Miracles in December (song) explained

Miracles in December
Type:	single
Artist:	Exo
Album:	Miracles in December
Released:	December 4, 2013
Recorded:	2013
Studio:	Ocean Way Nashville Studio (Nashville) doobdoob Studio (Seoul)
Genre:	K-pop
Length:	4:34
Label:	SM
Producer:	Don Spike
Chronology:	Exo
Prev Title:	Growl
Prev Year:	2013
Next Title:	Overdose
Next Year:	2014

"Miracles in December" (;) is a song by South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo, released on December 4, 2013, as the lead single of their second extended play Miracles in December. It was released in both Korean and Chinese versions by their label SM Entertainment.

Background and release

Produced by Don Spike, "Miracles in December" according to the description of the album on the site of Korean music Naver Music is a described as a "pop-ballad" song that uses the piano and strings in the arrangement.^[1] The song was written by composers veterans Andreas Stone Johansson and Ricky Hanley, in collaboration with Korean lyricist Sarah Yoon and Chinese lyricist Liu Yuan. The song talks about a man who recalls with nostalgia the relationship with his former girlfriend and his desire to return to it, but cannot do so because of the shame and guilt.^[2] The Korean version of the song is recorded by D.O., Baekhyun and Chen, and the Chinese version is recorded by Luhan, Chen and Baekhyun.

Music video

On December 4, 2013 both versions of the videos were announced, at 8:00pm (KST) and were released on video-sharing websites.^[3] The music video was directed by Jo Soo-hyun, and was filmed in November in Paju, Gyeonggi in a study in Ilsan.^[2]

Promotion and live performance

In December, D.O., Baekhyun and Chen began their promotions for the Korean version of the song on Korean music shows, including M Countdown on December 5, Music Bank on December 6, Show! Music Core on December 7 and Inkigayo on December 8. In the following week's promotions, S.M. informed that Luhan and Lay also participate in presentations.^[4] Baekhyun, Chen and D.O. appeared on the stage of MTV's The Show on December 17 and Show Champion on December 18. The song was also included in the set-list of the winter festival of the group with his classmates seal f(x) SM Town Week: Christmas Wonderland on 23 and 24 December.^[5] The Chinese version of "Miracles in December" was acted in the MTV The Show on December 24, 2013 with the members D.O., Luhan, Baekhyun, Chen and Lay.

Reception

The song debuted at number two on Gaon Digital Chart, at number three on Korea K-Pop Hot 100, and at number three on Billboard's US World Digital Songs chart.

Awards

Date
Show! Music Core	December 14, 2013
Show! Music Core	December 21, 2013
Inkigayo	December 15, 2013
Inkigayo	December 22, 2013
Show Champion	December 18, 2013
M Countdown	December 19, 2013
	December 26, 2013
	January 2, 2014
Music Bank	December 20, 2013

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from EP's liner notes.^[6]

Studio

doobdoob Studio – recording
Ocean Way Nashville Studio – strings recording
SM Concert Hall Studio – mixing
Sonic Korea – mastering

Personnel

SM Entertainment – executive producer
Lee Soo-man – producer
Kim Young-min – executive supervisor
Exo (Lu Han, Baekhyun, Chen, D.O.) – vocals
Sarah Yoon – Korean lyrics
Liu Yuan – Chinese lyrics
Andreas Stone Johansson – composition
Ricky Hanley – composition
Don Spike – arrangement, piano
Lee Ju-hyung – vocal directing, additional vocal editing
Nashville Recording Orchestra – strings
Kim Kun – strings arrangement
Kim Hyun-gon – recording, digital editing
Kim Kyu-young – recording
Kim Dae-woo – strings recording
Nam Koong-jin – mixing
Jeon Hoon – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
scope=row	South Korea (Gaon)^[7]	2
scope=row	South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)^[8]	3
scope=row	US World Digital Songs (Billboard)^[9]	3

Monthly charts

Notes and References

Web site: Winter Special Album 'December Miracles (Miracles in December)'. December 9, 2013. Naver. December 24, 2013. ko. November 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171104094409/http://music.naver.com/album/index.nhn?albumId=406680. live.
Web site: EXO Giving Fans "Miracles in December" with New Music Video (Korean and Chinese). August 4, 2013. December 25, 2013. Soompi. December 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131226043455/http://www.soompi.com/2013/12/04/exo-giving-fans-miracles-in-december-with-new-music-video-korean-and-chinese/#.UrrDztIW22Y. live.
News: EXO's MV for 'Miracles in [December]' to be released today]. December 4, 2013. Yahoo! omg! Philippines. December 4, 2013. December 8, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131208153859/http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/news/exo-s-mv-for-miracles-in-christmas-to-010110081.html. live.
Web site: EXO's D.O, Baekhyun, and Chen to be joined by Luhan and Lay for performances this week. December 9, 2013. December 25, 2013. Allkpop. December 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131226233302/http://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/12/exo-to-perform-as-five-members-this-week#axzz2nAo7pTwA. live.
Web site: f(x) and EXO light up their 'Christmas Wonderland' at joint concert during 'SMTOWN WEEK'. December 24, 2013. December 25, 2013. Allkpop. October 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100949/http://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/12/fx-and-exo-light-up-their-christmas-wonderland-at-joint-concert-during-smtown-week. live.
Miracles in December. Exo. 2013. Credits. photobook. SM Entertainment. South Korea.
Web site: 2013 Gaon Digital Chart – Week 50. Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. 2017-03-26. 2015-02-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20150216233653/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=50&hitYear=2013&termGbn=week. live.
Korea K-Pop Hot 100 – December 28, 2013. . 2017-03-26. 2016-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20161108132754/http://www.billboard.com/charts/k-pop-hot-100/2013-12-28. live.
Billboard's World Digital Songs – December 21, 2013. . 2017-03-26. 2017-01-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20170128050517/http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2013-12-21/world-digital-songs. live.
Web site: Gaon Digital Chart – December, 2013. Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. 2017-03-26. 2017-03-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20170326230747/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=12&hitYear=2013&termGbn=month. live.
Cumulative sales for "Miracles in December":
- Web site: Online Download – December 2013. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Gaon Chart. 20 January 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163326/http://www-new.gaonchart.co.kr/chart/download.php?f_chart_kind_cd=T&f_month=12&f_year=2013&f_type=month. 14 July 2014.
- Web site: Online Download – January 2014. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Gaon Chart. 6 February 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141012063952/http://www-new.gaonchart.co.kr/chart/download.php?f_chart_kind_cd=T&f_month=01&f_year=2014&f_type=month. 12 October 2014.
- Web site: Online Download – February 2014. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Gaon Chart. 6 March 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714165258/http://www-new.gaonchart.co.kr/chart/download.php?f_chart_kind_cd=T&f_month=02&f_year=2014&f_type=month. 14 July 2014.
- Web site: Online Download – 2nd week March 2014. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Gaon Chart. 13 March 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140306060437/http://gaonchart.co.kr/digital_chart/download.php?nationGbn=T&current_week=10&current_year=2014&chart_Time=week. 6 March 2014.
- Web site: Online Download – 3rd week March 2014. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Gaon Chart. 20 March 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140313085445/http://gaonchart.co.kr/digital_chart/download.php?nationGbn=T&current_week=11&current_year=2014&chart_Time=week. 13 March 2014.