Play (AKMU album)
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Play (stylized as PLAY) is the first studio album by South Korean brother-sister duo, Akdong Musician, and their first release since winning K-pop Star 2 the previous year.
Background
On March 31, 2014, YG Entertainment revealed the first teaser picture.[2] On April 1, the second teaser picture was revealed, followed by the album's track list [3] on April 2.
Composition
Lee Chanhyuk produced and wrote all the songs on the album. YG Entertainment's CEO Yang Hyun-suk explained,
"Up to now, I was in charge of producing albums for many singers. However, Akdong Musician's was the hardest for me. The musical genres I had mainly worked with were hip hop and R&B. However, Akdong Musician's genre is folk. It was a genre I have never tried before, so it was only right that they did it themselves. The two members of Akdong Musician debuted at an extremely young age. This year, Chanhyuk will be 18 and Suhyun will be 15. Because they are so young, if I were to order them to do this and that, their purity could get ruined. I decided it might actually be much more effective if the siblings personally [produced] it. As you can see by the results, this was verified after the album came out.[4]
Promotion and release
The album was digitally released on April 7, 2014. The album, consisting of 11 songs, was released worldwide through iTunes, Melon, Genie, and other online music portals. The physical album hit stores on April 9. The group's first stage comeback was on K-pop Star 3 on April 6. "200%" and "Melted" had been chosen directly as the title tracks, and the third title track, "Give Love", was chosen on April 14 after a round of fan voting.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Lee Chanhyuk
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Give Love" | 2:56 |
| 2. | "200%" | 3:13 |
| 3. | "얼음들" ("Eoreumdeul"; "Melted") | 3:55 |
| 4. | "지하철에서" ("Jihacheoreseo"; "On the Subway") | 3:41 |
| 5. | "가르마" ("Gareuma"; "Hair Part") | 3:46 |
| 6. | "인공잔디" ("In-gongjandi"; "Artificial Grass") | 3:45 |
| 7. | "안녕" ("Annyeong"; "Hello") | 3:47 |
| 8. | "작은별" ("Jageunbyeol"; "Little Star") | 3:47 |
| 9. | "길이나" ("Girina"; "Anyway") | 3:09 |
| 10. | "소재" ("Sojae"; "Idea") | 3:19 |
| 11. | "Galaxy" | 2:59 |
Charts
Album charts
| Country | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Gaon Album Chart (weekly) | 1 |
| Gaon Album Chart (monthly) | 3 | |
| Gaon Album Chart (mid-year) | 32 | |
| United States | Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart[1] | 20 |
| Billboard World Albums Chart[1] | 2 |
Sales and certifications
| Chart | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gaon physical sales |
33,750+ |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | April 7, 2014 | Digital download | YG Entertainment, KT Music |
| South Korea | April 9, 2014 | CD |
References
- ^ a b c Benjamin, Jeff (11 September 2014). "Akdong Musician: 21 Under 21 (2014)". Billboard.com. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
- ^ "Akdong Musician release first teaser picture for upcoming debut + YG updates on more comebacks". Allkpop. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ^ "Akdong Musician reveals play list for upcoming debut album". Allkpop. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Yang Hyun Suk explains why he did not produce Akdong Musician's album". Allkpop. Retrieved April 10, 2014.