Category: FEATURES

Feeling nostalgic? Wondering where your favorite idols of disbanded second gen Kpop girl groups are right now? We’ve got you covered. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see what these idols have been up to since their groups stopped being active.

SISTAR

The (eternal) summer queens of k-pop, Sistar was (and is still) known for two things: Having summer releases that consistently ranked at the top of the charts and having all their title tracks peak at number 1 in the said charts. Sistar disbanded in 2017, much to the heartbreak of the fans, and they are one of the very few groups that had proper disbandment, complete with the company’s (Starship Entertainment) official statement, a proper final send-off single, and a tour of music shows for their final stages. As there was nothing onerous or hateful about the group’s disbandment, either among the members or between the company and the members, fans still hold out some hope that a reunion will happen in the near future. In fact, Hyolyn and Dasom released a collaboration single in the summer of 2021, aptly titled Summer or Summer.

So, what are the four queens of summer up to now?

Hyolyn – SISTAR’s main vocal has not had a day of rest since the group’s disbandment, releasing solar material every year, including the controversial hit Dally (which she performed in the 2018 KBS Drama Awards, and audiences claimed she was “butt naked), Say My Name, and her latest No Thanks. She has also entered reality competitions one after another, in 2021’s Double Trouble, which she won, and the second season of Queendom, where she also started out strong but eventually ended up in fourth place. She manages her own career under her one-woman agency Bridz. 

Bora – Ever the relatable personality, SISTAR’s main rapper had an eventful career after the group’s disbandment. She has continued to appear in variety shows such as Produce 48, where she appeared as a Special MC, Unnie’s Beauty Carpool which she co-hosted with SNSD’s Hyoyeon, Happy Beauty Day, and this year’s Sisters Run – Witch Fitness Basketball Club. She debuted in film in 2019’s Sunkist Family and also continued to act on the small screen, notably in Doctor Romantic 2, Only One Person, and Hit Up! Hit Up! Bora has been under two agencies since leaving Starship – Hook immediately after Sistar’s disbandment and KeyEast since 2020.

Soyou – Sistar’s other main vocal has also managed to remain in the spotlight since her group’s disbandment. She was the last member to stay in Starship, debuting as a solo artist under the label in 2017. She has since then released three EPs: Re:Born, Re:Fresh, and Day & Night, the latter released under her new label BPM (home to Viviz, Huh Gak, Ha Sungwon, and Lee Mujin, among others), where she transferred after opting not to renew her Starship contract in September 2021. Her TV career has also been active, having appeared as a mentor in the last two Produce 101 seasons and hosted various variety shows. 

Dasom – Sistar’s maknae has always been the actress of the group and her acting career has continued after Sistar’s disbandment. She has appeared in the dramas Band of Sisters, he is Psychometric, an episode in KBS Drama Special, and Was It Love? Since Sistar’s disbandment, her career has been managed by King Kong, which is still a Starship subsidiary. In June 2021, she decided not to renew with the agency and signed with a new agency, Story J Company (the agency of Seo Inguk, Go Jun, and Kim Taehee, aka Rain’s wife) a couple of months later.  

Jewelry

Jewelry is one of those groups that gradually disintegrated as the members left the company (in this case, the notorious Star Empire) one by one. In 2014, it was revealed that Eunjung’s contract had expired and she would be leaving the group. Before the year ended, Baby J also revealed that she will be leaving Jewelry as her contract expired last August. It was also revealed that Semi would not renew her contract after it expired in November. Finally, on January 7, 2015, the group was officially confirmed as disbanded by Star Empire Entertainment.

Jungah – Jungah has continued with her career in acting after leaving Star Empire in 2013. She has appeared in dramas such as Leverage and The Secret of My Love after signing with Jellyfish Entertainment.  She also got married in 2016 and gave birth to her first child after two years. 

Minah – Minah has been living the life of a “normal” private citizen for quite some time now. While she used to appear in television dramas in the mid-2010s, her public appearances have been confined to a few guest appearances on talk shows and variety programs since then. She married her boyfriend, a CEO of a fitness center, who is 6 years older than her in 2020. She was also pregnant at that time and finally gave birth in 2021. Her SNS post about suffering from hyperventilation and falling to the ground in their house a few months ago had people speculating whether she is suffering from abuse. 

Inyoung – Otherwise known as Elly, Inyoung continued her career in music even after leaving Star Empire. In fact, she returned to the agency four years after leaving it and released more music with them. These days, she is more active in variety shows, where she has made appearances in programs such as Call Center of Love, Mama the Idol, and We are a Family. 

Eunjung – Early this year, Eunjung got married to music producer Kei Lim. Jungah, Inyoung, and Baby G were witnesses to the event. 

Baby G – After leaving Star Empire in 2014, Baby G continued activities in various projects, such as Mnet‘s Show Me The Money 5 and Unpretty Rapstar 3. However, she confessed that she hasn’t been able to obtain any jobs in entertainment since then, so she’s been working at a café for minimum wage. She has been regularly updating her Instagram account (@__juyunhaaaa) but there haven’t been a lot of singing activities documented. 

Semi – After her contract expired with Star Emire Semi reverted to her birth name Yoon Jinsol and appeared in numerous TV dramas such as Radio Romance, Welcome to Waikiki, and Witch’s Love. She was also reported to have signed with Kings Entertainment in 2019, but there hasn’t been much news about her activities until this year when she participated in the youth-oriented drama Dear.M. 

Yewon – Yewon signed to Jellyfish Entertainment since leaving Stra Empire in 2016. Since then, she has appeared in TV dramas like What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Feel Good to Die, Class of Lies, and She Knows Everything. She transferred to a new agency, Andmarq (agency of Park Jinjoo and Lee Joobeen, among others) in May of 2022. 

Kara

Here is one group that was ubiquitous during its peak and had a tinge of tragedy after its disbandment. The cracks in the group started showing in 2014 when Nicole and  Jiyoung decided not to renew their contracts with DSP Media thus leaving the group to pursue their own endeavors. Following their departures, a reality show titled Kara Project was aired on TV to select members to join the group. Seven trainees from DSP Media took part in the program. The winner of the competition was Heo Youngji who became the latest and eventually the last member to join the group.

On January 15, 2016, Kara disbanded after DSP Media announced that the contracts with Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara expired and they decided not to renew their contracts. Although members Gyuri and Youngji have mentioned the possibility of a reunion, no further updates have been released. Also, Hara’s demise in 2019 has quashed any possibility of a reunion with all members. Although, on June 11, 2022, former Kara members Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung and Youngji reunited for a group photoshoot which was shared on each of their Instagram accounts. This sparked rumors of a comeback, however, no announcement was made. They may lack one member forever, but then we should be okay with anything we can get, eh?

Nicole – The erstwhile main rival of Tiffany when it comes to the title Korea’s American Girlfriend, Nicole was Kara’s maknae who opted not to renew her contract with DSP Entertainment at the start of 2014. She eventually debuted as a solo artist in both Korea and Japan in 2014 and 2016, respectively. She is set to have a comeback in Korea via a single entitled You.F.O under her new entertainment label JWK Entertainment. She was signed under B2M after deciding not to renew with DSP until the company’s closure in 2017. 

Gyuri – Since Kara’s disbandment in 2016, Gyuri has mostly focused on an acting career. She has also been in the news for other reasons such as her high-profile romance with an heir to a construction industry company, which ended in 2021. 

Seungyeon – On the music front, Seungyeon has been more active in Japan, releasing EPs there since 2017. She has also sung in k-drama OSTs, though, which is the extent of her activities in the Korean music industry. She has been more active on television, as she signed to Inyeon Entertainment in 2018 and was cast in the fantasy romance drama About Time. She then took on the leading role in travel romance drama Twelve Nights the same year. A couple of years later, she switched to a new agency,  YGX Entertainment. In 2021, Han appeared in comedy horror film Show Me the Ghost as Yeji. She won Fantastic Actor Jury’s Special Mention Award for her performance at 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

Jiyoung – After leaving Kara, Jiyoung focused on expanding both her music and acting careers in Japan with the agency Sweet Power. She made her first appearance in the 19th Tokyo Girls Collection fashion show in the Saitama Super Arena. Her first acting job was the live-action of Hell Teacher Nube, where she played the heroine, Yukime. She has also released a number of EPs in Nihongo. Her activities in Korea were mostly acting projects as she participated in movies and TV dramas. She has also switched agencies from KeyEast to ELRIS Entertainment only this year. 

Youngji – Youngji is the only Kara member who has stayed with DSP even after all other members have signed on to other agencies. In fact, she renewed her contract with the company again in April. Since her group’s “hiatus”, Youngji has released solo material, acted in a couple of TV dramas, and hosted a number of variety programs and web shows as well. 

Has our roundup of idol updates satisfied you or are you pining for more updates on other idols? Stay tuned for more updates in the future!

Featured image: Queens of K-pop summer, SISTAR, performs their iconic song “Touch My Body.” Source: @STARSHIP_official; YouTube.

So, after months of speculation, the moment Pink Pandas have long feared finally happened – Naeun has officially bid farewell to her group for more than 10 years, Apink. After deciding to not renew her contract with Play M Entertainment (now IST) in April last year and signing to YG Entertainment as an actress, many opined that it wouldn’t be long before the group’s visual center would also leave her group.  Naeun silenced the naysayers, saying she would still be promoting with her groupmates in Apink even if she started focusing more on her career as an actress. However, the schedules clashed, and Apink had to, unfortunately, take a pause in their 10th-anniversary activities following the involvement of the group’s leader, Chorong, in a bullying scandal. 

When the air was finally cleared and the group was about to promote their much-delayed special anniversary album, Horn, Naeun had to sit it out. She was allegedly busy with a new drama program, although she was part of recording the album and the music video. When this sequence of events unfolded, the Pandas braced themselves as they felt Naeun’s departure was inevitable. On April 8, eleven days before the group’s 11th anniversary, Naeun and IST made her departure official.   

But this departure is not actually the first time the group experienced losing a member. In 2013, two years after their debut and before releasing what was to be their breakout success, Apink lost Yookyung, who wanted to pursue a university education. Yookyung’s departure was quite amicable and was not considered a major loss. This was due to the fact the group had then yet to score mainstream success and the lineup was still not fixed in the public consciousness. 

On the other hand, Naeun’s departure became controversial because of the surrounding circumstances that may have contributed to her decision, including the delayed comeback, her change of management agency, and her personality in general. Naeun, with her more reserved personality, may not have been a perfect match with the outgoing and extroverted personalities of the group. Be that as it may, they did work on their relationship throughout their decade, and while it was obvious that there are times that Naeun can suddenly go quiet on their backstage behind-the-scene videos and their reality shows, Pandas and even casual viewers never saw the girls ostracizing or “bullying” Naeun. 

Could this be the same for other groups, though? Here’s a list of some idols who departed from their groups with a lot of noise and intrigue. 

Left or Kicked Out? Jessica from SNSD

September 30, 2014, is a day that will live in infamy, at least in the world of SONEs and pretty much the entire Korean pop music community. It was on this day that Jessica, on her Weibo account, told the world that she had been “forced out” of her group, Girls’ Generation. According to insiders, what happened was,  after the release of Catch Me If You Can and their Tokyo Dome concert, Jessica was supposed to put her singing career on hiatus so that she can focus on her other endeavors, particularly as the owner of her fashion company, Blanc Group. With Catch Me If You Can and its music video recorded and the send-off for Sica already planned and ready for execution, the Ice Princess allegedly changed her mind and told the group and SM that she wants to continue to be an SNSD member while running her business. It was reported that the company asked the eight girls to take a vote on whether Jessica will stay or not, and in the end, the NOs won.

Whether this is true or not still remains to be seen, as both parties have been skirting around the issue even after eight years. It is also important to note that as of today, Seohyun, Tiffany, and  Sooyoung have also left SM, but are still pretty much chummy with the members who opted to stay with the company. When the entire group was interviewed last year on Yoo Quiz on the Block, all eight are still very much open to a reunion project, which shows that there seems to be no bad blood among them and the company. While it has been reported that some members still keep in touch with Sica, it is quite a foregone conclusion that there will never be an SNSD reunion project that will include her. Well, never say never, eh?     

Bullying and Continuous Harassment: Jimin from AOA

Here is a story of a group that turned very ugly. To set the records straight, before the Jimin-Mina issue exploded, AOA already lost two members – Youkyung of the subunit AOA Black in October 2016 and their main vocalist ChoA in June 2017. There was not a lot of talk about Youkyung’s departure as she wasn’t really considered a member of the core group that has hits such as Like a Cat, Miniskirt, Short Hair, and Heart Attack, but ChoA’s departure due to “health issues” became the subject of much speculation. But then, since ChoA didn’t allude to any bad feelings towards her group, people didn’t really consider her departure as a red flag. 

Then, Mina decided not to renew her contract with FNC Entertainment in May 2019 to focus on her acting career. This left the group with five members – Jimin, Seolhyun, Yuna, Hyejeong, and Chanmi. But the group’s career got a second wind after Queendom, as it renewed public interest for the group as they proved that they have hidden aces even as they already lost their main vocalist ChoA. You can say that thanks to Queendom, the public fell in love with the group again, despite their depleted line-up and other incidents that have put them in an unfavorable light (e.g., Seolhyun and Jimin getting a lot of flak after failing to identify a famous Korean historical figure in one of the episodes of their reality show). To be fair to the girls, they killed most of their performances on Queendom, and their EP and song they released after the show, New Moon and Come See Me, respectively, still managed to chart.  

The COVID-19 came and Mina for some reason had a very public meltdown on Instagram. We cannot really chronicle the number of times Mina has opened, closed, deactivated, and reactivated her Instagram account, because that sequence of events merits its own article. But what is related to AOA were her first “revelations” where she pointed out that even since their days as a trainee, Jimin (who eventually went on to be the leader of AOA) already bullied her by picking on her and other trainees and eventually members. She went on to enumerate the incidents when Jimin bullied her, including the time when she was not allowed to mourn the death of her father (who later she revealed to be abusive towards her and her mom), and the various times she was verbally and physically abused (punching and slapping) by their leader. She also involved the group’s center Seolhyun, claiming that she was Jimin’s henchwoman and in most instances would just sit back and witness the abuse instead of stopping Jimin. 

Eventually, Mina posted a picture of her bloodied wrist that has a slash wound and captioned it with a revelation that she attempted suicide during her time with AOA because of the bullying she got from Jimin and Seolhyun. But then, days later it was revealed that she was embroiled in a cheating scandal, and his ex’s affairs, while they were still a couple, were what pushed her to end her life. She also stated that Jimin and she actually reconciled when it was the rapper’s dad who died and it was her turn to comfort her. But as soon as the first Instagram posts were released, Jimin was quick to act, resigning from her position in the group and retiring from the entertainment industry altogether while issuing an apology to Mina. 

But as mentioned earlier, this did not stop Mina from conducting various dramatic revelations on Instagram, after which she decides to announce that she will be quitting SNS, but only to return a few weeks later. She has revealed everything from the first time she was sexually abused to posting a picture of her smoking in a non-smoking hotel room having everybody seriously advising her to stay away from social media altogether and seek help for her unstable mental condition. Also, much of the online chatroom conversations among AOA members have been revealed, with Jimin apologizing as early as 2019, before the pandemic which Mina took as an opportunity for her various expose. Even after Jimin already left the group and thus, the chatroom, it was revealed that Mina continually harassed her and her family. It has also been revealed that Mina uses FNC’s resources for her personal errands, such as setting up appointments for her mom.    

On the other hand, it seems that Jimin couldn’t stay away from the limelight that long because as of January 2022, she released a new song with a music video on her birthday. While she has also returned to Instagram, still has not returned to AOA yet. 

High-Profile Mass Exodus: Yeonwoo, Taeha, and Daisy from Momoland

When it comes to groups losing so many members at one time, this may be a common occurrence when it is time to the members to renew their contracts with the companies that created the groups. Such was the case with After School, where all except one, Nana, has opted to stay with the company, while eleven (yes, 11) have opted to not continue their careers under Pledis Entertainment. The agency claimed this is actually in sync with the group’s original “graduation” concept, where the members would have to leave the group after some time. That same is true with Lovelyz, where only leader Baby Soul decided to renew her contract with Woolim while the other seven chose to join other companies; although there was no word on whether the group has permanently disbanded. 

However, things are a bit different with the group Momoland, which only debuted in 2016 and experienced massive success with their 2018 release Bboom Bboom. The follow-up singles Baam and I’m So Hot were still successful, but unfortunately did not rise to the level of Bboom Bbom’s popularity. But then, trouble erupted when in November 2019, MLD Entertainment (then Duble Kick Company but was renamed after the group’s phenomenal success) announced the departure of Yeonwoo and Taeha from the group, and stated that they were in discussions with Daisy about her future in the group. Thus, when 2019 ended with the group’s release Thumbs Up, they were officially three members down, although it is important to note that Daisy and Taeha were already not part of the previous MMLD comeback I’m So Hot in March 2019. 

In January 2020, Daisy stated that the show Finding Momoland was fraudulent and had deceived viewers by manipulating the votes. She claimed that after her elimination, she was contacted by the agency with an offer to join the group. MLD Entertainment denied the claims, and stated they would be taking legal action against Daisy. But it wasn’t until May 13, 2020 when it was announced that Daisy had left the group.

So, what caused these fallouts with the company years before their contract renewal and pretty much only recently after their success?

First, let’s start with Yeonwoo. When she quit, MLD Entertainment released a statement on Momoland’s fancafe saying, “While Yeonwoo has had deep affection for her Momoland activities, she has decided that continuing together with her actress activities would be too much strain for both her team and herself so to leave the team and concentrate on her career as our actress [under MLD Entertainment].“

Then, months later, Yeon-woo in her SNS posts, “Everyone. How many people are brave enough to give up their youth for a new start? I don’t have that kind of boldness. I don’t even have the will to do that.” “I endured it, I endured it, I endured it, but there was no use. I didn’t betray you because I wanted to do something else.”

So, does that sound like the company heavily suggested (aka eased her out) for her to leave Momoland? I guess what happened after was indicative of what Yeonwoo really wanted for her career, because on January 19, it was confirmed that Yeonwoo signed an exclusive contract with 9ato Entertainment, which also happens to be the agency of star of the moment Han Sohee.

Taeha left the group together with Yeonwoo in 2019. However, it wasn’t until October 2020 when Taeha posted a video on her YouTube channel, revealing her reasons for leaving Momoland: So that she could express herself in her own voice. She also shared that she doesn’t keep in touch with the Momoland members as much as she would like to, as their busy schedules make it difficult. However, she did reveal that she hangs out with Daisy from time to time.

Finally, we have Daisy who already had a lot of beef with her company even before she official parted ways with them in 2020. As mentioned earlier, she spilled a lot of tea even when she was still technically with the company, claiming that the reality competition that created Momoland is rigged. Since then, lawsuits from both parties have been filed, which Daisy actually won, though the company has filed an appeal. Daisy has continued her university education and keeps in touch ith fans through her SNS and YouTube videos. 

Now, if you think the case of female idols getting kicked out of or leaving their groups is common, wait until we refresh your memory of male idols and their groups! Stay tuned for this list.   

Featured Image: Apink Official Twitter

These days, with “monster rookies” making their debut songs top the charts like it was the easiest thing, we look back at a number of groups whose debut songs ushered their “arrival” in the K-pop scene. Take note that these songs were released at a time when groups are not commonly a product of reality shows that package idols to instant popularity even before their debut –  so having “monster rookies” wasn’t yet an expected occurrence as they are nowadays. But then, despite the challenges, these debut songs caught the public’s attention and went on to make legends out of the groups that sang them. 

1. Girls’ Generation — “Into The New World”

Girls’ Generation’s legendary debut song is still holding strong and is a favorite more than a decade after its release. The song is basically the standard all other debut songs are compared to- for girl and boy groups.

The song itself was quite memorable as it showcased the girls’ impressive vocals and dancing skills in the music video, as girl groups then were not really known to have elaborate dance moves and choreography, unlike their male counterparts.  Moreover, during the time of GG aka the second generation, it wasn’t that common for groups during that time to gain a lot of recognition to the point of winning music shows with only their debut song. But Into the New World did exactly just that to SNSD, as the group won their first music show trophy on M Countdown more than two months after debuting.

The song, a testament to sweet and young love, and the accompanying music video, which featured the girls pursuing various interests, were devoured by the Korean public. They instantly fell in love with the nine-girl lineup. Years later, somehow, the song was adapted by protestors rallying for various social causes in Korea, including the eventual impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in 2017. 

2. 2NE1 – “Fire“

A couple of years after Girls’ Generation made their impressive debut and encountered credible competition from only Kara and Wonder Girls, YG Entertainment took it upon themselves to join the SM Entertainment-dominated niche by introducing the girl version of their highly successful boy group BIG BANG – 2NE1. While the group was initially introduced to the public via a collaboration single with their brother group entitled Lollipop (which became all the more popular because it was used as a promotional jingle for the LG Cyon phone), it was not until a couple of months later that CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy officially debuted via Fire. 

Fire’s release was highly anticipated – it was filled with fanfare and hype as only YG Entertainment can muster. Two music videos to support the song’s release were premiered on the same day – a “space” and “street” version, which exceeded a million views on YouTube within a day of its release.  And then, the girls performed their song for the first time live in Inkigayo. Who can forget that staging with the girls getting introduced one by one as an elevator stops on each floor of a building? Of course, when the lift finally arrived on the 21st floor, all hell broke loose, and the girls performed their debut song like they have been doing it for years. Both the music videos and their debut stage were featured in American blogger Perez Hilton’s blog, which earned the group an instant international following. Finally, Korean pop music had its first group that embodied the “girl crush” concept. And in an industry where girl groups would usually be either cute and innocent or downright provocative and sexy, the fierce image that 2NE1 exuded was still uncommon and fresh. No wonder the girls won their first music show trophy only a month after Fire was released, which slashed SNSD’s previous record by half. 

And we haven’t even talked about Dara’s palm tree hair. 

3. miss A – “Bad Girl, Good Girl“

After SM and YG’s explosive girl group revelations (with SM doing it the second time in 2009 with the introduction of the highly experimental f(x)), the ball was back to JYP’s court. Although JYP had a fierce rivalry with SM via the Wonder Girls – SNSD match-up, they kinda lost steam with their push for WG to make a splash internationally. And with Girls’ Generation, f(x), Kara, 2NE1, and then-monster rookies Sistar dominating the charts while Wonder Girls were still somehow pushed in the US, JYP had no choice but to debut a new group with miss A.  And what a solid move it was! 

miss A met immediate success with their debut single Bad Girl, Good Girl, which featured a novel concept for girl groups in K-pop – sexy but not overt as Sistar, fierce but not as in-your-face as 2NE1, which ultimately worked for JYP’s new girl group then. The song was and still is hella catchy. After all, this was produced during the time when JYP still had that magic (come to think of it, he still does, but it comes and goes these days, which may explain how he has been inconsistent with ITZY and NMIXX). Alas, that choreography to match the rather haughty lyrics of the song has been what has made it memorable after all these years. All those pointing and kicking when the girls are down to the ground, lying on their stomachs are still pretty much remembered up to this day when idols dance to the song on variety shows. Along with the choreography of Hush, which has Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy holding on to a horizontal curtain rod, Bad Girl Good Girl tops miss A’s list of memorable songs mainly because of the iconic choreography. BGGG also broke 2NE1’s record by winning for miss A their first music show trophy 21 days after their debut. Too bad the girls had to succumb to the 7-year K-pop curse.   

4 & 5. Blackpink – “Boombayah” and “Whistle“

Remember the move YG made when they debuted 2NE1 with not just one, but two music videos for their first release Fire? YG revived this tactic with their second girl group, Blackpink, when they debuted the group in 2016. Only this time, YGE did not just release one song with two music videos but actually released two different songs – Boombayah and Whistle on the same day, August 8, 2016.  By that time, the anticipation for the new YG girl group was at its fever pitch since the company’s banner girl group, 2NE1, was on a hiatus following the involvement of Park Bom in a scandal. Thus, by the time August 8, 2016 came, people were just all too ready to gobble up anything Blackpink released. 

Alas, fans were blessed with this selection which was a bit different from one another. For those who prefer a steadier, more mellow beat, Whistle was for them, while for those who wanted a high energy track from the first note up to the last, Boombayah was perfect. Whistle is haunting with its minimal beat which remains steady throughout the song, so there’s really no beat drop or any explosive parts of the song. In contrast, Boombayah has all the ingredients of a “typical” YG song, with earworm portions that will stick in your head for weeks, unique choreography for the live performances, and catchy lyrics that fans will sing in the years to come. While Whistle had the repetitive “Make’ em whistle like a missile bomb, bomb”, Boombayah has the iconic line that has become a trademark of Blackpink up to this day – that line about them being in your area. Boombayah also has that line that has made a legend out of Girls’ Planet 101 participant and later Kep1er member Hikaru – the line that goes “I’m gonna go brrrr… Rambo.” 

And of course, that Rosé was sliding on the floor on her back below the three girls while singing is the stuff of legends. While they didn’t do this every time they performed the song live, you can just imagine how difficult it was for our main vocal to shoot that scene on the music video, considering that she has to do it without making it look difficult. Rosé has admitted that it was tough for her to film that section of the music video, since her leather attire also caused friction between her and the floor, so it was not easy for her to “slide through” the girls’ legs at all as her own legs had to do a lot of work so it would look like she is “sliding” across the floor. That has also got to result in a lot of skin chaffing, which she did confirm in interviews. Truly iconic. 

Legendary Debut Songs Versus Monster Rookies: A Postscript

A lot of new groups these days may achieve instant (or in some points of view, automatic) fame because of the popularity of some of their members. For example, aespa was already popular when it debuted because of the massive SM campaign machinery behind the group. G-Idle, Everglow, IVE, Kep1er, and Le Sserrafim have instant public recognition because they have  members that are reality idol contest alumnae – Soyeon, Yiren, Wonyoung, Yujin, and Sakura, Chaewon, and Yunjin, respectively. Even STAYC, which people argue does not have former idol contestants, has Sieun and Saeun, who had already established acting careers prior to debuting as idols.  

But then, we can argue that even if these groups have achieved enormous popularity since debuting, their debut songs may not have really served them well. Next Level was what brought aespa to, (pun intended) the next level and not really Black Mamba, which only peaked at #49 in the national charts. Bon Bon Chocolat did a good job in introducing Everglow to the world, but Adios was the group’s breakthrough hit. Eleven was good, but Love Dive is arguably the iconic IVE song. Thus, with the monster rookies we’ve mentioned, only G-Idle (with Latata), Le Sserafim (with Fearless), and Kep1er (with Wadada) are the ones with debut songs that have so far served them really well. And by the looks of it, it seems that Attention is on its way to making New Jeans not just a monster rookie, but a rookie legend.  

Featured Image: Youtube Screenshot from Blackpink’s “Boombayah“

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. 

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. 

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. 

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?