Monochrome (stylized inall caps) is the fifthstudio album by South Korean singer-songwriterLee Hyori. It was released on May 21, 2013, byB2M Entertainment and distributed byCJ E&M Music.[1] The album, which has an analogue sound and retro feel,[2] departs from her previous style of music. It is her first full-length release after a three-year hiatus sinceH-Logic (2010).
The album sold about 17,000 physical copies and 2.75 million digital tracks in 2013, making it the 79th best-selling Korean album of that year.[8][B] Lee bounced back as a musician thanks to the album's success, winning the award forBest Female Artist at2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[10]
Lee's comeback was pushed back multiple times throughout 2012, until it was finally announced that she would return to the stage with her fifth studio album in May 2013.[11] While recording, many rumors floated around on what the album would sound like. Lee rejected the rumors when shetweeted and urged people "not to be deceived by any of fake information about the album", on February 7, 2013.[12] Two days later, she posted on her official fan club, asking fans "not to be bored even if there would be more than 10 tracks in her new album". Lee stated that she felt the "greed" to create an album with weighty quality.[13]
Unlike her previous work, it was reported that she collaborated with foreign composers for the new record.[14] According to an official fromB2M Entertainment, Lee's agency,Monochrome will contain a number of acoustic and easy listening songs instead of her previous style ofelectronic pop music. However, the official also stated that the singer has made an effort to reach the nexus between her and the listeners by choosing a dance tune with a powerful group choreography as the title track of her album.[2]
On May 9, it was announced that the singer's fifth full-length album would be titledMonochrome, and its album cover was unveiled. Beginning on the same day, a normal edition and a special limited edition of the album were available for pre-order. Limited to 5,000 copies, the latter features a 156-page photo book,[15] and was all sold out.[16]Monochrome contains a total of sixteen tracks, including thelead single "Bad Girls",[17] the self-composed hit "Miss Korea", and "Show Show Show", a cover of "No No No" originally performed by German pop trioMonrose.[18]
Monochrome was released bothdigitally and physically on May 21, 2013. The album peaked at number four on theGaon Albums Chart.[19] As of November 2025,Monochrome has sold about 17,000 copies in South Korea, with the sales of both editions combined.[9]
Vogue Korea announced that Lee would introduce her new song through "Show Girl", a fashion music video of her recent photo shoot with the magazine on April 19, 2013. With the concept of a circus show girl, she donned several sexy outfits in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by abandoned circus sets and props.[20] "Show Girl" was sequentially released on the first of May viaVogue Korea'siPad app, the magazine's website, and then its YouTube channel.[21] According to Lee's agency, the background music for the video was titled "Show Show Show" (Korean: 쇼쇼쇼;RR: Shoshosho), which is a cover ofMonrose's "No No No".[18]
Lee Hyori uploaded a photo via her official Twitter on April 22, 2013, with the sentence "I used to be the sweetest girl ever... 'til I found out being the baddest girl was better" superimposed onto it.[22] Five video teasers were released for the album through B2M Entertainment's YouTube channel at noon the following day.[23][24][25][26][27] Under the theme of "What Are You Doing, Hyori?" (뭐 하니? 효리;Mwo Hani? Hyori), the series of teasers featured footage from Lee's daily life, and recording sessions and photo shoots forMonochrome, with the sound of brass instruments played as background music.
A music video teaser for "Miss Korea" (미스코리아;Miseukoria), a pre-release single from the album, was unveiled on May 2, 2013.[28] The video directed by South Koreanmusic video director Cha Eun-taek,[29] and the single itself was released four days later. The self-composed song contains the message of comfort and hope, comparing all women toMiss Korea,[30] as the end of the song follows, "Are others' eyes that important? / Does it feel like it's your fault when something goes bad? / No, it's not like that, come here / It'll be okay, you're a Miss Korea".[31] The lyrics was later donated to theHangang Bridge, as part of "the Bridge of Life" project promoted bySamsung Life Insurance.[32]
Upon its release, "Miss Korea" debuted at number one on both theGaon Singles and Download Charts.[33][34] It peaked at number three on theBillboardKorea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of May 25, 2013.[35] As of November 2025, "Miss Korea" has sold about a million digital copies in South Korea.[36] Lee personally selected 30 non-celebrity women "with love and respect for themselves" who she saw as the genuine "Miss Korea"s, to perform the song together on stage at the 2013SBS Gayo Daejeon televised concert.[37][38]Jessica Jung, former member of girl groupGirls' Generation, covered this song at the concertSM Town Week Girls' Generation – Märchen Fantasy.[39]
The album'slead single "Bad Girls" is a dance tune only consisted of acoustic band sound. Lee's self-written lyrics depicts the reality, in which confident women are considered "bad".[40]CJ E&M Music, the distributor of the album, released a video teaser for the track on May 15, 2013.[41][42] As a parody ofSBS's current affair programThe Its Know, the teaser stimulates curiosity through narrations such as "Why did Lee Hyori become a bad girl?" and "From now on, we're going to unleash the truth about her".[43] Lee spoofsSharon Stone's interrogation scene from the 1992 filmBasic Instinct.[44] According to the singer's agency, two versions of the music video, a story-centered one and a choreography-centered one, would be released.[45] The former featurescameo appearances from designer Yoni P,Gil ofLeessang, modelJang Yoon-ju,Spica member Ju-hyun, and actressKim Seul-gi.[46][47] The latter was released on May 23, 2013.[48]
"Bad Girls" went straight to number one on both the Gaon Singles and Download Charts in the first week of June 2013, as the album's pre-release single did.[49][50] It also topped theBillboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 for the week of June 8, 2013, becoming her first song to reach the chart's pole position, a week after debuting at number 25.[51][52][53] This song won the first place on televisedK-pop music shows like SBS'sThe Music Trend,KBS'sMusic Bank,MBC Music'sShow Champion, andMnet'sM! Countdown, from June 2 to 13.[54][55][56] As of November 2025, "Bad Girls" has sold about 900,000 digital copies in South Korea.[57] Lee performed "Bad Girls" as part of a highly praised collaboration stage at the 2013 SBS Gayo Daejeon televised concert, along withCL from girl group2NE1, who had also released a bad girl themed song that year called "The Baddest Female".[58][59]
Lee held a special comeback show titled2Hyori Show at theIlsanKINTEX on May 14, 2013, performing her brand-new songs including "Bad Girls", "Full Moon", "Wouldn't Ask You", and "Bounced Checks of Love".[60] The show was recorded in private, and aired through the cable channel Mnet on May 22, 2013.[60] The show was also broadcast onOnStyle, KMTV,tvN, O'live TV, and StoryOn the same day, simultaneously.[61]
Lee began promoting her comeback album on various music programs, starting on the May 24, 2013, broadcast of KBS'sMusic Bank.[62] Along with the lead single, she promoted "Miss Korea" onMusic Bank[63] and MBC Music'sShow Champion,[64] "Holly Jolly Bus" onMBC'sMusic Core[65] and Mnet'sM! Countdown,[66] and "Full Moon" on SBS'sInkigayo[67] for her comeback stages, respectively. She performed "Full Moon" also on MBC'sDancing with the Stars.[68] On KBS'sYou Hee-yeol's Sketchbook, Lee performed the two lead singles and "Show Show Show",[69] along with her previous hits "10 Minutes", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and "U-Go-Girl". The singer wrapped up promotions forMonochrome, performing a rock-arranged version of the title track, with featured artistsAhn Young-mi andKim Seul-gi, at 2013Mnet 20's Choice Awards.[70][71][72]
"Wouldn't Ask You" was originally composed by blues musician Kim Tae-chun, although never officially released. The song was later given as a gift to Lee Hyori, with some foul words at the end of the lyrics, "I wouldn't ask you why you left me / I wouldn't curse at you and call you ab**** / I wouldn't curse at you and call you ac*** / I wouldn't ask you why you left me", excluded.[77]
^"'인기가요' 이효리 'Bad Girls'로 1위 "팬들에게 감사"" ['Inkigayo' Lee Hyori wins first place with 'Bad Girls' "Thanks to the fans"].Korea Economic TV (in Korean). Naver. June 2, 2013. RetrievedMarch 30, 2024.
^6월 1주 순위 [Music Bank ranking for the first week of June].KBS Music Bank (in Korean). June 9, 2013.Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. RetrievedJuly 2, 2022.
^Kim, Jin-seok (May 16, 2013). "이효리, '묻지 않을게요' 험한 욕설…진짜 부를까 (Would Lee Hyori Sing the Harsh Words in "Wouldn't Ask You" for Real?)" (in Korean).Ilgan Sports.
