Wikipedia

Siren (Sunmi song)

"Siren" (Korean: 사이렌; RR: Sairen) is a song recorded by the South Korean singer Sunmi for her second EP, Warning. Sunmi co-produced the song with Frants, and it was released on September 4, 2018, by Makeus Entertainment as the lead single from the EP.[2] "Siren" is a pop track, in which Sunmi sings lyrics about a lover whose perception of her does not align with reality, ultimately leading her to end the relationship.

"Siren"
Single by Sunmi
from the EP Warning
Language
  • Korean
  • English
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2018 (2018-09-04)
Genre
Length3:19
Label
  • Makeus Entertainment
Songwriter(s)
  • Sunmi
Producer(s)
  • Sunmi
  • Frants
Sunmi singles chronology
"Heroine"
(2018) 		"Siren"
(2018) 		"Noir"
(2019)
Music videos
"Siren" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
IZM[1]

The song marks the final release of Sunmi's warning-themed trilogy, which began with "Gashina" and continued with "Heroine". It achieved significant success, reaching the top position on major charts in South Korea. Upon its debut, "Siren" peaked at number 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart, becoming Sunmi's second single to achieve this feat in South Korea.

Background and release

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About two to three years ago, “Siren” had been considered as a potential title track for Wonder Girls, but the song was ultimately shelved because JYP Entertainment decided that it “wouldn't sound as great if arranged for a band" since the Wonder Girls were promoting as a band and not as a dance group at the time, and "Why So Lonely" was chosen as the title track instead. "Siren" was ultimately released on September 4, 2018, and serves as the lead single from Sunmi's second EP Warning. Sunmi announced the song via her social media accounts on August 26, 2018:[3]

"Sirens are used for warnings, and I was also inspired by sirens in mythology. They are known as beautiful but frightening presences that lure sailors in with their beautiful voices and drag them down to the bottom of the ocean. The mermaids that appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides were also sirens. I think I’ll be able to take that unique concept and express it well… the reason sirens stuck out to me is that they’re what are used in the most dangerous of situations. And the origin of the word ‘Siren’ is that mermaid figure. The song itself has an ambiguous meaning, so I wanted to use that word."

— Sunmi explaining the use of the word "Siren", [4]

Composition

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"Siren" was written by Sunmi and produced by her and Frants. It runs for three minutes and nineteen seconds.[5] "Siren" was described as "an '80s-evoking ambient pop track". Lyrically, it is about a lover whose image of her does not fit with reality, resulting in her ending the relationship.[6]

Commercial performance

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"Siren" achieved the perfect all-kill status, a status where a song is simultaneously topping all charts, both daily and realtime.[7] The song topped Gaon Digital Chart for a total of 2 consecutive weeks, becoming her second number-one single in South Korea.

Music video

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The music video, directed by Choi Yongseok,[8] was released along with the song and features different facets of Sunmi, all of which make one version face the reality of her relationship. Sunmi performs a choreographed powerful dance and also appears in several looks, with Billboard stating that the outfits "evoke mythological creatures and mermaids, while hair accessories like crowns and a “priority” shipping label hair-tie emphasize the domineering nature of the track".[6]

The video currently has over 50 million views.

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

  • Sunmi - vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Frants – producer

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Singapore (RIAS)[10] 25
South Korea (Gaon Digital Chart)[11] 1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[12] 1
US World Digital Songs (Billboard) 5

Monthly charts

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Chart (September 2018) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon Digital Chart)[13] 1

Year-end charts

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Chart (2018) Position
South Korea (Circle)[14] 60

Accolades

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Year-end lists
Critic/Publication List Rank Ref.
SBS Top 100 Asian pop songs of 2018 11 [15]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Ref.
2018 1st Korea Popular Music Awards Best Digital Song Nominated [16]
Best Solo Dance Track Nominated
20th Mnet Asian Music Awards Best Dance Performance – Female Solo Nominated [17]
2019 8th Gaon Chart Music Awards Song of the Year – September Nominated [18]
28th Seoul Music Awards Bonsang Award Nominated [19]

Music program awards

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Program Date Ref.
M Countdown (Mnet) September 13, 2018 [20]
September 20, 2018 [21]
Show Champion (MBC Music) September 19, 2019 [22]
Music Bank (KBS) September 21, 2018 [23]
Show! Music Core (MBC) September 22, 2018 [24]
Inkigayo (SBS) September 23, 2018 [25]

Release history

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Region Date Format Label
Various September 4, 2018 Digital download, streaming Makeus Entertainment

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hwang Sun-up. "사이렌". IZM (in Korean). IZM. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Siren – Single by Sunmi on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "⚠️2018.09.04 6pm "사이렌"⚠️ #warning #ADDICT #사이렌 #곡선 #blackpearl #비밀테이프 #Siren". Instagram. August 26, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Bradley Stern (2019-09-04). "Siren': Sunmi Delivers a Fierce Warning". Muumuse. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  5. ^ "Siren". Spotify. September 4, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Sunmi Returns With a 'Siren' Song: Watch the Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "Perfect kill!!!!!!!! #사이렌 #Siren". Instagram. September 9, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  8. ^ lumpens (October 25, 2018). "siren – SUNMI 선미". Vimeo.
  9. ^ "Siren by Sunmi". Tidal. United States. September 4, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  10. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 36" (PDF). Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2018.
  11. ^ "2018년 09주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  12. ^ "BILLBOARD KOREA K-POP 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  13. ^ "2019년 09월 Chart" [Digital Chart – September 2018] (in Korean). Gaon Digital Chart. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  14. ^ "2018년 Digital Chart" [Digital Chart – 2018] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "PopAsia's Top 100 Asian pop songs of 2018: 50-1". SBS. Popasia. December 24, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  16. ^ 《2018 KPMA》入圍名單公開，BTS、EXO、WANNA ONE 三強鼎立！ [The Finalists of the "2018 KPMA" are Announced, and BTS, EXO, and Wanna One Stand Out!]. Kpopn (in Chinese). November 30, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  17. ^ "2018 MAMA Winners". Mwave. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  18. ^ Whitney, Kayla (January 9, 2019). "8th Gaon Chart Music Awards Nominees and categories". AXS. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  19. ^ Whitney, Kayla (January 5, 2019). "2019 Seoul Music Awards fan voting, livestream and event details". AXS. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  20. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 1st Win For "Siren" On "M Countdown," Performances By Shinhwa, PENTAGON, And More". Soompi. September 13, 2018.
  21. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 3rd Win For "Siren" On "M Countdown," Performances By GOT7, DreamCatcher, And More". Soompi. September 20, 2018.
  22. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 2nd Win For "Siren" On "Show Champion," Performances By PENTAGON, Oh My Girl, And More". Soompi. September 19, 2018.
  23. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 4th Win For "Siren" On "Music Bank," Performances By GOT7, WJSN, And More". Soompi. September 21, 2018.
  24. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 5th Win For "Siren" On "Music Core," Performances By GOT7, DreamCatcher, And More". Soompi. September 22, 2018.
  25. ^ "Watch: Sunmi Takes 6th Win For "Siren" On "Inkigayo"; Performances By GOT7, WJSN, DreamCatcher, And More". Soompi. September 23, 2018.
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