"Round 1" is the debut single by South Korean idol group Dalmatian. It was released on September 1, 2010, through IS Entermedia Group and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. The sextet was formed by rapper MC Mong and managed under his newly formed record label Monkey Funch. Inspired by music of the 1990s, the song is a dance track about the group members' aspirations.

"Round 1"
Single by Dalmatian
from the EP Dalmatian
LanguageKorean
ReleasedSeptember 1, 2010 (2010-09-01)
Recorded2010
GenreDance
Length3:24
LabelIS Entermedia Group
Songwriter(s)
Dalmatian singles chronology
"Round 1"
(2010)
"That Man Opposed"
(2011)

The single and music video for "Round 1" were concurrently released. Dalmatian promoted the song on various music chart shows, and it peaked at number 102 on South Korea's national Gaon Digital Chart. The track was included in the group's debut mini-album Dalmatian (2011).

Background and composition

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Dalmatian performing in Bucheon, 2010

Following the establishment of his record company Monkey Funch in December 2009, MC Mong announced his intention to debut five-member boy group Dalmatian by the following February. With the members' ages ranging from 20 to 28, he wanted to "pursue the music boundaries between idols and adults".[1]

"Round 1" was written by MC Mong and member Day Day (credited as David Kim), and composed by Jo Yeong-su and MC Mong.[2] It is composed in the key of A flat major using common time.[3] The track shifts from electronic music and "machine sounds", as well as avoids love themes in its lyrics which dominated the Korean music industry at the time. A dance song, "Round 1" opts for a 1990s-inspired sound with an "addictive" chorus, focusing on lyrics revolving around the aspirations of the members following their five-year training period.[4][5][6]

Release and promotion

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Dalmatian "rushed" Sola Aoi (pictured in 2011) at Gimpo Airport

On August 25, 2010, a music video teaser was uploaded for Dalmatian's debut single "Round 1". Directed by Jo Su-hyeon, it showcases a member of the group walking into a room filled with shoes, where he selects a pair with a dalmatian pattern and leaves behind paw prints on the floor. The prints symbolized "that DMTN will enter the music world and leave their mark".[7] Conceptually, the group's image was labeled as "bad boys".[8] In order to generate headlines for its upcoming debut, labelmate Park Jang-geun orchestrated Dalmatian to greet Japanese AV idol actress Sola Aoi at Gimpo Airport later that day.[9] Aoi, who was promoting Liveplex's MMORPG Dragona Online at the time, was "rushed" by the group with a bouquet of flowers upon her arrival.[10] She immediately posted about the incident on Twitter and "Dalmatian" become the top-searched item on search engine Naver.[9]

"Round 1" and its music video were concurrently released on September 1.[6] Dalmatian made its debut live performance with the track on Korean Broadcasting System's (KBS) Music Bank.[11] The sextet continued promoting the song in subsequent performances on Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) Inkigayo[12] and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) Show! Music Core.[13] "Round 1" was included in the group's debut mini-album Dalmatian (2011).[14]

Commercial performance

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On the chart dated August 29 – September 4, 2010, "Round 1" debuted at number 146 on South Korea's national Gaon Digital Chart.[15] The following week, it rose to its peak rank at 102.[16]

Track listing

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Track listing[17]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Round 1"MC Mong, David KimJo Yeong-su, MC MongJo Yeong-su3:24
2."Round 1" (Inst.) Jo Yeong-su, MC MongJo Yeong-su3:24
Total length:6:48

Charts

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Chart (2010) Peak
position
Gaon Digital Chart[16] 102
Gaon Mobile Chart[18] 83

References

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  1. ^ Park, Jae-deok (December 3, 2009). MC몽, 5인조 그룹 제작자로 나선다. Joynews24 (in Korean). inews24. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Dalmatian (liner notes). Dalmatian. IS Entermedia Group. 2011. 1024027509.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ 달마시안 - Round 1 G키 악보. Music Score (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  4. ^ 엠넷, '달마시안의 매니저 파업시대' 방송. Yonhap News (in Korean). Seoul: Yonhap. September 6, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2017. Alt URL
  5. ^ 달마시안 'MC몽 키운 아이돌답네' 남다른 행보 시선집중. Newsen (in Korean). September 5, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  6. ^ a b MC몽 키운 신예아이돌 달마시안 1일 데뷔 '본격 활동 스타트'. Newsen (in Korean). September 2, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  7. ^ MC몽 프로듀싱 신예 아이돌 달마시안 티저 공개 관심폭발. Newsen (in Korean). August 26, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  8. ^ 악동아이돌 '달마시안' 멤버 공개. News Hankuk (in Korean). August 30, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  9. ^ a b '달마시안' 사장님 MC몽 벤을 훔치다?!. 달마시안의 매니저 파업시대. Episode 1 (in Korean). September 7, 2010. Mnet. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  10. ^ Jo, Gwang-hyeong (August 26, 2010). 아오이소라 향해 돌진한 달마시안 "누구세요?". NewDaily (in Korean). Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Lee, Un-hyeok (September 3, 2010). MC몽 키운 달마시안, 경험담 담은 '라운드원' 6년연습 끝 데뷔. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Moon, Da-yeong (September 5, 2010). MC몽이 키운 달마시안, 'MC몽 6명?' 경쾌음악&댄스 눈길. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Kim, Hye-jeong (September 11, 2010). MC몽 키운 달마시안, 엠씨몽 색깔의 노래 'good'. TV Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  14. ^ Jang, Jin-ri (February 25, 2011). 달마시안 "한 편의 영화 같은 달마시안의 반전, 기대해주세요". JoyNews24 (in Korean). inews24. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  15. ^ Gaon Digital Chart 2010년 9월 1주차 (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Gaon Digital Chart 2010년 9월 2주차 (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  17. ^ Dalmatian (liner notes). Dalmatian. IS Entermedia Group. 2011. 1024027509.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ 2010년 39주차 Mobile Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved November 23, 2017.