Fly to the Sky
South Korean R&B duo formed in 1998.
Fly to the Sky is a South Korean R&B duo made up of Brian Joo and Hwanhee. They started out as K-pop idols but eventually shifted to a more adult style, rising to become one of the country's most beloved R&B acts. Since their 1999 debut, the pair has put out nine studio albums.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Genre
- K-pop; R&B
- Years active
- 1999–2009, 2014–2019
- Label
- SM Entertainment (1999–2004)
- PFull Entertainment (2004–2009)
- H2 Media (2014–present)
- Associated acts
- SM Town
- Current members
- Hwanhee, Brian Joo
Facts from the source article.
Musical career
SM Entertainment put together Fly to the Sky in late 1998. Brian Joo tried out for the group while he was a student at Holy Spirit High School in New Jersey, and Hwang Yoon-Suk, who later went by Hwanhee, got the push to audition from a label staff member he met at his high school festival. The duo made their official debut on November 21, 1999, performing at the LOG-IN H.O.T. Concert and SM Festival Concert '99. Their first album, Day by Day, came out on December 9, 1999, and they appeared on TV for the first time just two days after that. Unlike the label's earlier teen idols, who leaned on fast techno and dance tracks, Fly to the Sky went for mid-tempo ballads. The album sold more than 250,000 copies and earned them the Best New Artist award in 2000, though they didn't shoot to instant fame like H.O.T., whose albums sold over a million. Their second album, The Promise, dropped in 2001 with a wider range of styles, hit number two on the charts, but then faded quickly. That same year, they shared a concert stage with Korean R&B singer Kim Jo-Han. In April 2002, they released Sea of Love while Brian Joo was studying at Rutgers University in New Jersey, so Hwanhee performed solo until Joo came back. The title track became a summer hit, and the second single, "Condition of my Heart," written by Brian McKnight, marked a shift from light pop to R&B. The duo also traded their "flower boy" image for a tougher look. That year, SM put out a female duo called Isak N Jiyeon, which fans saw as a complement to Fly to the Sky, but the two groups never worked together on their own.
Musical style
Fly to the Sky started with a sweet, lightweight love song called "Day by Day." For a while, they mixed R&B, pop rap, and hip-hop, but in 2002 they dropped the bubblegum sound for a heavier R&B and Korean pop style. They still sing about love, and some tracks include Joo's hip-hop and rap. Brian, who loves rap and strong beats, didn't get to rap on their 2006 album Transition, and he thinks he never will again. He hates being seen as just a rapper paired with a vocalist. He also feels hip-hop is fading in South Korea, where people treat it like dance music.
Criticisms
Before their transition to R&B, critics were displeased that despite being promoted as serious artists for older audiences, the duo seemed no different from other popular teen idols. Music review site "52street" described their early years as featuring trendy hairstyles, thick make-up, and flashy dance moves. As their career matured, critics pointed out that Fly to the Sky had yet to find their own style, lacking creative control and relying on composers whose distinct styles overpowered their vocals; they wrote lyrics for only four songs across albums Gravity and No Limitations. Music critic Shin Hye Rim commented on this issue. Their appearances on variety shows during 2006 drew scrutiny, as they were seen frequently outside music programs. Critics compared this to a double-edged sword: gaining publicity and a viewer-friendly image while compromising their professional image. From January to February 2006, Seoul YWCA research on variety shows airing from 6PM to 8PM concluded that the same celebrities starred in similar content, listing Joo among those who appeared on three major broadcasting networks during the same time slot on January 6 and January 29.
More in South Korean Contemporary R&B Musical Groups
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced