The first month of the year, Gary and Gain both came back as solo artists. Although they chose quite different music genres, the steps they are taking are very similar.

Gary released his first solo mini album Mr Gae on January 15th. Gain came back on January 28th and revealed songs from her 3rd solo album Truth or Dare.

At first glance the artists seem so different. What do they have in common?

Sexy songs, sexy videos... Completely rated '19 & over'

Their strategies are unconventional. Gary and Gain came back with sexiness that was way beyond expectations.

Gary's double title songs "Shower Later" and "Zotto Mola" shocked the listeners. The former featured vivid lyrics about a man and woman's actions on the bed. The latter had straightforward lyrics, which left a lasting impression. Both songs gave a glimpse into Gary, the masculine man.

Gary's "Shower Later" music video gathered attention worldwide. The female models in the video shed their clothes, wore sunglasses, and showed off their sexy body lines. There were full body shots and close-up shots on specific body parts. It's not surprising at all that the video has received a rating '19 and over.'

Gain is no different. Although all the songs on her new album haven't been revealed yet, her song "Fxxx U" is just as shocking as Gary's. However, the lyrics are not as sexy as Gary's title song, but they do include content that stimulates the imagination and curiosity.

The "Fxxx U" music video is very, very sexy. Actor Joo Ji Hoon made his first appearance in a music video with Gain, thanks to their acquaintance. The two acted as lovers in the music video, drawing close to each other's' bodies. They even shot a scene behind the shower curtain, raising images of sex in the viewers' mind. Gain's music video was no different from Gary's in receiving a '19 and over' rating.

Unfit for broadcast? That much was expected.

Gary's entire album has been deemed inappropriate for broadcast. Although Gain's full album hasn't been released, her song "Fxxx U" has been received with the same rating.

Gary's Mr Gae was deemed unfit for public broadcast on Korea's 3 main broadcast companies KBS, SBS, and MBC. As a result, it'll be almost impossible to catch the song or music video on a broadcast program. That's because of the profanity, vulgar slang, and sexual expressions included in the album songs.

Gain's "Fxxx U" received a 'non-broadcast' decision from SBS. The problem was more than just the lyrics; the title is inappropriate for the public. She's still waiting on KBS and MBC's decision as they deliberate, but since the title includes a curse word, it will probably be impossible to see the song on broadcast as well.

However both Gary's agency Leessang Company and Gain's agency A Pop Entertainment seem unfazed by this decision. They weren't uncomfortable with the 'non-broadcast' decision, but seemed to accept it as being the natural result.

Both sides stated, "The song was not made with public broadcasting in mind" and "We were expecting this kind of result." Leessang Company made a comment regarding Gary's entire album being deemed inappropriate for broadcast, saying "Gary is a rapper, so lyrics are very improtant. We didn't want to interfere with his freedom to express himself."

They've proved themselves as solo artists.

Gary and Gain are both artists who are also part of groups. Before Gary released his solo album, he was working with Gil in the hip hop duo Leessang. Gain is a member of Brown Eyed Girls.

These two were already prominent enough in their groups, and didn't fall when they went solo. Instead, they were able to show the public aspects that they couldn't show in a group.

Gain was already sexy as a member of Brown Eyed Girls, but her sexiness is accentuated that much more as a solo artist. Gary took off the Leessang name and created a new image for himself as Gary, the solo artist.

Gary and Gain's successful solo comebacks are immortalized on the music charts. After his January 15th album release, Gary ranked number 1 on various music sites. Even now his song is ranked in the Top 10 on live music charts, and looks like he's going for the long run. Gain's song "Fxxx U" ranked number 1 on various live time music charts after it was released on the 28th. Fans are greatly looking forward to her full album release on the 6th.