Bar Bar Bar

"Bar Bar Bar"
Single by Crayon Pop
Released June 20, 2013
(see release history)
Format CD single, digital download
Recorded 2013
Genre K-pop
Length 3:00
Label Chrome Entertainment,
CJ E&M Music
Writer(s) Kim Yoo Min
Crayon Pop singles chronology
"Dancing Queen"
(2012)		 "Bar Bar Bar"
(2013)		 "Lonely Christmas"
(2013)
Music video
"Bar Bar Bar" on YouTube
Music sample
"Bar Bar Bar"

"Bar Bar Bar" (Hangul: 빠빠빠; RR: Ppa Ppa Ppa) is the second single album, and fourth single overall by Crayon Pop. It was released digitally on June 20, 2013 by Chrome Entertainment and CJ E&M Music. "Bar Bar Bar" became a viral hit in late July, eventually reaching number 1 on Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100 chart and number 3 on the Gaon Digital Chart.[1]

Release and promotion

Crayon Pop performing "Bar Bar Bar" in December 2013

On June 8, Crayon Pop performed "Bar Bar Bar" for the first time at the Migliore Festival.[2] The single album was released digitally on June 20 and a choreography music video was released three days later. Following this release, Crayon Pop's unique outfits and choreography drew interest and their popularity rose. The group wore helmets and colorful tracksuits, and the dance featured choreographed jumping, dubbed the "Straight-Five Engine Dance" by fans because it resembled the movement of engine cylinders.[3] Their comeback stage was on MBC Music Core on June 22. The song was promoted on music shows through July and August, with the last performance being on KBS Music Bank on September 6.

The song and dance were often called addictive, with easy-to-follow choreography and simple, repetitive lyrics. Member Way said, "Overall, the lyrics mean let's jump together. It's meant to give a source of energy and strength to the tired people. It just means let's all dance together and have fun."[4] Jeff Benjamin of Billboard credited the song's success to its "quirky video, fun dance and catchy hook".[5]

Music videos

The "Bar Bar Bar" story version music video was released on June 13, a week before the song's digital release. On June 23, the choreography version was released. This music video was filmed in Yongma Land, an abandoned amusement park in Jungnang-gu.[6][7] As of April 2015, the choreography music video has more than 26 million views on YouTube.[8]

On September 9, a "Global Version" music video was released. It was aimed at an international audience and was filmed in popular locations in Seoul including Noksapyeong Station, Garosu Street, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Children's Grand Park. "Bar Bar Bar" has been compared to Psy's "Gangnam Style" and this music video contains several references to Psy's song.[3][9] The audio was slightly remixed; this remix was later released as "Bar Bar Bar 2.0" on the mini album, The Streets Go Disco.

Chart performance

"Bar Bar Bar" entered the Gaon Digital Chart at number 143 in the first week of its release.[10] As "Bar Bar Bar" went viral, it gradually rose in the charts. In its seventh week, the song peaked at number 3 on the Gaon Digital Chart, and spent a total of 31 consecutive weeks on the chart.[11] It reached number 1 on Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100 eight weeks after release,[1] and was number 9 on the year-end chart.[5]

Music industry officials commented that the song's chart trajectory was rare, because normally a song reaches peak position soon after release before being pushed down as time passes.[12][13]

Accolades

In August 2013, Crayon Pop was often in contention for No. 1 on music shows. They lost numerous times to Exo's "Growl" before "Bar Bar Bar" won No. 1 on Music Bank on August 30.[14] In September, YG Entertainment's CEO Yang Hyun-suk praised Crayon Pop for having the best hit song of the first half of 2013. He said, "Other than 'Gentleman', the biggest hit was 'Bar Bar Bar'. Even my kid knows about Crayon Pop. People aren't interested about which song is at number one these days. What's important is whether people know about a singer and if they have fans. Crayon Pop succeeded in that sense".[15][16]

"Bar Bar Bar" won Crayon Pop a New Rising Star award at the 28th Golden Disk Awards.[17] It also received nominations for the Music Video Award at the MelOn Music Awards, Song of the Year and Best Dance & Electronic Song at the Korean Music Awards, and Song of the Year and Best Dance Performance - Female Group at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.[18][19] The song was number 9 on Dazed Digital's "Top ten K-Pop of 2013".[20]

In popular culture

"Bar Bar Bar" flash mob at a K-pop festival in Gangwon

Many groups covered the dance or made parody videos, including M.I.B., MBLAQ, Perfume, Justice Crew and the Gyungbuk women's police department.[21][13] On August 13, 2013, "Bar Bar Bar" was parodied on SNL Korea by guest Kim Gura and the SNL cast.[22] On October 19, the song was again featured on SNL Korea, this time danced by actor Tom Hiddleston.[23]

On February 20, 2014, a dance cover by Taiwanese twin six-year-olds, Zony and Yony, was uploaded to YouTube. This video also went viral and has more than 5 million views as of October 2014. As a result of this video, the twins were invited on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where they performed the "Bar Bar Bar" dance.[24]

On August 17, 2014, "Bar Bar Bar" was included in the soundtrack of the tvN historical drama, The Three Musketeers. The song was arranged in the style of traditional Korean music.[25] On October 21, "Bar Bar Bar" was featured in the fourth episode of American TV series Selfie, with actors Karen Gillan and John Cho dancing to the song.[26]

"Bar Bar Bar" is one of the songs in dance music video games Pump It Up and Danz Base.[27][28] It is also included in the MMORPG Elsword and first-person shooter Sudden Attack.[29]

Track listing

Tracklist
No. TitleLyricsMusicArrangement Length
1. "Bar Bar Bar"  Kim Yoo MinKim Yoo Min, Lee Da KyeongKim Yoo Min, Lee Seung Yeop 3:00
2. "Bar Bar Bar (Inst.)"   Kim Yoo Min, Lee Da KyeongKim Yoo Min, Lee Seung Yeop 3:00
Total length:
 6:00

Charts

Weekly charts

Country Chart Peak
position
South Korea Billboard K-Pop Hot 100[30] 1
Gaon Digital Chart[31] 3
Gaon Album Chart[32] 21
Gaon Mobile Chart 1
Gaon Karaoke Chart 1
Gaon Social Chart 1
Australia ARIA Hitseekers[33] 14

Monthly charts

Country Chart Peak
position
South Korea Gaon Digital Chart[34] 4
Gaon Album Chart[35] 43

Year-end charts

Country Chart Peak
position
South Korea Billboard K-Pop Hot 100[5] 9
Gaon Digital Chart[36] 53

Sales and certifications

Chart Sales
Gaon physical sales 4,091+[37]
Gaon digital sales 1,162,646+[38]

Release history

Country Date Format Label
South Korea June 20, 2013 Digital download Chrome Entertainment,
CJ E&M Music
July 9, 2013 CD single
Worldwide September 2, 2013 Digital download Sony Music

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Benjamin, Jeff (August 15, 2013). "Crayon Pop Ride Viral Wave to No. 1 on K-Pop Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ Jeon Su Mi (18 March 2015). "Crayon Pop to Hold Street Showcase for ′FM′ on 3/21". enewsWorld. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Benjamin, Jeff (August 13, 2013). "Based around a ridiculous dance -- currently sweeping South Korea -- the K-pop girl group may have crafted their very own "Gangnam Style"-like smash". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ Cho, Joohee (August 28, 2013). "Crayon Pop Hoping to Become the Next Psy". ABC News. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Benjamin, Jeff (December 13, 2013). "The Year In K-Pop 2013: Sistar19, Cho Yong Pil, Lee Seung Chul Triumph". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ Baek Jong-hyun; Yang Bo-ra (December 20, 2014). "It’s the most wonderful time for a creative date". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  7. ↑ Dunbar, Jon (December 26, 2013). "The empty rides of Yongma Land". The Korea Blog. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  8. ↑ "[Crayon Pop] 크레용팝 빠빠빠(Bar Bar Bar) - M/V (안무버젼)". Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Crayon Pop plans to go global with "Bar Bar Bar 2.0" music video". KBS News. September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Gaon Digital Chart - 2013년 6월 5주차차". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Gaon Digital Chart - 2014년 1월 4주차". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  12. ↑ Lee Sun-min (24 July 2013). "Crayon Pop’s mysterious rise". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Sing me a new song: What comes after K-pop?". The Economist. October 26, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ Park Jin-hai (9 September 2013). "Sugar Pop group crawling back to fame". The Korea Times. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "YG CEO Says Huge World Stars Participate in PSY's New Album". KBS News. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  16. ↑ Park Hyeon-min (2 September 2013). YG 양현석 대표 "크레용팝에 박수 보낸다" [YG Yang Hyun Suk CEO "I give a round of applause to Crayon Pop"]. OSEN (in Korean) (Naver News). Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  17. ↑ Hong, Grace Danbi (17 January 2014). "Psy and EXO Crowned as Daesang Winners at Golden Disk Awards". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  18. ↑ Hicap, Jonathan M. "2013 Melon Music Awards nominees revealed". Manila Bulletin. News Philippines. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "MAMA Vote 2013". Mwave. Mnet. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  20. ↑ Glasby, Taylor (December 2013). "Top ten K-Pop of 2013". Dazed Digital. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "M.I.B parodies Crayon Pop's 'Bar Bar Bar' in a remix video". allkpop. September 6, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
    "MBLAQ dress up in skirts & helmets while performing Crayon Pop's 'Bar Bar Bar'". allkpop. August 15, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
    Smith, Corynn (20 November 2014). "Perfume’s Sweet Techno Beats Move NYC on 3rd World Tour". MTV Iggy. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
    "Justice Crew parody Crayon Pop's Bar Bar Bar". SBS PopAsia. October 31, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  22. ↑ Jackson, Julie (28 October 2013). "Crayon Pop to hold first solo concert for free". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  23. ↑ Lee Yousun (21 October 2013). "Tom Hiddleston performs 'Bar Bar Bar' dance on SNL Korea". Asia Today. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  24. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (May 8, 2014). "Taiwan's Zony & Yony performed the kooky choreography to Crayon Pop's "Bar Bar Bar"". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  25. ↑ Lee So-dam (August 17, 2014). ‘삼총사’ 퓨전사극 새 장 여나, 크레용팝 ‘빠빠빠’ 국악버전까지. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  26. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (October 22, 2014). "Watch Crayon Pop's K-Pop Hit 'Bar Bar Bar' Get the ABC Sitcom 'Selfie' Dancing". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  27. ↑ "PIU 2015 2nd teaser". YouTube. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  28. ↑ "舞力特區 Danz Base 2014 3月更新內容PV". YouTube (in Japanese). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  29. ↑ "[서든어택] 크레용팝(Crayon Pop), 서든어택으로 돌격! - Sudden Attack (캐릭터 녹음 Making)". YouTube (in Korean). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 - Week of August 24, 2013". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Gaon Digital Chart - 2013년 8월 2주차". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  32. ↑ "2013년 29주차 Album Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  33. ↑ "The ARIA Report - Issue 1238" (PDF). ARIA. ARIA Charts. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  34. ↑ "2013년 08월 Digital Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  35. ↑ "2013년 07월 Album Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  36. ↑ "2013년 Digital Chart". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Gaon Album Chart – August 2013". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Gaon Download Chart – 2013 Year End". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2015.

External links