Why So Lonely
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Why So Lonely" is a song by South Korean girl group
Wonder Girls Wonder Girls () was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in February 2007 with the single "Irony (Wonder Girls song), Irony" and 5 members: Park Ye-eun, Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna, and Ahn So-hee, Sohee. Aft ...
. It was released via
JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...
on July 5, 2016, and was distributed by
KT Music Genie Music (), a subsidiary of KT Corporation, is a South Korean company that specializes in the production and distribution of music content. Its music streaming service is the second most used in South Korea with 2.5 million subscribers as ...
. The song was written by group members Hyerim,
Sunmi Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
, and
Yubin Yu-bin, also spelled Yoo-bin, is a Korean unisex given name. Its meaning depends on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. People People with this name include: * Kim Yu-bin (musician) (born 1988), South Korean female singer, former m ...
, along with songwriter Hong Ji-sang who also handled the track's production. Musically, "Why So Lonely" is a
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
-pop dance track that lyrically depicts the "lonely feeling after a romantic relationship". The recording was distributed as a standard CD and was made available to digital outlets. The
single album In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
includes the two
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
tracks "Beautiful Boy" and "Sweet & Easy"; the former track was released on a limited edition
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
at the 6th Seoul Record & CD Fair a month prior. Upon release, the song received positive reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who praised the group's successful venture into reggae, and was awarded Best Pop Song at the 14th
Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to de ...
. Commercially, "Why So Lonely" saw success in South Korea—the digital song topped the
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 on ...
while the CD single charted at number three on the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...
. The music video for "Why So Lonely" was posted to JYP's
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel and was directed by
Lumpens Lumpens () is a South Korean-based video production company formed and led by art director Yong-seok Choi. The team includes directors and producers specializing in music videos, television advertisements, experimental films, graphic design, and ...
. To promote the single, Wonder Girls performed the song on various South Korean music programs, winning awards on ''
The Show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** S ...
'', ''
M! Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leete ...
'', ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...
'', and ''
Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...
''.


Background and composition

"Why So Lonely" was written by Wonder Girls members Hyerim,
Sunmi Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
, and
Yubin Yu-bin, also spelled Yoo-bin, is a Korean unisex given name. Its meaning depends on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. People People with this name include: * Kim Yu-bin (musician) (born 1988), South Korean female singer, former m ...
, with songwriter Hong Ji-sang. It is the first Wonder Girls single not written by
JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...
producer
Park Jin-young Park Jin-young (; born December 13, 1971), also known by his stage names J. Y. Park and The Asiansoul or the initials JYP, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and reality television show judge. Park rose to s ...
, and marks their tenth anniversary as a group. After the release of the group's album ''
Reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
'' in 2015, Park told them they were ready to write their own single. Yeeun said they tried to write a song that can "really benefit from being played live as a band", because their previous release did not meet their expectations. Unlike ''Reboot'', which had hired instrumentalists, the members actually played their instruments on the tracks, completing their transition from a dance-oriented girl group to a real band. "Why So Lonely" was described as a slow tempo, reggae-pop dance song with "soft guitar riffs and steel drum rhythm". The
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
genre was chosen after the members voted on various options, and they were also influenced by British singer
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Lily Allen, Her accolades include a Brit Award, alongside nominations for a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivi ...
. Hyerim said the lyrics "are about the lonely feeling after a romantic relationship, material that many people can sympathize with". The original chorus had a modern rock feel before Park advised the group to make it more reggae like the verses. "Beautiful Boy" was written by Sunmi, Yubin, and Hyerim, with songwriter Frants, who also co-wrote three songs on ''Reboot''. It is an uptempo track featuring digital and analog sounds, and is inspired by 1970s music.


Release

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...
released teaser pictures of each member on the company's
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account in June 2016, showing the members venturing off to a 1970s concept. "Beautiful Boy" was released exclusively on limited edition
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
at the 6th Seoul Record & CD Fair on June 18, selling all 500 available copies in less than two hours. One day before the single album's release, the track list was revealed, showing that the members had written and composed each track, including the title track. On July 4, Wonder Girls had a live premiere on
Naver Naver (; stylized as NAVER) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. The company's products include a search engine, email hosting, blogs, maps, and mobile payment. History Naver was the first Korean web provide ...
's
V app V Live (stylized as VLIVE), sometimes referred to as V App, was a South Korean live video streaming service that allowed celebrities based in the country to broadcast live videos such as live chat sessions with fans, performances, reality show ...
at 11:30 pm KST, thirty minutes before the single was released at midnight on July 5. It was distributed as a physical
single album In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
and was made available for digital consumption. During the live broadcast, they performed all three songs from the release with the members playing their respective instruments.


Reception

"Why So Lonely" received positive reviews from music critics.
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
's Mike Wass said the single's reggae sound was a "major sound overhaul" and worked to "surprisingly great effect". He also said the song "shouldn't work at all, but it's actually one of the group's catchiest efforts to date". Jeff Benjamin of
Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...
noted the song's 1970s-inspired rock band concept and reggae-rock sound, and said "the surging guitar riffs mixed with Wailers- and Sublime-like ska beats give the track a classic-rock vibe that the ladies successfully pull off". Hwang Sun-up of online magazine ''
IZM ''IZM'' () is a South Korean online magazine that publishes pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Stre ...
'' gave the song 3.5/5. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' named "Why So Lonely" the second best K-Pop song of 2016, calling the band "throwback queens" and stating they were able to conquer "another musical era" while "touching listeners' emotions." Taylor Glasby of ''
Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a quarterly British lifestyle magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. ''Dazed'' is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for produ ...
'' named the track the fourth best K-pop song of 2016. Upon receiving the award for Best Pop Song at the 14th
Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to de ...
, selection committee member Choi Ji-ho wrote: "its an outstanding song", it "draws the popular charm while preserving the genre's unique style without compromise." "Why So Lonely" experienced commercial success in South Korea, the song became their first in five years to top the
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 on ...
, selling 271,333 digital units in its first week of release. "Beautiful Boy" and "Sweet & Easy" also charted at numbers 30 and 41, respectively. The CD single charted at number three on the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...
, and sold 13,240 physical copies. By the end of the year, "Why So Lonely" garnered nearly 1,124,000 units in digital sales and was ranked as the 26th best-selling song in the country during 2016. Factoring together streams and ringtone downloads, it was the 22nd best-performing song overall on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart. In the United States, "Why So Lonely" charted at number five on the ''Billboard''
World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—its first issue was dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-speci ...
chart, while "Beautiful Boy" peaked at number 16 and "Sweet & Easy" was number 17.


Music video and promotion

The single was promoted with a series of televised live performances on South Korean music programs, starting with
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, ...
's ''
M! Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leete ...
'' on July 7. Before the single's release, KBS had banned "Sweet & Easy" from broadcast because the lyrics mention a brand name, considered "inappropriate for the national telecast". On July 12, Wonder Girls performed the dance version of "Why So Lonely" for the first time on
SBS MTV SBS M is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by SBS Medianet, a division of SBS Media Holdings. It features South Korean pop artists, international music, news, and a few reality and variety programs. It was launched in 2001 as t ...
's ''
The Show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** S ...
'', winning the trophy for that week. This was their first win on a music program since the release of " Like This" in 2012. They subsequently won awards on ''M! Countdown'' and ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...
''. The group performed the song at the launch ceremony for the South Korean Olympic team on July 19. On August 5, they won a fourth music show award on ''
Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...
'', even though they had finished promotions for the song and did not perform.


Awards and nominations


Track listing


Credits

Credits adapted from
Melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...
. ;Personnel *
Yubin Yu-bin, also spelled Yoo-bin, is a Korean unisex given name. Its meaning depends on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. People People with this name include: * Kim Yu-bin (musician) (born 1988), South Korean female singer, former m ...
– vocals, drums, lyricist, composer *
Sunmi Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
– vocals, bass guitar, lyricist, composer * Hyerim – vocals, guitar, lyricist, composer * Yeeun – vocals, keyboard, lyricist, composer * Hong Ji-sang – lyricist, composer, arranger * Frants – lyricist, composer, arranger


Charts


Weekly charts


Monthly charts


Year-end charts


Notes


References


External links

* {{Authority control Wonder Girls songs Songs in Korean 2016 singles 2016 songs JYP Entertainment singles Gaon Digital Chart number-one singles Music videos directed by Lumpens Songs written by Sunmi