According to the Contemporary College of Music, a song remix is “any song that uses an unmanipulated portion of another.” There have been times when a remix completely outshone the original, like in the case of the Seeb remix of Mike Posner‘s song “I Took A Pill In Ibiza.”
K-Pop groups have also benefited from remixes, with a technically remixed version of FIFTYFIFTY‘s “Cupid” going massively viral online.
Another K-Pop group has recently astounded the internet by releasing over 50 versions of a released song.
In 2017, boy group A.C.E debuted under Beat Interactive as a five-membered group. Previously, the group attracted attention by busking in Hongdae, identifiable by the shorts they would wear.
Despite not debuting under a “big 4” company, A.C.E gained and maintained steady popularity, resulting in their release Siren: Dawn charting at number 1 on several charts worldwide. Following their military discharges, the group has continued promotions, releasing their sixth mini album in February 2024.
The group is currently in America for their [REWIND US] tour. Before the tour, A.C.E released a special English single titled “Supernatural.”
The single album that the track appeared on also included four different remixes, which is a bit more than the usual.
On June 7th, the group released an album titled Supernatural Remix vol. 1, which contained 12 new and entirely different remixes of the track. Again, this is not something entirely new, as artists have been known to release remix tracks on a separate album, though usually they include other artists as features. Seven days later, the group release Supernatural Remix vol. 2, which contained another 8 remixes.
The number of remixes was then more than doubled on June 28, when the group released Supernatural Remix vol. 3, which contained 28 different remixes of the track. This brought the total number of “Supernatural” tracks to 54, including the original version.
On July 6, the remixes managed to take up 51 spots of the iTunes Top Songs in the United States chart, with the original English and Korean versions hitting 44 and 49, respectively. The other tracks nearly managed to take up the entirety of places 50-100, being blocked from the feat by a single song.
Naturally, many netizens were confused by the number of releases, with some accusing the group of being “fraudulent.”
What in the fraudulence 🤯 https://t.co/fCQ6DQ4EVn
— Afro jimin stan🌙 (@afromin1013) July 6, 2024
51 VERSIONS OF A SONG! THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A CHART MANIPULATION 😭 https://t.co/hNoF6Fx5Q4
— Lloud 🎸 (@Iisarihh) July 6, 2024
i truly believe this should be illegal btw this is chart manipulation https://t.co/fFrae1bixL
— lila 💜 (@missredelf) July 6, 2024
this is insane https://t.co/vItuk1Wpho pic.twitter.com/9ia8HFcT6u
— dani ♡ MUSE (@namjikookr) July 6, 2024
On the other hand, fans of the group believe this was done, not in an attempt to manipulate any chart results, but to gain attention. Some compared it to buying ads, something larger agencies often do for groups.
I’m sorry but it’s no more fraudulent than buying ads! When you don’t have money you have to be smarter, that’s what their agency did.
A.C.E are one of the most talented and passionate group ever. You have no right to hate them for trying to get the recognition they deserve. https://t.co/0hGgZIrVoS pic.twitter.com/zY9mBHrCLU— Nora 🦋 (@nora_s_norae) July 6, 2024
I don’t understand why other fandoms made such a fuss I think this was the best promo the beat has ever done having multiple remixes was also very genius everything would be much better if they didn’t comment without knowing A.C.E’s talent 🥲 https://t.co/c3yfqazxGd
— 을근 🩵 (@oceanheeace) July 6, 2024
Having multiple versions of a song serves artistic expression, broadens global appeal,and supports strategic marketing efforts. It showcases their creativity and dedication to fans, making it a positive aspect of their music career rather than something to be criticized for. https://t.co/ecPhZzJ9M9
— Jehni 🧸🤖 (@jennicalee1821) July 6, 2024
Only time will tell if the many remixes released will make an impact for the group, but their efforts seem to have actually broken a record.
According to the Guinness World Records website, the current record holder for most remixed track is the Dutch electronic group Human Resource, whose song “Dominator” has 41 remixes as of 2018.
Either way, people are certainly talking about A.C.E!
