Mini Bio

Akdong Musician (Korean: 악동뮤지션; debut 2014) is better known by their compact yet affectionate name AKMU, an anagram (of 음악) meaning music in Korean. This South Korean duo under YG Entertainment has taken the K-Pop world by storm with their debut album PLAY. The group is comprised of brother-sister Mad Rapper Lee Chan Hyuk (이찬혁; born September 12, 1996) and Angelic Voice Lee Soo Hyun (이수현; born May 4, 1999). Their first song Galaxy was released under Proteurment Agency; the original tune would eventually be used in a Samsung Galaxy S4 commercial. The sibling duo took part in K-Pop Star 2 where they astonished the judges in the first round and received praise for their chemistry. They also won the judge’s hearts with their remarkably hilarious lyrics through the original song Don’t Cross Your Legs (다리꼬지마). Yang Hyun Suk described them as “true artists” in comparison to everyone in the competition. They went on to win and released original songs such as You are Attractive (매력있어), which reached the number one spot on the Gaon chart, and I Love You, for the All About My Romance OST. Cyworld Digital Music Awards granted them the Rookie of the Month award in December for the song You Are Attractive. A month after winning K-Pop Star 2, the duo signed with YG Entertainment and began their training. They officially made their debut on April 6, 2014 on K-Pop Star 3, finally coming full circle. Their debut album PLAY was digitally released the following day, earning it the number two spot in Billboard’s U.S World Albums Chart. The promotional singles 200%, Give Love and Melted (얼음들) reached the top five spots in the Korean Billboard and Gaon chart. 200%” soon became their first number one.

The Members

Chan Hyuk (17)

• Producer, composer, lyricist and full time rhyme masta.

• Will most certainly own the entirety of K-Pop by the time he’s 25 (he looks like GD’s cousin).

•Proof that home-schooled children don’t always come out kind of unstable.

 

Soo Hyun (15)

• Lead vocalist

• World domination a la cute.

•I hope she befriends Lee Hi because Lee Hi needs a friend.

Pre-YG Music Release

The song Galaxy, which would later be used for a promotional campaign for the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Since a young age, the duo was capable of conveying a very soft and honest side to K-Pop music. Through fun lyrics and upbeat tempos, the song is able to captivate you instantly. It isn’t difficult to see why they have completely enthralled everyone. The song “Galaxy” is the embodiment of first love and the mystery of experiencing new feelings for someone.

First MV

The duo’s first music video was for the song I Love You. The video reminds us that K-Pop isn’t always about expensive sets and ridiculous wardrobes, but about the sincere interactions that drive our everyday lives. The genuine chemistry between the siblings is adorable; they immediately make you happy with their cute antics and infectious smiles.

First Album – PLAY

Words cannot explain how much work was put into this album. All the songs fit within each other in the most creative way possible. AKMU is the much-needed substance in the generic soup that is K-Pop nowadays. Lee Chan Hyuk is a talented singer-songwriter with amazing rap skills that don’t need to express anger or hostility to win a number one spot. Rather he rhymes about love and the everyday habits of being a teenager. Lee Soo Hyun’s vocals are bubbly and energetic, not to mention amazing. Bring them both together and you have the most melodious sound in K-Pop. The album emphasizes the raw sound of instruments. You hear a guitar string and you feel like you see the guitar, you know the sound is not coming out of a sterile soundboard.

Covers

The duo covered Taeyang’s 눈,코,입 (Eyes, Nose, Lips). Do you think any song could be better? Just hand it to AKMU you won’t be disappointed. They made me love this song. Props!

You love them now right?

Buy Play On iTunes!
See More AKMU On iTunes!

(Sources)