Category: K-POP ARTISTS

Looking for some refreshing K-pop tunes from sub-units that you might have missed? Here are four of them.

Hi Suhyun and Bom&Hi

It must be because Lee Hi debuted in YG Entertainment at a time where the trend was (still is) is for idols to be in groups all the time that the company paired him with Suhyun of the sibling duo Akdong Musician and Park Bom of the phenomenal girl group 2NE1. Bom, Suhyun, and Hi were at the top of their game during the times they collaborated, so it goes without saying that the project “sub-unit” collabs were all hits.  First was the cover by Lee Hi and Bom of Mariah Carey’s Christmas staple, All I Want for Christmas is You, released on December 20, 2013, which peaked at #17 in the charts. It was accompanied by a very moody music video with a sort of Scandinavian aesthetic. 

Eleven months later, in November 2014, Lee and AKMU‘s Suhyun formed the sub-unit Hi Suhyun and released the digital single I’m Different featuring iKON‘s Bobby in both the song and the music video. The duo’s first stage was at SBS’ Inkigayo on November 16, following their first win the following week. Such an iconic song and music video, where we see the two having a “friendly competition” over Bobby’s affections, for them only to realize that our boy already has a girlfriend, none other the beautiful still-had-to-debut Jisoo before Blackpink exploded. One fun and cute music video where everyone just looked their most attractive. 

Playlist musts: Both I’m Different and the All I Want for Christmas cover are musts! 

Girls’ Generation – TTS

The first official sub-unit of Girls’ Generation was composed of the groups’ three main vocalists, Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. Now, you may be asking, why weren’t the other two main vocalists, Jessica and Sunny,  not included? No official statement regarding this, but some speculate that they were the three members who were the most available and did not have other projects. Others suggest that the sub-unit was actually Tiffany’s idea, that she originally wanted only Taeyeon and the rest of the slots were available for everyone and Sica and Sunny weren’t available. Finally, there’s the theory that the three voices were the most matched with other: Taeyeon has complete control, Tiffany supplies the emotions, and Seohyun has the technical merit, making a perfect and complete combination that doesn’t really require Sica’s nasality and Sunny’s overly high pitch. 

TaTiSeo‘s debut EP, Twinkle, was released in April 2012 and secured its place in K-pop history as the first album by a Korean artist to rank number 1 on the Billboard World Albums chart. At the time, it was also the highest charting K-pop album on the Billboard 200, reaching number 126. TTS became the first subgroup to achieve a “triple crown” on South Korean music shows, reigning in the number 1 spot for three weeks in a row. Suffice to say Twinkle was the undisputed top song during its release.

It took more than two years for the group to release their follow-up effort to Twinkle. Holler was released in September 2014. The album continued the sub-unit’s success as it debuted at number 1 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart and the Billboard World Albums chart. With this achievement, TTS become the third Korean artist, and the first female artist, to have more than one number 1 on the Billboard World Albums chart. During promotions, the three singers were featured in the reality show The TaeTiSeo. In December 2015, TTS released their third EP, a Christmas special album titled Dear Santa. The album debuted at number 2 on South Korea’s Gaon Albums Chart and has sold at least 60,456 copies to date. Like the Twinkle EP, Seohyun contributed to the composition of a couple of songs. 

As the group is very Tiffany-heavy, GG-TTS was sparkling all the time. From the very bright sound of all their songs to the glittery outfits on their stages and music videos. It’s a bit sad that there isn’t much of a hope for a reunion since Ti and Seo aren’t with SM Entertainment anymore. But since the entire GG group is reuniting, we can still hope, yeah?

Playlist musts: Dear Santa, if you’re on a holiday mood, but otherwise, Holler and Twinkle will definitely give you instant sparkles if you happen to have a blah day. 

JJ Project

The first and perhaps only sub-unit of the hapless GOT7, the JJ Project started out even before the debut of their group. They started off adapting the stage names of JB and Jr. as there were already established singers who share their names, including Park Jinyoung, their boss in JYP Entertainment. On May 8, 2013, JYP Entertainment announced the new duo JJ Project, which debuted with the single album Bounce on May 20. The single album also features another song Hooked and a collaboration with Miss A‘s Suzy titled Before This Song Ends. 

In April 2013, the duo appeared once again as actors for the MBC’s drama When a Man Falls in Love. While they were preparing for the second album, they were reintegrated into JYPE’s new boy band project group, and on January 16, 2014, they debuted as members of GOT7.

On July 31, 2017, they released Verse 2, an EP of self-composed, self-written songs about the anxieties of youth. At the end of the year, Verse 2 was chosen as the fifth best K-pop album of 2017 by Billboard and was nominated in the album division at the Golden Disc Awards. JJ Project also got a nomination for the popularity award. Further activities of the duo have been muddled by Got7‘s internal troubles (aka lack of effort on JYPE’s part to promote the group). Finally, on January 19, 2021, following the expiration of their contract, they left JYP Entertainment. Since then, Got7 has reunited for an album outside the tutelage of JYPE, but there hasn’t been any news on JJ Project activities.  

Playlist musts: If you’re into the mindless anything goes fun songs JYPE produces (e.g., 2PM’s Go Crazy), then Bounce is for you. Otherwise, make sure to check out Tomorrow, Today with its breathtaking picturesque roadtrip music video.

ToHeart

ToHeart is a bit of an anomaly in K-pop because this unit is composed of two members who not only come from different groups, but different entertainment companies. Well, it can be said that Woolim Entertainment is already connected with SM Entertainment via its merger with SM Contents & Culture, but it is still an independent company, so the establishment of SHINee’s Key and Infinite’s Woohyun as ToHeart is quite a refreshing development, up to this day. 

On February 20, 2014 SM Entertainment released a teaser announcing ToHeart, which debuted three weeks later with the mini album Delicious and the music video for the title track was released on March 10. On the same day, the duo held their first showcase in the Coex Artium, hosted by bandmates Minho and Sunggyu. Both Woohyun and Key stated that it was their idea to create this unit, since both are friends and had an interest in working with each other. They didn’t expect to do a singing collaboration project, instead thinking of photoshoots and something similar. Close to two months after the release of Delicious, the duo followed up their promotions with Tell Me Why featuring Infinite Sungyeol’s little brother, Lee Daeyeol (who later joined Golden Child) as well as actress Mun Kayoung. The song was requested most by fans and is produced by Sweetune. It tells the story of a man’s unwillingness to let a lover go.

The sub-unit’s career was short and sweet, having produced only those two singles and that one mini album. During the year they were active, the two were also flooded with controversy, primary among them were rumors claiming that the two were more than just friends and co-workers. Fashion magazine photoshoots of the two that could be best described as bordering on homoerotic only added fuel to the fire. However, rumors of a lover’s spat exploded when the two just ceased activities as ToHeart and also unfollowed each other on social media. The rumors were later quashed as the two followed each other again on Instagram and Key actually asking Woohyun to go with him to fulfill his mandatory military duty in 2019. But then, many pointed out that the two haven’t been as close as they used to be, and there hasn’t been any news of the duo reuniting to work together again or release new music. But then, if the degree of the duo’s closeness is best defined by those hot magazine photoshoots, those levels may never return. However, based on recent activity, it would be safe to guess that the two are still very close even outside of showbusiness. 

Playlist musts: Delicious and Tell Me Why are second generation K-pop gems that nobody can deny.

Make sure to check their songs out so you won’t wonder how you been living on this earth without knowing them!

Featured Image: Youtube Screengrab from ToHeart’s music video “Delicious”

If you think the seven-year curse has affected each and every Kpop artist, here are four Kpop groups that broke the dreaded 7-year curse:

Girls’ Generation (2007 – Present)

TWICE may have arguably taken the title “Nation’s Girl Group,” but we cannot deny that the OGs still have it. And there were a lot of girl groups before Girls’ Generation, groups like Fin. K.L, SeeYa, and SM Entertainment labelmate SES dominated public consciousness for a time, but nothing has come close to how SNSD has endeared themselves to the Korean public and how they have stayed relevant all these 15 years. Yes, the group debuted in 2007 and there hasn’t been any major hiccup in their career, save for that one person everybody regards like Bruno in Enchanted: Ms. Jessica Jung. Alas, right on the dot of the group’s 7th anniversary in 2014, Jessica just wasn’t a member of Girls’ Generation anymore. Was she removed? If yes, by who? Did the company give her the boot? Did her groupmates vote her out, Survivor-style? Did she resign from the group to focus on her other career ventures (aka her fashion line and her boyfriend Tyler Kwon)? 

Despite that, they still continued with some chart-toppers like Lionheart and Party, then commemorated their 10th year as a group with the double release of All Night and Holiday before Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Seohyun left SM Entertainment (but not the group!) the next year. The remaining members with SME continued to make up the subunit Oh!GG and still topped the charts. And now, all eight members are reuniting with a 15th anniversary release. That this might coincide with Blackpink’s August comeback is giving me an anxiety attack. 

BIGBANG (2006- Present)

BIGBANG has been around for more than 16 years. Debuting in 2006, the group quickly became a success and single-handedly built YG Entertainment’s reputation, raising the company’s status among Korea’s top 3 entertainment companies. As with most groups, BIGBANG had its share of controversies, and how! These were some of the biggest scandals in the Korean entertainment industry has been involved in.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to remember them. Let’s see, there was GD’s marijuana use, Daesung’s manslaughter, TOP’s drug case, TOP’s attempt at taking his own life, Seungri’s involvement in the Burning Sun scandal part 1 (the being a front of illegal gambling and drug trade activity), Seungri’s involvement in the Burning Sun scandal part 2 (illegal sexual harassment video trafficking), Seungri’s resignation from the group and the Korean entertainment industry, Seungri’s jail sentence, Seungri’s removal from conscription and transfer to a civilian prison. 

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when there's people doubting or diminishing bigbang's impact, success and influence just ask them how many kpop groups out there can release a song at midnight after 5 years of hiatus with no promotion and still break records, make colossal numbers and shake the whole industry

— ☽ (@basquiatop) June 19, 2022

If we are to look at the entire history of Korean pop music, only BTS has surpassed the level of BIGBANG’s domestic and international success. Before BTS, BIGBANG was THE representative K-pop group. And based on their latest comeback that only featured the four remaining members, Still Life was an instant hit both at home and abroad. This begs the question, how can a group that has been at the center of so much controversy and involved in so many scandals continue to be loved even by Korean fans, known to be quite a conservative bunch? I guess it’s a mix of really good music and the individual personalities of the members. BIGBANG just never disappoints with their releases. There was never a BIGBANG song that was released with the public going, “Maybe I’ll like it with a few more listens.” Every BIGBANG song simply appealed to listeners. But more than producing earworms and radio-friendly hits, BIGBANG songs are also very artistic. This bleeds to their personalities that just scream artist, not just singers or musicians. They’re eccentric and aspirational but also very relatable at the same time. They keep their distance from the public but have never been reported to be rude, cold, or curt towards fans and “ordinary” folk. 

But then, if the group’s latest comeback Still Life is any indication, we may have to wait for years until the next BIGBANG comeback. With TOP leaving YG Entertainment, Taeyang focusing on his family, and GD and Daesung reportedly pursuing solo projects, combined with Still Life’s bittersweet message, it seems that the group will be taking a long but well-deserved breather. Fans may have to deal with the fact that BIGBANG has taken that dreaded word – hiatus, but we’ll take that as there still hasn’t been an official announcement of that more dreaded word, the one that starts with “dis” and ends with “band”. 

Shinhwa (1998 – Current)

Hear ye, the gold standard of K-pop groups. Ask any debuting K-pop group about their longevity goals, and the chances are high that they will answer “We want to stay active as long as Shinhwa sunbaenim has.” After all, Shinhwa has not only lasted for a decade, but two decades already, and still running. Yes, the granddaddy of still active first-generation K-pop groups will be marking their silver anniversary, aka 25th, in 2023!

Shinhwa debuted under SM Entertainment in 1998 and has stayed as a complete group, with no member changes. Yep, that’s close to 25 years of no members getting removed or resigning, not even “leaving the company but staying in the group”. After all, the group is self-managed, meaning the group established their own company to manage their careers. This is also basically the reason that the group left SM Entertainment, as the latter offered all members except Dongwan a new contract after their old one was set to expire. The group’s latest release was in 2018, Heart, which commemorated the group’s 20th anniversary with the single Kiss Me Like That, where the group again sported a very sexy but elegant image. We are highly anticipating new releases next year for the group’s 25th year in the entertainment industry!

Super Junior (2005 – Present)

Speaking of long-lasting groups, let us not forget hallyu pioneers Super Junior, a group that made its debut in 2005. Being a group from SM Entertainment, it has been a foregone conclusion that SJ will stay in the business for a very long time. After all, SM Entertainment does not disband groups under them. It usually takes a contract dispute (e.g., H.O.T and Shinhwa) or all members deciding not to continue with their contracts with the company (e.g., f(x)) for the group to “disband”, although you will never see the company issuing any statement that their groups have disbanded. SM issues official statements about their talents being bullied, in a romantic relationship, or even leaving the group (as in the case of Jessica and SNSD), but never about their groups getting disbanded. 

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SUPER JUNIOR The 11th Album Vol.1 [The Road : Keep on Going]

'Mango' MV Teaser #2

📍 https://t.co/mYb3Vzl4R1

🎧 2022.07.12. 6PM KST#슈퍼주니어 #SUPERJUNIOR#The_Road_Keep_on_Going#Mango pic.twitter.com/pgv4wo5nJO

— SUPER JUNIOR (@SJofficial) July 11, 2022

This has been the case with SJ as well. Super Junior was initially envisioned as Super Junior ‘5, a group with a mix of members who may not sing, rap or dance, but be active in the entertainment business just the same in other capacities (as hosts, actors, etc.) after being in the group for a period, after which they “graduate” after achieving their (or the company’s) desired degree of popularity, much like the original idea for the Pledis girl group After School. So, there was supposed to be a Super Junior 06, Super Junior 07, and so on and so forth with different line-ups depending on which members graduated and which new members get introduced into the group. As such, at the start, you may notice that Shindong did not have lines in the group’s early releases. That’s because Shindong, after debuting with the 05 batch, was supposed to be a comedian. But then the concept of making SJ an annual generation thing fell through, and with the inclusion of Kyuhyun in 2006, Super Junior became a permanent group. 

While SJ’s original concept was to have regular lineup changes based on “generation”, the group still had members removed despite the original concept getting a no-go. In the group’s awe-inspiring 17 years, three have left the group, two of which were not the most favorable of circumstances, and one is currently on a very long and extended hiatus, much like the other one who disappeared into the abyss. 

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From Super Junior Hankyung to PRISTIN Kyulkyung, what's the reason Chinese K-pop idols chose careers in China rather than in Korea? #PRISTIN #WJSN #JooKyulkyung #fx #Kris #Victoria #ChengXiao #EXO #Luhan #Tao #SuperJunior #HanGeng #Hankyung https://t.co/Gft9i9UdWb

— KpopStarz (@kpopstarz) July 11, 2022

First was Chinese member Hangeng, who actually joined the group in the weirdest way. Being Chinese, he was limited to performing on three Korean TV stations. Thus, in some performances, he had to wear as a mask and had to be blended with the backup dancers so as not to attract unnecessary attention. But then, in 2009, after a series of incidents where he felt discriminated against because he is not Korean (e.g., his family getting relegated to cheap seats in a Super Junior concert in Shanghai, being forced to attend and perform on events even though he was sick or injured while Korean members recuperated in the hospital), he just packed his bags, left the group’s dormitory, and went home. As expected, lawsuits got served and in 2011, Hangeng, Yuehua Entertainment (his agency then), and SME finally came to an agreement. 

Meanwhile, the case for member Kangin was quite the opposite. It was almost as if Kangin was overly favored by SM Entertainment even when he got involved in very un-idol-like behavior. In 2007, Kangin hosted three(!) variety programs on MBC, but was caught in the middle as a timeslot dispute transpired between the TV station and SM. After SM pulled out Kangin in one program (his hosting sting in Show! Music Core), MBC unofficially banned Super Junior from appearing on their programs. Subsequently, Kangin had to leave the two other programs, both of which got canceled after ratings plummeted after his departure. MBC unilaterally ended the dispute by stating that the ban on SJ was never official and inviting them to host a new program. 

As seen in this incident, the reason Kangin got heavily favored by SM, suffice to say was that he was a pretty popular member. He had numerous hosting jobs under his belt, and for some reason, the Korean TV viewing public liked his acerbic hosting style, as he often said a number of off-color comments which can be viewed as bigoted, sexist, racist, and downright offensive. Apart from his activities in SJ, he had a thriving TV career, and was on-demand as a runway model, having walked for renowned designer Andre Kim. First DUI case? SM sent him to finish his military duty as he “reflected on his actions”. Assault case? SM strongly defended him, saying he actually was the one who stopped the fight. Second DUI case? SM managed to settle it. Second assault case? SM managed to sweep matters under the rug, again. But while SM has managed to keep things hush-hush for Kangin, ELFs were not particularly impressed with him anymore and threatened to boycott any SJ comebacks that featured him. Finally, in 2019, after 14 years with the group and two years after this latest brush with the kaw (the second harassment case featuring a woman who was allegedly his girlfriend), he officially left the group.

The third member, Kibum, was another victim of the group’s concept change. As he was under the impression that the group would have the generation/graduation thing going, he figured he would start as a rapper, then later move on to other facets in the entertainment industry, such as acting. But with SM deciding that SJ would be a permanent group, Kibum did not have the flexibility to change his career’s direction as Shindong had. While also realizing he didn’t want to continue as an idol he honestly told SM that he doesn’t want to be involved in any Super Junior work and just ride out the rest of his contract. So he took acting jobs here and there but refused to promote with his group until 2015, when his contract with SM Entertainment finally ended. 

Then, finally we have Sungmin, the member eternally on hiatus since getting married. Prior to December 2014 (when he married his then-girlfriend), Sungmin was one of the busiest SJ members. He was present in all SJ comebacks and wrapped up all his commitments on musicals before finally starting his enlistment in March 2015. But yes, before starting his mandatory military duty, he forgot to tell the public that he has gotten married and did it in private. This clandestine action earned the irk of Korean ELFs who started petitions for Sungmin’s removal from SJ and their boycott of any comeback that would include him and Kangin. SM has indirectly acquiesced to these calls, as Sungmin has not joined any SJ comeback since Mamacita, which was in 2014. He has released solo projects though, also under Label SJ.

Meanwhile, SJ has released new material nonstop for 17 years, the latest with nine active members being The Road: Keep on Going, with lead single Mango, to be released on July 12. And we haven’t even talked about the “removed” Super Junior-M members!

Here’s to more years and banging releases from these four evergreen groups. 

Featured Image: Super Junior Official Twitter

Sharp choreography, stunning outfits, and unreal visuals certainly help in making K-pop music videos rack up the views. But there are music videos that go the next level by adding a compelling story. Here, we list down several K-pop music videos with storylines that could be the next cinematic blockbuster.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, check out these 10 music videos that have elaborate, dramatic storylines that could possibly give Netflix productions a run for their money:  

Thank U – TVXQ Yunho 

U-Know Yunho, one half of the legendary duo TVXQ!, serves up an almost eight-minute cinematic masterpiece in his music video for Thank U. The song is off his second mini-album Noir, and the music video, as the album title suggests, is heavily influenced by noir films. It’s much more graphic and violent than your average K-pop music video; it’s actually tagged as age-restricted on YouTube. 

The music video tells the story of a gang leader—Yunho—who was betrayed by the mob boss and was attacked and left for dead by the boss’ henchmen. Only, he survived, and has now planned on taking down the mob. He recovers, trains, and faces off with his nemeses. In his final face-off with the mob boss, Yunho engages in a game of Russian roulette and comes out victorious.  

This music video really felt like a movie rather than a music video. The opening seconds already gave off a sense of foreboding. Then Yunho was repeatedly stabbed—which was a great shock, since no effort was made to blur out or tone down the color of blood. Plus, the use of enclosed spaces for several of the scenes helps the viewer zoom in on the action. There are dance breaks in between scenes, but instead of those scenes being a distraction, the choreography served as transitions that helped the story move along. 

It’s eight minutes of action, suspense, and revenge. 

One More Day – Sistar 

Topics such as homosexuality and domestic violence are considered taboo in most countries, including South Korea. Not a lot of K-pop artists take on such issues in such a straightforward manner for fear of getting criticized by the general public. So when a K-pop music video that boldly tackles these topics is released, it is bound to draw attention. 

Sistar’s 2016 single, One More Day, went against the grain and released a video that features these taboo topics. This dark, yet compelling story opens with two women dragging a huge suitcase through a dark alley. The video then flashes back to times when the two women’s friendship grows into something more. However, one of the women is also in what seemed to be an abusive relationship with a boyfriend. When the two women run into the boyfriend after a night out together, the boyfriend gets angry and all three get into a scuffle. The boyfriend drags his girlfriend back home, where things escalate further and the women end up killing the boyfriend. 

The next scene then goes back to the two women dragging the suitcase—presumably containing the dead boyfriend—loading it in a car, and then setting the car on fire as they walk away. 

Lies and Haru Haru – Bigbang 

Bigbang’s breakthrough hit Lies, released in 2007, took the dramatic love story to the next level. The drama-inspired music video was popular around that time, and this music video straight-up served all the emotions in four minutes. 

In the opening scene, G-Dragon is seen running away from his pursuers, trying to call a woman using a pay phone, and eventually getting caught by police. As the music video progresses, the woman goes about her routine, but she clearly looks distressed. Meanwhile, the Bigbang members sing, skate, and walk around her as if invisible. It looks a bit strange, having five guys on roller blades skate around a woman walking to her car, but perhaps the members represent her troubled thoughts? 

Later on, it turns out that she accidentally killed her abusive boyfriend and GD (a former lover? A friend who carries a torch for her?) took the fall for her.

Bigbang once again turned up the dramatics in 2008 with their music video for Haru Haru. This time, the music video featured a love triangle involving GD and T.O.P. 

In the opening scene, GD sees T.O.P seemingly trying to get with his girlfriend, and they get into an argument—and a fistfight. In the next scene, T.O.P flaunts the relationship, and GD, clearly heartbroken, goes into depression. 

Then—plot twist—the girlfriend turns out to have a terminal illness. She breaks up with GD, and only pretends to be with T.O.P to spare the former’s feelings. In the end, though, Taeyang calls GD to come to the hospital to see the girlfriend, but by the time GD gets there, it was already too late. 

The acting in the music video was a bit cheesy and over-the-top, but it further amplified all the feels that helped the song become one of the biggest songs of the year in South Korea. It also cemented Bigbang’s status as a top idol group.  

I Need U – BTS 

Since BTS debuted in 2013, the boys have never shied away from tackling social issues in their music. From directly addressing mental illness to expressing their thoughts on the overwhelming pressures and expectations on the youth, the group has always shared powerful messages in their songs. 

This extends to their music video concepts. In 2015’s I Need U, the group portrayed the realities that trouble today’s youth, such as depression, abuse, loneliness, and suicide. There isn’t a single storyline in the video; rather, each of the members tell a specific story through their characters. 

In the video, the members were trying to hold on to the happiness of their lost youth, as they each face a major tragedy in their lives. Lyrically, though, the song is about a breakup; the members sing about trying to hold on to a relationship that has ended. Either way, one can’t help but feel heartbroken to see and hear the boys go through so much hardship in the music video. 

Watch the video below: 

Error – VIXX 

VIXX’s music video for Error tells of a tragic love story between two human-turned-cyborgs. The main character is the group’s visual, Hongbin, a scientist distraught by the death of his girlfriend, portrayed by Youngji of KARA. To forget about his heartbreak, he turns himself into a cyborg, though it seemed that the painful memories still couldn’t be erased.  

Hongbin then works to turn Youngji into a cyborg as well. In his lab, surrounded by the rest of the half-completed VIXX robots, he brings his girlfriend back to life by turning her into a cyborg, and transfers his memories to her. They start to live happily once more, until uniformed men track them down and deem the girlfriend as an illegal humanoid. Rather than lose his love again, Hongbin fights off the men and decides to deconstruct both himself and Youngji. 

VIXX has always impressed audiences with their creative, well-planned concepts. This music video is another example of the boys breaking out of the “idol” mold to fully immerse themselves in their characters. 

Watch the doomed android love story below: 

Mamacita – Super Junior 

Super Junior turned to western inspiration in the music video for 2014’s Mamacita. In the music video, Siwon stars as the town sheriff whose reputation is on the line because the thief, Leeteuk, escaped from prison. The thief then sees a bejeweled crown, and then proceeds to steal it from under Sungmin’s nose.  

What follows next is a series of crazy antics from the rest of the members. While escaping with the loot, the thief bumps into and destroys Kangin, the fruit seller’s precious watermelon. Clueless bounty hunter Donghae asks Eunhyuk and—incredibly—Leeteuk if they’ve seen the thief. 

Leeteuk and blacksmith Shindong, together with gambler Kyuhyun, admire the stolen crown. As they make their way back into town, they come across the bounty hunter, and a fight ensues, and barber Ryeowook almost gets caught in the crossfire. The sheriff continues his search, and eventually, he and the thief cross paths. The thief shoots the sheriff, and the sheriff falls—but is literally saved by his badge from the bullet. Meanwhile, the thief sells the crown to Heechul, the bartender.

The plan was a success—turns out that Leeteuk was in cahoots with Shindong and Heechul. But their scheme was foiled in the end by Kyuhyun, who was actually a double agent. The perps are jailed, the sheriff keeps his reputation intact, the crown is returned to its rightful owner, and the town is peaceful once more. 

Super Junior has got the funny, meme-able music video down to an exact science. Watch the fun and chaotic “drama” version of the music video below:  

 

One Shot – B.A.P.

The music video begins with all seven members partying it up on a yacht. Then it is revealed that the B.A.P members are part of a gang, who were suddenly attacked at their hangout spot. One of the thugs threw a USB stick, which contained a ransom video. The thugs have Youngjae, and they demand $10million in exchange for his safe return. 

In between some really cool choreography clips, we see the remaining six members plan to get the money by robbing an armored truck so they can rescue their kidnapped bro. Then the boys head to a subway station to meet the kidnappers and hand them the money; however, the thugs kill Youngjae anyway. The B.A.P gang is broken, and in their grief and rage, they start shooting the enemy gang. The gunfight escalates, and everyone dies. 

But! The video suddenly rewinds and instead of a shootout, a SWAT team comes in and surrounds both gangs. It turns out that Youngjae was actually an undercover officer, and betrayed the B.A.P gang. The SWAT team subdues the gangs, and Youngjae walks away. 

At almost seven minutes long, it’s one of the more hardcore story-based K-pop music videos in this list.  Watch the music video below: 

 

Come Back Home – 2NE1 

The legendary second-gen girl group 2NE1 tread the line between fantasy and reality in their music video for Come Back Home. The video is set in a dystopian society in the far future, where humans have the option to live in a virtual utopia. 

In the music video, Dara is miserable in her relationship, as the man she loves is completely enamored with the virtual paradise, preferring to live in fantasy rather than stay trapped in a lifeless and colorless world. 

Dara, along with CL, Bom, and Minzy, then infiltrate the virtual paradise to wreak havoc in it. The music video ends with the ladies leading a group of warriors, who destroy the machine-powered fantasy world. 

Check out the music video below: 

Love Story – Kyuhyun

Super Junior’s Kyuhyun is no stranger to emotive ballad tracks, and in Love Story, he amps up the sentimentality. The single is the final track of the singer’s Project: Season series, and marks the end of a string of song releases that focused on each of the four seasons. 

The music video tells the story of two people who were once in love and have now drifted apart. In the opening seconds of the video, a woman is in the middle of packing her things. Then, it cuts to a montage of memories—from when the woman and the man first met, to their happy memories together, and their eventual breakup. 

Near the end of the video, the woman is sifting through photos of happier moments with her ex-lover. It is a poignant depiction of the pain and feeling of nostalgia that comes at the end of a relationship.  

Get bombarded with the feels by watching the music video below: 

We’ve also written about K-pop music videos with dark and creepy storylines—which are also worthy additions to this list! What other K-pop music videos do you think have compelling plotlines? 

Any day is always a great day to listen to Girls’ Generation, today, we will talk about five things I became sure of after listening to perhaps the group’s craziest song, I Got a Boy. 

Tifanny goes by Trouble. 

For a while, there had been a bit of a competition for the title of “Korea’s American Girlfriend” with Kara’s Nicole. But the dust has settled, there remains to be one and only American sweetheart in the Korean public’s eyes – that is Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany Hwang. Despite having been embroiled in a number of controversies throughout her career as a Girls’ Generation member, one of the three members of the TaeTiSeo unit, and a soloist, it cannot be denied that Koreans have had an on-and-off (but mostly on) romance with the San Francisco-born sweetheart. Many might have gotten turned off her dad tried using his daughter’s name to allegedly defraud some business associates, while some may still have a lot to say about the “non-apology” note Fany posted on Instagram after her “rising sun” (not the nightclub one, the Japanese Imperial Army emoticon one) scandal, but the fact is, Tiffany has risen above all of these scandals and has maintained her popularity even after she departed from SM Entertainment. 

This reminds me of when I see reaction videos of vloggers and reactors to the iconic song, I Got a Boy. After the exciting introduction rap brought to us by Sooyoung and Yuri (from Sooyoung’s iconic “‘’Ey yo, GG!” to Yuri’s observations on the mystery girl’s change of style and fashion sense), Tiffany segues to, “Hey, let me introduce myself,” much to the excitement of the viewing public, 

Then, we get, “Here… comes trouble… whoooooooooo! Ddara hae”

And the girls go, “Oh, oh oh eh oh, oh oh eh oh”

And the reactors wonder. 

Wait, that was it?

So, who is she?

We thought she was gonna introduce herself.

Well, she actually did, but if you were waiting for “Sparkling brighter than all gems Fany Fany” intro with the matching iconic eye smile, then you are in for a small disappointment. That’s because our sweet American girl already introduced herself – as trouble! Yes, she introduced herself as a troublemaker, ready to wreck everybody’s initial impressions of her as the typical sweetheart who has an obsession with pink and gets away with everything with just a smile. 

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Girls' Generation's Tiffany everyone…

GIRLS' GENERATION'S TIFFANY YOUNG HWANG EVERYONE!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/2uvUUKrFPG

— jam 🦦 (@taengmother) December 11, 2021

Did Tiffany live up to that image after I Got A Boy was released, though? I mean, if you were to count those two scandals mentioned earlier, plus the fact that she did figure in a high profile romantic relationship with 2PM’s Nickhun in 2014, a year after the song was released, then we may conclude that uri Fany may have dipped her toes on some mischief. But we all know that if she gives even just one eye smile, everything is forgiven and all is well with our beloved American Girlfriend. 

When Jessica wants to bring it back to 140, bring it back to 140!

We cannot talk about the iconic song I Got a Boy and its equally iconic music video without mentioning that single icon line of the Ice Princess, Jessica: “Don’t stop! Let’s bring it back to 140”.  Any SONE (and even just casual listeners of Girls’ Generation songs) would be no strangers to Sica singing the meatier sections or so-called “killing parts” of the group’s songs. After all, Jessica,  along with Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun, and Sunny, are one of the more important components of the “singing line” of the group.   Even though the group is composed of very talented vocalists, Sica has a distinct tone that is easily distinguishable and gives all GG songs she was part of a different twist. 

But of all the memorable parts Jessica has in just about every Girls’ Generation song, no other line can perhaps top the legendary line that is, “Don’t stop! Let’s bring it back to 140”. That’s because not only is the line very memorably delivered by the other SF-born GG member, it also has two different meanings that make it significant to the song. When Sica says,”Don’t stop, let’s bring it back to 140″, she may mean the portion of the song at 1:40, or at the first minute and 40 seconds, which is the first time the chorus “I got a boy 멋진! I got a boy 착한! I got a boy handsome boy 내 맘 다 가져간” is sung. Well, actually, if we’re being very technical about it, the song at the 1 minute 40 second-mark is still the final seconds of the dance break between when Tiffany / Trouble says, “‘Ey yo stop, let me put down it another way” and the fabled chorus. Try it when listening to the actual mp3 file on iTunes or Spotify, and not the music video, because the latter contains an intro skit where the girls are dolling up when an unidentified boy suddenly rings their doorbell, making the start of the chorus around 30+ seconds off 1:40. 

Another thing “Don’t stop! Let’s bring it back to 140” is the beats per minute of the chorus starting from “I got a boy 멋진”. So, yes, the chorus is at 140 bpm, which also gives a nod to the different beat patterns of the songs. One second, we hear the girls describing this boy as a man who can also be adorable once he does his aegyo, the next second we hear Hyoyeon rap / reminding the girls, “We have to guard what we have to guard! Don’t forget this until the day you own all of his heart”. (오우! 절대로 안되지! 우리, 지킬 건 지키자! 그의 맘을 모두 가질 때까지이건 절대로 잊어버리지 말라고!) As this was the era when SM loved experimenting on their talents (particularly SHINee and f(x)), it was high time SNSD also got more sophisticated with their songs, and I Got a Boy with its eclectic structure and various musical genres rolled into this one song, was definitely a move in the right direction. Thus when Jessica wants to go back to 140, as in 140 bpm, she wants the beat up again from the more relaxed and less frantic bridge. 

But make no mistake; despite the song’s changes in beat patterns, it is definitely high-energy through and through.  

“I Got a Boy” is really a mash-up song. 

The point earlier about I Got a Boy being this weird mash-up of various genres that during the time, was quite revolutionary, may indeed be true. Nowadays, we regard K-pop as this explosion of sounds that you couldn’t really quite put your finger on when it comes to its genre. I mean, even if you listen to what starts off as a melodramatic ballad, like for example Be2st’s Fiction, you’d suddenly be a bit taken aback by a verse done in rap. While these final shifts and BPM switches are already commonplace these days, it wasn’t quite radical before. That was, until SM Entertainment really pushed a ton of experimental sounds on their artists. 

K-pop observers noted that SM started pushing the envelope with their idol groups by making them sound experimental. Thus, f(x) sounded different when in their successive releases after Nu ABO –  Pinocchio, Hot Summer, and Electric Shock. Then, the company took a step further with SHINee’s Sherlock, the first song that sounded like they were two songs that were combined. Well, actually, Sherlock is a combination of two songs, Lock and Clue, which is why the third song’s complete title is Sherlock (Clue+Note). 

These releases by the two SM groups proved to be very successful, which in turn cranked up the pressure for Girl’s Generation. While the group was having their reign as the country’s representative girl group, competition from 2NE1, Kara, and T-Ara made the concepts presented by the girls of SM a tad too… safe. Even their labelmates f(x) has taken the “let’s make more exciting music” memo seriously. It was time for SNSD to sink their teeth into more challenging material after their US debut with The Boys in 2012. 

Thus, in an interview with Billboard Magazine, IGAB’s songwriter Sarah Lundbäck about SM and the listening public, “They were so smart. ‘[People] get bored, you need to keep the interest up.’ They said they really wanted to make the song into a musical feel, in the storyline. Because they really wanted the song to be about a girl that meets a boy and all her friends are telling her, like, ‘You’re an idiot. What can you see in this boy? He’s not good for you,’ and she’s like ‘Well, I got a boy.’”

So, there you have it. The song isn’t necessarily a mash-up of two or more songs but rather a conversation among girls that as we all know, can get frantic and go through a roller coaster of moods from giggly to serious to a full-fledged Sex and the City episode or a pajama party. Another way of looking at it (yes, that’s a pun on Fany’s other English line, “let me put it another way”) is that the song pretty much reflected the eclectic tastes of the listening public in the 2010s. Years before people wait for the beat to drop, they were treated to these songs that seem to reflect multiple personalities. This was also pretty much an accurate reflection of our shortened attention spans. One minute, people were on Myspace, the next they were on Facebook, then Twitter, then Snapchat. The song also jumps from one genre to another and with those differences successfully keeps the attention of then a new generation of K-pop fans. 

Even the members of the group have expressed how they loved the song through the years. It is known that members like Taeyeon and Sooyoung are quite vocal in their distaste for some songs they had, especially during the early part of their career (read: Kissing You), but it seems that all members had only good things to say about IGAB. Talking about the beginnings of the IGAB era, Tiffany said, “We had discussed that we wanted to do something more challenging. This felt like it was it because I had never heard anything like it yet. The song is a song that keeps giving.” 

Overall, “I Got a Boy” showed the world that a little ingenuity coupled with the freedom to produce songs that are not bound by the limits of genre and concepts can result in something revolutionary and definitive for artists. With IGAB, Girls’ Generation was saved from being regarded as a group that was too conventional and only stuck to the same good girl concept. “I think it was the first of its kind,” says Tiffany about the song. 

Sunny makes it all about her hair

We have to admit, when it comes to individual members, Sunny gets the shorter (pun intended) end of the stick. Arguably, even the “least popular” member of the group, Hyoyeom, will always make everything about her dance breaks and killer rap parts. When it comes to singing ability, she is at the top half of the members. However, compared to TaeTiSeo and Sica, she still ends up in the middle. When it comes to dancing ability, the four “non-singers” have the edge over her. With her klutziness and oftentimes poor memory when it comes to choreography, Sunny also got the ire of the SONEs who feel she never took things seriously. As the earlier pun suggested, when it comes to height, Sunny is also first in line – when the order is from shortest to tallest. Haters always bring up her being an “uncle’s girl” as the only reason for her presence in the group. 

Thus, Sunny always compensates by being the best sense when it comes to fan service and entertaining. If there is one thing Sunny is at the top of vis-a-vis her members in Girls’ Generation, that would be her “variety show” skills. She always comes up with the funniest one-liners and most entertaining personas when the group guested in variety shows. As early as Hello Baby, Sunny has always been regarded as having the best personality that even baby Kyungsan had the most fun and calm (no tantrums when umma Sunny was around) interactions with her and she was often voted the best mom by her members. Which reminded me of his tantrums every time Fany approached him. Poor Fany! But I digress. 

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Happy Birthday to the beautiful and multitalented #Sunny!
👏👩🎂💐🎁🎉👑❤️ #HappyBirhdaySunny #HappySunnyDay #써니가_와서_눈부시게_빛나는날 #써니야생일축하해#소녀시대 @GirlsGeneration#GirlsGeneration pic.twitter.com/hfzf75j6uq

— World Music Awards (@WORLDMUSICAWARD) May 15, 2022

For the I Got a Boy music video, Sunny used her hair to its fullest extent, attracting attention when the other members had the spotlight. In terms of lines, as usual, Taeyeon had the most (as usual), Fany and Sica made their mark with English killer lines, and the others took the cake with memorable raps. So, what’s a girl like Sunny gonna do? Make her hair a focal point!

Actually, throughout the video, all the girls sport various hair colors to complement the various moods and shifts of the song. However, our girl Sunny takes it to the next level with her trademark short hair – that alone actually makes her quite noticeable already, even if she is never the center of any SNSD video.  With colored short hair that, throughout the video, looks different from the others who stuck with shades of red and orange, really made Sunny a standout in group shots. 

First, she had pink streaks on blonde hair, then blue streaks on fuchsia hair, then the aqua blue and blonde combo that really made her a standout, then the hot pink streaks on pink hair, and finally, the orange wig. It wasn’t really clearly shown as only TaeTiSeo and Yuri were focused during that part, which otherwise, would have been iconic as it has Sunny in long hair, – definitely a rare treat, although it did not give her a distinct image as she had to rely more on winks and aegyo expressions in music videos for songs such as Oh (where she was in pigtails), Gee (long brown hair), Genie (shaggy black hair). 

Thus, when she came out with that distinct pageboy cut in The Boys, our girl ran away with it. Finally, another thing to easily remember Sunny with! And when IGAB had the girls go crazy with hair color, Sunny took a step further by being the only one veering away from reddish hues. 

The dancing queen chooses violence. 

Hyoyeon, the group’s main dancer, has always been a feisty one. Not one to mince too many words or care much about the preservation of her “idol image,” she was always one of the more outspoken, and thus, misinterpreted idols in all of K-pop. From the start when the girls were still trainees, she considered herself a leading candidate for a spot in SNSD. Thus, after their debut, when the girls’ positions and standing (read: popularity) started to take shape, not only was Hyo disappointed that she was only considered the main dancer (which was not as popular as the leader and main vocal Taeyeon or visual center Yoona), she received a lot of flak for her look as many actually considered her the group’s “ugly member”. 

The years went on and Hyo was tagged as being the more physically domineering member, having been seen playfully hitting her members and answering “sassy” responses to questions when the group would guest in variety programs. Later, it was also revealed that Hyo was the first member to have a boyfriend (hidden, of course) and that she figured in a situation with the police after someone reported her as displaying suicidal behavior as she was jokingly “falling off a building”. This only furthered her reputation’s decline since it was later found that the reporter of the incident was actually her boyfriend. Although there was no assault, he only reported what happened since he was genuinely scared that Hyo might be do something.

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HYO 효연 'DEEP' MV Behind The Sceneshttps://t.co/mpzoG5gdPt#HYO #효연 @Hyoyeon_djhyo#DEEP #HYO_DEEP#GirlsGeneration #소녀시대 pic.twitter.com/Jcf1dtzBYS

— Girls' Generation (@GirlsGeneration) May 18, 2022

And if there is one video that proves that Hyo is indeed one of a kind even among the members of Girls’ Generation, I Got A Boy would be it.   As you can see in the video, all the girls interacted in a rather flirty and innocent fashion with the mysterious man. 

Get this: Throughout the video, all eight girls had some cute and heart-fluttering interactions with the same guy. Center Yoona has tea (or coffee) with the mystery guy. Aqua-haired Sunny has her nails painted pink by the guy. Yuri squeals in delight as she gets a teddy bear from the faceless mystery guy. Sooyoung answers the phone and gets giddy as it is assumed that she is talking with the guy without a face, only to answer the phone seconds later to see him there already. Tiffany gets her lips wiped as she eats ice cream in an expected teenybopper fashion. Taeyeon can be seen feeding her boy cotton candy. Sica can be seen holding her breath as the boy’s hands suddenly inches toward hers. In true k-drama fashion, mystery guy gets on his knee to tie the undone shoelaces of maknae Seohyun. 

And we get Hyo pointing at her watch (product placement alert!), indicating that he is late for their date, and goes ahead and smacks him, as expected of our Dancing Queen. 

I Got A Boy eventually went on to become a commercial success, shooting straight to number 1 in the Gaon Singles Charts when it was released on New Year’s Day, 2013. It won six music show trophies and YouTube’s Video of the Year, beating the likes of Psy and Justin Bieber. Say what you will about how crazy this song is, but listening to I Got a Boy will always be a good idea.

Featured Image:  Screengrab from Girls’ Generation “I Got A Boy”  Youtube music video

Idols have spent anywhere from months to years honing their skills in singing, dancing, and acting—so it’s no surprise that they would be great in many other entertainment fields, including theater. Their amazing stage presence not only light up concert venues; they dazzle on musical stages as well! 

Here are 16 (and more!) idols who have found equal success as musical actors: 

Kyuhyun (Super Junior) 

Kyuhyun debuted in 2006 as the maknae and one of the main vocalists of 2nd generation legend Super Junior. He is one of the best active idol vocalists, so it’s no surprise that his voice would also captivate musical fans. 

He made his musical theater debut in 2010 with The Three Musketeers. He was next cast as Frank Abagnale, Jr. in the Korean production of Catch Me If You Can. In 2013, he reprised his roles in re-runs of both musicals. Kyuhyun took on roles in Moon Embracing the Sun, Singin’ in the Rain, The Days, Robin Hood, Werther, and Mozart! from 2014 to 2016, before taking a break to fulfill his mandatory military service. 

Upon completing his military duty, Kyuhyun resumed his musical career with The Man Who Laughs in 2020. He was cast in the main role as Gwynplaine, alternating with EXO’s Suho. In the same year, he reprised his role in Werther. 

In 2021, Kyuhyun starred in the musical Phantom. He recently capped his performances as Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein, where he starred alongside VIXX’s Leo. 

Watch Kyuhyun as he performs one of the songs from the musical in this live clip: 

 

Ryeowook (Super Junior) 

Just like his fellow SJ member, Ryeowook has been active both as an idol and as a musical actor. He made his musical theater debut in 2011’s Temptation of Wolves. The idol next took on the role of Troy Bolton in the Korean stage adaptation of High School Musical in 2013. Since then, Ryeowook has starred in several more productions—Goddess is Watching, Agatha, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time—before enlisting in the military in 2016. 

Ryeowook jumped right back into his idol and musical actor career after being discharged from the military in 2018. He was cast in Flaming Sonata, Around Thirty, and Mary Shelley. His most recent musical is Fan Letter. 

Leo (VIXX)

VIXX’s soft-spoken main vocalist, Leo, may look shy and reserved, but once the concert lights come on, he transforms into a powerhouse performer. The same happens whenever he’s on the musical stage.

Leo began his musical career in 2014 with the musical adaptation of the K-drama Full House. Since 2016, he has used his real name, Jung Taek Woon, when being credited in stage productions. Leo starred in five more musicals—Mata Hari, Monte Cristo, The Last Kiss, Elisabeth, and Marie Antoinette—all before his military enlistment in 2019. 

In 2021, he took on the dual role of Henri Dupre and Frankenstein’s monster in the musical Frankenstein. The musical completed its run in early 2022. 

Ken (VIXX) 

VIXX’s “cute main vocal” Ken is one of the most active idol musical actors. He made his musical debut in the Korean adaptation of the musical Chess in 2015. Ken continued to show off his powerful vocals when he took on the lead roles in Cinderella, Boys Over Flowers The Musical, Hamlet, Titanic, Iron Mask, Jack the Ripper, Mefisto, Dracula, and Sherlock Holmes The Musical: The Lost Children. 

His amazing talent and stage presence did not go unnoticed. In 2018, Ken won the Male Rookie of the Year award from the 12th Daegu International Musical Festival for his performance in the musical Hamlet. 

Ken took a break from his idol and musical activities when he enlisted in the military in 2020. Upon his discharge, he was immediately cast as Arthur in Xcalibur. He recently wrapped up his performances in March 2022. 

Suho (EXO) 

EXO’s leader is more than just an idol; he’s also a movie and television actor, as well as a musical actor. Suho made his theater debut in the 2015 hologram musical School OZ. He then took on the role of Crown Prince Rudolf in 2017’s The Last Kiss. In 2018, Suho was cast as Gwynplaine in The Man Who Laughs; he reprised his role in the 2020 run. 

Suho completed his mandatory military service as a public service worker in February 2022. Will we see more of musical actor Suho soon? We sure hope so! 

See Suho’s performance in the press call for The Man Who Laughs: 

Xiumin (EXO)

EXO’s oldest hyung, Xiumin, first got a taste of musical theater when he starred alongside Suho in School OZ. But he hit his stride in musicals when he starred in the army musicals Return: The Promise of That Day and Return in 2019 and 2020. 

Post-military service, Xiumin was cast as Orpheus in the 2021 production of Hadestown. 

But it seems that there really is no shortage of talent in EXO, as there are also other musical actors among the members! D.O was in the same army musical as Xiumin, Chen performed in the Korean adaptation of In the Heights, and Baekhyun starred in Singin’ in the Rain. Finally, Chanyeol led the cast in another army musical, Meissa’s Song!  

Jo Kwon (2AM)  

Singer, actor, and television host Jo Kwon is also a bona fide musical star. He made his theater debut as King Herod in the 2013 run of Jesus Christ Superstar. The following year, he took on a daring role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He also starred in Chess, On A Starry Night, and Shinheung Military Academy. 

Jo Kwon’s latest musical appearance was in 2020’s Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Watch his performance in the musical’s press call: 

 

Luna (f(x)) 

(f(x))’s Luna debuted as a musical actress in 2011 as Elle Woods in the Korean adaptation of Legally Blonde. She has since starred in several more Korean productions of Coyote Ugly, High School Musical, School OZ, In the Heights, Rebecca, The Last Kiss, Gone With the Wind, and Mamma Mia. 

Luna also won a rookie award for her role in the musical Rebecca at the 12th Daegu International Musical Festival. Her most recent musical was the 2020-2021 run of The Days. She will make her Broadway debut in the new musical KPOP in late 2022. 

Yoseob (Highlight) 

Highlight’s main vocalist Yoseob also shines in musical theater, and has starred in eight productions so far. He debuted in 2011’s Gwanghamun Sonata. Following his first musical, he was casted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Full House, Zorro, Robin Hood, Cinderella, and Those Days. 

Yoseob’s latest musical is the 2021-2022 run of Something Rotten. 

Seohyun (Girls’ Generation) 

For Girls’ Generation’s maknae Seohyun, a career in musical theater was inevitable. She graduated with a major in theater acting from Dongguk University in 2014, and in that same year, was cast in Moon Embracing the Sun. She went on to star in the stage adaptations of Gone With the Wind and Mamma Mia. 

Seohyun is also active as a film and television actress. Her most recent movies include the Netflix film Love and Leashes and Holy Night: Demon Hunters. She is also set to star in the upcoming KBS drama Jinx’s Lover. 

Seohyun isn’t the only Girls’ Generation member to grace the musical theater stage. Her TTS sub-unit member, Tiffany, is also a musical actress! Tiffany starred in the 2011-2012 run of Fame and the 2021 run of Chicago. Former member Jessica also dabbled in musical theater, starring in the 2009-2010 and 2012-2013 runs of Legally Blonde. 

Junsu (JYJ)

JYJ’s Kim Junsu is another idol and musical powerhouse. Junsu is a much sought after musical actor, who is also nicknamed “the ticket power” because his musical performance dates sell out in minutes. 

He starred in his first musical Mozart! in 2010, and has since reprised his roles in the production’s subsequent runs. He has also starred in multiple runs of Elisabeth, Dracula, Death Note, Dorian Gray, and Xcalibur. 

His outstanding performances also earned him numerous awards in Korea. 

Check out Kim Junsu’s performance in this brief clip from Xcalibur (2021 run): 

 

Sandeul (B1A4)

B1A4’s main vocalist Sandeul is another accomplished idol musical actor. He made his theater debut in 2012 in Brother Were Brave. Since then, the idol has starred in eight more musicals: The Thousandth Man, All Shook Up, Cinderella, The Three Musketeers, Thirty Something, Iron Mask, Sherlock Holmes: The Missing Children, and 1976 Harlan County. 

Sunggyu (Infinite)  

Infinite’s leader and main vocalist Sunggyu made his musical debut in Gwanghamun Sonata in 2012. His succeeding musicals include Vampire, In the Heights, All Shook Up, Amadeus, and Kinky Boots. 

Sunggyu also starred in two army musicals: Shinheung Military School and Return: The Promise of the Day. He continues to be active as a musical actor until the present. His most recent production was the 2022 run of Xcalibur. 

Changsub (BTOB) 

BTOB’s lead singer Changsub began his musical career in 2017 in the musical adaptation of Boys Over Flowers. Changsub also starred in Napoleon, Edgar Allan Poe, and Dogfight. 2018’s Iron Mask marked his final musical appearance before military enlistment. 

In 2021, Changsub starred in three musicals: The Last Empress, Marie Antoinette, and Darwin Young’s Origin of Evil. 

Bada (S.E.S) 

The first generation idol is one of the first to make their debut in musical theater. Bada made her debut in The Peppermint in 2003. Her next musical appearance was in 2007’s Tell Me on a Sunday. From 2007, she starred in eight more stage productions: Notre-Dame de Paris, 200 Pounds Beauty, Broadway on 42nd Street, Legally Blonde, Mozart!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Carmen, and Gone with the Wind. 

Ock Joo Hyun (Fin K.L.) 

Ock Joo Hyun is another first generation idol who also makes waves in musical theater. She debuted in 2005 in the first Korean-language production of Aida in 2005, followed by the first Korean production of Chicago in 2007. 

She is now more well-known as a musical actress, and remains very popular in the Korean musical scene. She has appeared in multiple productions of Aida, Chicago, The Count of Monte Cristo, Elisabeth, Rebecca, The Last Kiss, Mata Hari, and Wicked. Ock Joo Hyun also won multiple awards for her musical theater performances. 

Bonus: There are also two more idols who have taken their first steps into musical theater! Former 2NE1 member Dara starred in the musical adaptation of the tvN drama Another Oh Hae Young in 2020. And, NCT member Doyoung took on the lead role in the 2021 run of Marie Antoinette. 

There are more idols who are great musical talents, and it’s always great to see them explore new ways to hone their craft. 

Which idol musical actor is your favorite? 

Featured Image: Kpop superstar Kyuhun stars in Frankenstein the Musical, along with VIXX’s Leo. Photo: SM Entertainment

Curious to know which among the 4th generation girl groups will dominate the K-pop scene? We are placing our bets on four:

aespa

What we know so far: Scary aespa has incurred a plethora of emotions from both fans and anti-fans.  All of their tracks have made it to the top of the country’s music charts, and that’s despite them having only been in the business for just over more than a year. Yes, aespa debuted in November 2020 and has had only five songs and one EP in their discography. But all of these songs have charted pretty well, starting from Black Mamba, their debut track, and Next Level and Savage, both of which have significantly benefited from social media viral trends. That hook and choreography of Next Level is what marketer’s dreams are made of. Everyone in the music industry just knows that palm flipping move – very reminiscent of TWICE’s “Shy Shy Shy” choreography.

And again, they’ve only been in existence for just more than a year. 

How will they slay: As expected, SM Entertainment has once again delivered in terms of the quality of their rookie group’s output. This is not to say that the company becomes lax when it comes to giving high-quality songs and productions to their existing groups, as can be seen in the great songs Super Junior, SHINee, Red Velvet, and NCT continue to release up to now. However, as with any other company, SM really puts extra effort when it comes to the releases of their rookie groups, and it shows in the very strong releases aespa has had so far. And coming from a company that is well-known for producing songs that do not compromise on quality, aespa so far does not disappoint, and if this continues, they are quite assured of being household names in the very near future. So there, a combination of being an SM group and the high quality of releases that follow is more than sufficient reason for the group to be slaying.

Another factor that will assure them of success that’s also related to them being SM talents is the premium exposure they have had even as rookies. Everybody can agree that in this field, five rookies with the same concept and the same quality of songs, the group that will be debuted by either SM, YG, JYP, or BigHit will always have an edge. Not just because of their agency’s name recall but because being from these agencies allows the groups to be exposed to other opportunities that the other rookies from smaller agencies wouldn’t even dare to imagine. As soon as they debuted, aespa became the brand ambassador for the French luxury brand Givenchy. That gives them so much free publicity not only in Korea but in international markets where the French brand is present. And that is definitely not something a mom-and-pop small-time talent agency can do for its talents, particularly rookie groups that haven’t contributed much to their bank.  

Alas, we have to talk about the individual members. Giselle is part Japanese and Ningning is Chinese, so that already gives the group a huge advantage in overseas markets. Even if China continues its “ban” on K-pop and other foreign cultural influences, Chinese people will not think twice about supporting their countrymen who are trying to make a name for themselves in a field that is internationally popular such as K-pop. 

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the members of #AESPA pic.twitter.com/PdBUGTviRW

— @kwntrsgf (@kwntrszip) May 8, 2022

What could make their star fall: Nothing much, except one thing: If SM Entertainment continues to push the idea of the avatars and KWANGYA. It is no secret that people, even SM talents themselves, find the idea of aespa’s avatars downright creepy and unnecessary. I mean, the four members are enough for people to go gaga over the group, so this concept of them having doppelgangers that live in this wilderness or dimension or whatever it is called KWANGYA is just something a tad too extra. The idea didn’t explode (in terms of popularity) with NCT and sure as hell it won’t with aespa. Even TVXQ’s Changmin has also had a brush with KWANGYA in his solo release, DEVIL. Anyhoo, let me channel the ultimate mean girl Regina George and suggest to SM to stop trying to make ‘KWANGYA’ happen, it’s NOT going to happen!

But then SM is also known to drop concepts and events like they never happened in the first place. Remember Super Junior ‘05? Remember all the sub-units of Super Junior – M, T, KRY, H, and D&E? (well, KRY and D&E are still active, but the rest are practically dead) Remember the push for ballads and songs with slower beats to beef up the Velvet discography of RV? Trust SM to drop anything like a hot potato once they realize something is not working to their advantage.    

 

StayC

What we know so far: StayC is one of those refreshing stories of success in the Korean music industry that come as a bit of a surprise to even casual observers of K-pop, mainly because of the circumstances that the group was in. For one, the group is under a relatively unknown entertainment company, High Up Music. Although the company is associated with mega-successful producer Black Eyed Pisung, it is never an indication that the company will be super successful (e.g., Brave Entertainment which currently only has Grave Girls to present as successful in its 14-year existence). Secondly, they debuted in November 2020, while the world was still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, we have been living in COVID times for more than eight months and a number of K-pop acts had already done fairly well considering the situation, but then debuting a girl group was a completely different matter. Alas, High Up took the risk and gambled, and things paid off pretty well.

How will they slay: So far, they have slayed since their debut, with the EP Star to a Young Culture peaking the charts at number 6 and selling over 70,000 copies, a very strong number for any debuting group, be it a boy group or a girl group. Their follow-up album Staydom, released close to five months after their debut album may have only reached #9 in the Gaon Album Chart, but sold more than 105,000 copies, which is absolutely more albums than most groups can only hope for in their dreams. Not only that, but their single ASAP, reached number 9 in the digital chart, cementing the group’s success on both digital and album sales. And they did with only two releases!

The group’s next two EPs only solidified StayC‘s position as a monster rookie, as Stereotype, released in September last year and Young-Luv.com, released last February, peaked on the album charts at numbers 2 and 1 and sold more than 179,000 and 212,000 copies respectively. Those are really some impressive figures not just for amateur groups, but for Korean pop acts in general. 

During their debut, it may also have helped that two of the members (who happen to have similar names) were no strangers to the public. Sieun was already popular prior to the group’s debut as the daughter of veteran singer Park Namjung and a teen actress. She was already seen in her appearances in dramas such as the Korean remake of The Good Wife, Queen for Seven Days, and The Crowned Clown. Her acting skills were even recognized as she bagged the Youth Acting Award in 2018 SBS Drama Awards for her role in Still 17, where she played the young Seori, the show’s female protagonist (the adult version was played by Mr. Queen‘s Shin Hyesun). 

Another actress prior to the group’s debut and was already known to the public is Seeun. Her acting credits prior to joining StayC include Circle and The Guardians. Prior to joining High Up Entertainment, Seeun also trained in Plan A Entertainment, which means had she not left the agency, she would have been a member of a group we will talk about later instead of being in StayC.  

https://twitter.com/YOONLOOKSS/status/1523815286449008642?s=20&t=elEja4kWEA4P2cgvqRlRKA

What could make their star fall: All StayC members are good at singing, good in rapping, good in dancing, which is great considering that we are past the era of groups with members that are just there for display. But that may also be the problem for StayC. So far, Sieun is the one being pushed as the group’s main vocalist and sometimes-center because she may be the most popular. But listening to their songs, you can’t really recognize Sieun’s vocals as superior and standing out from the rest. For easy “identifiability”, groups usually employ the positions for fans to easily point out which member is which. StayC is so popular, but somehow we still have to consult Google to know which member is which. This, we cannot say is the same with aespa.

Itzy

What we know so far: Definitely one of the top contenders for the title “leaders of the 4th Gen,” Itzy has continued the tradition of excellence by JYP Entertainment when it comes to producing girl groups. With the sterling track record of Wonder Girls, miss A, and TWICE, Itzy was destined for success. And if anything else, Itzy’s also a testament to the loyalty of one Lee Chaeryeong. Imagine not getting into TWICE because you and your sister got eliminated in Sixteen, the show that brought together the group. All eliminated contestants started leaving JYP after being told to go back to the training room. Even after her sister left the company, she remained. Her loyalty paid off when she and four other girls were selected to make up the group Itzy, which also has its share of high-profile quitters, allegedly including IOI center Somi, who opted to leave JYP (and thus defaulting her chances of being included in Itzy) for a solo career with the Black Label, a YG subsidiary.

Anyway, as the group is a JYP group, they were off to an inevitably phenomenal start when they debuted on February 12, 2019, with the single album, It’z Different, led by the single Dalla Dalla. The group brushed off rookie jitters as it scored one of the biggest Billboard debuts for a new K-pop act in years, with their song entering at number three and peaking at number two on the World Digital Song Sales chart. The music video surpassed 17.1 million views within 24 hours of its release and broke the record for the most viewed K-pop debut music video within 24 hours. After only eight days since their debut, Itzy received their first music show win on M Countdown, breaking the record for the fastest time for a girl group to achieve their first music show win. The song went on to win nine more music show trophies while the music video became the fastest K-pop debut music video to reach 100 million views on YouTube at the time.

Five months later, the group’s first EP, It’z Icy, was released and met critical and commercial success anew, as it peaked at number three on the Gaon Album Chart. Icy, the EP’s lead single won 12 music show #1s, including a triple crown on Show Champion. As expected, by the end of the year, the group won numerous rookie of the year awards, including the Best New Female Artist awards at the 2019 Melon Music Awards and the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards. The music videos for Dalla Dalla and Icy placed on the list of South Korea’s most popular music videos on YouTube at numbers two and seven, respectively.

How will they slay: Itzy has, for three years, proven how hard JYP girl groups slap at their peak. The sales figures for their EPs look like they’re from a veteran girl group. The interest of the fans in the five members is also quite evenly distributed and no one is made to feel they’re less popular or less talented than the others. There’s also the viral choreography that most of the time serves as a passport to the success of 4th gen groups. From the finger crowns that have been through several variations for each Itzy release to the iconic shoulder dance of Ryujin, it’s safe to say that the girls have engrained themselves in Korean pop culture.

What could make their star fall: The JYP disease. This condition differs between girl and boy groups. For boy groups, it’s just being dropped when Asiansoul JYP doesn’t really like the songs the group comes up with (e.g., JB’s songs). For girl groups, it’s where the company abandons everything and treats all other talents like yesterday’s newspaper to focus all energies and resources for the favored rookie group.

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#ITZY dancing to “Gas Me Up” with choreographer #LeeJung 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C0al1iutn2

— ❦ (@FIVEOFITZY) May 9, 2022

This is what happened to Wonder Girls when miss A emerged, which was eventually replaced by TWICE, which has now taken a back seat for Itzy. And now that Nmixx has been introduced to the public, we can only watch and brace ourselves as it projected that Itzy will start its slow and steady decline. Basing on the group’s last two releases, the much maligned (Mafia) In the Morning and Loco, which only managed to chart at numbers 10 and 26, respectively, we can say that the decline may already be starting.

(G)-IDLE

What we know so far: At last, we go to the “pioneers” of the 4th generation of girl groups, (G)I-dle. After the “success” of the Cube trainees’ exposure in Produce 101 (success in quotes because even though the two Cube trainees didn’t qualify for the project group IOI, Kwon Eunbin and Jeon Soyeon did generate a lot of buzz and were recognized as very talented contestants),   the company decided to add Eunbin to the lineup of CLC, an underperforming group under the company. As for the more successful Soyeon, the company gave her a solo single release and allowing her to join project releases like Wow Thing with Seulgi, SinB, and her PD101 castmate Chungha and Unpretty Rapstar, which added to her credentials as a legit rapper. Finally, in 2018, she was introduced as the leader of Cube Entertainment’s new girl group, (G)I-dle, with Miyeon (a former YG trainee who was reportedly supposed to be a member of Blackpink), Minnie, Soojin, Shuhua and Yuqi. 

How will they slay: From the get-go, the group slayed as (G)I-dle released Latata on May 2 of that year. Latata‘s music video exceeded 5.9 million views within the first week, and the EP debuted at number 13 on the Gaon Album Chart issued on May 10. One week after release, “Latata” debuted at number 35 on Gaon Digital Chart on May 17.(G)I-dle received their first-ever music show win on SBS MTV’s The Show on May 22, solidifying the success of the debut.

On August 14, (G)I-dle’s first digital single Hann (Alone) was released. Within 24 hours, the music video surpassed 4.9 million views on YouTube. The song topped domestic music charts including Bugs, Genie and Olleh Music on August 16 and peaked at number two on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. The following week, (G)I-dle received their first music show win for the song on Show Champion on August 29.

Throughout the rest of 2018, (G)I-dle won several rookie awards at major Korean year-end music award shows, including the Asia Artist Awards, Gaon Chart Music Awards, Genie Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, Korea Popular Music Awards and Melon Music Awards. 

In 2019, they participated in the first season of Queendom, which pitted them against more experienced artists and groups such as Mamamoo, AOA, Park Bom, and Oh My Girl. They may have only ended up in third place, but their performances and releases from the show garnered a lot of attention, acclaim, and even sales.  The group’s success went on despite the pandemic and just in March, the group finally had their long-awaited comeback with their first full-length studio album I Never Die and the lead single, Tomboy dominating the charts and earning them a rare PAK (perfect all-kill).

Finally, (G)I-dle slaying is quite inevitable, considering they have established a reputation of being directly involved in the creation of their music. Soyeon particularly has helped write and produce a majority of the group’s songs, and Minnie and Yuqi have also co-written numerous album tracks. With all the highlights of just one year that since extended to their second, third, and fourth year, (G)I-dle have since been considered one of the most successful South Korean girl groups from outside of the “big three” record labels. This also rehabilitated Cube’s slightly damaged reputation after the not-so-lustrous career of CLC, which as of 2021, was verified by the members as being a “discontinued” group.

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Message from (G)I-DLE to the fans attending KPOP.FLEX 💕

➡️https://t.co/mtLrAehdhU#SOYEON #소연 #전소연 #GIDLE #여자아이들https://t.co/5h1MQARLCI

— JSYGLOBAL (@jsyglobal) May 11, 2022

What could make their star fall: We are talking about Cube Entertainment, the company that Be2st, 4Minute, HyunA, and e-Dawn left because of poor treatment. The company has a reputation of producing very successful groups that they eventually mismanage (as seen in 4Minute and Be2st) or artists that they leave out in the darkness when push comes to shove . So, when eagle-eyed fans saw Soyeon having the business card of someone from Psy’s P.Nation during one of her live sessions, people started speculating that (G)I-dle might be on their way to CLC-dom. But then, Soyeon has produced songs for other artists, so it might be that she was just exploring collab opportunities with P.Nation artists.

But then, last year, it was announced that Soojin would temporarily halt all activities following allegations of bullying by former classmates. On August 14, Cube Entertainment announced that Soojin had officially withdrawn from (G)I-dle, though she will remain under the same agency. In March this year, Cube Entertainment announced that they have officially terminated Soojin’s contract after police investigations concluded that the accusers were not guilty of spreading false information. With Cube’s characteristically lackadaisical handling of the Soojin “scandal”, we can safely conclude that should there be any scandals among the remaining (G)I-dle members in the future, we should expect the same treatment from the company. So, really, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the group will disband in the future.   

By how things are unfolding, it does look like these four groups are following in the long line of girl groups whom went on to become the leaders of their own generations – S.E.S., Fin. K.L, and Baby Vox for the first generation, SNSD, SISTAR, 2NE1, Wonder Girls, and Apink for the 2nd gen, and Blackpink, TWICE, Red Velvet, and MAMAMOO for the third generation. It would be interesting to see how these monster groups will reign in the years to come.  

Featured Image: Itzy Official Twitter