Fly to the Sky (
Korean:
플라이 투 더 스카이) was a South Korean
R&B duo, consisting of Korean American
Brian Joo and South Korean native
Hwanhee.
Initially marketed as a duo that can sing,
rap, and dance, their early works featured
bubblegum pop and upbeat
techno music.
[1] The duo later changed their image and style with the release of
Sea of Love in 2002. With their subsequent albums, the duo solidified their status as R&B artists and are credited as the first R&B duo of South Korea.
[2][3]
Musical career
[edit] 1999-2001: Debut and the early years
The duo was formed in late 1998 by
SM Entertainment. Brian Joo auditioned while he was attending
Holy Spirit High School in
New Jersey. Hwang Yoon-Suk, later to be known as Hwanhee, was encouraged to audition by a staff member working for the label at his high school festival. Fly to the Sky officially debuted on November 21, 1999 at the LOG-IN
H.O.T. Concert and SM Festival Concert '99.
Soon after, the duo released their debut album
Day by Day on December 9, 1999, and made their first official television appearance two days later. Unlike their predecessors on their label, popular
teen idols at that time, they shied away from upbeat
techno and
dance music, opting for mid-tempo ballads. The debut became highly successful selling over 250,000 copies.
[4] The duo acquired status as the next-generation stars as they won Best New Artist award in 2000.
[3] At the same time, the duo failed to rise to instant stardom unlike their predecessors such as
H.O.T., whose album sales have passed the one million mark.
[5]
Their popularity rapidly climbed with the release of their second album
The Promise in 2001, which featured more diverse genres than its predecessor. With more upbeat tracks, it peaked at #2, but quickly disappeared from the charts.
[6] In the same year, they held a joint concert with Korean R&B singer Kim Jo-Han.
2002-2004: Musical transition
In April 2002, their third album
Sea of Love was released while Joo was in
New Jersey attending
Rutgers University. As a result, Hwang began to perform by himself until Joo returned to Korea. The lead single from the album was the title track, a poppy ballad, and it became a summer hit. Their second single "Condition of my Heart" was written by American singer
Brian McKnight; in contrast to the first single, "Condition" was a heavier ballad. The single signaled the duo's musical transition from bubblegum music to R&B. Along with their music, their image began to change as the duo traded in their "
bishōnen" look for a more masculine image. In the same year, the label released a female duo that was said by fans to compliment Fly to the Sky known as
Isak N Jiyeon, however the two groups never worked independently with each other.
Their 2003 studio album
Missing You featured more tracks that departed from
bubblegum music and emphasized their vocal skills for an image as serious artists. Performing commercially well, the album gave the duo many awards including "Bonsang" award from
SBS Gayo Daejun and Korea Music Awards. This period is remembered for the highly publicized death of their manager, who was also the manager of
BoA, another Korean singer.
[7] On a
variety show, both members recalled this incident as an emotionally hard time for them. Hwanhee was especially shocked, because he was on the same vehicle with his manager just hours before the incident.
In November 2004, the duo released their fifth and last studio album under SM Entertainment,
Gravity. The album received little promotion, and became the duo's lowest-selling studio album, selling just below 90,000 copies.
[8][9] Nevertheless, they held their first official concert successfully in
Jamsil Arena on December 21, 2004, and received "Best R&B Artist" award from SBS Gayo Daejun.
[10] A controversy rose as critics questioned their eligibility for the award, because the album was released only two months before the show. They challenged the credibility and fairness of SBS Gayo Daejun in its entirety as the artists who boycotted SBS such as
YG Family or those who were not present did not receive any awards. They scorned the show as "a party for only those who were present."
[11]
The release of their
Greatest hits album
Eternity in 2005 coincided with the release of the soundtrack of Korean drama
Fashion 70s which featured the duo. The popular Korean show made their song "가슴 아파도" ("Although My Heart Aches"), the theme song of the show, an unexpected hit.
[12] Eternity is the last Fly to the Sky album released by SM Entertainment.
[edit] 2004-2006: Leaving SM Entertainment and personal struggles
After Fly to the Sky's contract with SM Entertainment expired in November 2004, the duo signed on with PFull Entertainment. The duo stated that they wanted a smaller label that was willing to promote them as musicians and focus less on commercial success.
[1] Under this label, Fly to the Sky released their sixth studio album
Transition after a year-long hiatus in January 2006. The album became massively successful, selling over 160,000 copies.
The duo embarked on their first nationwide tour, "Fly To The Sky: 2006 The Twice Tour". Starting from Jamsil Arena in
Seoul in May 2006, they held concerts in
Busan,
Daegu, Junju, and
Kwangju. Including the number of audiences in the encore concert in Seoul, the tour garnered more than 50,000 people.
[13]
To commemorate the success of
Transition, Fly To The Sky released a special new edition, which included music videos, deleted scenes and the additional tracks "Hwan Sang (Illusion)," "Hot and Cold," and "When I Say."
In 2004 and 2005, the duo's uncertain future after their contract with SM Entertainment led to a speculation that they would disband.
[14] Brian Joo publicly addressed the rumours on
SBS show "Yah Shim Man Man," which aired on July 10. He admitted that the two had difficulties in the early days of their career and said that he had been troubled by feelings of inferiority to Hwanhee, because he received more attention and praise than him.
[15] Despite their status as a duo, he felt that he was not given his due or the same amount of attention as Hwanhee. Eventually he found this difficult to bear, and suggested to him that they pursue their separate paths. Hwanhee responded angrily and the matter escalated into a serious fight nearly leading to disbandment. The two reconciled soon after, and said they "grew to better understand each other and realized that they both needed each other.
[16][17] Afterwards, the pair decided to try to better understand each other in order to solve their problems together and to support each other. After reflecting on this incident, Joo's eyes were brimming with tears.
Since 2006, the duo has been seen frequently on variety shows and pursued individual careers. Hwanhee appeared on
Korean television drama "Over the Rainbow" during summer of 2006, and Joo released his solo album
The Brian in December 2006. As they appeared more often on non-music programs, the duo saw an increase in their popularity and backlash from critics at the same time as they felt the duo were compromising their image as artists.
[18]
2007-2009: Return to prominence and solo projects
The duo's seventh album
No Limitations was release on July 4, 2007. Their first television performance to promote the album was on June 29, 2007.
[19] Popular tracks that are included in the album are "Oneuldo Eebbeungul," ("오늘도 이쁜걸"
Pretty Today Too) "Geuraedo Sarangipnida," ("그래도 사랑입니다"
It's still love) and "Gee-uk Han Joom" ("기억 한 줌"
Grain of Memory),
[20] as well as "My Angel", which peaked at #1 on many on- and offline charts.
No Limitations became the duo's first number one album.
Decennium (2009) became the group's final album, with the duo stating that they will not renew their contract and will go their separate ways professionally. As of 2009, Hwanhee and Brian have released their respective first and second solo albums. Hwanhee has also participated in the production of Song Ji Eun's solo single "Yesterday" and also features in the title track.
[edit] Musical style
The duo's debut single "Day by Day" was a light bubblegum
love song. Their subsequent songs were a combination of R&B,
pop rap, and
hip-hop until 2002, when the duo abandoned bubblegum pop. Since 2002, they opted for a blend of heavy R&B and
Korean pop. They continue to sing love songs, and some of them continue to incorporate hip-hop and rap from Joo.
The duo differs in their taste of music. Producer of
Transition, Hwang Se-Jun, has said Hwanhee prefers pure R&B while Brian likes music with distinct beats and has a strong liking for rap.
[17] Despite his passion, their 2006 studio album
Transition does not feature any. Brian predicts that there will no longer be any opportunity to include his rap in their album, and dislikes "being generalized as a duo comprised of one rapper and one vocalist." He lamented the waning popularity of hip-hop in South Korea where "hip-hop is merely labeled as dance music in Korea."
[1]
[edit] Criticisms
Prior to the duo's transition to R&B, critics were displeased as despite being promoted as serious artists that appeal to older audiences, they felt that the duo was no different from other popular teen idols at that time.
[21] In a lengthy interview with music review site "52street", the site described the duo in the early years as, "trendy hairstyle, thick make-up, and flashy dance moves."
[1]
As their career matured, critics have pointed that Fly to the Sky has yet to find their own style. The duo has been criticized for lack of creative control over their works and relying heavily on composers whose distinct styles overpower their vocals.
[22] During their career they have written lyrics for four songs in albums
Gravity and
No Limitations.
[22][23] Music critic Shin Hye Rim says,
[22]
| “ | Ironically, Fly to the Sky's sixth album Transition, which means change or transformation, shows no significant improvement. Despite that this album is their first step under their new label, the album almost turns out just the way we have predicted. Fany's thick tone color and Brian's clean-cut voice fuse to make music that spits out sorrow. That's about it. | ” |
Their appearances at variety shows were met with scrutiny as the duo were seen frequently outside of music programs during 2006.
[24] They were one of many artists who hopped on a bandwagon to promote their albums by appearing comical on variety shows. Critics compared this choice to a double-edged sword; while they gained more publicity and a more viewer-friendly image, they were compromising their image as professional artists.
[25] From January to February 2006, Seoul YWCA conducted a research to study variety shows that air from 6PM to 8PM. The research concluded that "variety shows star the same celebrities and air similar content."
[18] The article listed celebrities who frequent those shows, of which Joo was one of them. He appeared in television shows of three major broadcasting networks of Korea during the same time slot on January 6 and January 29.
[18]
[edit] Awards
| Years | Awards |
| 2000 | - Best New Artist at SBS Gayo Daejun
|
| 2002 | - Best R&B Artist at SBS Gayo Daejun
|
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | - Best R&B Artist at SBS Gayo Daejun
|
| 2006 | - Best R&B Artist at MNET KM Music Festival[26]
- Best Dressers at The 4th Korea Fashion Awards
- Bonsang from 2006 Golden Disk Awards[27]
- Bonsang from SBS Gayo Daejun
|
| 2008 | - Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom honors Fly to the Sky for promoting cultural and economic exchange between South Korea and San Francisco County by declaring July 27 “Fly to the Sky Day.”[28]
|
[edit] Discography
[edit] Concerts
- Contact – Kim Jo Han & Fly to the Sky Joint Live Concert (Released September 1, 2004)
- Fly to the Sky Live – 1st Live Concert: Unforgettable (Released April 26, 2004)
[edit] Studio albums
The chart positions are based on data from Music Industry Association Korea. Unlike
Oricon Chart and the
Billboard Chart, the charts are released monthly, not weekly.
[edit] Compilation albums
- Fly to the Sky Best Album - Eternity (Released May 26, 2005)
- Transition repackage (April 26, 2006)
- No Limitations repackage
- Fly to the Sky Remake Album - Recollection (Released April 28, 2008)
[edit] Soundtracks
- Beethoven Virus OST (My Person -Hwanhee)
- Fashion 70's OST (Even If My Heart Hurts - Fly To The Sky)
- Over the Rainbow OST (Tomorrow - Hwanhee, I Want You, I Need You - Hwanhee, I Can't Help Missing You - Hwanhee)
- Hello! Miss OST (Everyday I... - Brian)
Album
Day by Day
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Album
- Day by Day
- Released
-
- December 1, 1999
Tracks
- Intro
- In My Dream (Featuring H.O.T.)
- Day by Day
- I Don't Wanna Say Goodbye
- Fly to the Sky
- Wanna Be With You
- Everything
- 내겐 너무 이쁜 그대
- 사랑을 닮은 노래
- Warning
- Love Forever
- In My Dream (Extended Version)
The 2nd Album
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- The 2nd Album
- Released
-
- February 14, 2001
Tracks
- 약속 (The Promise)
- A Confession
- What U Want
- I Want (Featuring BoA and KangTa)
- I Want You I Need You (Featuring Kim Jo Han)
- Retry
- Always Together
- Maybe God Knows
- In Your Eyes
- Crystal
- Don't Forget Me
- Shy Love
- Baby Love
- Should I Stay...
- 약속 (Booty Mix)
Sea of Love
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- Sea of Love
- Released
-
- April 27, 2002
Tracks
- Sea of Love
- Condition of My Heart
- Rains
- 그대를... (I Know...But...)
- Future Tonight
- Say My Name
- Trust
- No More Games
- In Love
- How Many Nights How Many Days
- All My Love
- 5 Minutes
- 원망 (Tragic Love)
- Sea of Love (Fany Version)- Bonus Track
Missing You
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- Missing You
- Released
-
- July 7, 2003
Tracks
- 후 (Intro)
- Missing You
- 한
- 습관
- 2 Become 1
- Magic Song
- Still
- Only One
- Good to You
- You
- My Love
- (STREAMING TRAX) I'm Gonna
- Baby baby baby
Gravity
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- Gravity
- Released
-
- November 10, 2004
Tracks
- Stay
- 중력 (Gravity)
- 그대는 모르죠 (Goodbye)
- Old Skool Love
- 열감기 (Rest of My Life)
- 한참이 지나도 (If You Go Away)
- Take a Bow
- 사랑을 모르다... (Monologue)
- Tell Me
- My Neverending Story
- For You
Transition
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- Transition
- Released
-
- January 5, 2006
Tracks
- Be With You
- 피 (避)
- 남자답게
- Yellow Butterfly (노란나비)
- 빌고 또 빌어도
- 하루가 가
- 사랑해요 우리 (with Gummy)
- 다시 돌아온 너에게
- The girl is mine (feat. LISA & J.ho)
- 폭풍속에 내 이름 불러주길
- Question
- 심장 (♡障)
No Limitations
- Artist
- Fly to the Sky
- Title
- No Limitations
- Released
-
- July 4, 2007
Tracks
- 사랑해
- My Angel
- 기억 한 줌
- 가질 수 없어도
- 미워해 줘
- 남겨진 사람
- Let's Get It On
- Man 2 Man
- 3번째 날
- 결혼하지마
- 그래도 사랑합니다 (feat. Heritage)
- 오늘도 이쁜걸 작곡
- Kissing You (feat. Issac Squab of Trespass)
- 가벼운 사랑 (feat. Hyun Moo & TKO of Trespass)
