Nell (band)
| Nell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Seo Tai-ji |
| Website |
nellhouse |
| Members |
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Nell (Hangul: 넬) is a Korean indie rock band formed in 2001. The band consists of Kim Jong-wan on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Lee Jae-kyong on lead guitar, Lee Jung-hoon on bass guitar and Jung Jae-won on drum. The group was named after the movie, Nell, that starred Jodie Foster. The band is known for their gloomy and psychedelic sound, and gained their fame with tracks like "Stay" from Let It Rain, "Thank You" from Walk Through Me, "Good Night" from Healing Process and "기억을 걷는 시간" (Time Walking On Memory) from Separation Anxiety. Their third studio album Healing Process was chosen as one of five best recordings of the year[1] by critics from South Korea. Nell's fourth studio album Separation Anxiety was a hit in South Korea, ranking number one in various album charts.[2]
Musical career
Early years and turning point
The group performed at clubs around the Sinchon-dong area and released two indie rock albums, Reflection of and Speechless, in 2001.
While performing at live clubs in Hongdae, they were picked up by Seo Tai-ji, and soon became the first band to promote under the record label Goesoo Indigene, a subsidiary of Seo Taiji Company in 2002. In 2006, the band decided to finish their contract with Goesoo Indigene. They are currently signed with Woollim Entertainment.
The band is heavily influenced by numerous British bands such as Radiohead, Placebo, Travis, and Muse. They also performed a number of covers of Muse, Coldplay, Sting, and Bob Dylan during their gigs.
Nell has participated in both 2006 and 2007 Pentaport Rock Festival of South Korea, where Placebo and Muse also performed each year.
Hiatus and comeback
After a long hiatus due to compulsory military service,[3] they released their fifth studio album titled Slip Away on April 10, 2012 with the title track, "그리고 남겨진 것들" (The Day Before). Its music video starred Lee Min-ki and Song Jae-rim, but none of the Nell members appeared. Slip Away was a hit in South Korea, placed top rank in various album charts, such as Mnet, Bugs, and Olleh Music.[4] Kim Jong-wan featured in G-Dragon's song "Today" in his 2012 album One of a Kind.
'Gravity' mini-album series & Japanese debut
On November 22, 2012, Nell's official homepage included a new picture signaling Nell's comeback. The picture showed a large moon that had a kind of explosion going on. Nell's new album, Holding onto Gravity was released on December 3.[5] On December 2, 2012, Woollim's YouTube official channel released the music video for "White Night" starring Im Soo-jung.[6]
In January 2013, Nell made their Japanese debut with the Japanese edition of Slip Away, released by Home Game Records, a Watanabe Music Publishing label dedicated to Korean rock.[7] In May 2013, the official Woollim YouTube channel uploaded a teaser for the upcoming mini-album which was scheduled for release in June. Nell's official homepage was updated on June 3 confirming the release date for the second part of their three-part mini-album series of 'Gravity', Escaping Gravity. The music video for the mini-album's title track, "Ocean of Light", was released June 9.
2014 participation in USA concert and Billboard recognition
On March 11, 2014 the band performed at the second K-Pop Night Out at SXSW in Austin, Texas along with Hyuna and Jay Park and others.[8][9]And on December 11, their album Newton's Apple was selected as #2 on "Billboard's 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2014" by Billboard K-Town with the write-up, "The strongest rock album of the year, Newton's Apple highlights Nell's vocalist/chief composer Kim Jong Wan's clever and honest songwriting skills, best heard on the single "Four Times Around the Sun" and "Grey Zone"....All the lyrics are wrapped in warm, lush arrangements and instrumentals that enchant the listener simply by themselves."[10]
Members
- Kim Jong-wan (김종완) – vocals, guitar, keyboard
- Lee Jae-kyong (이재경) – lead guitar
- Lee Jung-hoon (이정훈) – bass guitar, tambourine, keyboard, chorus
- Jung Jae-won (정재원) – drums
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [11] |
JPN [12] | ||
| Reflection of (Indie Album) |
Track listing
|
— | — |
| Speechless (Indie Album) |
Track listing
|
— | — |
| Let It Rain |
Track listing
|
— | — |
| Walk Through Me |
Track listing
|
— | — |
| Healing Process |
Track listing
|
51 | — |
| Separation Anxiety |
Track listing
|
59 | — |
| Slip Away |
Track listing
|
1 | — |
| Newton's Apple |
Track listing
|
6 | — |
| C |
Track listing
|
7 | — |
Extended plays
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Let's Take a Walk (Re-arranged album) |
Track listing
|
| Holding Onto Gravity |
Track listing
|
| Escaping Gravity |
Track listing
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [13] | |||
| "Cat" (고영이) |
2003 | — | Let It Rain |
| "Stay" | — | ||
| "Thank You" | 2004 | — | Walk Through Me |
| "Losing Heart" (마음을 잃다) |
2006 | — | Healing Process |
| "Good Night" | — | ||
| "Cure" (치유) |
— | ||
| "Time Spent Walking Through Memories" (기억을 걷는 시간) |
2008 | — | Separation Anxiety |
| "Recede" (멀어지다) |
— | ||
| "Part 2" | — | The Trace | |
| "The Day Before" (그리고 남겨진 것들) |
2012 | 3 | Slip Away |
| "White Night" (백야 / 白夜) |
5 | Holding Onto Gravity | |
| "Words You Shouldn't Believe" (믿어선 안될 말) |
2013 | 66 | Christmas In Nell's Room |
| "Ocean Of Light" | 7 | Escaping Gravity | |
| "Four Times Around The Sun" (지구가 태양을 네번 / 地球が太陽を4回) |
2014 | 11 | Newton's Apple |
| "The Great Escape" (소멸탈출 / 消滅脱出) |
87 | ||
| "Green Nocturne" (청춘연가) |
9 | non-album single | |
| "Star Shell" | 2015 | 77 | |
| "Lost In Perspective" (3인칭의 필요성) |
25 | ||
| "Dream Catcher" | 2016 | 93 | C |
| "Vain Hope" (희망고문) |
— | ||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [13] | |||
| "Go" | 2012 | 33 | Slip Away |
| "The Ending | 34 | ||
| "Cliff Parade" | 36 | ||
| "Standing In The Rain" | 37 | ||
| "In Days Gone Bye" | 40 | ||
| "Slip Away" | 45 | ||
| "Losing Control" | 47 | ||
| "Beautiful Stranger" | 51 | ||
| "Hopeless Valentine" | 52 | ||
| "Memories Of A Stranger" (타인의 기억) |
2014 | 63 | Newton's Apple |
| "The History Of Silence" (침묵의 역사) |
81 | ||
| "Fantasy" | 84 | ||
| "Night Of Reincarnation" (환생의 밤) |
91 | ||
| "Grey Zone" | 93 | ||
Soundtrack appearances
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Walking Time to Remember" | Four Colors of Love OST |
| 2013 | "Run" | Two Weeks OST |
| 2016 | "Waiting for You" | Beautiful Gong Shim OST |
| 2016 | "Breath" | The Good Wife OST |
| 2016 | "You & I" | Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo OST |
Video albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Trace (Special Edition) |
Track listing
|
Collaborations
| Year | Song | Album | Artist | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Let It Rain" | Swan Songs | Epik High | Featuring Kim Jong-wan |
| 2007 | "I'm Happy" (행복합니다) |
Remapping the Human Soul | Featuring Kim Jong-wan | |
| 2009 | "Remaining as Melodies" (멜로디로 남아) |
Kkeun | Han Hee Jeong | Featuring Kim Jong-wan |
| "Naega Baraneun Na" | Hwantastic Project - Lee Seung Hwan 20 Junyeon Ginyeom Album | Lee Seung Hwan | Featuring Kim Jong-wan | |
| 2010 | "Living Next Door to You" | Vegetable Love | Hey | Featuring Kim Jong-wan |
| "Implode" (한별) |
Hurricane Venus | BoA | Composed by Kim Jong-wan | |
| 2012 | "Today" | One of a Kind | G-Dragon | Featuring Kim Jong-wan |
| "Shine" | Another Me | Kim Sung-kyu (Infinite) | Written, composed & arranged by Kim Jong-wan | |
| 2014 | "Amor Fati" | Shoebox | Epik High | Featuring Kim Jong-wan |
| 2015 | "Kontrol" | 27 | Kim Sung-kyu (Infinite) | Written, composed & arranged by Kim Jong-wan |
| 2015 | "Daydream" | Featuring Kim Jong-wan
(under the name 'Borderline' with Tablo) |
Unreleased songs
Below is a list of songs that were not released in Nell's albums but performed at music festivals.
- "가난한 진실"
- "내 안에"
- "딩디리딩"
- "본능"
- "딩디리딩"
- "삐에로와 눈사람"
- "Why"
- "파란토마토의 비밀"
- "Shower"
- "비밀의 화원"
- "비와 달"
- "Hate"
- "어젯밤 내게 생긴 일"
- "Whatever"
- "Hold On"
- "멋지다 대한민국"
- "Intima"
- "자물쇠"
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2nd Korean Music Awards | Artist of the Year (Group) | Walk Through Me | Nominated |
| 2005 | 2005 Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Rock Performance | "Thank You"[14] | Nominated |
| 2006 | 4th Korean Music Awards | Artist of the Year (Group) | Healing Process | Nominated |
| Best Modern Rock Album | Nominated | |||
| 2006 Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Rock Performance | "Losing My Mind" (마음을 잃다)[15] | Nominated | |
| 2007 | 5th Korean Music Awards | Best Modern Rock Artist of the Year Picked by Netizens | "Let's Take a Walk" | Won |
| 2007 Mnet KM Music Festival | Best Rock Performance | "It's Okay"[16] | Nominated | |
| 2008 | SBS The Music Trend | No. 1 | "Time Walking On Memory" | Won |
| 10th Mnet KM Music Festival | Best Rock Performance | "Time To Walk Memories"[17] | Won | |
| 23rd Golden Disk Awards | Best Rock Award | - | Won | |
| 2011 | 5th Grand Mint Festival | Best Performance | - | Won |
| Best Moment | Won | |||
| 2012 | 14th Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Band Performance | "The Day Before" | Nominated |
| 4th MelOn Music Awards | Music Style Award - Best Rock | Won | ||
| 2013 | 15th Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Band Performance | "Ocean Of Light"[18] | Nominated |
| 2014 | 16th Mnet Asian Music Awards | "Four Times Around The Sun"[19] | Nominated | |
| 2015 | 17th Mnet Asian Music Awards | "Green Nocturne"[20] | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Park, Jae-deok (2007-01-17). "넬 공연, 예매 시작 2분만에 매진". Joy News 24.
- ↑ Kang, Ji-hoon (2008-04-01). "넬, 앨범판매 1위-콘서트 매진 '겹경사'". My Daily.
- ↑ "Nell to break four year hiatus with a February comeback". Allkpop. 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
- ↑ "NELL's 'Slip Away' sweeps real time charts + tracks from the album". Allkpop. 2012-04-10.
- ↑ Hong, Grace Dan-bi (2012-11-12). "Nell Signals Comeback with Teaser Photo". CJ E&M enewsWorld.
- ↑ "NELL'백야(White night_白夜)' Music video teaser (Drama ver.)". 2012-11-28.
- ↑ "Nell make their Japanese debut with 'Slip Away'". Allkpop. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
- ↑ kpop1stop (March 6, 2014). "HyunA, Jay Park, Nell, Idiotape and more to Perform at 2014 SXSW Music Festival". Soompi. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ↑ Minor, James (March 5, 2014). "Don't Miss South Korean Showcases at SXSW!". SXSW. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
- ↑ Benjamin, Jeff, and Jessica Oak (December 11, 2014). "The 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2014". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Gaon Album Chart".
- ↑ "Oricon Chart".
- 1 2 "Gaon Digital Chart".
- ↑ "2005 MKMF part 1". Mwave. Retrieved 2014-08-28.
- ↑ "2006 MKMF Part 1 : I Love Punk - Haerang + Lee SungWoo/ Break Through-SS501/ The Queen Is Back! - Cocoboys and Dodogirls + Um JungHwa". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
- ↑ "2007 Mnet KM Music Festival Part1". MAMA. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
- ↑ "Winners from Past Years: 2008". MAMA. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ↑ "2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards (part 1)". Mwave. MAMA. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "[Full Ver.] 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards Part1". mwave. MAMA. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ "MAMA Nominees". mwave. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
External links
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