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Generation X—those born in the late 1960s through 1980—are often described as the first generation to embrace consumption rather than the thrift of earlier cohorts. Raised amid greater prosperity and shaped by strong individualism, they matured in an analog era and adapted to the digital age, earning the label “digital immigrants.” Their wide cultural appetites helped broaden diversity in the popular music landscape. Using 1990s data from the Gayo Top 10, we introduce the music this generation enjoyed to Gen Z. (Editor’s note)
◆ ‘Gayo Top 10’ — Third week of April 1996: Turbo — ‘Choice’
◆ Singer Turbo
Turbo debuted in 1995 as a duo—Kim Jong-kook and Kim Jung-nam. Their first album, 280 Km/h Speed, produced the title track “My Childhood Dream” and the follow-up “Black Cat,” both hits that helped them build a devoted fanbase. The following year, their second album New Sensation delivered mega-hits such as “Twist King” and “Love Is…(3+3=0),” and the group won the grand prize at the SBS Music Awards, cementing their place as a defining mid‑1990s dance act.
After promotions for the second album, Kim Jung-nam left and, in 1997, Mikey joined as the new rapper. Their third album, Born Again, yielded hits including “Hoesang (December),” “Goodbye Yesterday,” and “Forbidden Game,” pushing album sales past 1,000,000 copies and marking the peak of their popularity. During promotion of that album, the group went missing amid a dispute with their agency in what became known as the so‑called “Generation X incident.” Turbo later released the fourth album Perfect Love and the fifth album Email My Heart. By the time they officially disbanded in 2000, Turbo had left a notable legacy: ranking among the top 11 best-selling domestic artists, achieving 3 consecutive million-selling albums, and winning the Golden Disc main prize 4 times.
15 years after their breakup, in 2015, on their 20th anniversary, Kim Jong-kook, Kim Jung-nam and Mikey reunited as a full trio. They released their 6th album Again and returned to No. 1 on the digital charts with the title track “Again,” marking a successful comeback. Kim Jong-kook remains active on variety programs such as Running Man and My Ugly Duckling, and Turbo continues to release music and perform intermittently as a full group.
◆ About “Choice”
“Choice” was the 3rd single from Turbo’s 1995 debut album 280 Km/h Speed and completed a triple crown by becoming the 3rd song from that record to reach No. 1. The album achieved the remarkable feat of producing 4 consecutive hits—”My Childhood Dream,” “Black Cat,” “Choice,” and “A Love I Cannot Have.”
Composer Joo Young-hoon contributed to the track. Although it was once considered as a candidate for the lead single, it ultimately followed the title track “My Childhood Dream.” While it attracted less attention than the lead single, it still held the No. 1 position on the Korea Record Industry Association’s Downtown chart for 2 weeks.
Kim Jong-kook’s high-register vocals and Kim Jung-nam’s rapid-fire rap make the song memorable. Although some of Kim Jong-kook’s material sits in a lower register, his highest note reaches A-sharp 2 octaves up. Kim Jung-nam’s demanding choreography is also an essential element of the track.
©(주) 데일리안 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
- Band Dongmulwon ‘I’ll Love You’ [X’s Pop for Z (96)]
- Band Girl ‘Aspirin’ [X’s Pop for Z (95)]
- Kim Jung-min ‘Last Promise’ [X’s Pop for Z (94)]
- Panic ‘Snail’ [X’s Pop for Z (93)]
- Seo Ji-won ‘Gather My Tears’ [X’s Pop for Z (92)]
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