Traffic Light (song)

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"Traffic Light"
Lee Mu-jin - Traffic Light.png
Single by Lee Mu-jin
LanguageKorean
ReleasedMay 14, 2021
Genre
Length3:52
LabelShowPlay Entertainment
Songwriter(s)Lee Mu-jin
Lee Mu-jin singles chronology
"Traffic Light"
(2021) 		"Rain and You"
(2021)
Music video
"Traffic Light" on YouTube

"Traffic Light" (Korean: 신호등; RR: Sinhodeung) is a song by Korean singer and songwriter Lee Mu-jin. It was released on May 14, 2021, as Lee's first single after his third-place finish on Korean music audition show Sing Again in 2020.[2][1]

Background[]

In November 2020, Lee Mu-jin was entered into the popular South Korean music audition show Sing Again. The shows aim is to take nameless singers and open them up to public interest, which means every contestant is referred to by a number instead of their name, which left Lee Mu-jin nameless throughout the shows duration. Lee Mu-jin progressed through each round and was one of six people to compete in the finals on February 8, 2021, where he finished in third place. His performance of "Is Anybody There?" has currently amassed over 25 million views on YouTube, showcasing his popularity.[3] After finishing third, he began working on "Traffic Light," and released the song three months after the show's conclusion. The songs concept is a reference to a line he said during his initial performance on the show, where he stated he was "a yellow light type of singer."[4]

Lyrics[]

Lee Mu-jin's self-written lyrics to "Traffic Light" compare the anxiety people feel in their early 20's to the feelings of a learning driver. In the chorus, he sings "red and green, in between are 3 short seconds," referring to the yellow light often found on traffic lights. Mu-jin compares moments of anxiety while growing up to yellow lights found on roads. He describes the yellow light by saying "it makes me hollow, I don't even know if I'm going fast or slow, it's just all yellow in front of me" comparing the light to the anxiety in life that confuses his mind in between moments of relaxation and excitement.[5][1]

Music video[]

The music video for "Traffic Light" was published 14 May 2021, and shows Lee Mu-jin meeting his friends in a forest cabin for his birthday. The video begins with Mu-jin using a map to search for the house, before he sees his friends driving in the distance. He hops in their car, and they make their way to a nearby lake where Mu-jin plays his friends music while they drink coffee by a campfire. They then make their way to the cabin, and are shown having fun in it's garden with water balloons, a trampoline and water pistols. The music videos ends with Lee Mu-jin's birthday party, and quick flashbacks to previous points in his day.

Credits and personnel[]

  • Lee Mu-jin – vocals, composition, lyrics, arrangement
  • Yoo Jong-ho – arrangement[6]

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (2021) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[7] 1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[8] 1

Monthly charts[]

Chart (2021) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[9] 1
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100)[10] 1

Accolades[]

Music program awards
Program Network Date (4 total) Ref.
Inkigayo SBS August 22, 2021 [11]
September 19, 2021 [12]
September 26, 2021 [13]
Music Bank KBS2 September 10, 2021 [14]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Streaming
South Korea (KMCA)[15] Platinum 100,000,000dagger

dagger Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Lee Mu-jin is no longer 'nameless'". Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  2. ^ [MV] Lee Mujin(이무진) _ Traffic light(신호등). YouTube. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  3. ^ ♨핫클립♨ ＂난 노란 신호등 같은 존재.＂ 특이한 음색으로 최고의 1분 기록↗ 63호 가수가 부르는 '누구 없소'♪|싱어게인. YouTube. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  4. ^ "'Sing Again' top three reflect at their second chance in the spotlight". Koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  5. ^ "Lee Mujin (이무진) – 신호등 (Traffic Light)". Genius.com. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  6. ^ "신호등 - 이무진". Melon.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  7. ^ "2021 Week 33 Digital Chart". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  8. ^ Cabral, R. J. (2 January 2013). "Billboard K-Pop 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  9. ^ "October 2021 Digital Chart". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  10. ^ "빌보드코리아". Billboard.co.kr. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  11. ^ Kim, Bo-ra (August 22, 2021). '인기가요' 이무진, 아이유 꺾고 1위…선미·레드벨벳·박지훈·TXT 컴백[종합] ['Inkigayo' Lee Mu-jin, beat IU to 1st place... Sunmi·Red Velvet·Park Ji-hoon·TXT comeback [General]]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved August 22, 2021 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Cho, Eun-mi (September 19, 2021). '인기가요' 이무진, 출연 없이 1위..리사 솔로 데뷔→NCT127·에이티즈·원호 컴백[종합] ['Inkigayo' Lee Mu-jin, 1st place without appearance... Lisa solo debut→NCT127·Ateez·Wonho comeback [Comprehensive]]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved September 19, 2021 – via Naver.
  13. ^ 9월 마지막 주 인기가요 차트 [Inkigayo chart for the fourth week of September]. SBS Inkigayo (in Korean). September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Kim, Ji-hye (September 10, 2021). '뮤직뱅크' 이무진, 스트레이키즈 꺾고 1위..영케이→스테이씨 컴백[종합] ['Music Bank' Lee Mu-jin, beats Stray Kids to take 1st place... Young K→StayC comeback [General]]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Naver.
  15. ^ "South Korean single streaming certifications – Lee Mu-jin – Traffic Light" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved February 9, 2022.
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