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K-pop’s girl groups sweep summer 2015 charts

August 20, 2015

South Korean girl group Sistar makes greeting remarks at a press event showcasing its latest EP “Shake It” in Seoul on June 22, 2015. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) — South Koreans appear to have caught the girl-group bug this summer, with Sistar reigning supreme for much of the season with its third EP title “Shake It.”

The upbeat, if generic, tune topped MelOn’s weekly chart three times and stayed in the top five for six consecutive weeks since June, surviving disturbances caused by BigBang’s return and the emergence of indie band Hyukoh with the sweet, mellifluous voice of vocalist Oh Hyuk evoking that of Maroon 5′s Adam Levine.

AOA consolidated its foothold in the oversaturated girl group market with “Heart Attack,” which peaked at No. 3 twice on the same chart in June. The group has the aggressive PR activities of members Jimin, Seolhyun and Choa on TV to thank for.

In July came the cohort of Girls’ Day, Girls’ Generation and A-Pink.

The first team, comprised of Sojin, Yura, Minah and Hyeri, finished at No. 4 with “Ring My Bell,” a disappointing outcome following the successes of “Something” and “Darling” last year.

Girls’ Generation, the traditional girl group powerhouse, also failed to live up to its reputation as the group that started the whole girl group mania in South Korea, with “Party” stopping just at No. 3. Its fifth album “Lion Heart” released on Tuesday also faces tough competition from the season four album of MNet’s popular rap survival program “Show Me the Money” and SG Wannabe’s comeback after four years.

Meanwhile, A-Pink’s “Remember” paled in comparison to last year’s “Mr. Chu” and “Nonono,” peaking at No. 5.

Wonder Girls’ vaguely 80s track “I Feel You” opened at No. 1 on the week of Aug. 3, while T-ara failed to regain its former glory with “So Crazy,” which was better received in China than on home turf.

This summer was also a chance for rookie girl groups to shine, with Mamamoo’s “Um Oh Ah Yeh” finishing at No. 5 on the week of June 19. Girlfriend’s “Me Gustas Tu” also made it to the top 20 after its release on July 23.