| Legend | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Jannabi |
| Cover: | Legend,_album_cover,_March_2019.jpg |
| Released: | March 13, 2019 |
| Length: | 46:47 |
| Language: | Korean |
| Producer: | Choi Jung-hoon |
| Prev Title: | Monkey Hotel |
| Prev Year: | 2016 |
| Next Title: | Jannabi's Small Pieces I |
| Next Year: | 2020 |
Legend (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by South Korean indie rock band Jannabi. It was released on March 13, 2019, through Peponi Music, distributed by Kakao Entertainment, and produced by Choi Jung-hoon. The album features a total of twelve tracks, including the lead single "For Lovers Who Hesitate."[1] The album led to Jannabi's creative and commercial breakthrough and considered as one of the most successful albums in the history of Korean indie scene.[2]
Reflecting on the meaning of the album's title, Choi stated that it tells the story of a young person's hardships that will itself one day only remain a legend.[3] He wrote: "When I look back when I got older, I hope I can say, 'We also had a legendary youth."[4]
On March 7 and 10, the two video teasers for "For Lovers Who Hesitate" were released through the official YouTube channels of the band and 1theK Originals.[5] [6] On March 13, its full music video was released on the same channels.[7]
The album's lead single, "For Lovers Who Hesitate," gained huge popularity, sweeping music charts in South Korea dominated by K-pop idols with retro music.[8] Choi, as the lyricist of the song, emphasized a love that could have been and a hopeful note to not let love slip away in the future. He shared, "This is the lead track of our second full-length album, written for lovers who hesitate. Not all love lasts forever regardless of how genuine it was. However, that won't stop people from loving and being loved."[9] On the morning of April 19, 2019, it was reported that the song ranked number one in real-time charts including the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and Gaon Digital Chart, beating out "Boy with Luv" by BTS.[10] The song remained on the charts long after its release, surpassed 100 million streams, and reached 2.5 million downloads on the Gaon Chart, earning platinum certifications from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).[11] Many of the tracks included in the album, such as "Dolmaro," "Dreams, Books, Power and Walls," "Good Good Night (Intro)," and "Together!" achieved popular success as well on several domestic music charts. The success of the album also made their old songs such as "November Rain" (2014), "Baby I Need You" (2014), "Summer" (2016), and "She" (2017) climb several domestic music charts in the same year.[12]
Legend received positive reviews from critics. Lee Kyung-joon of the Korean Music Awards complimented the album, writing, "A common theme is the fear of becoming an adult. The threshold of life that everyone will experience. It's a world like never before. They build consensus with persuasive language based on their own experience. Outstanding melodies, pop sensibilities, and serious messages. It's a masterpiece that deserves to be remembered as an album."[13] Jung Minjae of KMA also gave a positive review, explaining, "The album revived the public's song sensibility, which had been forgotten for a while in the pursuit of 'hip' and sophistication."[14] Kim Do-heon of IZM found Legend as the "radio golden pop in the streaming era." He wrote: "Respect for the classics combined with the desirable attitude of retro maniacs has secured the status of one of the few modern music that parents and children can listen to together."[15] Commercially, the album peaked at number 7 on Gaon Album Chart and sold more than 16,900 copies as of September 2019.[16]
| EBS | Top 100 Korean Albums (2004–2023) | No order | [17] |
All lyrics are written by Choi Jung-hoon. All tracks are composed and arranged by Choi Jung-hoon, Kim Do-hyung and Yoo Young-hyun.[18]
Notes
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[19]
| Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Disc Awards | 2020 | Best Digital Song (Bonsang) | "For Lovers Who Hesitate" | [21] | |
| Korean Music Awards | 2020 | Song of the Year (Daesang) | "For Lovers Who Hesitate" | [22] | |
| Best Modern Rock Song | |||||
| Album of the Year | Legend | [23] | |||
| Best Modern Rock Album | |||||
| Melon Music Awards | 2019 | ||||
| Song of the Year | "For Lovers Who Hesitate" | [24] | |||
| Album of the Year | Legend | ||||
| MAMA Awards | 2019 | Best Band Performance | "For Lovers Who Hesitate" | [25] | |
| Song of the Year |
| Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various< | -- Inclusive of South Korea --> | March 13, 2019 | [26] | ||
| South Korea | July 13, 2019 | [27] | |||
| April 10, 2020 | [28] | ||||