''Reality in Black'' (stylized as ''reality in BLACK'') is the second
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean
**Korean dialects
**See also: North–South differences in t ...
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
(third overall) by South Korean girl group
Mamamoo
Mamamoo (; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed and managed by RBW (company), RBW. The group is composed of four members: Solar (singer), Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa. Known for their strong live vocals, Harm ...
. It was released by
RBW on November 14, 2019, and distributed by
Kakao M
Kakao M Corp. (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It was one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company opera ...
. Mamamoo collaborated with several producers and songwriters for the album, including longtime partners Kim Do-hoon and Park Woo-sang, who co-wrote the single "
Hip
In vertebrate anatomy, the hip, or coxaLatin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) (: ''coxae'') in medical terminology, refers to either an anatomical region or a joint on t ...
" alongside Mamamoo member
Hwasa
Ahn Hye-jin (; born July 23, 1995), known professionally by her stage name Hwasa (; sometimes stylized as Hwa Sa), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Mamamoo in ...
. Musically a K-pop album with R&B, dance, and hip hop influences, ''Reality in Black'' features eleven songs in total, including lead single "Hip" and their ''
Queendom'' finale song "Destiny."
The album debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart in South Korea, becoming Mamamoo's third number-one album in their home country. It also charted in the United States, reaching number 11 on the ''Billboard'' World Albums chart.
Background and release
In March 2019, Mamamoo released their ninth EP, ''
White Wind'', which served as the fourth and final installment of their "Four Seasons, Four Colors" series of albums. Shortly after, they embarked on their fifth concert tour 4Seasons F/W, which saw them visit Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in addition to their native South Korea. In July 2019, it was announced that Mamamoo would join the cast of ''
Queendom'', a competitive reality television show, in which six trending female K-pop acts competed for their own comeback showcase to air on South Korean pay TV channel
Mnet
M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
. The song "Destiny" was released within the frame of the competition and later included on the album. On October 31, during the last episode of Queendom, Mamamoo were declared the winners of the competition.
On November 1, the impending release of the group's second full studio album was announced through Mamamoo's official social media accounts. The next day, the title, album cover and release date were revealed through the group's official Twitter account. ''BLACK'' was also revealed to partially be an acronym for "Bless Life and Carry Knowledge." Multiple concept pictures of the individual members and video teasers led up to the release of the album on November 14, showing the members in several alternate universe settings in which they were not part of Mamamoo.
''Reality in Black'' was released in full to digital and physical retailers on November 14, 2019. The Japanese edition of the album, featuring the Japanese-language version of "Hip" and the original Japanese song "Shampoo," was released on March 11, 2020.
Promotion
Single
"
Hip
In vertebrate anatomy, the hip, or coxaLatin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) (: ''coxae'') in medical terminology, refers to either an anatomical region or a joint on t ...
" was released as the lead single from ''Reality in Black'' on November 14, 2019, coinciding with the release of the album itself. An uptempo dance-pop track with both jazz and hip hop influences, "Hip" saw worldwide commercial success. In the group's native South Korea, it debuted at number 20 on the Gaon Digital Chart, number two on the component Gaon Download Chart, and number 38 on the component Gaon Streaming Chart for the 46th issued week of 2019. It would go on to peak at number four on the Gaon Digital Chart in its third week on the chart. "Hip" would later go on to be certified platinum by the
Korea Music & Content Association (KMCA) for surpassing 100 million streams in November 2020, earning the group their second certification after "Starry Night" in 2018. Following a top-five debut, "Hip" peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' World Digital Songs Sales chart'','' making it the group's first number-one on the chart.
Other songs
The album also includes the song "Destiny," which was released on October 25, 2019, as their final song from the ''Queendom'' TV series. It reached number 68 in South Korea and peaked at number seven on the US World Digital Songs Sales chart.
Commercial performance
''Reality in Black'' experienced commercial success upon its release. It debuted and peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart in South Korea, becoming their third number-one album after ''
Yellow Flower'' (2018) and ''
White Wind'' (2019).
The album became their best-selling to date, with 102,171 copies sold in November 2019 and over 120,000 copies sold as of October 2020. The album debuted at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' World Albums chart, peaking at number 11 the next week, with over 1,000 copies sold.
Following the 2020 release of the Japanese edition, ''Reality in Black'' peaked at number 27 on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan.
Track listing
Samples
* "Universe" contains an uncredited sample of "
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
" by
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
, written by Grande,
Victoria Monét,
Taylor Parks, Tommy Brown and
Charles Anderson.
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2019 albums
Mamamoo albums
2010s Korean-language albums
Kakao M albums