Meet Me Again is the second Korean solo mini album of Kim Kyu-jong of South Korean boy band SS501. It was released as a limited edition on July 18, 2012, by B2M Entertainment and distributed by LOEN Entertainment.[1] The album was released in Taiwan by Warner Music Taiwan on August 17, 2012, with a bonus DVD.[2]
| Meet Me Again | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Meet Me Again cover | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 18 July 2012 | |||
| Genre | K-pop | |||
| Length | 14:37 | |||
| Language | Korean | |||
| Label | LOEN Entertainment Warner Music Taiwan | |||
| Producer | B2M Entertainment | |||
| Kim Kyu-jong chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "My Precious One" on YouTube | ||||
Background and development
editOn June 1, Kim Kyu-jong wrote a letter to his fans about his plans to enlist early.[3] Later on the same day, B2M Entertainment verified Kim's initial announcement that he will be fulfilling his mandatory military service starting in July. The agency's representative stated: "He could've postponed the date, but he decided that it would be better to serve his duties first and then continue promoting with that out of the way. He'll serve well and stay healthy so that he'll come back as a better person after his release."[4] The next day, the company announced Kim's exact date and place for his enlistment. He would be heading to Jeonju on July 23 for a four-week army training.[5]
Two days after the first announcement, he held his farewell fanmeeting Thank U ThanKYU with Triple S on June 3 at the Yonsei University in Sinchon-dong, Seoul. This marked his last official activity before his enlistment in July, as well as the first time in over two years that the five members of SS501 had gathered together.[6] It was reported that the four other members fixed their schedules to attend the event. In particular, Heo Young-saeng rushed there after his "Crying" live performance on Inkigayo, while Kim Hyun Joong went there straight ahead after his fan meeting overseas.[7] During the fan meeting, Kim sang his pre-release track "Thank You".[8]
Before enlisting, however, Kim would be releasing a special album to his fans. The album would be his second mini-album after Turn Me On in 2011.[9] The upcoming album Meet Me Again would be a dedication towards his fans. The title[8] speaks for itself; it is his way of saying to wait for him and meet him again in two years, which he previously stated in his letter on June 1.[3]
Album release and enlistment
edit
On July 18, Kim released a limited edition mini-album Meet Me Again dedicated to his fans.[10] It features three tracks including "Thank You" composed by Kim, himself and "One Luv", a duet with Mighty Mouth's Shorry J, composed by Tae Wan Kim aka C-Luv.[11] Along with the album, a three-minute music video of "My Precious One" was also uploaded on B2M Entertainment's official YouTube account.[12]
As said earlier, Kim's last official activity was held during his farewell fanmeeting on June 3.[6] Due to limited of time until the enlistment day, Kim was not able to promote his album and perform his songs.[8] Despite its lack of promotions, however, the album peaked at #5 at Gaon Weekly Album Chart starting on July 15 to 21.[13]
On July 23, Kim reported to the recruit training center of the 35th division in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province for four weeks of basic training.[14] He was originally exempted because he had a hepatitis B carrier, but due to a change in conscription law, he was eligible to serve the non-active duty as a public service worker.[15][16] He was the first member of SS501 to enlist.[17]
Tracks
editThe tracks of Kim Kyu-jong's album can be seen as his gratitude and love towards his fans. The lead single of his album entitled "My Precious Person" is about him missing his 'precious person' after separating,[18] while "One Luv" speaks about his mutual feelings towards his fans. In the same way, "Thank You", which features his solo fanclub "ThanKYU", was penned by himself to show his gratefulness towards his fans.[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Precious Person" (소중한 사람) | Kim Tae-wan, Kim Kyu-jong | Kim Tae-wan, Kwon Sung-min | Kwon Sung-min | 03:29 |
| 2. | "One Luv" (Duet with Taewan a.k.a. C-Luv, Ft. Shorry J) | Kim Tae-wan | Kim Taw-wan, Stay Tuned A, B | Stay Tuned A, B | 03:18 |
| 3. | "고마워 (Thank You)" (Ft. ThanKYU) | Kim Kyu-jong | Kim Kyu-jong, Kim Tae-wan | Kim Tae-wan, Yoon Sang-jo | 04:19 |
| 4. | "소중한 사람 (Precious Person)" (Instrumental) | Kim Tae-wan, Kwon Sung-min | Kwon Sung-min | 03:29 | |
| Total length: | 14:37 | ||||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "소중한 사람 (Precious Person) MV" | |
| 2. | "Kyu-jong before joining the military" | |
| 3. | "A special visit" |
Music video
editThe music video for "My Precious One" was uploaded to YouTube on July 18, 2012.[12] The three-minute, 33-second video was filmed outdoors in a summer day.
In the video, shoots of Kim singing and strolling around the area appear. It is inferred that he was with someone, though the person with him is not shown in the camera. Other parts of the person's body, such as the hands and feet, are shown sometimes to act out the scenes. He constantly looks in front of the camera as well to talk to the person. At one point, he is seen dancing the steps of SS501's previous songs such as "Warning", "A Song Calling for You", and "UR Man", bringing back the memories of him with SS501.[19]
The last scene shows Kim sitting on the bench as he gazes through the camera; both the song title and his name in Korean are superimposed in the background.[12]
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Distributing label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | July 18, 2012 | B2M Entertainment LOEN Entertainment |
CD[1] |
| Worldwide | B2M Entertainment | digital download[20] | |
| Taiwan | August 17, 2012 | Warner Music Taiwan | CD+DVD[21] |
Charts
edit| Chart | Country | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Gaon Weekly Album Chart | South Korea | 5[13] |
| Gaon Monthly Album Chart | 16[22] | |
| G-Music Combo Chart | Taiwan | 18[23] |
| G-Music J-Pop Chart | 3[24] | |
| Five Music J-Pop/K-Pop Chart | 3[25] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Meet Me Again product info" YesAsia. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
- ^ "Meet Me Again product info" Warner Music Taiwan Store. Retrieved 2012-11-12. (in Chinese)
- ^ a b "SS501's Kim Kyu Jong writes a hand-written letter to his fans". Allkpop. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "SS501′s Kim Kyu Jong to Enlist in July". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "SS501′s Kim Kyu Jong to Enter Army on July 23". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ a b Hong, Grace Danbi (4 June 2012). "SS501 Reunites for Kim Kyu Jong's Last Fan Meeting Before Army Duties". enewsWorld. CJ E&M. Retrieved 11 June 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "SS501 Reunites for Kim Kyu Jong’s Last Fan Meeting Before Army Duties". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ a b c d "Kim Kyu Jong to Release One More Album Before Military Service". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ Hong, Lucia "Kim Kyu-jong to begin solo singing career with mini-album next week" 10 Asia. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-18
- ^ Kim Kyu Jong. Meet Me Again. 2012. CD.
- ^ Lee, Tae-ho (11 July 2012). "SS501's Kim Kyu-jong to release limited edition of mini-album before enlistment". 10 Asia. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ a b c "KIM JONG KYU (김규종) _ 소중한 사람 (My Precious One) _M / V (뮤직 비디오)". YouTube. B2Ment. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ a b "This links to current week - select the week from drop down menu" Archived January 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Gaon Album Chart. Retrieved 2012-11-12. (in Korean)
- ^ "SS501's Kim Bids Fans Teary Farewell Before Enlisting". Chosun Ilbo. 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ^ "SS501′s Kim Kyu Jong joins the army on July 23". Star News. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "Kim Kyu Jong To Start Military Service Today". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "SS501's Kim Kyu Jong enlists in the army". Allkpop. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "[Video] Kim Kyu Jong Releases ‘My Precious One’ MV Before Army". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "SS501金奎鐘公開《珍貴的人》MV". Korea Star Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Meet Me Again - EP". iTunes. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "Meet Me Again (Taiwan CD+DVD Ed.) product info" YesAsia. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
- ^ "This links to current week - select the year/month from drop down menu" Archived January 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Gaon Album Chart. Retrieved 2012-11-12. (in Korean)
- ^ "G-Music Combo Charts Week 33". g-music (in Chinese). Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "G-Music J-Pop Charts: Week 33". g-music (in Chinese). Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "J-Pop/K-Pop Chart Week 34 of 2012" Five Music Chart. Retrieved 2012-11-12. (in Chinese)