SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – OCTOBER 20: Jihyo of TWICE during the ‘DELVAUX’ Pop-up Store Opening Event at … [+]
For years now, Twice has ranked as one of the most popular and bestselling vocal acts in the world. Recently, members from the K-pop girl group have been going solo to expand their reach in addition to their work with the group, and now one of the most beloved singers in the band is looking for an elusive hit single in America.
Jihyo, one of the nine members of the K-pop girl group Twice, released a new version of her single “Killin’ Me Good” on Friday (September 15). What makes this take different from the original? It’s in English.
The Twice star re-released the cut, now performed in English, in an obvious attempt to make the tune a hit in the Western world. The reworking was announced a week ahead of the song’s drop.
“Killin’ Me Good” was selected as the single from Jihyo’s debut project on her own, an EP titled Zone. The set was released a month ago, on August 18, and it performed well in many markets. In America, the title opened and peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. That’s a lofty starting point for any release by a solo South Korean musician, especially a female artist.
Now that “Killin’ Me Good” is available in English, the likely hope is that the song will stand a better chance at competing in countries like the U.S., the U.K. and other markets with massive audiences. Jihyo clearly has a sizable fan base in these places, especially in America, but after a title sells well in its debut frame, it can be tough for the artist to continue to promote it and keep it alive via traditional methods when the music is performed in a language other than English.
The new version of “Killin’ Me Good” may help it perform better on the Billboard charts, and it may now be serviced to radio stations across the U.S. Jihyo is not the first artist from South Korea to go this route, and musicians from the K-pop world who have re-released their wares in English have enjoyed some success.
Many K-pop bands have scored chart wins in the U.S., but these are still early days for soloists. So far, several members of BTS, such as Jimin, Jung Kook and Suga have landed on the Hot 100 without their bandmates, while Blackpink singers have also managed the same feat. Twice has landed on the Hot 100 more than once, but so far, none of the members have accomplished the same feat.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/09/17/twices-jihyo-is-looking-for-a-big-hit-in-america/