨엔블루 '외톨이야' 화이트 댄디룩 꽃미남밴드 '반색'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  19. ^ Lee, Mi-hye (January 17, 2010). '데뷔' 정용화밴드 씨엔블루, 연주실력+강렬보컬 수준급 감탄. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  20. ^ Kim, Hyeong-woo (January 29, 2010). 씨엔블루 '외톨이야' 데뷔 보름만에 뮤뱅 1위 기염 '최강신예 돌풍'. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  21. ^ Hong, Lucia (February 1, 2010). "CNBLUE tops TV music charts". Asia Gyeongje. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  22. ^ Kang, Seung-hun (January 29, 2010). 씨엔블루, 데뷔 2주만에 KBS '뮤직뱅크'서 1위. Asia Gyeongje (in Korean). Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  23. ^ Yoon, So-hee (August 22, 2016). [TF별별이슈] 위너•블랙핑크•씨엔블루, 최단기 1위 기록 TOP3. The Fact (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  24. ^ "Archived copy" CNBLUE의 보물은 무엇?. CNBLUETORY. Episode 1 (in Korean). February 10, 2010. Mnet. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  25. ^ a b 2010년 04주차 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  26. ^ 2010년 05주차 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  27. ^ a b c 2010년 가온차트 부문별 Top 100위 (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. February 8, 2011. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  28. ^ a b 2011년 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  29. ^ a b 2012년 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  30. ^ a b 2013년 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  31. ^ a b 2014년 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  32. ^ "J-Pop/K-Pop Chart Week 32 ( August 6-12, 2010)" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Five Music Chart. Retrieved 2012-05-22 (in Chinese)
  33. ^ "This links to the current week - search for year/week at the bottom of page" Archived 2011-05-12 at the Wayback Machine J-Pop/K-Pop Chart (G-Music). Retrieved 2011-11-16 (in Chinese)
  34. ^ 首張冠軍迷你天碟「Bluetory」CD+DVD台灣獨占限定A盤 (in Chinese). Warner Music Taiwan. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  35. ^ 「Bluetory」台灣獨占限定B盤 (in Chinese). Warner Music Taiwan. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
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