On not understanding the charts

[koganbot]

GLAM's "I Like That" entered the Gaon Chart this week at 57. This was way lower than I'd anticipated, my expectation being based on an Allkpop story saying "I Like That" had finished number 3 on January 2 on the Bugs Chart. I don't know what the Bugs Chart does, actually (the chart is in Korean, not surprisingly). I assume it records daily numbers

Comments

[askbask]

I wrote a long post that I accidentally clicked out of, so to sum that up

[koganbot]

Number one on the aggregate iChart right now is Jung Hyung-don's "Gangbuk Dandy," which appears to be a not-that-funny goof on "Gangnam Style" and a number of other things, though with much more house and techno in its rather good rhythm track, in fact an okay melody that's going to waste.

(Also, is that our hero Park Myung Soo acting as MC or mentor or something, he of the genuinely funny and genuinely good "I'm Having An Affair"? Or is it just someone with a similar haircut?)

[askbask]

Yes. It's also from the same show that I'm Having an Affair came from. They always produce some big hits when they do their annual music thing.

[koganbot]

Here's another embed for "Gangbuk Dandy":

[koganbot]

"I Like That" down 10 places to 67 on today's Gaon Chart. So unless it goes viral somewhere, it's a definite nonhit, though I don't think it'll put GLAM out of business. They may be garnering a core audience for future adventures.

[askbask]

Yes, I think they're gaining some fans. I've heard solid fan chants on some music shows (I was watching one with some friends and noted that their fan chants were the girliest I'd heard, which suggested to me they were reaching an audience ready for their positive message. You hear fan chants on some shows and not others, though).

Some boybands you never see on charts (and can come off lame, cheap to me) have intense, passionate fan chants -- and I guess their careers are sustained on there always being girls who want a boyband 'for themselves', maybe, and a new group of handsome boys is as good a thing to join as more crowded fan clubs.

For how long I don't know, some perform live quite often and maybe sell merch and stuff, but I don't think there's a culture for this as strong as the one in Japan for 'indie idol groups' who do constant live shows.