Misplaced Pages

"10 Minutes" is the debut single by South Korean recording artist Lee Hyori. It is taken from her debut studio album Stylish..., which was released through DSP Media and CJ E&M on August 13, 2003. A R&B and hip hop number, "10 Minutes" was written by MayBee with production handled by Kim Do-hyun. Following its release, the song became a commercial hit in South Korea and spurred numerous musical and fashion trends at the time—its popularity gave way to what domestic media dubbed as the "Hyori Syndrome".

The accompanying music video for "10 Minutes" was directed by Seo Hyun-seung; it was initially banned from broadcast by SBS, which judged its choreography to be too erotic. Lee promoted the song with live performances on various South Korean music programs throughout August and September, including Music Camp and Inkigayo. The song received multiple accolades at year-end award shows, including Most Popular Music Video at the 2003 Mnet Music Video Festival and the Grand Prize at the annual KBS Music Awards.

Background and composition

Lee Hyori became well known in South Korea as a member of girl group Fin.K.L, who debuted in 1998 under DSP Media. The group released their final studio album, Forever, in March 2002. The album reached number two on the MIAK monthly album chart and sold over 250,000 copies. Beginning in 2003, the members began exploring individual activities, thus putting group activities in a temporary hiatus. Lee Hyori embarked on a solo career with the release of her debut studio album Stylish..., which spawned the lead single "10 Minutes".

"10 Minutes" is a hip hop-inspired dance-pop song, written by MayBee and composed by Kim Do-hyun. Im Jin-mo of IZM wrote that the song had a "sensuous rhythm", while Rolling Stone compared it to the music of Aaliyah and Jennifer Lopez, describing it as "groovy, synth-fueled R&B-pop". Lyrically, it depicts the singer seducing a man who already has a partner, asserting that she can make him hers in 10 minutes. The lyrics were originally for a song by hip hop group People Crew [ko], but were instead given to Lee Hyori.

Promotion

Music video

The accompanying music video was directed by Seo Hyun-seung, and shows Lee attracting a man who eventually leaves the woman he's interested in for the singer. The singer H [ko] appeared as the man whom Lee Hyori seduces, while Epik High also made a brief cameo. Upon the video's release, television network SBS banned it from public broadcast due to dance moves resembling sex, which SBS judged inappropriate for television. A re-edited version of the video with the scenes removed was soon sent to the network and was made available for broadcast. The video was well received—in an internet survey ranking the 100 best Korean music videos conducted by MTV Korea in July 2004, "10 Minutes" ranked at number three.

Live performances

To promote "10 Minutes" and Stylish..., Lee made appearances at various live concerts and weekly music programs following its release. On August 16, Lee made her first performance as a solo artist since Fin.K.L at the 2003 Star Ting Concert, where she performed "10 Minutes" and "One Two Three N'Four", despite a recording mishap. The following day, she made her live television debut with both songs on the music program Inkigayo; she continued to promote the song on different music programs throughout August and September. On November 27, she performed the song live at the 2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, where she was the most nominated act of the night. At the 2008 Mnet KM Music Festival, Lee and boy group Big Bang performed together a medley of their songs, which included parts of "10 Minutes".

Awards

"10 Minutes" won numerous accolades, including the Most Popular Music Video daesang at the 2003 Mnet Music Video Festival and the Grand Prize at the annual KBS Music Awards. It won the Grand Prize at the 2003 SBS Gayo Daejeon.

In popular culture and covers

In 2024, "10 Minutes" experienced a resurgence on TikTok, igniting a Y2K aesthetics trend known as the "10 Minutes Challenge".

Various K-pop artists have performed covers of the song, including Twice's Nayeon, Momo and Jihyo, Loossemble, Everglow, Class:y, Ichillin', Laboum, and a joint performance from Kard's Jiwoo and CLC's Yeeun. Itzy's Yeji, Ryujin, and Chaeryoung, Riize, and Cha Eun-woo additionally covered the song on The Seasons: Lee Hyori's Red Carpet, hosted by Lee herself, in 2024.

Cultural impact

Lee's solo debut with "10 Minutes" has been noted by publications as the mark of her transition to a primarily sexual image. The Korea Herald noted how the track led to a wave of interest that came to be known as "Hyori Syndrome", leading her to be dubbed the "sexy queen of K-pop." Writing about the effect of the "Hyori Syndrome" in the industry, an editor from Beautytap said that "the flirty images of K-pop girl groups today can be credited in large part to Hyori pushing the limits"; "Hyori rocked racy outfits, danced provocatively in her videos, and didn't seem afraid to push the limits of what was considered 'acceptable sex appeal' at the time in Korea." A reporter from domestic media outlet Star News wrote that since "10 Minutes" in 2003, Lee created a boom in the industry among women of all ages, and became a trendsetter in the South Korean fashion world.

Having appeared on the front page of newspapers 891 times after the release of "10 Minutes", Lee set a Guinness World Record at the time for the highest number of front-page newspaper appearances. In 2007, The Korea Times named Lee one of 10 Influential Women on the Cultural Scene since 1950, saying that "the Lee Hyori syndrome spread around the country" after the release of "10 Minutes", leading to her becoming a fashion icon and the highest-paid female singer in Korea at that point. Marie Claire included the song in their list of 35 essential K-pop songs, writing that "it was so popular that 2003 was nicknamed 'The Year of Hyori' in Korean media." In a panel of 35 music critics organized by Seoul Shinmun and Melon, "10 Minutes" was ranked the 16th greatest K-pop song of all-time; music critic Subtle said that the song yielded major influence on female idols, which still showed years after its initial release. Rolling Stone ranked "10 Minutes" number 24 in their list of the 100 greatest Korean pop songs all time, remarking how she became "an inescapable presence in Korea around the release of her solo debut."

References

1. ^ Song, Cheol-min (January 15, 2016). K-pop Beyond Asia. Korean Culture and Information Service. p. 38. ISBN 9788973755981. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
2. "Miak.or.kr" 2002.03월 – 가요 음반 판매량 [2002.03 – Sales volume] (in Korean). Music Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on April 26, 2005. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
3. [신작 DVD 포커스] 핑클 라이브 콘서트 [ Fin.K.L releases live concert]. Digital Times (in Korean). March 28, 2003. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via Naver.
4. "Stylish... – Album by Lee Hyori" (in Korean). Melon. August 13, 2003. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
5. Choi, Yeong-gyun (July 29, 2003). 효리, 마돈나 춤선생 초청 "섹시 특훈" [Hyori invites Madonna's dance instructor for "special training in sexiness"]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via Daum.
6. Stylish... (booklet). Lee Hyori. Daeyoung AV. 2003. DYCD-1223.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Im, Jin-mo (August 2003). "Stylish...EhyOlee". IZM. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
8. ^ "The 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music". Rolling Stone. July 20, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
9. 이효리 '애인 강탈' [Hyori Lee "robbing her lover"]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). August 12, 2003. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
10. Choi, Min-young (August 25, 2003). "'두얼굴'의 매력 이효리" [The charm of Lee Hyori's 'duality']. Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
11. Kim, Ji-yeon (October 13, 2006). MC몽, "이효리 '10 Minutes'는 피플크루 가사였다". OSEN. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
12. Shin, Nam-su (December 18, 2003). 이효리 '텐 미니츠' 뮤비속 '그남자'는 '얼굴없는 가수' h [The man in Lee Hyori's "10 Minutes" is 'faceless singer' H]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved August 6, 2024 – via chosun.com.
13. Hong, Jae-hyeon (April 3, 2008). [포토]에픽하이“신인시절이효리뮤비1초출연” [ Epik High appeared for 1 second in Lee Hyori's MV when they were rookies]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Retrieved August 6, 2024.
14. 이효리 "방송퇴출" [Lee Hyori 'banned from broadcasting']. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). August 26, 2003. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
15. '이효리 뮤직비디오' 방송심의 3사3색 ['Lee Hyori's music video' broadcast review, 3 versions sent to 3 networks]. Media Today (in Korean). September 4, 2003. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
16. '최고 뮤비는 브라운 아이즈 '벌써 1년''-MTV 조사 ["Best music video is Brown Eyes 'Already a Year'" – MTV Survey]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). July 14, 2004. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2021 – via Naver.
17. Choi, Young-gyun (August 17, 2003). 명품 '이효리 모셔라'. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
18. Lee, Kyung-ran (August 18, 2003). 이효리, "섹시댄스" 솔로 신고식. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
19. 이효리-이민우 "섹시댄스" 유혹. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). November 25, 2003. Retrieved August 3, 2024 – via Daum.
20. 탑-이효리 깜짝 키스, '2008 MKMF' 흥분의 도가니 [TOP and Lee Hyori's surprise kiss at '2008 MKMF' is a melting pot of excitement]. Osen (in Korean). November 15, 2008. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
21. ^ 2003 m.net 뮤직 페스티벌 최고의 수상자는 이효리와 빅마마 [2003 m.net Music Festival Winners: Lee Hyori and Big Mama]. Newsis (in Korean). November 28, 2003. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Daum.
22. ^ 'KBS 2003 가요대상' 또 이효리 수상 ['KBS 2003 Music Awards' Lee Hyori wins again]. Newsis (in Korean). December 31, 2003. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via Naver.
23. 엠넷, 뮤직비디오 페스티벌 [Mnet Music Video Festival]. Digital Times (in Korean). November 7, 2003. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
24. [2020 SBS 가요대전] “1992년부터 시작된 SBS 가요대전의 역사와 역대 대상 수상자는?” [ 'What is the history of the SBS Gayo Daejeon since 1992 and who were the previous grand prize winners?']. Korea Lecturer News (in Korean). December 25, 2020. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
25. Pyo, Kyung-min (May 19, 2024). "Y2K aesthetics resurface as cultural mainstay". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
26. ""잘한다 잘한다"…트와이스 지효·모모·나연 '텐미니츠' 커버에 이효리 응원" [“Doing well, doing well”… Twice's Jihyo, Momo, Nayeon perform a cover of '10 Minutes']. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Naver. October 24, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
27. "루셈블, 첫 팬 콘서트 '황홀한 시간'" [Loossemble, first fan concert ‘Ecstatic time’]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Naver. November 27, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
28. "'불후의 명곡' 에버글로우, 이효리 '텐미닛' 재해석 '레전드 무대'" [‘Immortal Song’ Everglow reinterprets Lee Hyori’s ‘Ten Minutes’ ‘Legendary Stage’]. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Naver. December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
29. "'케이콘택트2' 성공적 출발, 사흘간 전세계 200만 관객 사로잡았다" [‘K Contact 2’ gets off to a successful start, captivating 2 million viewers worldwide over three days]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
30. "있지, 인스타 팔로워 2000만·스포티파이 누적 스트리밍 23억 달성 '겹경사'" [Itzy achieves 20 million followers on Instagram and 2.3 billion cumulative streaming on Spotify]. Sports World (in Korean). January 30, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
31. "[더 시즌즈-이효리의 레드카펫] 보이 그룹 라이즈(RIIZE), 요즘 완전 대세★" [ Boy group Riize is a trend these days★]. KBS Media (in Korean). Naver. January 13, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
32. "[어게인TV] 차은우, 노래 도중 눈물 "이 곡은 아직 힘들다"(레드카펫)" [ Cha Eun-woo cries while singing, “This song is still difficult” (Red Carpet)]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Naver. February 24, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
33. Park, Mi-ae (February 7, 2007). 청순 vs 섹시, 그 대표 여가수는 누구? [Innocent vs sexy, who is the representative female singer?]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
34. 이효리 눈의 비밀 '섹시함 + 귀여움' [Lee Hyori's secret eyes 'sexy + cute']. TV Report (in Korean). March 6, 2007. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
35. "Lee Hyo-ri rides another wave of popularity". The Korea Herald. June 7, 2013. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
36. Son, Angela (October 25, 2017). "Evolving Gracefully: Lee Hyori, K-Pop Superstar to Nature Goddess". Beautytap. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
37. Kim, Won-gyeom (February 2, 2007). 이효리, 단막 드라마 위해 직접 의상 구입 [Lee Hyori buys her own costume for a one-act drama]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 20, 2021 – via Naver.
38. "[SBS Star] 4 Celebrities Who Have a Guinness World Record". SBS News. April 19, 2019. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
39. "10 Influential Women on the Cultural Scene (1950-2007)". The Korea Times. October 22, 2007. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
40. LeGardye, Quinci (November 8, 2021). "35 Essential K-Pop Songs Every Fan Should Know". Marie Claire Magazine. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
41. "Top 100 K-pop Masterpieces: 10 Minutes – Lee Hyori" (in Korean). Melon. August 2021. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.

• 2003 debut singles
• 2003 songs
• Lee Hyori songs
• Music video controversies
• Songs about casual sex