Fly to the Sky ( ko, 플라이 투 더 스카이) is a South Korean
R&B duo consisting of
Brian Joo
Brian Joo (Korean name: Joo Min-gyu (); born January 10, 1981), better known professionally as Brian (), is a Korean American singer and one-half of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky. His first solo album, '' The Brian'' was released in December 200 ...
and
Hwanhee
Hwang Yoon-seok ( ko, 황윤석, born January 17, 1982), better known as Hwanhee ( ko, 환희), is a South Korean singer, actor and a member of South Korean R&B duo Fly to the Sky.
Career
Hwanhee graduated from Gwang Moon High School before his ...
. Initially marketed as
K-pop idols, the duo later developed a more mature image and became one of the most popular R&B groups in South Korea. The duo has released nine studio albums since its debut in 1999.
Musical career
1999–2001: Debut and the early years
The duo was formed in late 1998 by
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
. Brian Joo auditioned while he was attending
Holy Spirit High School in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. 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.
H.O.T. (; pronounced "H. O. T.", acronym for Highfive Of Teenagers) was a South Korean boy band that was created by SM Entertainment in 1996. They are considered to be the first K-pop ''idol group'' and their successful formula became the model ...
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
The Teen Idols were a pop punk band originally from Nashville, Tennessee. They were formed in 1992 by Phillip Hill and originally broke up in 2003. The band reunited in 2008 in Chicago, Illinois, with a retooled lineup before breaking up again in ...
at that time, they shied away from upbeat
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
and
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
, opting for mid-tempo ballads. The debut became highly successful selling over 250,000 copies. The duo acquired status as the next-generation stars as they won Best New Artist award in 2000.
At the same time, the duo failed to rise to instant stardom unlike their predecessors such as
H.O.T.
H.O.T. (; pronounced "H. O. T.", acronym for Highfive Of Teenagers) was a South Korean boy band that was created by SM Entertainment in 1996. They are considered to be the first K-pop ''idol group'' and their successful formula became the model ...
, whose album sales have passed the one million mark.
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. 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 Sea of Love may refer to
* ''Sea of Love'' (film), a 1989 American thriller film
* "Sea of Love" (Phil Phillips song), a 1959 song by Phil Phillips and The Twilights, covered by many performers
* "Sea of Love" (The National song), 2013
* ''The S ...
'' was released while Joo was in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
attending
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
. 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
Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma.
McKnight is known for h ...
; 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 "
flower boy
''Flower Boy'' (alternatively titled ''Scum Fuck Flower Boy'') is the fourth studio album by American rapper Tyler, the Creator. The album was released on July 21, 2017, by Columbia Records. Produced entirely by Tyler, the album features guest vo ...
" look for a more masculine image. In the same year, the label released a female duo that was said by fans to complement Fly to the Sky known as
Isak N Jiyeon
Isak N Jiyeon (이삭 N 지연) was a South Korean R&B duo formed by SM Entertainment in 2002. The duo released one album, ''Tell Me Baby'', in September 2002 before disbanding two years later following Isak’s departure. Later on, Jiyeon joine ...
, however the two groups never worked independently with each other.
Their 2003 studio album ''Missing You'' featured more tracks that departed from
bubblegum music
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States ...
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
Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...
, another Korean singer. On a
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
, 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
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
''. The album received little promotion, and became the duo's lowest-selling studio album, selling just below 90,000 copies. Nevertheless, they held their first official concert successfully in
Jamsil Arena
Jamsil Arena (), also known as Jamsil Indoor Stadium, is an indoor sporting arena. It is part of Seoul Sports Complex, located in Seoul, South Korea. The capacity of the arena is 11,069 for basketball and was built from December 1976 to April 19 ...
on December 21, 2004, and received "Best R&B Artist" award from SBS Gayo Daejun. 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
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...
or those who were not present did not receive any awards. They scorned the show as "a party for only those who were present."
The release of their
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
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. ''Eternity'' is the last Fly to the Sky album released by SM Entertainment.
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.
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
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
in May 2006, they held concerts in
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
,
Daegu
Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea.
It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
, Junju, and
Kwangju
Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...
. Including the number of audiences in the encore concert in Seoul, the tour garnered more than 50,000 people.
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. 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. 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."
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
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
"Over the Rainbow" during summer of 2006, and Joo released his solo album ''
The Brian
''The Brian'' is the first solo album from Brian Joo
Brian Joo (Korean name: Joo Min-gyu (); born January 10, 1981), better known professionally as Brian (), is a Korean American singer and one-half of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky. His first ...
'' 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.
2007–2009: Return to prominence and solo projects
The duo's seventh album ''
No Limitations'' was released on July 4, 2007. Their first television performance to promote the album was on June 29, 2007.
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''),
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.
2014: Comeback after five years on hiatus
On April 14, 2014, Brian Joo announced on his Twitter that Fly to the Sky will be making their comeback in May. The band later signed up with H2 Media, the agency of member Hwanhee. Their ninth new album "Continiuum" has been released and the main title track is "You You You". The single peaked at number one on Gaon digital chart.
In June, the duo releases a music video titled "Years Apart" as a theme song for the movie ''
No Tears for the Dead
''No Tears for the Dead'' (; literally ''Crying Man'') is a 2014 South Korean action film written and directed by Lee Jeong-beom. The film revolves around a professional hitman (Jang Dong-gun) who is conflicted about killing his last target ( Kim M ...
''.
Although being on hiatus for 5 years, Hwanhee and Brian expressed their good teamwork and solid friendship in an interview, telling "There were rumors about us being gay and liking men, but it’s not like that. We’re that close so people feel that way about us”.
Musical style
The duo's debut single "Day by Day" was a light bubblegum
love song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
. Their subsequent songs were a combination of R&B,
pop rap
Pop rap (also known as pop hip-hop, hip pop, melodic hip-hop or melodic rap) is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes. This genre gained mainstrea ...
, 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
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
. 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.
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 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."
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. 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."
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.
During their career they have written lyrics for four songs in albums ''Gravity'' and ''No Limitations''.
Music critic Shin Hye Rim says,
Their appearances at variety shows were met with scrutiny as the duo were seen frequently outside of music programs during 2006. 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.
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."
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.
Awards and nominations
;
Golden Disc Awards
The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to promo ...
;
Mnet Asian Music Awards
The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
;
SBS Gayo Daejeon
''SBS Gayo Daejeon'' (, broadly ''SBS'' '' Battle of the Bands'') is an annual televised music festival that is broadcast by the Seoul Broadcasting System at the end of each year. The program first aired in 1997, and awards were given to musica ...
Other awards
Discography
;Full albums
*''Day By Day'' (1999)
*''
The Promise'' (2001)
*''
Sea of Love Sea of Love may refer to
* ''Sea of Love'' (film), a 1989 American thriller film
* "Sea of Love" (Phil Phillips song), a 1959 song by Phil Phillips and The Twilights, covered by many performers
* "Sea of Love" (The National song), 2013
* ''The S ...
'' (2002)
*''
Missing You'' (2003)
*''Gravity'' (2004)
*''Transition'' (2005)
*''No Limitations'' (2007)
*''Decennium'' (2009)
*''
Continuum
Continuum may refer to:
* Continuum (measurement), theories or models that explain gradual transitions from one condition to another without abrupt changes
Mathematics
* Continuum (set theory), the real line or the corresponding cardinal number ...
'' (2014)
;Extended plays
*''Love & Hate'' (2015)
*''Your Season (너의 계절)'' (2017)
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
South Korean musical duos
Musical groups established in 1999
South Korean boy bands
South Korean contemporary R&B musical groups
SM Town
SM Entertainment artists
K-pop music groups
Musical groups from Seoul
MAMA Award winners
Male musical duos
Melon Music Award winners
1999 establishments in South Korea