BACK TO K-POP’S FIRST GENERATION: Uhm Jung Hwa – Escape

K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure.

The era in question is often considered to run from the debut of Seo Taiji & Boys in 1992 to the emergence of TVXQ in late 2003. The music featured in this series will largely fit within that time frame, give or take a few years on either side.

It was a time of bonkers song structures, wild fashion, slamming techno beats, bad reggae impressions, flagrant use (theft?) of American hip-hop samples, hearty power ballads, foul language, the growliest rapper tones you can imagine and an anything-goes scrappiness that’s impossible to pigeonhole. To borrow the name of a popular second-gen act, these years were the “big bang” of an emerging musical powerhouse, still finding its footing and throwing everything at the wall.

Check out other “Back to K-pop’s First Generation” reviews here.

Uhm Jung Hwa is one of the few first-gen megastars who’s still musically active today. In fact, she just featured on a duet with an indie (?) artist the other day. She’s rightfully considered a legend in the industry, and experiencing her in her prime seals this claim. Recently, I’ve been watching old Gayo Daejuns from the era and have been especially struck by her charisma. She has that certain type of star power that makes it impossible to look away. No wonder she was often called “K-pop’s Madonna” of the time.

Jung Hwa released more iconic singles than 2000’s Escape, but you probably already know songs like Poison, Festival and Invitation. I wanted to feature something a bit more under-the-radar. Escape is a personal favorite of mine, moving her already club-friendly sound even further into the dance floor. K-pop was firmly ensconced in its techno phase during this era, meaning tempos were high and impossibly energetic. Jung Hwa takes advantage of this with a pulsing dance beat that never lets up.

Better yet, Escape features some of her most dramatic melodies. The verses sweep in with a sense of grandeur before Escape moves into more rhythmic territory for its hook. The production here is larger than life, hitting with aggressive bursts of synth and a few Latin touches here and there (the guitar solo before verse two is so enjoyable). If you love this and are looking for an equally dramatic b-side, I’ll enthusiastically recommend 2001’s Crime & Punishment from her following album. That one should have been a single too!

Grade: B+