K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure.

The era in question is often considered to run from the debut of Seo Taiji & Boys in 1992 to the emergence of TVXQ in late 2003. The music featured in this series will largely fit within that time frame, give or take a few years on either side.

It was a time of bonkers song structures, wild fashion, slamming techno beats, bad reggae impressions, flagrant use (theft?) of American pop samples, hearty power ballads, foul language, the growliest rapper tones you can imagine and an anything-goes scrappiness that’s impossible to pigeonhole. To borrow the name of a popular second-gen act, these years were the “big bang” of an emerging musical powerhouse, still finding its footing and throwing everything at the wall.

The year is… 1991

(and 1988… and 2006…)

SHIN HAE-CHUL – TO YOU

I want to kick off this series with one of my all-time favorites – a masterpiece in my eyes and the eyes of many others. The late Shin Hae-chul is widely considered one of the most innovative talents of the era, a genre-spanning musician beloved for his unique vision. Within his diverse catalog, To You (그대에게) is the song that set everything in motion and will likely endure the longest.

Some songs just fill you with a swell of emotion from their very first moments. To You is so beloved as a cheering song, quickly becoming part of the very fabric of Korean music. It’s not uncommon to see audiences brought to tears during live performances and covers. You can sense the deep connection the music has made with its listeners.

To You exists in several iterations. First came its 1988 MBC University Song Festival debut, which took the nation by storm. Several years later, the first studio recording appeared on Hae-chul’s second solo album. Fifteen years after that, a third version appeared with his band N.EX.T on the remake album ReGame?. I consider this final version to be the definitive recording, buoyed by years of performance and musical development that fulfils the song’s full potential. It also seems to be an arrangement often referenced after Hae-chul’s passing. However, I do love the prominence of the swirling strings that encircle the chorus on the 1991 recording.

Above all else, To You is an anthem for the ages. It soundtracks sports festivals, political rallies and year-end performances. The song is celebratory and powerful, with a chorus that lifts spirits and an irresistible pomp and circumstance evident from the  ceremonial stabs of its spirited introduction. You feel each reverberation in your chest, from the moment the brass gives way to a pounding rock beat. It has a primordial spirit, as if these melodies have existed from the beginning of time and just so happened to be plucked from the ether thirty six years ago.

Hooks
10

 Production
10

 Longevity
10

 Bias
10

 RATING
10

Grade: A+

2006 Recording

1991 Recording

1988 Debut