Awaken the World | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 9, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2019–2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 33:12 | |||
Language | ||||
Label | ||||
WayV chronology | ||||
| ||||
NCT chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Awaken the World | ||||
|
Awaken the World is the first studio album by the Chinese boy band WayV. It was released digitally on June 9,2020,and physically on June 18,2020,by Label V and SM Entertainment,with Dreamus as the South Korean distributor and Owhat as the distributor for China. A full-length release that consists of ten songs that fall mostly in the hip-hop and R&B genres with influences from synth-pop. Awaken the World saw the participation of various songwriters and production teams that have worked with SM previously,namely Moonshine,Tay Jasper,Adrian McKinnon,Mike Daley,Mitchell Owens,Deez,Dsign Music,Cazzi Opeia,Ryan S. Jhun,Vedo,LDN Noise,MZMC,and others. Members Hendery and Yangyang also participated in lyric writing for some of the album tracks.
Upon its release,Awaken the World attained commercial success in China and South Korea,earning the group top-three entry on both Tencent Music's UNI Chart and the Gaon Album Chart,as well as their third entry on the Billboard World Albums Chart. It was also WayV's first release to enter the Oricon Albums Chart,peaking at number nineteen. To promote the album,the group performed the lead single "Turn Back Time" on several South Korean television music programs,with an accompanied Korean version of the song released separately on June 18,2020. [1] Subsequently,the group released an English version of the track "Bad Alive" as a digital single on June 29 which managed to rank at number one on QQ Music Daily Digital Sales chart and earned Gold certification hours after it was released. [2]
Following the release of their second extended play Take Over the Moon and English version of "Love Talk",WayV teased their upcoming album by performing a mashup of their new songs "Bad Alive" and "Turn Back Time" in their May 3 Beyond LIVE ,an online-dedicated live concert series jointly organized by SM Entertainment and Naver. [3] The group then announced they would release their first full-length album Awaken the World on June 9. [4] On May 30,a teaser video was released on the group's Twitter account which shows a new version of WayV's logo,as well as an URL to a web-based interactive game that fans could visit and play on mobile to "find clues from WayV and rescue them". [5] A video trailer and photos of each member were released one by one as part of the game's reward. [6] The music video teaser for "Turn Back Time" was uploaded on the group's official YouTube channel on June 8,2020. [7]
Due to issues regarding their outfits,the album was released digitally as scheduled on June 9,while the release of the physical album was delayed to June 18. [8] [9] [10] The music video for the lead single "Turn Back Time" was eventually released on June 10. [11] The group also released a Korean version of "Turn Back Time" digitally on June 18. [1]
On July 24,WayV announced they would release an English version of the track "Bad Alive" as a digital single. [12] Preceded by series of photos and video teasers,the song was released digitally on June 29 at 17:00 CST while the music video was released at midnight. [13]
The album opens with the lead single "Turn Back Time",an urban trap song that stands out with powerful bass and beat that seems to be speeding that,embodying the group's ambition to progress towards a larger world stage. [14] Swedish composer team Moonshine,who participated in composing the group's previous lead single "Moonwalk",also involved in this track. [15] The following track "Bad Alive",composed by American producer Mike Daley,is mainly composed of arpeggio and 808 drums,full of strong energy. Irregular trap drums and a siren sound overlay the dynamic bassline and melody,giving a sense of power. The domineering lyrics show a confident attitude. [16] The third track "Unbreakable" is an urban mid-tempo song with a majestic and mysterious sound added to the traditional music style. Although the song contains trap elements,it also contains chords influenced by Michael Jackson to provide greater musical depth. It is the final installment of a trilogy with "Say It" and "Come Back" from WayV's first mini-album Take Off ,describing the state of mind of a man who's been hurt by love. [17] The album continues with "After Midnight",a synth-pop song with a calm and downbeat style. The harmony of the powerful funk guitar and the arpeggio of synth-wave lead the dynamics of the whole song. The lyrics describe dwelling on the romance of spending time alone with someone special after a party,well-suited for the time after midnight. [18] The fifth track "Interlude:Awaken the World" represents the overall concept of the album as a whole. Combining a grand and dreamy piano and string sound,it marries Eastern and Western concepts. The strong &intense rhythm of the latter half of the song embodies the group's resolution to advance even further from now on. [19]
The next half of Awaken the World starts with "Only Human",a hip-hop song based on the arpeggio element of the acoustic guitar and the low synth sound. The lyrics show that in ordinary life,even if there are moments of uneasiness and fatigue,there is also a feeling of hopefulness toward the future. Member Hendery personally participated in writing the lyrics,making the song more complete. [20] The track is followed by "Domino",an R&B pop song that combines rhythmic melody and rhythmic beat that fully attracts the ear. The lyrics express the loss of control when people are in love. This unstoppable relationship between the two parties is likened to a game of domino. [21] Full of dancing bass lines and unique elements,the eighth track "Up From Here" is a light song that reflects the refreshing feeling that matches the theme of love. The lyrics are about the fluttering &happy feeling of friendship growing into romantic love. [22] Including rap lines written by members Hendery and Yangyang,the ninth track "Electric Hearts" is a song that highlights the vivid drumbeat rhythm and synth sound of electronic music. It shows the group in a wider range,trying a new musical concept. "As long as you are in love,you can communicate with each other's soul even if you are far apart." With the theme of luminous energy fluctuations connecting the two people,it highlights the emotional lyrics that tell the feelings felt through such fluctuations. [23] The album is closed by "Stand By Me",an urban pop song that combines the repeated performance of acoustic guitar and group singing. It is a healing song full of joy and hope. Hendery also participated in the creation of rap lyrics. Through the lyrics like "Culture From WayV",he expressed the friendship of the members of WayV. It highlights gaining strength from relying on and comforting each other,becoming one another's strength. [24]
Hours after Awaken The World was released,the music video of the lead single "Turn Back Time" was released on June 9 after a delay. [11] The song achieved an increasing digital performance on local music charts comparing to the group's previous releases,remaining at the top spot for seven consecutive days and was certified with a Gold Medal on QQ Music Popularity Chart. [25] [26] It also ranked at number three on UNI Chart (previously known as Yo! Bang),a weekly music ranking by Tencent Music that covers data from three China's biggest music platforms:QQ Music,Kugou,and Kuwo,becoming the group's first entry to the top three of the chart. [27] Internationally,the song ranked at number twelve on Billboard World Digital Songs. [28] On June 18,the group released a Korean version of "Turn Back Time" digitally with an accompanied similar music video with lyrics by Kang Eun-jeong,Oh Min-joo,and Park Seong-hee. [1] [29]
An English language version of the track "Bad Alive" and its music video were released on June 29 with lyrics by Wilbart "Vedo" McCoy and Pan Yan Ting. [12] [13] Compared to the original,"Bad Alive (English Ver.)" expresses a story of a bad guy who falls in love and WayV's tough charisma. [30] [31] The single managed to rank at number one on QQ Music Daily Digital Sales chart and earned Gold certification hours after it was released. [32] [2] It eventually ranked at number six on the weekly chart. [33] The song subsequently debuted at number twelve on Billboard World Digital Songs. [34]
Due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic,the album was primarily promoted in South Korea,where the group is currently based. [35] Promotions for the album started with the group's first performance for "Turn Back Time" as WayV The Stage through their official Weibo and YouTube account on June 11,2020. [8] A day later,the group performed their lead single on the South Korean music show Music Bank ,followed by Show! Music Core and The Show . [36] To commemorate the release of the album,the group did a special live broadcast titled Awaken WayV's World via V Live on June 17. [37]
To promote "Bad Alive (English Ver.)",WayV performed the song on various South Korean music shows,namely Music Bank , Show! Music Core , Inkigayo , The Show ,and Show Champion . The group also did a special live broadcast titled Bad Alive:WayV ZONE via V Live on August 3 to celebrate the release of the song. [38]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [39] |
Giving Awaken the World four stars out of five,Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic described the album as "a lively blend of R&B-inspired smoothness,trap-influenced edge,and synth-washed pop polish". He praised the group's effortless vocal delivery and lush harmonies,as well as their ability to elevate the varied production provided by a team featuring the likes of Moonshine,Dsign Music,LDN Noise,Jack &Coke,and more. To close his review,Yeung said the album is "one of the best entries in the NCT catalog" and "WayV delivered a confident and addictive full-length debut that more-seasoned groups rarely achieve on their second or even third attempts". [39]
Shortly after its release,Awaken the World claimed its number one iTunes position in 21 countries and the entire album tracks charted on the top ten QQ Music Soaring Songs chart. [1] [25] [40] The album went on to debut at number three on Gaon Album Chart for the week of June 20,2020. [41] It eventually earned the first top ten debut for the group on the monthly chart by appearing at number three for the month of June 2020,with a cumulative sales of 86,292 copies. [42] The album also appeared at number thirty-three on Billboard Japan Hot Albums,making Awaken the World the group's first release to chart in Japanese music charts. [43] The physical album subsequently peaked at number nineteen on Oricon Weekly Albums Chart and debuted at number nine on Billboard World Albums chart. [44] [45] As of October 18,2020,the album has sold over 280,000 copies worldwide. [46]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Turn Back Time" (Chinese :超时空 回; pinyin :Chāoshíkōng Huí; lit.'Transcending Time and Space') | Matthew Yen |
|
| 3:38 |
2. | "Bad Alive" | Pan Yanting |
|
| 3:49 |
3. | "Unbreakable" (Chinese :执迷; pinyin :Zhímí; lit.'Obsessed') | Pan |
|
| 3:37 |
4. | "After Midnight" | Liu Yuan |
| Philippon | 3:29 |
5. | "Interlude: Awaken the World" | Squar (Blur) | Squar | 0:53 | |
6. | "Only Human" (performed by Winwin, Lucas, Hendery, and Yangyang) |
|
| LDN Noise | 3:32 |
7. | "Domino" (Chinese :多米诺; pinyin :Duōmǐnuò) | Lin Xinye |
|
| 3:16 |
8. | "Up from Here" (Chinese :浪漫发酵; pinyin :Làngmàn Fājiào; lit.'Romantic Fermentation') | Pan |
|
| 4:01 |
9. | "Electric Hearts" |
|
|
| 3:25 |
10. | "Stand by Me" |
|
| Nordenback | 3:32 |
Total length: | 33:12 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Turn Back Time" (Korean version) |
|
|
| 3:38 |
Total length: | 3:38 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bad Alive" (English version) |
|
|
| 3:49 |
Total length: | 3:49 |
Credits are adapted from NetEase Music and Xiami. [47] [48]
Recording
Mixing
Critic/Publication | List | Work | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Refinery29 | Music Saved 2020: The 29 Best Songs Of The Year | "Bad Alive" | — | [49] |
MTV | The Best K-Pop B-sides of 2020 | "Domino" | 14 | [50] |
BuzzFeed | Best K-Pop Songs of 2020 | "Turn Back Time" (Korean version) | 12 | [51] |
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
China | June 9, 2020 | Label V | |
Various |
| ||
China | June 18, 2020 | CD |
|
South Korea |
| ||
Various |
Alive is the fifth Korean extended play by South Korean boy group Big Bang, released through YG Entertainment on February 29, 2012. Musically, it is a dance and electronic record that incorporates elements of hip hop and R&B. BigBang members G-Dragon and T.O.P wrote and produced the lyrics and music for nearly all tracks on the album. Alive spawned three digital singles that were released within the week prior—"Blue", "Fantastic Baby", and "Bad Boy", all three of which peaked within the top three positions on the Gaon Digital Chart.
Lu Han, also known mononymously as Luhan, is a Chinese singer, actor, and dancer. He was a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-group Exo-M, before leaving the group in October 2014. That year, he was ranked the sixth most popular entertainment star in China by China National Radio. In 2017, Lu Han was listed as the second highest-paid celebrity in the Forbes China Celebrity 100, behind only Fan Bingbing.
Made is the third Korean-language studio album by South Korean boy band Big Bang. Made was preceded by four single albums containing two singles each, which were released in increments from May to August 2015. After over a year of delays, the full studio album was released on December 13, 2016. It marks the group's comeback after a three-year hiatus and their first full length Korean album since Remember (2008). The production of Made was primarily handled by G-Dragon along with long-time group collaborator Teddy Park. Musically, the album employs hip hop, EDM, pop rock, R&B styles with its lyrics examining expressions of doubt, worry, sexuality, and societal issues.
D is the sixth single album by South Korean band Big Bang, and the third from their Made Series.
"Monster" is a song by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, released on June 9, 2016, as the second single from their third studio album Ex'Act. It was released in both Korean and Chinese versions by their label SM Entertainment.
"Last Dance" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BigBang. It was released on December 13, 2016, through YG Entertainment, as the sixth single for the group's third Korean-language studio album Made (2016). It was written by group members G-Dragon, T.O.P, and Taeyang and produced by G-Dragon and Jeon Yong Jun. Commercially, "Last Dance" peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
Chinese musician Lay Zhang has released four studio albums, four extended plays, seventeen singles and five soundtrack appearances. In May 2016, he released his first solo single called "Monodrama" for the Station project. Zhang made his official solo debut on 7 October 2016 with the release of the song "What U Need?". His first extended play, titled Lose Control, was released on 28 October of the same year. The EP was a commercial success, peaking at number 1 on the Gaon Album Chart and placing seventh on the list of best-selling albums of 2016.
"Lucky One" is a song by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, released on June 9, 2016, as the first single from their third studio album Ex'Act. It was released in both Korean and Chinese versions by their label SM Entertainment.
"Untitled, 2014" is a song recorded by South Korean rapper G-Dragon, serving as the lead single for his second extended play and self-titled Kwon Ji Yong (2017). It was written by G-Dragon, who also co-produced the song with Choice37 and Sunwoo Jung-a. "Untitled, 2014" was a chart-topper in South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart, where it finished 2017 as one of the best-performing songs of the year.
NCT 2018 Empathy is the debut studio album by South Korean Boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Containing a total of fourteen tracks with twelve of which were released as singles from 2016 to 2018, the album marked the first group release with eighteen members from three different units participating at the time, while being the first release to officially introduce three new members Kun, Jungwoo and Lucas. With the group's label founder Lee Soo-man serving as the executive producer, composition and production for the album was contributed by Matt Schwartz, Tommy $trate, The Stereotypes, Timothy 'Bos' Bullock, Deez, Yoo Young-jin, Ryan S. Jhun, MZMC, Adrian McKinnon, Shin Hyuk, Josh Cumbee, Andrew Choi, Sara Forsberg, LDN Noise, and others. It was released on March 14, 2018, by SM Entertainment and iriver Inc along with the album's fourth single "Touch" by the Seoul-based unit NCT 127 and "Black on Black", the first single featuring all eighteen members of the group at that time.
"Flower Road" is a song by South Korean boy band Big Bang. It was released digitally on March 13, 2018, by YG Entertainment, as a gift and a final farewell from the group to its fans ahead of a lengthy hiatus, as the band members serve in South Korea's mandatory military service. It would also end up being their last single to feature longtime lead dancer and sub vocalist Seungri before his retirement on March 11, 2019. It was written by G-Dragon and T.O.P and produced by the former along with The Fliptones, who also participated in creating GD X Taeyang's "Good Boy" and Taeyang's "Stay with Me".
WayV is a Chinese boy band and the fourth overall sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, managed by SM's Chinese sub-label, Label V. The group is currently composed of Kun, Ten, Winwin, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Yangyang; Lucas was part of the original lineup but departed in May 2023. The group debuted on January 17, 2019, with the digital extended play (EP) The Vision.
Regular-Irregular is the first studio album by South Korean boy band NCT 127, the second sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Described as a multi-genre concept album with a total of eleven tracks, the album was released by SM Entertainment on October 12, 2018, and distributed by IRIVER. This marks NCT 127's first Korean major release after a year and four months since their previous EP, Cherry Bomb, released in June 2017. It is also their first release as a ten-member group after Jungwoo was added in September 2018. It is also the group's last release to date featuring member Winwin, as he would focus his promotions on WayV following the album's release.
Chinese boy band and the fourth overall sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT, WayV, has released two studio albums, one reissue, five extended plays (EP), one single album, and eleven singles with SM Entertainment's Chinese sub-label, Label V. WayV debuted in 2019 with the single album The Vision, with a Chinese version of NCT 127's "Regular" as the lead single. In the same year, the group entered the Billboard World Albums chart for the first time with their first EP, Take Off. Their second EP, Take Over the Moon, was released on October 29, 2019, and debuted in the South Korean Gaon Album Chart and Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. In 2020, WayV's first studio album, Awaken the World, managed to enter the top ten on both Gaon and Billboard World Albums chart as well as became the group's first entry on the Japanese Oricon and Billboard Japan charts. In 2021, WayV managed to top the Gaon Album Chart for the first time with their third EP, Kick Back, which also earned the group their first certification for selling more than 250,000 copies in South Korea. After almost two years of hiatus, WayV released their fourth EP, Phantom, in December 2022 as a sextet.
Take Off is the first extended play (EP) by the Chinese boy band WayV. It was released on May 9, 2019, by Label V and SM Entertainment with a lead single of the same name. Consisting of three previously released songs and three new songs, it features participation from songwriters and production teams, such as The Stereotypes, LDN Noise, Yoo Young-jin, and others. Upon its release, the EP debuted at seventh on the Billboard World Albums Chart and claimed number one on the iTunes Top Album Chart in 30 regions. Meanwhile, "Take Off" peaked at number one on the QQ Music Popularity Real-time Chart.
Take Over the Moon is the second extended play by the Chinese boy band WayV. It was released on October 29, 2019, by Label V and SM Entertainment, with Dreamus as the South Korean distributor and Owhat as the distributor for China. Consisting of six songs that fall mostly on R&B and hip-hop genres with influence from trap and electropop, the album features participation from songwriters and production teams, such as Moonshine, Adrian Mckinnon, Yoo Young-jin, LDN Noise, and others. Members Hendery and Yangyang also participated in writing lyrics for the first time. Upon its release, the album marked the group's debut on Billboard Heatseekers Albums and Gaon Album Chart.
"Spark" is a song recorded by South Korean singer Taeyeon for her second studio album Purpose. It was released on October 28, 2019, as the album's lead single by SM Entertainment on October 28, 2019. The song was written by Kenzie, and composed by Kenzie, Anne Judith Wik and Ronny Svendsen. It was described as an alternative soul pop song incorporating intense melody with emotions and Taeyeon's overwhelming vocals and the lyrics contains various metaphors that expresses her identity.
Self-Portrait is the debut extended play by South Korean singer-songwriter and actor Suho. It was released on March 30, 2020, by SM Entertainment. The physical edition was released in two versions, Archive #1 and Archive #2, while the digital version shares the cover of the latter, a collage of four impressionist paintings of Suho's face. The EP features six tracks including the lead single, "Let's Love".
NCT 2020 Resonance is the second studio album by South Korean boy band NCT, an unlimited group project under the management of SM Entertainment. Similar to their previous release NCT 2018 Empathy, NCT 2020 Resonance is part of the "NCT 2020" project; which saw all current NCT members from several units collaborating on a full-length release. This time, the album features all 23 members from three current units of NCT; NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, while introducing two new NCT members, namely Shotaro and Sungchan. It would also be the final NCT album to feature Lucas due to his hiatus and eventual departure in 2023. The first part was released on October 12, 2020, and the second part was then released on November 23, 2020.
Kick Back is the third extended play by the Chinese boy band WayV with the lead single of the same name. It was released on March 10, 2021, by Label V and SM Entertainment, with Dreamus as the South Korean distributor and Owhat as the distributor for China. Consisting of six songs that fall mostly in the R&B genre with influences from hip-hop and pop, Kick Back featured the participation of various songwriters and production teams that have worked with SM previously, namely Alawn, Jasmine Kara, Bobii Lewis, Ebenezer Fabiyi, Dsign Music, Hyuk Shin, Simon Petrén, Cazzi Opeia, Ryan S. Jhun, and others. It is the final WayV album and overall NCT release to feature Lucas due to his hiatus and eventual departure in 2023.