Throwback Review: Rainism by Rain

We here at KPOPWORLD love to look back into the earlier days of Korean music and the foundations of K-pop as we know it. Who are the artists that helped K-pop reach the heights it has? Who deserves a second listen? This month, we celebrate the return of the Y2K craze by turning time back to a quintessential Korean album of the 2000s whose artist has continued to top the charts to this day. The tale is full of ups and downs, complete with government censorship along the way. This is Rainism by Rain.

With the returning popularity of the 2000s, one doesn’t have to look far for the epitome of K-pop at the turn of the 21st century. One of K-pop’s longest-running performers, Jung Ji-hoon (known as Rain and Bi Rain) has made a mark on the Korean music scene and the world with his sexy performances and idol persona. His lyricism and sound fit the 2000’s ideal of love and angst, a popular sound, if his multiple successful world tours are any indication.

It's a classic story of rags to riches — in 2000, Rain was penniless and facing many challenges. He continued to strive for his dream of becoming a performer even after a failed debut in the boy band Fan Club that disbanded after only two years due to commercial failings. He auditioned for countless agencies but was continuously turned down due to his looks. Eventually he auditioned for JYP Entertainment, and the founder, JYP, saw his talent and grit and signed him on. He became a trainee and performed as one of JYP’s backup dancers.

He spent endless hours dancing and training in practice rooms and at times lived off instant noodles until finally, in 2002, he debuted as a solo act with the album Bad Guy. His fanbase continued to grow with his 2004 album It’s Raining. From there, his popularity skyrocketed. In 2006 he was included in Time Magazine’s “Time 100” list of the most influential people in the world and he was the first Korean artist to hold a concert in the Tokyo Dome (2007), attracting nearly 40,000 attendees. He eventually founded his own label, J. Tune Entertainment (a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment).

Rainism, his fifth Korean studio album, released in 2008, has remained alive and well in many people’s hearts to this day. It achieved great commercial success, being the fifth best selling album in South Korea the year it was released. This album contains the hit song “Love Story (0912......그 이후),” iconic not only for its sentimental lyrics, but also its drama-worthy music video that seems to fit a full length television series into six minutes and twenty three seconds.

The title track, “Rainism,” has an addictive refrain and a seductive beat. There are elements that remind me of Michael Jackson, such as accentuated breathing with the words “I’m gonna be a bad boy.” Elements like this give the song a sexy and forward message and very much match Rain’s image as a K-pop idol in the 2000’s. The dance that goes along with this song is still loved by current-day idols and can be seen in behind-the-scenes videos constantly.

The song also managed to drum up controversy for Rain; the November after the song’s release, the Commission of Youth Protection deemed the album inappropriate for listeners under 19, specifically due to sexual connotations in the song “Rainism.” Rain responded by re-releasing a “clean” version and marked the albums being sold as inappropriate to those under 19. He continued to press on, and embarked on a 28-concert tour titled “The Legend of Rainism” to promote the album.

Another song I enjoyed was “My Girl.” With sounds like bike bells ringing, the song evokes feelings of young love. The lyrics are adorable and fit the emotions of the composition well. In the song “More Attraction (feat. C-Luv),” I really like the sonic element of a harpsichord-sounding instrument. Yet another favorite of mine is “September 12th,” with its heart breaking lyrics of a breakup and beautiful strings to accompany Rain’s sorrowful voice.

Rain created his own entertainment company, R.A.I.N Company, in 2015 and has continued to put out music. In 2020, his song “Gang,” went viral — its extreme dance moves perfect for virality. Kids enthusiastically copied the dance in videos during the pandemic and the song spread like wildfire. Rain took this sudden virality with good spirits and showed the public his humorous side, adding to the trend with his own videos.Even today, Rain continues to put out music and act in various productions. Overall, Rain has left his mark on the K-pop world, and I’m excited to see what else he’ll release.