"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" () is a song recorded by
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian American ...
singer-songwriter
Ailee
Amy Lee (born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Ailee, is an American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. Amassing digital sales success in South Korea, she has released four studio albums, six extended plays, and twenty one singles ...
, serving as an
original soundtrack (OST) for the 2016 hit
television drama
In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms t ...
''
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God''. The song was written by Mina (
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 이미나) and composed by the musical duo
Rocoberry
Rocoberry (Hangul: 로코베리) is a South Korean indie pop duo consisting of members Roco and Conan (also known as Berry). They are best known for composing songs for Korean dramas, including the 2017 hit song, "I Will Go to You like the First ...
. The single was released on January 7, 2017 and was part 9 in a series composed of high-charting singles.
"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" was a critical and commercial success in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. The song was the
best-performing single of 2017, as it topped the yearly digital, download and streaming charts on
the Gaon Music Chart. It has broken the record for most streamed song per year on
Gaon, and has also exceeded the accumulated streaming number of one billion views on
Melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a " pepo". Th ...
. On December 14, "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" made history as it became the song with the most number of streams on the Gaon Chart. As of November 2018, more than one year after its release, it has never once fallen out of the top 100 songs of the Gaon Digital Chart in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, making it one of the longest-running songs of all time. It is also the best selling record in movies and dramas in the Korean sound record market.
The soundtrack has received several accolades, including the best original soundtrack award at the
Seoul International Drama Awards
Seoul International Drama Awards (), simply known as SDA, is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea which honors excellence in television drama productions worldwide.
Winners
Grand prize (''Daesang'')
Program
Winners are given ...
, the
Mnet Asian Music Awards, the
Melon Music Awards, the
Seoul Music Awards
The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
and the
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 ...
. The success of "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" has been compared to the 2012 hit song "
Cherry Blossom Ending
"Cherry Blossom Ending" () is a song by South Korean indie band Busker Busker, from their debut studio album '' Busker Busker 1st Album''. The song was written by band member and was released on March 29, 2012 by CJ E&M Music. The song is well ...
" by
Busker Busker
Busker Busker () is a South Korean indie band who rose to fame through their runner-up performance in the South Korean music audition television program ''Superstar K3'' on Mnet. The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Jang Beom-june, ba ...
, which is known for re-entering music charts every spring. The song has been described as
Cherry Blossom Ending
"Cherry Blossom Ending" () is a song by South Korean indie band Busker Busker, from their debut studio album '' Busker Busker 1st Album''. The song was written by band member and was released on March 29, 2012 by CJ E&M Music. The song is well ...
's 'sadder, winter, immortal cousin', and is expected to re-enter music charts every winter. Due to the song's widespread enduring popularity, it is considered to be
Ailee
Amy Lee (born May 30, 1989), known professionally as Ailee, is an American singer and songwriter based in South Korea. Amassing digital sales success in South Korea, she has released four studio albums, six extended plays, and twenty one singles ...
's signature song.
Background and release
On January 4, it was announced that Ailee would be releasing a single for the South Korean cable television series ''Guardian: The Lonely and the Great God'' (also known as ''Goblin'') official soundtrack. The single was composed and arranged by the South Korean indie band
Rocoberry
Rocoberry (Hangul: 로코베리) is a South Korean indie pop duo consisting of members Roco and Conan (also known as Berry). They are best known for composing songs for Korean dramas, including the 2017 hit song, "I Will Go to You like the First ...
while the lyrics were written by Mina. Additionally, the best-selling author and tvN screenwriter Yi Mi-na contributed lyrics to the song. Rocoberry is a musical duo that consists of members Roco (vocalist, lyricist) and Conan (chorus, composer, lyricist). Rocoberry had previously worked on the OST's for the hit dramas ''
Descendants of the Sun'' ("Everytime") and
''Pinocchio'' ("Love Is Like Snow"). They had also worked on two other singles for the ''Goblin'' OST which were also well received,
Soyou
Kang Ji-hyun (born February 12, 1992), known professionally as Soyou, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar.
Life and career
1992–2010: Early life and career beginnings
Soyou ...
’s "I Miss You," and the theme song, "
Stay With Me," sung by
EXO
Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...
’s
Chanyeol
Park Chan-yeol (; born November 27, 1992), better known mononymously as Chanyeol, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, actor and model. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo, its sub-group Exo-K and sub-u ...
and
Punch
Punch commonly refers to:
* Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist
* Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice
Punch may also refer to:
Places
* Pun ...
. This was the third time the duo worked with Ailee, as they had previously produced two of her soundtracks: "Are You The Same" for the drama ''
Shine or Go Crazy
''Shine or Go Crazy'' () is a 2015 South Korean television series based on the novel of the same name by Hyun Go-woon about the romance between a Goryeo prince and a Balhae princess. Starring Jang Hyuk, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hanee and Lim Ju-hwan, i ...
'', as well as "Because It's Love" for the drama
''Come Back Miste''r.
While being interviewed Conan revealed, "the production team asked for a song that conveys suffering and beauty concurrently. I repeatedly thought over how to express the strange feeling of beautiful sadness. During that period, it was to the point where 12 songs were rejected. After the song was finally chosen, it went through seven modifications." When asked about their inspirations for the lyrics and titles of their tracks for "Goblin," Conan imparted that it was all thanks to the drama's script. The story itself truly inspired them, wherein he even shared that the drama team itself is very supportive which constitutes to what a dream team is. He also commended Ailee's hard work by saying, "During the recording process, Ailee's health wasn't in the best condition. However, she persevered and sang for us until the end. I’m very thankful towards her." "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" was officially released for digital download on January 7, 2017. Unlike some of the previous releases from the OST, its initial release was not paired with a music video.
In the ''Goblin'' TV drama, the most prominent uses of the song are at the end of Episode 13 (immediately after the Goblin promises to return to his bride) and the early part of Episode 14 (the Goblin returns from
Limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
to Earth via a unexpected summon from his bride).
Critical reception
An industry source analyzed the success of the song, and explained, "…it is a ballad that the general public won't tire of no matter how many times they listen to it…Ailee's emotional sensibility and lyrics that is suitable to any season appear to have resonated with listeners. This song is also the oldest song among the 14 top songs
n Melon showing immortal power beyond the long run. Through Ailee's emotions, I can feel that the ballad will have a long-lasting effect that the crowd would not grow tired even if the public continues to listen to them, and even though the issues related to the ‘Goblin’ are over."
Kim Eun-koo of ''
Entertainment Naver'' wrote, "The popularity of 'I Will Go to You Like the First Snow' is intertwined with the popularity of the drama 'Goblin'. However, the first place on the annual music chart is a sign that the public has enjoyed it steadily since the end of the drama. If a song stays on a short-term chart and it's gone, no matter how early in the year it was released, it's difficult to be in first place on the annual chart. The power of music itself can not be neglected. Ailee's appeal and rich voice are very appealing to the public."
Accolades
Commercial performance
"I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" was well received in its first week on music charts, debuting at number 19 on the South Korean
Gaon Digital Chart
The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
on the week commencing January 1, 2017. On January 12, the song achieved a "Perfect All-Kill", hitting number 1 on all South Korean music sites listed on iChart. The following week, the single moved up 18 spots, topping the chart. On January 19, it was declared that the single achieved a "Triple Crown" for taking number 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart, Download Chart and Streaming Chart. On March 9, Gaon revealed the OST took first place on February's combined monthly digital chart. It was the second month in a row that the song has sat in this position, after also taking the top spot on the chart back in January. It is the first and currently only song to top the monthly chart for two different months in the Gaon Chart's history. "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" was listened in TOP10 for 15 consecutive weeks in all Korean music source sites.
The single surpassed 100 million streams and 1.5 million downloads in May 2017, the first song released in 2017 to do so, making it the fastest song to have surpassed 100 million streams (20 weeks) in the chart's history, breaking
Bolbbalgan4
Bolbbalgan4 (), also known as BOL4 or Blushing Youth, is a South Korean musical act formed by Shofar Music in 2016. They appeared on '' Superstar K6'' in 2014 before signing a contract with their current agency. BOL4 was originally a duo consistin ...
's previous record of 28 weeks. On June 5, 22 weeks after its release, the single broke the record for most streamed song per year on Gaon since 2010, with a total of 111,770,770 streams. On December 14, "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" made history as it surpassed 165,307,579 streams, making it the most streamed song of all time on the chart. The record was previously held by
Bolbbalgan4
Bolbbalgan4 (), also known as BOL4 or Blushing Youth, is a South Korean musical act formed by Shofar Music in 2016. They appeared on '' Superstar K6'' in 2014 before signing a contract with their current agency. BOL4 was originally a duo consistin ...
's "Galaxy".
On January 12, 2018, Gaon published their yearly digital, download and streaming charts, where "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" came out in first place, achieving yet another triple crown. On July 26, 2018, Billboard Korea released a list of the top 100 songs in Korea for the first half of 2018. "I Will Go to You Like the First Snow" placed 95. Although it was not a high ranking, it was noteworthy that it was consistently ranked from the first of January 2018 to the summer season, more than a year after its release. On September 12, Gaon announced that the single surpassed the 2.5 million download and 200 million streams milestones in only 1 year and 4 months after it released.
Charts
Weekly charts
Yearly chart
Sales
Release history
References
{{authority control
2017 singles
2017 songs
Ailee albums
YMC Entertainment albums
Gaon Digital Chart number-one singles
Korean-language songs
South Korean television drama theme songs