Be Like...
| Be Like... | ||||
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| Released | June 17, 2005 | |||
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| Kim Gun-mo chronology | ||||
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Be Like... is the tenth studio album by South Korean singer Kim Gun-mo. It was released on June 17, 2005.[2]
Background
[edit]Kim Gun-mo debuted in 1992 with the album Sleepless Rainy Night, and became known as a "hit maker" through his albums' consecutive successes.[3] In late 2003, Kim had announced that he would stop appearing on TV and only promote his ninth album through live concerts.[4] However, the album performed worse than his other albums commercially, with under 100,000 copies sold.[5][6] During his rest period, he watched the film Ray, a biography of American musician Ray Charles, and was touched by subtitles that read, "Over the next 40 years, he went on to have many hit songs."[7][8] Kim Gun-mo stated to The Chosun Ilbo in 2005, "Not just Ray Charles, but dozens of foreign R&B and soul musicians write and sing songs for 40 years, 50 years, even until they die, and I thought, 'Have I become this lazy just over 10 years...'".[8] In March 2005, Kim announced he would return to TV with his tenth album, which was to release around April or May.[9]
Release and promotion
[edit]Be Like was originally set to release in April or May, according to an article from March 2005.[9] On May 23, 2005, two songs from the album were pre-released to several music sites, where users were given a chance to vote for which song they thought would succeed.[10] Through the process, "We Are Strangers Now" and "The Moon of Seoul" were chosen as the album's lead singles.[11] From June 17 to 18, Kim held a concert commemorating the release of Be Like,[12] the funds from which were to be donated to help visually impaired children.[13] His first TV appearance after the album's release was on M Countdown, on June 23, 2005.[14] In September, it was announced that "Toe" would serve as the follow-up song to "We Are Strangers Now" and "The Moon of Seoul".[15]
Music videos
[edit]The music video for "The Moon of Seoul" was released online and to television on June 16, 2005. Shot in Gangnam, it features Ahn Jae-wook, who had previously appeared in the video for Kim Gun-mo's "I'm Sorry", and Seo Jin-ho, who had starred along Ahn in various movies.[16] An Ju-hee appeared in the video for "We Are Strangers Now",[17] while weather presenter Ahn Hye-kyeong made a cameo in "Some Days After",[18] which also starred actress Song Li-woo.[19]
Critical reception
[edit]Be Like received mixed reception from various critics. Writing for the webzine IZM in 2004, Shin Hye-rim acknowledged the attempted change in style, but opined that those attempts did not fit with its other, more standard numbers, which made it feel unfinished.[20] Baek Seung-chan of the Kyunghyang Shinmun additionally opined that the two lead singles were not fit for the position, and that Kim's songs "had not broken away from 90s nightclub music".[5] Conversely, music critic Seong Jin-woo wrote that there was an effort to distinctify the release from his other output, but that his "wit remains" in regards to songs like "We Are Strangers Now".[2] In 2016, HiphopLE selected it as one of the 50 best Korean R&B albums from the 1990s and 2000s; Shim Eun-bo stated that Be Like was "convincing in saying that it was influenced by Ray Charles", and highlighted "We Are Strangers Now" with its "brass band composition, swing rhythm, and scat".[1]
Track listing
[edit]All lyrics are written by Choi Jun-young, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We Are Strangers Now" (남이야) | Choi Jun-young | 3:47 |
| 2. | "The Moon of Seoul" (서울의 달) | Kim Gun-mo | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Habit" (습관) | PJ | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Toe" (발가락) | Im Ki-hoon | 4:09 |
| 5. | "Toad" (두꺼비) | Kim Gun-mo | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Some Days After" (하루, 이틀, 사흘, 나흘) | Hwang Chan-hui | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Love Me" (내게도 사랑이; Ham Joong-ah) | Ham Joong-ah | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Free Life" (대충 살아요) | Kim Gun-mo | 3:04 |
| 9. | "Wandering" (방랑; Kim Jin-man) | Im Ki-hoon | 3:54 |
| 10. | "I Feel Good" | Im Ki-hoon | 4:09 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b 힙합엘이 선정, 한국 알앤비 명반 50선 (1990 ~ 2009). Bugs! (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ a b "Be Like..." k-pop.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ Yi, Jeong-hyeok (2005-07-14). 김건모, 10집 '비 라이크' 발표…"가슴을 적시고 싶다". Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-08 – via chosun.com.
- ^ 김건모 10집 내고 방송복귀. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). 2005-03-10. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ a b 돌아온 김건모 비탈에 서다. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 2005-07-13. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ Kim, Beom-seok (2005-05-27). [주말데이트]김건모 “한물갔다고요? 이제 시작인걸요!”. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-08 – via Naver.
- ^ <연합인터뷰>김건모 10집, "재즈가락에 솔 버무렸다". Yonhap News (in Korean). 2005-06-01. Retrieved 2024-10-08 – via Naver.
- ^ a b 내달 10집 발매 김건모 … 팬들 입맛따라 '메뉴'도 바꿔야죠. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 2005-05-26. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
- ^ a b '방송 은퇴' 선언 김건모, 4月 10집으로 방송 복귀. Yonhap News (in Korean). 2005-03-10. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Naver.
- ^ 김건모, 10집 발매에 앞서 온라인에서 신곡 먼저 공개. Newsis (in Korean). 2005-06-01. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Daum.
- ^ 김건모, 10집 타이틀곡 '서울의 달' '남이야' 결정 (in Korean). 2005-06-09. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Daum.
- ^ 10집 발표 김건모, "해외진출은 후배들이 하겠죠". No Cut News (in Korean). 2005-06-21. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Naver.
- ^ 10집 음반들고 돌아온 김건모. Ilyo Seoul (in Korean). 2005-06-29. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ 김건모-김현정, '엠! 카운트다운' 통해 컴백. Mydaily (in Korean). 2005-06-22 – via Naver.
- ^ 김건모, '발가락'으로 후속곡 결정. Yonhap News (in Korean). 2005-09-27. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Naver.
- ^ 김건모 신곡 '서울의 달' 뮤직비디오-안재욱 서진호 호흡맞췄다. Newsen (in Korean). 2005-06-10. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Daum.
- ^ '김건모 유혹한 신예' 안주희 '남이야' 뮤비 출연. Sports Chosun (in Korean). 2005-07-11. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ [오락]`기상캐스터' 안혜경 뮤직비디오 출연. Kangwon Ilbo (in Korean). 2005-11-01. Retrieved 2024-10-06 – via Naver.
- ^ [인터뷰on]솔직? 당돌? 송이우 "저 매력있죠?". Segye Ilbo (in Korean). 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ Shin, Hye-rim. "김건모 10집". archive.izm.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-06.