10 Minutes (Lee Hyori song)

Well known in South Korea as a member of girl group Fin.K.L managed under DSP Media, the group released their last studio album Eternity in March 2002; the record peaked at number two on the MIAK monthly albums chart and sold over 250,000 copies.[2] Beginning in 2003, the members began exploring individual activities, thus putting group activities in a temporary hiatus.[3] Lee Hyori embarked on a solo career with the release of her debut studio album Stylish...E, which spawned the lead single "10 Minutes".[4]

Written by musician and lyricist MayBee with production handled by Kim Do-hyun, the track is primarily a hip hop and dance number that lyrically conveys how Lee can seduce a man in ten minutes.[5][6]

The song's popularity led to what South Korean media called the "Hyori Syndrome".[1]

"10 Minutes" won numerous accolades, including the Most Popular Music Video daesang at the 2003 Mnet Music Video Festival[13] and the Grand Prize at the annual KBS Music Awards.[14] It additionally received two bonsang prizes at the latter ceremony and the 18th Golden Disc Awards.[15]

Lee's solo debut with "10 Minutes" has been noted by publications as the mark of her transition to a primarily sexual image.[17][18] 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."[19] 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."[20] 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.[21]

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.[22] 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.[23] 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."[24] 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.[25]