[Weekender]Seo Taiji wows fans in gala comeback
<The Korea Herald, Sep 5, 2000>

Music superstar Seo Taiji ended months of speculation about his return last Saturday when he staged a large-scale comeback show at Olympic Gymnasium.

Some 6,000 manical fans rushed to see their idol in his first concert since 1996, while at least 5,000 unlucky fans who could not get into the stadium watched the concert on TV screens set up outside.

Seo Taiji sang a total of seven songs in the much-anticipated show, four from his second solo album "Ultramania," two from his 1998 solo debut, as well as "Classroom Idea," one of the many hits from his days as lead vocalist of the hugely popular dance pop trio Taiji & Boys.

Since its release earlier this month, the reclusive singer's second solo album has sold an estimated 1.2 million copies, most of which were ordered in advance of its appearance in stores.

Despite raves from his fans, Seo's hard-edged new record has received a mixed response from critics, who downplayed the possibility that it would help launch a new "heavy metal" trend among Korean musicians.

Industry experts said brisk sales of Seo's latest release had less to do with the album's quality than with the singer's cult-like following.

Although some music analysts predicted Seo's new sound would lead to the diversification of the Korean music scene, most experts were skeptical that the album would have much of an impact on a generation of listeners raised on hip hop and ballads.

Trans. By Ray