State of Emergency (Dalmatian EP)

State of Emergency is the second mini-album by South Korean idol group Dalmatian. It was released on May 16, 2012, through IS Entermedia Group and distributed by Stone Music Entertainment. After the release of its self-titled debut mini-album, the group experienced a lineup change and several album delays.

State of Emergency
EP by
ReleasedMay 16, 2012 (2012-05-16)
Length18:28
LanguageKorean
LabelIS Entermedia Group
ProducerDuble Sidekick, Dalmatian
Dalmatian chronology
Dalmatian
(2011)
State of Emergency
(2012)
Singles from State of Emergency
  1. "E.R"
    Released: May 16, 2012

Following an absence of one year and three months, State of Emergency and its lead single "E.R" were concurrently released. Dalmatian promoted the record through music chart programs across various television networks by performing the song. The mini-album peaked at number nine on South Korea's national Gaon Album Chart, selling over 5,600 copies since its release.

Background

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Shortly after completing promotions for Dalmatian's self-titled mini-album, Da-ri enlisted in compulsory military service on April 25, 2011.[1] Day Day also withdrew from the group citing "personal reasons".[2] A followup release was postponed various times by the group's record company.[3] By early December, Simon was added to group.[4]

Dalmatian wanted to disassociate itself from the "puppy-like" perception its name conveyed and decided to remove symbolism portraying dalmatian dogs and their spots from its concept."[5] In contrast from its "cute" concept in its previous single "That Man Opposed", "E.R" showcases a "sexy and masculine" appearance.[6] Noting the dog's fast-growing nature and hunting instincts, the group stated, "In that sense, we think we're on the right track."[5]

Artwork concept

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The cover art and album photos for State of Emergency showcase Dalmatian wearing clothes, shoes, and accessories from luxury brands Givenchy, Balmain, and Chrome Hearts. The members also donned faux tattoos on their torsos.[7] They were hand-painted by tattoo artists JP-prodigy and ShyYoung, and the process took 12 hours to complete. The designs, which include a tiger and heart, symbolize each members character.[8] The production cost totaled 200,000,000 ($174832.82).[7]

Music structure

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State of Emergency was produced by Duble Sidekick and Dalmatian.[2] A dance number with an "acoustic feel", the opening track "E.R" begins with a piano and sirens which "emphasize the emergency" of the narrator's pain upon separating from his lover.[9] Jee-su described the single as "addictive" with a "strong melody".[4]

Release and promotion

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The music video teaser for the lead single "E.R" was unveiled on May 11, 2012.[10] State of Emergency was originally scheduled to be issued on May 15, but was delayed by one day as a result of problems that arose with its mastering.[11] Directed by Hong Won-ki, the music video for "E.R" was concurrently released on May 16.[9] It marked a year and three months since the group's previous mini-album.[2]

Dalmatian began promoting "E.R" the day after the mini-album's release on Mnet's music chart show M Countdown,[12] followed by subsequent comeback performances on SBS TV's Inkigayo,[13] MBC TV's Show! Music Core,[14] and KBS2's Music Bank.[15] On June 20, Dalmatian prepared snacks and autographed albums, which they gave to the students of Suncheon Girls' High School in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, upon visiting the institution.[16] The group also held a guerilla concert at Deoksan High School in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.[17] On the July 19, Dalmatian was given a "special stage" on M Countdown, where they performed "Drive" and a dance remix of "E.R".[18]

Commercial performance

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On the chart dated May 13 – 19, 2011, State of Emergency debuted at number nine on South Korea's national Gaon Album Chart.[19] By the end of the month, it shifted 4,103 units in the country.[20] According to Gaon Music Chart's year-end report, the mini-album sold 5,653 copies domestically and ranked at number 211 on its list of best-selling albums.[21]

Track listing

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Track listing[22]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."E.R"Duble SidekickDuble SidekickDuble Sidekick3:42
2."Drive" (차 안에서; Cha Aneoseo)Outsidaz, DMTNDuble Sidekick, OutsidazDuble Sidekick3:47
3."Hurt Me"DMTNDuble Sidekick, Ichiro SuezawaDuble Sidekick3:54
4."Still by Ur Side"Jee-su, Daniel, InatiJee-su, DanielIchiro Suezawa3:24
5."E.R" (Inst.) Duble SidekickDuble Sidekick3:41
Total length:18:28

Charts

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Weekly
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[19] 9
Year-end
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Gaon Album Chart[21] 211

References

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  1. ^ Lee, Eun-jeong (April 24, 2011). 달마시안 다리, 25일 입대. Yonhap News (in Korean). Yonhap. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Kim, Na-yeon (May 7, 2012). '컴백' 달마시안, 5인조로 재정비..새 멤버 사이먼 합류. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  3. ^ Park, Kun-wook (June 19, 2012). 달마시안 “힘들었던 공백기, 언젠가는 웃으면서 이야기하길”(인터뷰). Herald Economy (in Korean). Herald Corporation. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Han, Jun-ho (May 17, 2012). [줌인] 달마시안, "괜찮아요, 사고는 대박 징조죠!". Segye Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Lee, Un-hyeok (May 18, 2012). '행주산성의 아이들' 달마시안 "가르침의 시간, 단단해졌다". Oh My News (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  6. ^ Kwon, Su-bin (May 13, 2012). 확 달라진 달마시안 ‘원래 멤버들 맞나?’ 짐승남 대변신. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Kim, Hye-jin (May 10, 2012). 달마시안, 메인 재킷 사진 공개로 데뷔 초읽기 '섹시 남성미 눈길'. bntnews (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Lee, Hyeon-woo (May 22, 2012). "ko:달마시안, 전신타투 하고 방송 출연 '파격'". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Choi, Ji-ye (May 16, 2012). 달마시안, 상반신 탈의하며 섹시남 변신(동영상). MyDaily (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  10. ^ Baek, Sol-mi (May 11, 2012). 달마시안, 상반신 탈의하며 섹시남 변신(동영상). MyDaily (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Kim, Gyeong-min (May 14, 2012). 달마시안, 앨범 발매 하루 연기돼.."마스터링 문제..죄송". Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Jeong, Song-i (May 17, 2012). [사진]달마시안,'멋지게 E.R로 돌아왔어요~'. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  13. ^ Son, Hyo-jeong (May 20, 2012). 달마시안, 5명의 상남자의 컴백 '팔 근육에 쓰러지네'. TVreport (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  14. ^ Choi, Min-ji (June 2, 2012). 달마시안, 귓가 자극하는 폭풍랩 목소리 감미로움 극치. TVreport (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  15. ^ '뮤뱅' 달마시안, 민소매 블랙 수트로 탄탄한 남성미 '과시'. Segye Ilbo (in Korean). June 8, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  16. ^ Jung, Byeong-geun (June 21, 2012). 달마시안, 팬이 남긴 글 보고 여고급습. No Cut News (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  17. ^ Kang, Seung-hun (July 8, 2012). 달마시안, 순천에 이어 부천 학교 습격 이벤트 600명 '환호'. TVreport (in Korean). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  18. ^ Jang, Jin-ri (July 19, 2012). 달마시안, '엠카' 스페셜 무대…9월 해외 활동 시동. joynews24 (in Korean). inews24. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  19. ^ a b 2012년 21주차 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  20. ^ 2012년 05월 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  21. ^ a b 2012년 Album Chart (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  22. ^ State of Emergency (liner notes). Dalmatian. IS Entermedia Group. 2012. 1030888097.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)