Industry Experts Attribute Trend to Newtro Phenomenon and Economic Uncertainty

Courtesy of SM Entertainment

In recent charts released by Melon, a leading Korean music streaming platform, several remake songs have gained prominence, reminiscent of hits from around two decades ago. Lim Jae-hyun's "Rhapsody of Sadness" and boy band Riize's "Love 119" have both secured spots in the Top 10 popular music chart as of Tuesday. Notably, these tracks are reimagined versions of earlier originals: "Rhapsody of Sadness" by singer Choi Jae-hoon in 2000 and band izi's "Emergency Room" in 2005, respectively. 

▲ Riize / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentThe resurgence of remakes extends to a total of 50 such songs released this year, including well-received renditions by popular girl band aespa and soloist Kim Sung-kyu. For instance, aespa's version of "Regret of the Times" originally sung by Seo Taiji and Boys in 1995, and Kim Sung-kyu's take on "The Wind is Blowing," originally by Lee So-ra in 2004, have garnered attention. Additionally, NewJeans' rendition of "Our Night is More Beautiful Than Your Day," originally by Kona in 1996, contributes to this trend.

Industry experts attribute this phenomenon to the "newtro" trend, a blend of "new" and "retro" elements, which has gained traction particularly among younger demographics. This trend encompasses various domains, including fashion and retail.

Sookmyung Women's University business professor Seo Yong-gu highlights the impact of global economic uncertainty, suggesting that the resurgence of past hits in K-pop is likely to persist in the foreseeable future.

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Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com