Free Somebody is the debut extended play by South Korean singer Luna, released on May 31, 2016 by SM Entertainment, and distributed by KT Music. It contains six tracks, including the single and title song "Free Somebody". It debuted at number five on the Gaon Album Chart, and has sold over 10,000 copies. The EP marks Luna's debut as a solo artist, and incorporates a range of genres, including electropop and R&B.
| Free Somebody | |
|---|---|
 Digital cover | |
| EP by | |
| Released | May 31, 2016 |
| Recorded | 2016 at S.M. Studios, Seoul |
| Genre | |
| Length | 20:24 |
| Language | Korean |
| Label | |
| Producer | Lee Soo-man (exec.) |
| Singles from Free Somebody | |
| |
Background and release
editOn May 17, 2016, it was reported that Luna would make her solo debut in late June. This was confirmed on May 27 by S.M. Entertainment, with the announcement that Luna would debut as a solo artist with the mini album "Free Somebody" on May 31, with a title track of the same name.[1]
On May 29, 2016, S.M. Entertainment posted a music video teaser for the title track. It was reported on May 30 that Luna composed the tracks "Pretty Girl (I Wish)" and "My Medicine".
The album was released digitally worldwide on May 31, 2016, along with a music video for the title track. In South Korea, the album was distributed physically and digitally by S.M. Entertainment and KT Music.
Promotion
editOn May 30, 2016 Luna held a live preview of the album on the SMTOWN channel on the Naver V app.[2]
Luna began promotions of title track "Free Somebody" on music shows on June 4. She first performed the song on Show! Music Core,[3] followed by performances on SBS's Inkigayo, MBC's Show Champion, Mnet's M! Countdown, KBS' Music Bank, and SBS MTV's The Show. She also performed the b-side "Keep On Doin'" several times, alongside the title track.
"Free Somebody" was also promoted on Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook,[4] at KCON 2016 in Paris,[5] and the 2016 Miss Korea Competition.[6]
Singles
editOn May 26, 2016, Luna was announced to be releasing "Free Somebody", a promotional song for the album. A teaser video for the song was released on May 29, followed by its music video and digital release on May 31. Luna performed the song for the first time at the Show! Music Core. The song peaked at number 57 on Gaon Digital Chart.[7]
Composition
editThe title track is a future house track composed by Swedish production team "The Family" and the American singer-songwriter JoJo. Lyrically, the song describes a desire to freely spread the dreams in the heart of the other party.[8] "Keep On Doin'" is of the electronic dance genre, and has an "addictive sound with a hook melody and a groovy funky base rhythm". "Breathe" is a trip hop based song, and "Galaxy" is of the electronic pop genre, its lyrics about "trying to stand out in the colourful galaxy".
"Pretty Girl (I Wish)" and "My Medicine" were both written and composed by Luna. According to Luna, the lyrics of "Pretty Girl (I Wish)" describe her hope that "young girls and young boys will never know the bitter taste of coffee and the dark side of the world".[9] "My Medicine" is an "R&B ballad song with a warm and fantasy-like feeling" that Luna wrote for her mother.[10]
Reception
editThe EP entered the Gaon Album Chart at number five, and charted on the Billboard World Albums Chart at number three. It was the fifteenth best selling album in South Korea, in the month of May, selling over 8,000 physical copies. As of September 2016, it has sold over 10,000 copies.[11]
Free Somebody was considered a refreshing and unexpected move from Luna's predominant image as a ballad singer, its electronic style resonating especially with international audiences.[12]
Accolades
edit| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiami | Top 50 Most Popular Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 15
|
|
| Billboard | World Digital Song Tally | 2016 | 8
|
Title Track - Free Somebody |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Free Somebody" | Kim Min-ji, Seo Ji-eum, JQ[14] | Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Joy Neil Mitro Deb, Linnea Mary Han Deb, Joanna "JoJo" Levesque | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Breathe" | Ku Tae-oo | Henk Jan Kooistra, Jantine Annika Heij | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Keep On Doin'" | Le`mon, JQ, Bae Seong-hyeon | Sara Forsberg, Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Joy Neil Mitro Deb, Linnea Mary Han Deb | 3:13 |
| 4. | "I Wish" (예쁜 소녀 (Pretty Girl)) | Luna, Choi (LU:KUS), | Luna, Park Seul-gi, Choi (LU:KUS) | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Galaxy" | Jo Yoon-kyung | Edward Ross Lara, Todd Wright, Phoebe Sharp, Cassidy Ford, Sean Kendall | 3:06 |
| 6. | "My Medicine" | Luna, Choi (LU:KUS) | Luna, Park Seul-gi, Choi (LU:KUS) | 3:23 |
| Total length: | 20:24 | |||
Charts
editRelease history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea[17] | May 31, 2016 | CD, digital download | S.M. Entertainment, KT Music |
| Worldwide | Digital download | S.M. Entertainment |
References
edit- ^ "f(x) 루나, 솔로 데뷔…31일 'Free Somebody' 발표 [공식입장]". Sports Donga. May 26, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2017 – via Naver.
- ^ "[V LIVE] LUNA <Free Somebody> Preview". V Live. May 30, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "[Comeback Stage] LUNA - Free Somebody, 루나 - 프리 썸바디 Show Music core 20160604". YouTube. June 4, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "유희열의 스케치북 - 루나 - Free Somebody. 20160603". YouTube. June 3, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
- ^ "[KCON 2016 France×M COUNTDOWN] LUNA(루나) _ Free Somebody M COUNTDOWN 160614 EP.478". YouTube. June 14, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ Park, Si-soo (July 10, 2016). "Plenty of tension for Miss Korea finalists". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "2016년 23주차 Digital Chart". gaon music chart. June 4, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ "f(x) 루나, 31일 첫 솔로 'Free Somebody' 발표..새로운 디바". OSEN (in Korean). May 26, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ "네이버 뮤직 :: 루나 '요즘 푹 빠져있는 노래들'". Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ "루나, 31일 첫 솔로 앨범 'Free Somebody' 공개…자작곡 2곡 포함". Busan News (in Korean). May 30, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016 – via Naver.
- ^ "2016년 상반기 결산 ALBUM CHART". gaon music chart. 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (June 8, 2016). "f(x)'s Luna Sees 'Free Somebody' Solo Debut Hit Top 3 on World Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ "虾米音乐2016最受欢迎专辑Top 50". Xiami. December 29, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
- ^ "곡 정보>멜론". Melon (in Korean). May 31, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart Retrieved , 2016.
- ^ "2016년 05월 Album Chart". gaon music chart (in Korean). Retrieved June 19, 2016.
- ^ "(EP) Free Somebody - The 1st Mini Album by 루나 (LUNA)". Melon (in Korean). LOEN Entertainment, Inc. May 31, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.