Nell (Korean: 넬) is a South Korean alternative rock band formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist Kim Jong-wan, lead guitarist Lee Jae-kyung, bass guitarist Lee Jung-hoon and previously drummer Jung Jae-won until his departure from the group in June 2023. The group was named after the film, Nell, that starred Jodie Foster.[1] The band is known for their gloomy and psychedelic sound, and has achieved fame with hits such as "Stay" from Let It Rain , "Thank You" from Walk Through Me , "Good Night" and "Losing Heart" from Healing Process and "Time Walking On Memory" from Separation Anxiety .[1] Their third studio album Healing Process was chosen as one of five best recordings of the year by South Korean critics.[2] Nell's fourth studio album Separation Anxiety was a hit in South Korea, ranking number one in various real-time album charts.[3]
Nell | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
Genres | |
Years active | 2001 | –present
Labels |
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Members |
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Past members |
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Website | spacebohemian |
Musical career
editEarly years and turning point
editNell was formed in 1999 by four students who had failed to pass the college entrance exam.[1] The group performed at clubs around the Sinchon-dong area and released two indie rock albums, Reflection of and Speechless , in 2001, causing a revival of emotional rock in the country.[1]
While performing at live clubs in Hongdae, they were picked up by Seo Taiji, 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 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 the 2006 and 2007 Pentaport Rock Festival of South Korea, where Placebo and Muse also performed each year.
2012–2013: Comeback after hiatus, Gravity mini-album series and Japanese debut
editAfter a long hiatus due to compulsory military service,[1] they released their fifth studio album titled Slip Away [ko] on April 10, 2012, with the title track "The Day Before".[4] Its music video starred Lee Min-ki and Song Jae-rim, but none of the Nell members appeared.[4] Slip Away was a hit in South Korea, placed top rank on various real-time music charts, such as Mnet, Bugs, and Olleh Music.[4][5] Kim Jong-wan featured in G-Dragon's song "Today" in his 2012 album One of a Kind.[6]
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.[7] On December 2, 2012, Woollim's YouTube official channel released the music video for "White Night" starring Im Soo-jung.[8]
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.[9] 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 [ko].[10] The music video for the mini-album's title track, "Ocean of Light", was released on June 9.[11]
2014: participation in U.S. concert and Billboard recognition
editOn 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.[12] On December 11, their album Newton's Apple [ko] was selected as number two 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."[13]
2016: Space Bohemian
editOn March 22, 2016, it was announced that Nell ended their contract with Woollim Entertainment and set up an independent record label named Space Bohemian.[14] On August 18, 2016, they released their first album with their new label, C, with the title song "Dream Catcher".[15]
Members
editCurrent
edit- Kim Jong-wan (김종완) – vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums
- Lee Jae-kyung (이재경) – lead guitar
- Lee Jung-hoon (이정훈) – bass guitar, tambourine, keyboard, chorus
Former
edit- Jung Jae-won (정재원) – drums
Discography
editStudio albums
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
---|---|---|---|---|
KOR [16] | ||||
Reflection of (Indie album) |
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— | — | |
Speechless (Indie album) |
|
— | ||
Let It Rain |
|
— | ||
Walk Through Me |
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— | ||
Healing Process |
|
51 | ||
Separation Anxiety |
|
59 | ||
Slip Away |
|
1 |
| |
Newton's Apple |
|
6 |
| |
C |
|
7 |
| |
Let's Part (행복했으면 좋겠어) |
|
16 |
| |
Colors in Black |
|
13 |
| |
Moments in Between |
|
38 |
| |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Extended plays
editTitle | Album details |
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Let's Take a Walk (Re-arranged album) |
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The Trace (Live album) |
|
Escaping Gravity |
|
Single albums
editTitle | Album details |
---|---|
Holding onto Gravity |
|
Singles
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales (DL) | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
KOR [22] | ||||
"Stay" | 2003 | — | — | Let It Rain |
"Thank You" | 2004 | — | Walk Through Me | |
"Good night" | 2006 | — | Healing Process | |
"Losing Heart" (마음을 잃다) | — | |||
"It's Okay" | 2007 | — | Let's Take a Walk | |
"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) | 5 |
|
Holding Onto Gravity | |
"Words You Shouldn't Believe" (믿어선 안될 말) Live ver. | 2013 | 66 |
|
Non-album single |
"Ocean Of Light" | 7 |
|
Escaping Gravity | |
"Four Times Around The Sun" (지구가 태양을 네번) | 2014 | 11 |
|
Newton's Apple |
"Green Nocturne" (청춘연가) | 9 |
|
Non-album singles | |
"Star Shell" | 2015 | 77 |
| |
"Lost In Perspective" (3인칭의 필요성) | 25 |
| ||
"Dream Catcher" | 2016 | 93 |
|
C |
"Vain Hope" (희망고문) | — |
| ||
"Loop" (그리워하려고 해) | 37 |
|
Non-album singles | |
"Life Is Ninano" (사는게 니나노) | — | — | ||
"Broken" (부서진) | 2017 | 99 |
| |
"Today" (오늘은) | — |
| ||
"See U in Five" (오분 뒤에 봐) | 2019 | 147 | Colors in Black | |
"Duet" (듀엣) | 2020 | — | Moments in Between | |
"Don't hurry up" | 2021 | — | Moments in Between | |
"Wanderer" | 2023 | Wanderer | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Other charted songs
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales (DL) | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
KOR [22] | ||||
"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 |
| ||
"Holding Onto Gravity" | 39 |
|
Holding Onto Gravity | |
"Blue" | 58 |
| ||
"Coin Seller" | 84 |
| ||
"Perfect" | 2013 | 67 |
|
Escaping Gravity |
"Haven" | 78 |
| ||
"Boy - X" | 82 |
| ||
"Burn" | 90 |
| ||
"Walk Out" | — |
| ||
"Memories Of A Stranger" (타인의 기억) | 2014 | 63 |
|
Newton's Apple |
"The History Of Silence" (침묵의 역사) | 81 |
| ||
"Fantasy" | 84 |
| ||
"The Great Escape" (소멸탈출) | 87 |
| ||
"Night Of Reincarnation" (환생의 밤) | 91 |
| ||
"Grey Zone" | 93 |
| ||
"Newton's Apple" | — |
| ||
"Sunshine" | — |
| ||
"Decompose" | — |
| ||
"Dear Genovese" | — |
| ||
"Horizon of Time" (시간의 지평선) | 2016 | — |
|
C |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Soundtrack appearances
editYear | Title | Album |
---|---|---|
2013 | "Run" | Two Weeks OST |
2016 | "Waiting for You" (기다린다) | Beautiful Gong Shim OST |
"Breath" (숨) | The Good Wife OST | |
2020 | "Blue Moon" | Tale of the Nine Tailed OST |
Awards and nominations
editYear | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 2nd Korean Music Awards | Artist of the Year (Group) | Walk Through Me [ko] | Nominated |
2005 | 2005 Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Rock Performance | "Thank You"[44] | Nominated |
2006 | 4th Korean Music Awards | Artist of the Year (Group) | Healing Process [ko] | Nominated |
Best Modern Rock Album | Nominated | |||
2006 Mnet Asian Music Awards | Best Rock Performance | "Losing My Mind" (마음을 잃다)[45] | 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"[46] | 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"[47] | Won | |
23rd Golden Disk Awards | Best Rock Award | - | Won | |
2011 | 5th Grand Mint Festival [ko] | 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"[48] | Nominated |
2014 | 16th Mnet Asian Music Awards | "Four Times Around The Sun"[49] | Nominated | |
2015 | 17th Mnet Asian Music Awards | "Green Nocturne"[50] | Nominated | |
2018 | MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards[51][52] | Song of the Year | "Today" (with Groovy Room) | Nominated |
Band Music Award | Nominated | |||
Genie Music Popularity Award | Nell and Groovy Room | Nominated |
References
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- ^ Park, Jae-deok (January 17, 2007). "넬 공연, 예매 시작 2분만에 매진" (in Korean). Joy News 24. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Kang, Ji-hoon (April 1, 2008). "넬, 앨범판매 1위-콘서트 매진 '겹경사'". My Daily. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
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- ^ Kim, Jin-kyung (April 10, 2012). "넬 '그리고 남겨진 것들' 폭발적 반응…진정성 담은 음악 통했다". Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Yoo, Ji-yoon (September 3, 2012). "GD, 새 앨범 트랙리스트 공개 '김윤아-김종완-타블로로 참여'" (in Korean). Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Hong, Grace Dan-bi (November 12, 2012). "Nell Signals Comeback with Teaser Photo". CJ E&M enewsWorld. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013.
- ^ Park, Se-yeon (December 3, 2012). "임수정, 넬 '백야' 뮤비서 폭풍 눈물 열연" (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Yeon-jung (January 23, 2013). "넬, 일본 데뷔…'슬립 어웨이' 앨범 발표" (in Korean). Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Geum-joon (June 3, 2013). "'컴백' 넬, '여름의 바다' 담은 새 앨범 콘셉트 일러스트 공개 - 아시아경제" (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
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- ^ Kang, Nae-ri (August 19, 2016). "넬, 2년 만에 돌아온다…오늘 정오 정규앨범 'C' 발표". YTN (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
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- "2016년 10월 Album Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
- "Circle Album Chart – Week 31, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
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- "See U in Five – Week 41 of 2019". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Cumulative sale of "The Day Before":
- "2012년 04월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2012년 05월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ Cumulative sale of "White Night":
- "2012년 12월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2013년 03주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ "2013년 03주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ "2013년 06월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ Cumulative sale of "Four Times Around The Sun":
- "2014년 02월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2014년 03월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2014년 04월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ "2014년 12월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ Cumulative sale of "Star Shell":
- "2015년 39주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2015년 40주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ "2015년 12월 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ Cumulative sale of "Dream Catcher":
- "2016년 34주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2016년 35주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- ^ a b "2016년 34주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
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- ^ Cumulative sale of "Slip Away":
- "2012년 16주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2012년 17주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
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- ^ Cumulative sale of "Memories Of A Stranger":
- "2014년 10주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-05-14. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "2014년 11주차 Download Chart". Archived from the original on 2015-05-14. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
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