[CBC News] There is more than one path by which music reaches the public. Some songs climb to the top of the charts immediately upon release, while others gain attention only after a long time has passed. The former is called a 'chart run' (jeongjuhaeng) and the latter a 'reverse chart run' (yeokjuhaeng). Though the two directions may seem opposite, they share a common point: in the end, music must be chosen by listeners.

The group RESCENE, with its new fourth mini album 'PULSE,' is prompting a rethink of these two flows.

■ Four of Five New Songs Enter Melon's Top 5

As of 9 p.m. on November 3, RESCENE's new song 'With' ranked No. 1 on the Melon HOT100 chart. From the same album, 'Finest Thing' took No. 2, 'Baekhwayeoran (Inside Out)' No. 3, and 'MEME' No. 5. Four of the five new songs landed within the top 5 of the HOT100. Notably, not only the title track but also the b-side tracks entered the upper ranks side by side, drawing attention.

'With' also claimed No. 1 on Melon's latest-release domestic chart. The displayed chart showed 'LOVE ATTACK' at No. 4 and 'Finest Thing' at No. 5, indicating that both the new album's music and previously released songs are receiving attention together.

However, since the HOT100 and the latest-release chart each apply separate tallying criteria, these rankings cannot be taken as a definitive measure of overall Melon users' music preferences or long-term commercial performance. Still, it is clear that RESCENE's new songs entered the top ranks of the charts immediately after release.

■ What Is the Difference Between Chart Runs and Reverse Chart Runs?

Here an interesting question arises: does music succeed when it quickly reaches the summit, or does it prove its value only when it survives over time?

A chart run demonstrates the power of a launch — the phenomenon of fans' accumulated interest and expectations concentrating immediately after release. A reverse chart run, by contrast, demonstrates the power of time — the process by which a song that failed to receive sufficient attention upon release meets a new catalyst and is chosen by the public again. If a chart run quantifies present attention, a reverse chart run proves that music from the past can still be valid today.

Yet a chart run does not necessarily mean a fleeting boom, nor does a reverse chart run imply higher musical value. The two phenomena reflect not the superiority of one kind of music over another, but differences in the timing of its encounter with the public.

■ Fourth Mini Album 'PULSE': Track-by-Track Messages

RESCENE's new album 'PULSE' is worth examining from this perspective.

The opening track 'Finest Thing' speaks of value that deepens over time rather than momentary glamour. It expresses in music a sincerity that lingers long in the heart rather than attention that fades easily — a meaningful message in a music market defined by fast consumption and endless competition among new songs.

The title track 'With' sings of the moment of facing a long-dreamed-of counterpart. Its structure, moving from a lyrical opening to a powerful chorus, reveals an emotional crescendo. Particularly striking is the idea that time spent running alone transforms into a promise of moving forward together. What matters in this song is not simply the fact of arriving at a destination, but the time it took to get there and the emotion of finally being with someone.

'Baekhwayeoran (Inside Out)' depicts the moment when emotions bloom in full after a long wait. Weighty rhythms blend with smooth R&B harmonies, expressing long-held emotions blossoming all at once. 'MEME' captures the process of people with different tastes growing closer through empathy and laughter, portraying in music a relationship that embraces each other's individuality rather than erasing differences.

The final track 'Dragon' contains a promise to protect each other's dreams in a rough world. Central to it is the message that protecting someone is not holding them back, but lending them the strength to fly higher.

Though each of the five songs unfolds a different story, they share a common emotional thread of time, relationships, and growth. Intriguingly, the album's message connects with how one views chart competition.

■ What Charts Tell Us — and What They Cannot

In the popular music market, charts are an important indicator. They show how fast music is spreading and how much attention it is receiving at a given moment. For artists, they are also a means of confirming that their music has reached listeners.

But charts cannot record all of a song's life. Some songs receive explosive reactions right after release; others meet new listeners months or years later. And some music, even without reaching the top of the charts, lives on for a long time in the memory of a particular generation or individual. This is why a song's vitality is hard to explain with a single ranking.

In this context, chart runs and reverse chart runs are not competing concepts but different routes by which music reaches the public. If a chart run is an immediate response to anticipation, a reverse chart run is a belated rediscovery of music that seemed forgotten. Neither path can be completed without the listener's choice.

■ New Songs and Older Songs Coexisting

RESCENE's Melon chart performance alongside this new release sits close to the starting point of a chart run. With the new songs entering the upper ranks together, interest in the album as a whole has been confirmed.

Also notable is the fact that the previously released 'LOVE ATTACK' climbed into the upper ranks of the latest-release chart, meaning that attention focused on the new songs and listening directed toward past releases are appearing at the same time. However, to define this immediately as a reverse chart run, additional factors — changes between past and current rankings, listening trends over a certain period — would need to be confirmed. Still, the coexistence of new and older songs on this chart offers room to view RESCENE's music as one continuous flow.

■ The Expansiveness of Time, and the Name 'PULSE'

An album is complete the moment it is released, but the meaning of its music can change afterward. A song first heard for its melody may resurface years later because of its lyrics. A track passed over at the time of release may one day connect with one's own experience and gain special meaning. The power of music lies precisely in this expansiveness of time.

The name of RESCENE's album, 'PULSE,' also leaves room for reflection. A pulse is not sustained by a single intense movement; it becomes the rhythm of life only when repeated movements continue. The same holds for musical activity. Topping the chart once is certainly a meaningful achievement, but the more important task lies in whether the next song can also meet listeners, and whether it can leave a reason to be heard again after time passes.

A chart run shows how hot music is right now. A reverse chart run shows the possibility that it can grow hot again even after time has passed. Between the two exists a relationship between music and listeners that numbers alone cannot fully explain.

With its new album 'PULSE,' RESCENE has demonstrated a clear presence on the Melon charts immediately after release. Attention now gathers on what kind of time this start will lead to. Reaching the summit and remaining remembered after descending from it are two different tasks.

In popular music, the songs that survive the longest are not necessarily the ones that reached the summit the fastest. Conversely, it is not only late-discovered songs that are recognized for their true value. The value of music is not determined by speed alone. This is, ultimately, the question posed by RESCENE's new release: can the song shining on today's chart still move someone's heart tomorrow?

The aesthetics of chart runs and reverse chart runs do not lie in running in opposite directions, but in remaining as music people want to hear again even after time has passed. The chart whirlwind RESCENE has shown with 'PULSE' is a new starting point for gauging that possibility.

[This content is an article highlighting stars nominated for the Netizens' Awards. The Netizens' Awards is an online fan voting platform that does not sell voting rights and offers equal voting opportunities to all users. Rankings are determined by fans' voluntary and sustained participation rather than capital, and the cumulative 80 million votes are a record of pure fan devotion built from each individual fan's choices. This article was partially assisted by AI.]