After three years of training under the guidance of record label YG Entertainment, singer Kang Seung Yoon has made a big splash in the pop world, with his surprisingly raw pop rock song "It Rains."

A former "Superstar K" contestant, Kang made no public appearances in his three years at YG, instead honing his skills within the label's notoriously rigorous pop performer training program.

The hard work has paid off for the singer in surprising ways.

"It Rains" is a powerful rock ballad in the style of "The Bends"-era Radiohead, not exactly the choreography-friendly sound one might expect from a K-pop trainee.

But Kang offers a sincere performance and the band drives home the song's infectious hooks in sharply controlled bursts.

The mixture worked.

"It Rains" achieved what is known in K-pop as an "all-kill" on Wednesday, debuting at number one spot on nine South Korean pop charts: Olleh, Daum, Mellon, Naver, Cyworld Music, Soribada, Bugs, Mnet and Monkey3.

After his years of training, Kang Seung Yoon has a major hit on his hands.

And perhaps, even more importantly, he has a sound that is a refreshing jolt in the arm of the K-pop landscape.

Known for being an excellent arbiter of talent in the world of K-pop YG founder and CEO Yang Hyun Suk, whose label roster also includes Psy, Big Bang and Akdong Musician, appears to have scored again by taking a chance on originality.

What is interesting about "It Rains" is that although it has nods to superstar rock acts like U2 or Coldplay, it also has a sound that comes across as distinctly South Korean and also particular to Kang.

There is currently nothing on the K-pop charts right that sounds like "It Rains."

It is a ballad without being sleepy, generic or boring. It a rock song without being to harsh, derivative or cheesy. "It Rains" is impressive in how distinct it is.

Timed perfectly for Korea's rainy season, "It Rains" shows Kang is an artist with considerable potential.

His vocal delivery, and the songwriting structure that he is operating in are a throwback to the 1990s, not just in the stripped down production, but also in the simple melody performed with intensity and record production that doesn't bash you over the head.

Listen to the debut single "It Rains" by Kang Seung Yoon RIGHT HERE