If you started following K-pop in 2017, it’s inevitable that you know the song Bboom Bboom. But then, the next question you may likely ask is, whatever happened to Momoland, the group that shot all the way to the top of Korean music charts with that viral song? Sit back and read on as we trace the group’s humble beginnings, their sudden success, and their unfortunate and uncertain future.

A JYPE-Inspired Start

Patterned after the success of JYP Entertainment with SIXTEEN which produced the final lineup for the group TWICE, Finding Momoland premiered a year later, featuring 10 trainees from Duble Kick Entertainment (now known as MLD Entertainment) competing to debut in the K-pop girl group Momoland. The first episode premiered on July 22, 2016 and ended on September 16, 2016, revealing the group’s final composition on the 10th and final episode.

During the competition, the contestants displayed their talents in dancing and singing abilities while showing their charisma and personality in order to gain the favor of the judges and the public, survive the search. As mentioned earlier, the lineup of the group was announced in the finale of the show, with the group set to debut under Duble Kick Company, which was represented in the show by producers Rhymer, Duble Sidekick, and Shinsadong Tiger.

So, among the trainees Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, Nancy, Heejae, Daisy, and Shinsia, the latter three were eliminated in the final episode, with the seven remaining contestants composing the final lineup of Momoland. From the start, the group already encountered initial problems as Finding Momoland’s Final Mission could not collect 3,000 spectators, which in turn resulted in the delay of the group’s official debut. Suffice to say, while the show had decided on the final lineup for the group, they were not able to amass the needed fan count and finances to support the group’s debut. This included physical copies of their CD, costumes, live stage venues, and music videos. 

Thus, while still amassing the funds needed for the group to properly debut, the entertainment agency booked the new group in free, goodwill appearances to raise their public profile. For example, on October 26, 2016, the group was appointed as ambassadors for the international relief development NGO Plan Korea. While these appearances were happening, the company held crowdfunding events to cover the cost of producing the physical format of the group’s debut release. The company eventually succeeded in raising funds for the group, accumulating more than 10 million won.

A Rocky but Promising Start for Momoland

Finally, the group’s debut showcase was held on November 9. The next day, their debut extended play Welcome to Momoland was released, for which the group made their debut performance of their single Jjan! Koong! Kwang! through music television program M Countdown. As part of their Plan Korea ambassadorship, the group traveled to Phuc Luong Village in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam from December 12 to 16 to encourage Happy Mov students to participate in constructing a kindergarten in the region. On December 27, the six members of the group except for Yeonwoo, who had lower back pain, attended SBS Gayo Daejeon.

The accompanying music video for the group’s debut song Jjan! Koong! Kwang! was uploaded onto 1theK’s YouTube channel at the same time as the release of the single. Bae Yoon Jung of Yama & Hot Chicks—more known as the terror dance mentor in the Produce 101 series who was also a judge in Finding Momoland—served as the choreographer of the video. A dance version of the music video was released on November 14 and a dance practice video was uploaded two days later.

The group’s first EP, Welcome to Momoland peaked debuted and peaked at number 28 on the Gaon Album Chart for the week of November 12. For the month of November of 2016, it was the fifty-third best-selling album, selling 1,915 physical copies.

New Momoland Members and Breakout Recognition

On March 28, 2017, the company decided to add Daisy and Taeha to the group. If the name Daisy sounds familiar, that’s because it is the same Daisy who was eliminated in the finale of Finding Momoland. Meanwhile, Taeha, fresh from her stint in Produce 101 as a trainee of Starship (Sistar, K.Will, and I.O.I‘s Yeongjung who was Taeha‘s co-trainee in PD101 and later joined Cosmic Girls), left her former agency and joined Dublekick and eventually, Momoland. In April 2017, the group released Wonderful Love, which was their first single album. This was followed four months later with Freeze!, their second EP, which featured the single of the same title. While Wonderful Love failed to chart, Freeze! peaked at number 17 in the Gaon album charts after its release, eventually selling more than 2,200 copies. 

The group started 2018 on a great note, pun intended as they released their third EP entitled Great!, along with the single Bboom Bboom. The EP at the start was embroiled in a bit of controversy as a Russian girl group by the name of Serebro claimed that Bboom Bboom is plagiarized from their song Mi Mi Mi. Shinsadong Tiger, the composer of the song, while pointing out that the song does have similarities with the Russian girl group’s single, “the bass line (is) commonly heard in retro house or electro swing genres, as well as the 4-stanza chord.” 

After weathering the first storm of controversy, Momoland was in for a surprise as the song became a viral sensation. The catchy and easy-to-follow choreography for the song that the group used for the video and their live performances prompted online content creators not just from Korea but from other countries such as Thailand and the Philippines to create dance covers that also became viral. Alas, individual members also started getting attention, particularly Yeonwoo and Nancy for their visuals, and JooE for her animated persona that bagged her an ad deal with Tropicana Sparkling beverages. All these factors aligned to propel the group and the song to new levels of popularity. 

Thus, the song slowly but surely climbed to the top of the charts, from its debut at number forty-eight on the week of January 20, 2018, to number eighteen on its second week, until it peaked in March 2018 at number two. While it was only their albums that used to enter the charts, Bboom Bboom was their first song to enter the digital charts. It was eventually certified platinum by Gaon Chart in August 2018, with more than 100 million streams. It was the first by a female artist to be certified platinum and only the second to receive this certification, the first being Love Scenario by iKon, which happens to also have been released in the same month in 2018.

The success of the single also prompted the group to try promoting overseas, with promotional events held in Japan from February to March. The group also signed with King Records for the release of the Japanese version of the song on June 13. As for the music video, the girls were featured in what appears to be a home shopping TV show. As of press time, it has amassed more than 537 million views on YouTube alone, while the dance practice video has been viewed more than 102 million times. 

Bboom Bboom also gave the group its first music show wins, with a record number of 12 consecutive weekly nominations and two wins in Inkigayo. The song also won twice in M Countdown (which was the first win for the group on January 11 and the second win happening more than a month later on February 22) and once in Show Champion, The Show, and Music Bank.

So then, the question was, how can the group and the company capitalize on their sudden rise to stardom? After five months, with Bboom Bboom still charting quite high, the group released their fourth EP Fun to the World, with the single Baam! The song was not as commercially successful as its predecessor, although music critics thought it was actually an improvement from Bboom Bboom. The EP peaked at #6, while the single went as high as #13.  Interestingly, as its chances may have been cannibalized by Bboom Bboom, Baam! did not give the group any music show wins.

As for the song’s music video, it features the group in backdrops depicting the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, France, Mexico, Egypt, and the United States, as a sort of tribute to the areas where the group made a killing with Bboom Bboom. As of this article’s writing, the MV has accumulated more than 225 million views.

The Start of Momoland’s Decline?

On March 20, 2019, Momoland released their fifth EP Show Me, which featured the lead single I’m So Hot. The cracks in the group started showing as I’m So Hot did not include Daisy and Taeha. The song only managed to peak at #81 in the Gaon Digital Charts, though it managed three music show wins. 

More causes for concern among the Merries (Momoland’s fandom) started appearing as the group’s first Japanese studio album, Chiri Chiri, also did not have Yeonwoo, aside from Daisy and Taeha. In a sudden move, the group and MLD Entertainment (which has changed its name from Duble Kick, thanks to the group’s success), signed a co-management agreement with the Philippine media company ABS-CBN Corporation. The group made several appearances in Philippine TV shows, although the three were still nowhere to be found.  

Alas, the event Merries were most afraid of happened the following month, as MLD Entertainment announced the departure of Yeonwoo and Taeha from the group, although they also mentioned that they were still in negotiations with Daisy about her future in the group. The year ended with the group releasing Thumbs Up, their second single album. Daisy was not part of the single, its MV, and promotions. Although the album peaked at #4 in the albums chart, the single only managed to chart at #137. The group still won in M Countdown on January 9, 2020. 

Momoland’s Uncertain Future

While the group was still at the thick of promoting Thumbs Up, Daisy issued statements claiming  that Finding Momoland was rigged. In an interview by KBS with Daisy and her mother, the member on hiatus said that she knew she was going to be joining the group even if she was eliminated in the show’s finale, as the company’s executives met her the next day and told her that she will be be included in the group after promotions for the debut EP end. Also, she claims that she was charged by MLD Entertainment to appear in the show and the company has asked for payment of 70 million won for her inclusion in Finding Momoland. 

MLD Entertainment responded to Daisy’s allegations by releasing a statement that refuted all her claims. The agency further said that they will be taking legal action against Daisy. After five months, the agency announced that Daisy had left the group, as if we don’t know that yet. 

On June 11, 2020, the group released Starry Night, a non-promoted “special” EP” which didn’t really fare well, as expected as it wasn’t promoted. On the same month, the company announced that announced that the group have signed a contract with ICM Partners with plans to enter into the American market. Since a lot of plans have been shelved because of the pandemic, any activities stemming from that contract have yet to materialize. Moreover, the group’s management contract with the Philippine media company ABS-CBN has remained in limbo because aside from the pandemic, the media company also lost its franchise to operate its main business, a television station. Thus, earlier plans of the group releasing an English-Filipino language EP via the company’s record label Star Records, as well as Nancy headlining a drama are all in limbo. 

On November 17, 2020, the group released the third single album Ready or Not, containing the lead single of the same name. The song has THE Psy as a lyricist. The song had a lackluster performance on the Korean charts, as the EP peaked at #25 and the song only reached number 81.

It is unfortunate that Momoland was not able to capitalize on the phenomenal performance of Bboom Bboom. The unstable member lineup may also have turned off a good number of fans, which can only be attributed to the company not taking proper care of their talents. With more or less zero activities this 2021 for both the group and all members, we can only wish 2022 will be the year the public finds its way back into loving Momoland once again.

Featured image: Momoland Ready or Not showcase. 사진기자머길, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Korean singer-songwriter IU has released, as of October 19, another single that has been anticipated to break records anew. And she did that without breaking a sweat as the new song, Strawberry Moon, has reached the top position in MelOn and Bugs (both daily and real-time charts), Genie (real-time and #5 in daily charts), and FLO (which only has real-time charts) HOURS after its release. Yes, it didn’t even take a day for her to be numero uno!   

In celebration of her nth #1 song (seriously we’ve lost count, although a quick Wiki search may give us 17 Gaon #1s), let’s check out the first five songs that got Ms. Lee Jieun on the top of Korean music charts.  

“Nagging” ft. Lim Seulong (2010)

IU wasn’t exactly a breakout hit when she started her career in 2008. She was 15 years old then, and debuting as a solo artist at 15 was not something that was common. Even now, idols who debut early are usually part of groups and reap the benefits of having a broader fanbase before launching their solo careers. Even K-pop legend BoA had to start her career in Japan first before getting recognition in her own country. IU released some singles that didn’t really accelerate her rise to stardom, before finally making it big two years later.

And how! Her first song that went to #1 on the Gaon Chart was actually a duet featuring 2AM‘s Seulong. It might be argued that the song became a hit because of Seulong, so IU can’t really take full credit for it. However, for a female soloist to have a #1 song after only two years on the business is already quite an achievement. The non-album single went on to sell more than 3 million copies, so we can safely say that Nagging was the start of her career’s rise. 

Unfortunately, there is actually no official music video released for Nagging, although Seulong and IU have performed it live in music shows, which means the couple did promote the song when it came out. This is quite interesting because IU is not a JYP talent and yet, JYP Entertainment allowed Seulong to participate in the song’s promotion. 

Come to think of it, this may be JYP’s (as in the company’s former CEO Park Jinyoung) way of showing remorse. After all, IU did audition for the company and got rejected. JYP’s former CEO was later vocal about his regret as he thinks of IU as the one talent who got away. Nagging brought IU and Seulong their first music show win in Inkigayo, where she won the trophy on the show’s June 27, 2010 episode. They also won two other trophies in Music Bank. The Nagging wins were also among Seulong’s first music show wins.   

Aside from JYPE rejecting her, IU was also rejected nineteen other times by other entertainment agencies before LOEN Entertainment (now EDAM Entertainment) signed her.

“Good Day” (2010)

If there were still doubts that IU was going to make it big even after her first number 1, they were eventually silenced six months after Nagging’s release as she dropped her third EP Real with the iconic single  Good Day. Yes, it’s that song that people attempt to sing on everything from variety shows to audition survival programs because of that oxygen-depleting IU rendition of the line “I’m in my dream” with three key changes. 

This song cemented IU’s place in K-pop as she amassed new fans with the song. Moreover, she also recorded a Japanese version of the song, which reached a top 5 position in the country’s Oricon Charts. In her home country, she managed to outsell her first #1 song, as Good Day sold a total of close to 4.5 million copies. 

The music video for this song is arguably one of IU’s most known. It starts off with IU visiting a general shop with her pet, a giant parrot. We discover that she actually has a huge crush on the shopkeeper and is thinking of ways to get his attention. But then, her giant parrot began saying, “saranghaeyo oppa.” 

And that’s just the first 30 seconds of the video.

So we see IU through the rest of the video overanalyzing things, with singer-pianist Jung Jaehyung making random appearances in her house. The dance sequences are cute, of course, and if you notice, her dancers on this video are the dancers she features on her music videos and concerts up to now. Talk about loyalty!

Anyway, the video ends with the shopkeeper going to IU’s house, with IU expecting him to confess as well. Alas, he only returns the parrot who outed her. But no, IU goes after her oppa and hugged him from behind, but shopkeeper oppa turned around and only patted her head. 

If that’s not a rejection move, then nothing is. 

So, IU sings the last lines of her song while looking out on her window and catching falling snow. On the other hand, shopkeeper oppa takes one final look back at IU’s direction before walking back to his store. Will shopkeeper oppa notice her in the future? Only time will tell. 

On the music video for the Japanese version, the general store is replaced by a violin workshop, with shopkeeper oppa replaced by a violinmaker. Japanese violinmaker oppa doesn’t really mind IU Japanese version’s obvious flirtations as he goes about his day polishing wood and doing the usual things violinmakers do. He also has a pet parrot, while IU has a smaller green parrot who doesn’t pre-empt her confession. Instead, the green parrot gave her a set of keys that may open the violinmaker’s bedroom. Creepy, right? Well, considering shopkeeper oppa just barged in IU Korean version’s room to return her talkative parrot, getting access to the room of someone you like may not be a huge issue in IU’s music videos.

Anyway, IU Japanese version sneaks into the room that looks more like a greenhouse but contains violinmaker oppa’s personal effects, including what looks like a diary or notebook, which IU reads with creepy gusto. Alas, violinmaker oppa catches her, takes away the notebook from her, and… pats her head. As in the same thing shopkeeper oppa did upon receiving IU Korean version’s back hug. 

I guess both Japanese and Korean oppas didn’t see the nation’s little sister as a woman yet, even with three key changes and a line that was sung for 10 seconds in one breath.   

“Only I Didn’t Know” (2011)

Taken from Real+, which was the reissue of IU’s 2010 Real EP.  This 2011 song became the third song of IU to take the top spot in the Gaon charts. The single reached more than 2.9 million sales, while Real+, the EP, where the song came from, reached close to 24,000 copies in sales. The Japanese version of this song is so far, IU’s only #1 in the Billboard Japanese charts. 

The music video that accompanied the song’s release features IU wearing a black dress and singing the song while splayed on the floor, crying. 

“You And I” (2011)

The title track from IU’s second full-length album Last Fantasy, “You and I” was quite historic as it reached No.1 not only on Korea’s Gaon, but was also her first song that charted in the US Billboard World Digital Songs charts, where it peaked at number 3. You and I is also a very important song in IU’s career because up to now, it still is her highest-selling single in Korea with over 6 million units sold.

As for the music video of the song, two versions were released – the main version and a performance video, both getting more than 30 million views. The main music video has a quirky storyline with matching locations, including what seems to be a clock tower and a train. It’s in the clock tower where IU seems to live, where ironically, she also looks like a watchmaker while taking care of a boy who looks like he’s in a coma. Well, she has tried everything from drawing something on his wrist to tickling him with a feather she got from her pet goose (Oh, IU and her penchant for weird pets – remember her talkative bird who outed her with her oppa in Good Day?) 

In the middle of the video, IU finishes making what looks like a cog which she uses inside a booth that looks like a TARDIS in Doctor Who. The moment she gets the machine in the booth to work, it looked like she time travels until Mr. Comatose wakes up. However, Mr. Comatose wakes up, approaches the time machine booth, sees IU, and cries. Beats me what that was about. 

Cut to the last scene where apparently, IU is this saleslady in a jewelry or gift shop where she sells something to Mr. Comatose who doesn’t recognize her until he was halfway out the door. It seemed like he remembered something, looked at IU, and flashed a smile, while our girl gave an “I thought you’d never remember me” look back. End of video. 

“Every End of the Day” (2012)

This song from Spring of a Twenty Year Old, IU’s 3rd single album (and her 2nd Korean one) sold 3.2 million copies getting to No.1 on Gaon in May 2012. The song also topped the Billboard Korea K-Pop Hot 100 a week after it was released internationally. The music video for the song is actually a featurette that included a short interview and behind-the-scenes footage of the video shoot, where IU is in some foreign country buying fruit, getting drenched in the rain, playing her guitar beside a canal, and riding a ferry while remembering some guy. 

Stay tuned for more IU #1s!

Featured Image: IU Official Twitter

Boo!

If you are looking for  Kpop Halloween costumes or songs for your Kpop Halloween playlist for your party, then you’re in the right place. Let’s get into the spirit of things by watching these music videos inspired by the creepiest holiday of the year!

Chilling K-pop music videos for Halloween

Voodoo Doll, VIXX

What even is a list of dark and creepy K-pop music videos without VIXX? Of course, the concept kings must be in this list. The group has an uncanny ability to pull off wildly different concepts—ranging from ethereal to unusual to gruesome—that are not commonly seen in K-pop. In Voodoo Doll, the members are trapped by a woman (maybe a jilted lover?) hell-bent on exacting revenge by using a voodoo doll. The video also cuts into close-up shots of bloody body modification and the female character’s enjoyment in doling out the painful punishment, illustrating her character’s sadistic streak.

Watch the music video in all its haunting glory below (trigger warning: blood, gore):

Boy Meets Evil, BTS

Intense and soulful are the perfect words to describe this trailer video for BTS’s Boy Meets Evil, from the Wings album. RM opens the video by narrating an excerpt from Demian by Hermann Hesse: “My sin was not specifically this or that but consisted of having shaken hands with the devil. The devil held me in his clutches; the enemy was behind me.”

Then, J-Hope appears to perform a routine that was equal parts grim and emotional. The video, lyrics, and choreography give off that feeling that something sinister is lurking unseen. It reminds you that sometimes, the scariest, most unsettling things lie deep inside your own mind.

Watch J-Hope’s emotive performance in the video below:

Chase Me, Dreamcatcher

The dark concept isn’t normally seen in girl group music videos, but Dreamcatcher has made it a point to fully embrace the eerie in their MVs. In Chase Me, a ghost hunter spends the night at a hotel, in an attempt to capture any paranormal activity. The Dreamcatcher members are the spirits that haunt the man at every turn.

Watch their music video for Catch Me below:

Witch, Boyfriend

In the music video, the members are vampires who face off with a female vigilante killer in a red cape—who turned out to be their friend. Their discovery of this betrayal leads to a rooftop battle with the vigilante, a fight which the Boyfriend members lose.

The group also did a darker reinterpretation of Alice in Wonderland with their music video for Bounce. Unfortunately, the group disbanded in 2019. But their music videos, including Witch, are still up on YouTube. Watch it below:

Peek-a-Boo, Red Velvet

Red Velvet is no stranger to creepy yet captivating music videos, and Peek-a-Boo fits perfectly into this category. In the music video, the girls—who turn out to be a murderous bunch obsessed with pizza delivery boys—play various games with an unsuspecting pizza guy. By the time he catches on with the girls’ plan, it’s too late to escape.

Check out their music video, AKA a warning to all pizza delivery guys everywhere:

Don’t Hate Me, Epik High

K-hip-hop legends Epik High did their own spin on the Halloween theme in their music video for Don’t Hate Me. In the music video, Tablo, DJ Tukutz, and Mithra Jin slog through a dreary supermarket shift when kids dressed as movie villains and Halloween characters invade their workplace and trash the whole place. While the video featured kids in spooky costumes and causing mayhem, the song lyrics actually address the group’s fans and anti-fans.

Watch the high-energy music video below:

Full Moon, Sunmi

In Full Moon, Sunmi is a sultry vampire who turns her love interest with a bite and waits for him to transform. The man convulses, seemingly in pain as a result of the bite. As the music video progresses, we see flashbacks from the man’s younger years—he looks at Sunmi walking across a rooftop while he was stuck in a wheelchair. At the end of the video, we see the man completing his transformation into a vampire.

Watch the music video below:

TT, Twice

TT, with its sweet and cheery sound, doesn’t seem to fit the Halloween theme. But in the music video, little trick-or-treaters go somewhere they shouldn’t be and encounter the Twice members who are decked out in costumes. Admittedly, the video is more cute and charming than dark and creepy, but at least you can get Halloween outfit ideas for when the world opens up again!

The girls’ debut song, Ooh Ahh, also put a dash of cute on the Halloween theme, with its zombie apocalypse setting.

Be charmed by Twice in the TT music video below:

Thriller, BTOB

Cemeteries and catacombs automatically give people the creeps, and BTOB ups the scare factor by using these as the setting for their Thriller music video. In the first few seconds of the video, the members appear to rise from their graves as zombies. Their glowing eyes combined with their choreography added to the feel that the BTOB guys are out to take over for the night.

Check out the video below:

Shadow, Highlight (Beast)

Ruined buildings, torch-lit hallways, skulls, creepy crawlies, and people with skeleton body paint all contribute to the gothic atmosphere of the Shadow music video. The group released this track in 2013, back when they were known as Beast. In addition to the dark imagery, the video used light and shadow, as well as a mirroring effect, to evoke the feeling of being taken over by the darkness.

Watch the music video below:

Of course, there are more K-pop videos that use dark imagery—plus, there’s a whole range of other concepts that will simply blow you away! We’ve written about amazing Kpop boy group concepts and top-tier Kpop girl group concepts—make sure to check them out!

Which dark, creepy, or Halloween-inspired music video is your favorite?

Happy Kpop Halloween!

Featured image: Red Velvet serving Kpop halloween costumes from their Peek-A-Boo music video. Photo: SMTOWN/YouTube