Road (g.o.d song)
{{Short description|2001 song by g.o.d.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Road
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = g.o.d
| album = Chapter 4
| language = Korean
| released = November 15, 2001
| format =
| recorded = 2001
| studio =
| genre =
- K-pop
- R&B{{cite web|title=Korean R&B: A Hidden Route to Explore|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2012/02/korean-rb-a-hidden-route-to-explore/|publisher=seoulbeats.com|date=February 23, 2012}}
| length = 3:46
| label =
- Sidus
- Yejeon Media
| writer = Park Jin-young
| producer = Park Jin-young
| prev_title = One Candle
| prev_year = 2000
| next_title = Letter
| next_year = 2002
}}
"Road" ({{ko-hhrm|길||Gil}}) is a song performed by South Korean boy band g.o.d. It was the title track of their fourth album Chapter 4, which was released in November 2001{{cite web|title=4집 Chapter 4|url=http://music.naver.com/album/index.nhn?albumId=2763|website=Naver Music|publisher=Naver|accessdate=July 14, 2017}} and became their second "million"-selling album.{{cite news|title=EXO becomes the first million seller in twelve years!|url=http://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/12/exo-becomes-the-first-million-seller-in-twelve-years|publisher=allkpop.com|date=December 27, 2013}} In a 2006 poll conducted by Gallup Korea, 1,500 Koreans aged 13 and above listed their five favorite songs and "Road" was ranked 59th out of the top 100 songs named.{{cite web|title=2006 한국인이 좋아하는 가요 100곡|url=http://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=159|publisher=Gallup Korea|date=December 1, 2006|language=Korean}}
Background and release
The lyrics and music were composed by Park Jin-young. At that time, the group was not managed by his company JYP Entertainment but he worked closely with them as a producer and songwriter. The accompanying soundtrack was also included in the album and was arranged by composer and music producer Bang Si-hyuk, who went on to establish Big Hit Entertainment. According to g.o.d lead vocalist Kim Tae-woo, the song was conceived during a period of uncertainty about their futures, following the massive success of their million-selling third album and its lead track "Lies".{{Cite episode |title=Episode 229: g.o.d|series=Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend|network=KBS2|date=December 12, 2015}}
= Remake =
The song was featured in the group's 20th anniversary album Then & Now (2019) as one of six songs from previous albums to be remixed and re-recorded. The instrumental track for the new version was arranged by Jeong Dong-hwan of MeloMance. Compared to the simple groove of the original, the new version features a more layered and grander texture. g.o.d do not feature at all and are replaced by solo artists IU and Yang Da-il, former Super Junior-M member Henry and Jo Hyun-ah of indie R&B trio Urban Zakapa.{{cite news |date=January 11, 2019 |script-title=ko:"god 감성 통했다" 20주년 스페셜 앨범 발매와 동시에 차트 정상 차지 |url=http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/01/11/2019011101356.html |work=The Chosun Ilbo |language=Korean}}{{cite news |date=January 9, 2019 |script-title=ko:"아이유→헨리까지" god 20주년 앨범 참여 "뿌듯하고 감격" |url=http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/01/09/2019010901036.html |work=The Chosun Ilbo |language=Korean}} This version was one of several songs from the album which charted. It debuted at #64 in the Gaon Digital Chart{{cite web |title=2019년 02주차 Digital Chart |url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=02&hitYear=2019&termGbn=week |website=Gaon Music Chart |language=ko}} before peaking at #14 the following week.{{cite web |title=2019년 03주차 Digital Chart |url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=03&hitYear=2019&termGbn=week |website=Gaon Music Chart |language=ko}} It reached #21 on the monthly chart for January.{{cite web |title=2019년 01월 Download Chart |url=http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/online.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=S1020&termGbn=month |website=Gaon Music Chart |language=ko}}
Composition
The song speaks of a person being unsure of which "road" to take in life and comprises a series of first-person questions pondering about what one values in life and the uncertainty of the path chosen.{{cite web|title=[FIRST GEN FRIDAY] g.o.d|url=http://unitedkpop.com/2013/10/first-gen-friday-g-o-d/|publisher=unitedkpop.com|date=October 25, 2013}}
{{cquote
|"Will I be able to finally smile when I reach the goal?" Even after the song is over you cannot easily answer. [...] The confession in "Road" is just as simple and plain as it is honest and powerful. It is because of the universality of the question that [the song] is loved by many people across generations in Korea.
— Kim Tak-hwan in The Dong-a Ilbo{{cite news|script-title=ko:[김탁환의 컬처플러스]'god'의 '길'에 대한 단상|url=http://news.donga.com/List/Series_70090000000069/3/70090000000069/20020118/7780259/1|work=The Dong-a Ilbo|date=January 18, 2002|language=Korean|first=Tak-hwan|last=Kim|author-link=Kim Takhwan}}
}}
Accolades
Upon the release of Chapter 4, "Road" became one of g.o.d's most popular and critically acclaimed songs. It received 7 music program awards, including a "Triple Crown" on SBS's Inkigayo (old ranking system), topping the ranking for three weeks in a row, and dominated the #1 rankings for the month of December on MBC's Music Camp (the former incarnation of Show! Music Core). The song also garnered critical acclaim as it was awarded the Daesang (Grand Prize) (Grand Prize) by all three major broadcasting stations in South Korea – KBS, MBC and SBS – at their respective year-end music awards ceremonies, making g.o.d one of the few groups to have been so honored.{{cite news|script-title=ko:오빠들이 돌아왔다, god가 다시 거짓말처럼!|url=http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/250689|work=Korea Economic Daily|date=May 8, 2014|language=Korean}} The album itself also won the "Album of the Year" (Daesang (Grand Prize)) at the 16th Golden Disc Awards, one of the industry's most prestigious awards ceremonies.{{cite news|script-title=ko:[30th 골든★열전⑧] 미워할 수 없는 국민아이돌..god 편|url=http://news.joins.com/article/19390238|work=JoongAng Ilbo|date=January 11, 2016|language=Korean}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Awards and nominations ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Organization ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col" width="60" | Result ! class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="3"| 2001
| rowspan="3" | Grand Prize (Daesang) | {{won}} | align="center" | {{cite news |date=February 24, 2009 |script-title=ko:"조용필에서 이효리까지" KBS 가요대상 |trans-title='From Cho Yong-pil to Lee Hyo-ri' KBS Music Awards |url=http://office.kbs.co.kr/mylovekbs/archives/71643 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025133200/http://office.kbs.co.kr/mylovekbs/archives/71643 |archive-date=October 25, 2017 |access-date=October 25, 2017 |work=KBS |publisher= |language=Korean}} |
|---|
| MBC Music Awards
| {{won}} | |
| SBS Music Awards
| {{won}} |
| scope="row" rowspan="2"| 2002
| rowspan="2"| Mnet Music Video Festival | {{nom}} | |
| Special Jury Prize
| {{nom}} | |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Music program awards ! width="110" |Program ! width="150" |Date |
| rowspan="4" |Music Camp
|December 8, 2001 |
| December 15, 2001 |
| December 22, 2001 |
| December 29, 2001 |
| rowspan="3" |Inkigayo
|December 9, 2001 |
| December 16, 2001 |
| December 23, 2001 |
Cover versions
"Road" has been covered numerous times on various singing competitions and music variety shows. Recent idol groups that have covered the song include B1A4 during a special segment at the 28th Golden Disc Awards honoring past winners.{{cite news|script-title=ko:'골든디스크' B1A4, god '길'로 헌정 무대|url=http://news.jtbc.joins.com/article/article.aspx?news_id=NB10414592|publisher=jTBC|date=January 16, 2014|language=Korean}} Other artists who have covered the song include Lee Jin-ah (K-pop Star season 4), Henry on Mnet's Sing Again, Hera Gu episode 10 (mash-up with "Lies" by g.o.d),{{cite news|title=Top 6 Moments of Sing Again, Hera Gu: Episode 10: To You Who Wish Me Despair|url=http://mwave.interest.me/en/kpop-news/article/89310/singagainheragu-episode10|publisher=Mnet|date=March 15, 2016}}{{cite web|title=헨리 (Henry of Super Junior) - 길#거짓말 (Road#Lie) MV|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV6ZzUTwl_s|publisher=YouTube (CJ E&M official channel)|date=March 13, 2015}} Sandeul & Jo Seon-young (winner of Duet Song Festival episode 5), Kim Tae-woo & "Wolmi-do Little Giant" Park Joo-hyun (winner of Fantastic Duo season 1 episodes 11–12),{{cite news|title=눈물샘 폭발 시킨 김태우·작은거인의 god '길' 무대 영상|url=http://www.insight.co.kr/newsRead.php?ArtNo=67372|work=Insight|date=July 3, 2016|language=Korean}} Goo Jeong-hyun ft. Kim Tae-woo and Son Ho-young (winner of I Can See Your Voice season 3 episode 10),{{cite web|title=I Can See Your Voice 3 (감동)godX실음과 임재범교수, 완벽 듀엣 ′길′ 160901 EP.10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGleR56Owb8|publisher=YouTube (Mnet Official channel)|date=September 1, 2016}} and Henry, Jung Seung-hwan, Lee Su-Hyun, and Sohyang (Begin Again season 4 episode 8).
In popular culture
MBC's partner news portal mbig created a satirical lyric music video using news footage of Kim Jong-un on the journey to Vietnam for the summit and during the meeting with United States President Donald Trump.{{cite web|title=북한 김정은 위원장의 평양에서 하노이까지..'길' 뮤직비디오 MV (feat.god)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QjXyrq8RvM|publisher=YouTube (엠빅뉴스 Official Channel)|date=March 1, 2019|language=Korean}} The original 2001 version was used.{{cite news|title=[엠빅뉴스] 북한 김정은 위원장의 평양에서 하노이까지..'길' 뮤직비디오 MV (feat.god)|url=http://imnews.imbc.com/n_newssas/fullmovie/fullmovie02/5187135_16727.html|publisher=MBC|date=March 1, 2019|language=Korean}}
The song was featured in a short film The Gil, which documented four British indie artists' dive into K-pop through remaking "One Candle" and "The Road". Directed by Korean-British Jeon Saet-byeol, the film was produced to commemorate 140 years of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Korea.{{cite news|title='Road' by K-pop group g.o.d remade into documentary short film|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/11/398_362963.html|work=The Korea Times|date=November 10, 2023}}{{cite news|title=Documentary of singers covering g.o.d songs invited to film awards|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-11-10/entertainment/movies/Documentary-of-singers-covering-god-songs-invited-to-film-awards/1910474|work=Korea JoongAng Daily|date=November 10, 2023}}{{cite news|script-title=ko:[공식] god '길' '촛불하나' 리메이크 단편 영화 '더 길', 영국브라이트X스칸디나비안영화제 초청|url=https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/movie/2023/11/10/C3D5JEA6A5QWOLT2YKIMAYB7FY/|work=The Chosun Ilbo|date=November 10, 2023|language=ko}}
References
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