Phantom (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hip hop, music |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Headquarters | South Korea |
| Products | Albums, singles |
| Parent | Brand New Music, Rainbow Bridge World |
Phantom () was a South Korean hip hop trio consisting of three artists: Kiggen, Sanchez, and Hanhae. The group was managed by Brand New Music alongside Rainbow Bridge World and released several singles as well as two mini-albums titled Phantom City and Phantom Theory. Their debut full-length album, Phantom Power, came out in 2014. After a period of inactivity lasting two years, Phantom officially disbanded in 2017.
Early stages and YouTube cover videos
Kiggen initially made his mark as an underground producer and composer, launching his first solo album Pianissimo in 2007, which blended hip-hop with jazz elements. In the same year, he started the electronic music project HybRefine, releasing the album 2010, which included Sanchez on the track "Cosmo Dance." Hanhae trained under Stardom Entertainment and was originally part of Block B, but left prior to their debut and later released his mixtape Eargasm in 2011.
Upon joining Brand New Music, all three members featured in labelmate Verbal Jint’s 2011 music video for "You Look Good." That year, Phantom created multiple YouTube videos, such as "19 Song," a medley of songs banned by South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and "Freddie 'Phantom' Mercury Singing The Boys," where Sanchez impersonated Queen’s Freddie Mercury while performing Girls' Generation’s "The Boys."
Hole In Your Face and Rookie of the Month recognition
Phantom debuted their first single album Hole In Your Face (얼굴 뚫어지겠다) on 25 November 2011, releasing a teaser via their official YouTube channel. The accompanying music video featured a graphic depiction of a girl being shot in the head, which caused public controversy and led to a censored version being issued soon after.
Although they had yet to officially debut, Phantom earned the "Rookie of the Month" award at the Cyworld Digital Music Awards for December 2011. In the months that followed, they performed alongside prominent artists including Verbal Jint, Bizniz, Swings, and Mighty Mouth. Moreover, Phantom appeared in music videos by Verbal Jint, Absalute Music, and Skull, broadening their reach within the hip-hop scene.
Phantom City and Phantom Theory
In August 2012, Phantom released the ballad "Seaweed Soup" prior to unveiling their first mini-album, Phantom City, which peaked at #10 on the Gaon Album Chart. Their debut performances on music shows featured the song "Burning" on platforms such as M! Countdown, Music Bank, Music Core, and Inkigayo. That year, they received the Best New Artist award at the Korean Culture Entertainment Awards.
Their second mini-album, Phantom Theory, came out in January 2013 and entered the Gaon Album Chart at #12. Alongside this release, they put out a music video for the lead single "Like Cho Young Pil".
Phantom Power
In May 2014, Phantom launched their first full-length album titled Phantom Power. This record included collaborations with artists such as San E, Verbal Jint, Navi, and Ga In, who featured on the title track "Seoul Lonely". The album debuted at number 16 on the Gaon Album Chart.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions | Sales Figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| Phantom Power |
|
16 |
|
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Details | Peak Chart Placement | Sales Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | |||
| Phantom City |
|
10 |
|
| Phantom Theory |
|
13 |
|
As lead artist
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Ranking | Sales Numbers | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | ||||
| "Hole in Your Face" (얼굴 뚫어지겠다) | 2011 | 90 | rowspan="2" Template:N/A | Phantom City |
| "Ice" (하이트광고음악) | 2012 | — | ||
| "Seeweed Soup" (미역국) | 56 |
| ||
| "Burning" | 33 |
| ||
| "Like Cho Yong-pil" (조용필처럼) | 2013 | 45 |
|
Phantom Theory |
| "Come As You Are" (몸만와) feat. Verbal Jint |
18 |
|
Phantom Power | |
| "I Already Know" (다알아) | 17 |
| ||
| "New Era" (신세계) feat. Navi |
34 |
| ||
| "Seoul Lonely" (오늘따라) feat. Gain |
2014 | 23 |
| |
| "Fly" (날아올라) | — |
|
rowspan="3" Template:N/A | |
| "A Story About My Ex" (이제 보니까) | 79 |
| ||
| "Could You Be Mine" (확신을 줘) | 2015 | — | Template:N/A | |
| "—" signifies singles that did not enter the charts. | ||||
Collaborations
| Song Title | Year Released | Peak Position on Charts | Sales Figures | Album Inclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR | ||||
| "Mistletoe"(미슬토우) with Geeks, Esna |
2013 | 24 |
|
Template:N/A |
Awards
| Year | Work Nominated | Award | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "얼굴 뚫어지겠다 (Hole in Your Face)" | Cyworld Digital Music Awards | Rookie of the Month, December 2011 | Template:Won |
| 2012 | Phantom | Korean Culture Entertainment Awards | Best New Artist | Template:Won |