A few months ago, CLC unveiled the dark and fierce "Black Dress". Now the ladies are back with the second single from their album but they're wearing white dresses. Quite different from the former single, "Distance" is soft and subdued, which brings me to again point out how flexible this group is concept-wise! I'd like to believe that "Distance" is a sort of epilogue because of some of the visuals (like the lace blindfolds) in the videos parallel. "Black Dress" illustrates a girl trying to get a man to fall for her. Fast forward in time and "Distance" describes the aftermath of the relationship - the man no longer loves her. Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 4/5
2. Winner - Everyday
Korean
Released: April 4th
Winner returned with their second full album "Everyd4y" exactly a year after their charismatic hit song "Really Really". Really Really marked a new beginning for the group - it was their first release with the remaining four members and it favored a trendy genre over the group's usual alternative sound. Since then, Winner has continued using trendy genres for their singles, moving from tropical house to trap! "Everyday" is an autotune laced trap track with a summery vibe and serenading lyrics. Between the dances and music video scenes, it's quite far from what I expected the foursome to perform!
Review: Song - 4/5 MV - 2/5
3. Ten - New Heroes
English
Released: April 6th
SM Station 2 reached a wonderful finale with a solo from NCT's Ten. "New Heroes" is his second station track overall and like the previous, it's completely in English. The lyrics were written by Western singer-songwriters and feature some meaningful and reflective phrases. "Fought off the wolves in sheep clothing/Stood up for what I believed/ Turn my mess into messages/ Learn from the lessons/ And keep on keep on keep on..." Overall, "New Heroes" is quite a trendy work - it has an EDM/Future Bass composition and a music video with an artistic flair. Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 4/5
4. Super Junior - Lo Siento (Feat. Leslie Grace)
Korean, Spanish
Released: April 12th
A few years ago, Super Junior incorporated a Latin flavor into their song "Mamacita." The group embraces the culture once again in "Lo Siento", which is a collaboration with Latin-pop artist Leslie Grace! Leslie provides vocals for much of the chorus, and sings in Spanish, while the members of Super Junior sing and rap mostly in Korean. The stellar aspect of "Lo Siento" is the intricate, dance-inducing instrumental - it includes Spanish guitar and loud synths. Apparently, a lot of K-pop fans and Latin music fans alike enjoyed this as it debuted a number 13 on Billboards Latin Digital Songs Chart (making "SuJu" the first K-pop artist to do so)!
Review: Song - 4/5 MV - 3/5
5. NCT 2018 - Black on Black
Korean
Released: April 18th
You may recall NCT's December 2016 MAMA stage, in which the group first performed a part of "Black on Black". They brought such great energy to the stage and it was my first time seeing all the NCT members perform together. Now over a year later, a revised studio version was released featuring three of the group's rappers: Taeyong, Mark, and newly debuted Lucas. Despite the fact that only a fraction of NCT appears in the song, "Black on Black" is very performance-based and includes all 18 boys clad in black (of course!) The dances are sharp and perfectly synchronized- exactly what I would expect from them.
Review: Song - 2/5 MV - 5/5
6. Meng Jia - Free
Mandarin
Released: April 26th
In March, Meng Jia dropped "Weapon" and it was announced that she is preparing to come back with a full album. A month later, Jia followed up with her second pre-release "Free". For this one, she brings out her airy, light vocals, which compliment the indie-influenced sound. The accompanying music video has breathtaking shots that were filmed in inner mainland China and I applaud the high-quality production of it all.
February is the shortest month of the year, but didn't fall short in good music! Here are top picks from last month!
1. Seventeen - Thanks
Korean
Released: February 5th
Seventeen returned with "Director's Cut", which is essentially a repackage of their most recent album "Teen.Age". The title track "Thanks" seems like a song of gratitude towards the group's fans. With its electronic synths and emotional theme, the song looks back towards one of Seventeen's previous songs "Don't Wanna Cry". In line with the director concept, the music video is "behind the scenes" with cuts of the members in the studio writing lyrics and recording their songs. I interpret this as Seventeen showing a glimpse at the hard work they put into the production of their albums, and paired with song's lyrics, they are grateful to fans for rewarding their hard work! Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 3/5
2. Monsta X - In Time
Korean
Released: February 6th
Monsta X always reveal special music videos for select b-sides of their albums. This special clip is extra special though because it was released to celebrate the group's 1000th day anniversary! Much time has passed since Monsta X has debuted, and coincidentally (or maybe not), this r&b ballad talks about wanting to stop the passage of time. "In time, time please stop, so I can see that beautiful light In time, so in this time and place." With this, I noticed that, aside from consistently releasing fanservice clips, Monsta X are also consistent in including a high-quality ballad on their albums. With its smooth melody and lyrics that were co-written by member Jooheon, "In Time" fails to disappoint! Review: Song - 4.5/5 MV - 3/5
3. Riri - That's My Baby
Japanese
Released: February 9th
Riri is a nineteen-year-old Japanese pop singer who debuted in 2016. She is an apsiring talent, with amazing vocals as well as songwriting and composing ablilites. Her music influences are the likes of Whitney Houston, Beyonce, and Mariah Carey, so not surprisingly, the genre that she takes on is American-style R&B. "That's My Baby" has a good mix of Japanese and English lyrics and has a fun summery vibe, despite being in the winter months!
Review: Song - 4/5 MV - 2.5/5
4. NCT U - Boss
Korean
Released: February 19th
NCT U is a rotational sub-unit of SM Entertainment's boy group NCT. They were last active in 2016 with two singles, and now SM has brought them back to start out their new musical project "NCT 2018". Since the unit is rotational, the member line-up is not consistent and some of the members that participated in the unit's debut are not included. This time, Ten and Taeil did not participate, but new members Jungwoo and Lucas were introduced! "Boss" truly captures the essence of NCT. The music video was filmed in Ukraine and the members show a cool vibe, an atypical sense of style, and great choreography!
Review: Song - 3/5 MV - 4/5
5. CLC - Black Dress
Korean
Released: February 22nd
CLC has decorated their career with different concepts and music styles. This time they go for a strong, feminine concept that even seems a little bit dark. "Black Dress", a heavy EDM song with hip-hop elements, is about a girl who dons a black dress to make a man fall for her. The beat gets an A+ and CLC's vocals are on point, however, "Black Dress" falls short because the progression of the song is stagnant. Also, repetition does not always bother me, but I wish this song didn't rely so much on the words "black dress". With that said, it's nice to see their company's effort at making them a versatile group. Review: Song - 2.5/5 MV - 3/5
6. Red Velvet - I Just
Korean
Released: February 28th
"I Just" is a heavy electronic synth pop song that was produced in part by SM artist Hitchhiker. It is a b-side from Red Velvet's second full album and explores the group's "velvet" side. The beat instantly makes this one of my favorite songs by Red Velvet, and it has quirky elements that set it apart from typical EDM. Though "I Just" was released last November (with the album), the group is only now a releasing music video. The MV a is very simple and homemade clip that appears to have been filmed with a cell-phone. Review: Song - 5/5 MV - 1/5
The K-pop music scene is dominated by groups - both male and female! There is much fanfare around groups because they have a line-up of members with various talents, styles, and personalities. Here are my top 9 boy groups in K-pop. I included an introduction with background information, my favorite members, and some recommended songs!
9. Day6
Debut: Congratulations (2015)
Members:6 5
Day6 is a K-pop rock band under JYP Entertainment. Like any rock band, Day6 incorporates guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard into their performances instead of choreography. The group was named Day6 presumably because the original line-up consisted of six members, but one member left the band due to personal reasons. Recently, Day6 has been more present in the music scene through their EveryDay6 project in which they dropped two songs (a title track and b-side) a month for every month in 2017.
Favorite Member(s):
Young K
Recommended Songs:
For the third month of their Everyday6 project, Day6 came out with "How Can I Say". When I initially read the title, I imagined the song would be about trying to confess your love to someone, but it's actually the opposite. Day6 are singing about trying to find the right words to admit that they fell out of love and want to break up. It is a moderately heavy rock song (as opposed to heavy metal or soft rock) and may be enjoyable for people who typically don't like the genre.
The members' names are: Wonpil, Sungjin, Dowoon, Jae, Young K
The group's fandom name is My Day, after the title of one their songs.
Day6 admire Maroon 5, U2, Coldplay, and One Republic.
8. Winner
Debut: Empty (2014)
Members: 5 4
Winner was formed through YG Entertainment's 2013 show WIN: Who is Next? and they competed against other trainees to debut. They won the competition, earning the name "Winner" and debuted as a five-membered group a year later. At first, listen, I could tell that Winner was like no other idol group. From the start, they played with different genres that strayed away from the K-pop trends. Their first album "2014 S/S" includes acoustic ballads and alternative rock, while their following single album includes a "blues-infused" song. One of the members, Nam Taehyun, left the group in 2016, and thereafter Winner redefined themselves as more mainstream. Whether on or off-trend, Winner continues to produce quality music.
Favorite Member(s):
Recommended Songs:
Winner debuted with two simultaneously released singles, "Empty" being the lead single off of "2014 S/S". "Empty" was written by B.I. (IKON), Bobby (IKON) and Mino (Winner) and co-composed by B.I. The song describes feelings of emptiness and loneliness after a break-up. It is alternative pop with hip-hop elements and has a mellow, subdued sound. "Empty" really highlights the different vocal colors of the members: Jinu and (former member) Nam Taehyun have light, sweet vocal tones while Yoon has a husky voice. Mino is a low tone rapper, while Hoony is higher.
The group's fandom name is Inner Circle and their official fan color is Nebula Blue.
Winner was the first YG boy group to debut in 8 years since Bigbang.
7. Seventeen
Debut: Adore U (2015)
Members: 13
Seventeen is appreciated for being a "self-producing" idol group and having creative control over their music. They are a rather large group, with thirteen members. Interestingly, they are divided into three units according to their special talents. There is the performance unit (which focuses on dance), the hip-hop unit (which focuses on rap) and the vocal unit. Seventeen normally promotes as an entire group but occasionally, these units have their own separate projects. I find this unit concept significant because in large groups it's easy for some members to be overshadowed. Moreover, the unit system allows Seventeen to be more versatile and attract listeners with different tastes. Listeners who like rap may enjoy the hip-hop unit's songs "Trauma" or "Check In". Whereas those who enjoy ballads may prefer the vocal unit's "Pinwheel".
Favorite Member(s):
Vernon, Mingyu
Recommended Songs:
Seventeen reveal a more serious and subtle side of themselves through this emotional EDM track. In "Don't Wanna Cry" a heavy American influence can be heard: there is a Chainsmokers-esque beat and the instrumental follows the recent Western trend of Tropical house. I particularly like how the intro is soft and restrained. Then, the song becomes more dramatic and slowly builds up to a satisfying beat drop.
The group's fandom name is Carat and the official fan colors are Rose quartz (pastel pink) and Serenity (pastel blue).
Seventeen's name comes from the fact that there were supposed to be 17 members, but 4 never debuted. The group name was given a new meaning by the concept: 13 members + 3 units + 1 group = Seventeen.
6. Monsta X
Debut: Tresspass (2015)
Members: 7
Monsta X is from Starship Entertainment and the members were selected during the 2015 trainee survival program No.Mercy. They debuted with a hip-hop concept and are known for their signature powerful sound. Monsta X has proved to be very well-rounded because they are equally talented in dance and vocals. Additionally, their rap lineup is balanced between the high-pitched, energetic rapper Joohoen and the low, more monotone rapper I.M.
Favorite Member(s):
Kihyun
Recommended Songs:
In May 2016, Monsta X started an album trilogy called "The Clan" series. The first part "The Clan 2.5 Part 1: Lost" focuses on "loss and hurt" and "the inner world of youths". "All In", the lead single of the album, is the complete package with a rhythmic rap, a catchy beat, and a chorus that just captures your attention. Like much of their music, it has a heavy-hitting electronic beat. The music video introduces The Clan storyline and the members are in a village that is facing conflict and unrest. Monsta X later revealed the choreography version of the video (included above).
The group's fandom name is Mon Bebe and their official fan colors are Pantone 2221 c (Light Blue), Pantone dark blue c, Pantone 2405 c (purple).
In their debut year, Monsta X received the "Next Generation Asian Artist Award" at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and the "1theK Performance Award" at the Melon Music Awards.
5. EXO
Debut: MAMA (2012)
Members:12 9
EXO is comprised of two sub-groups: EXO-K (who records music in Korean) and EXO-M (who records the same songs in Mandarin). By this method, EXO simultaneously targets audiences in both South Korea and China. They debuted in 2012 with twelve members after releasing two pre-debut singles "What is Love?" and "History". Since then, three members left the group but EXO has achieved great commercial success nonetheless. Each year, SM Entertainment promotes EXO in a systematic pattern: album releases in Spring/Summer, album repackages a few months afterwards, and a Winter Special Album in December. Because of this, EXO releases quite a bit of content each year and continues to grow in popularity.
Favorite Member(s):
Sehun
Recommended Songs:
"Monster" is sung from the viewpoint of a man who focuses his interest on a girl that he likes. But, he is rather unapproachable and frightening, hence the lyric "You can call me monster." Not surprisingly, the song has a very intense instrumental and equally intense music video. EXO are depicted as beaten and bruised rebels with tough exteriors.
The group's fandom name is EXO-L and their official fan color is Cosmic Latte (Gray)
Exo's sophomore album XOXO was the best selling album of 2013 in South Korea.
4. IKON
Debut: Rhythm Ta! (2015)
Members: 7
Prior to their debut, IKON (often stylized as iKON) was a 6-membered group of trainees called Team B. They competed against Team A (WINNER) on YG Entertainment's 2013 trainee survival show WIN: Who Is Next? but lost. Then the trainees were given a second chance on MIX & MATCH and were formed as an official group with the addition of one member. These shows showcased the individual talents in IKON some of which include the dance skills of Jay and the sweet vocal tone of DK. The group finally debuted in 2015 with Rhythm Ta. IKON's leader B.I. has written all and composed most of the group's music which is primarily hip-hop and dance-pop.
Favorite Member(s):
B.I., Bobby
Recommended Songs:
IKON tried a mix of rap and punk rock for the seventh single of their debut album. This is a style that has been tried before by other YG Artists (it was heard in 2NE1's "Ugly", Big Bang's "Sober", and G-Dragon's "Crooked") and I'm glad IKON gave it a try as well. "What's Wrong?" is about a guy being frustrated with his girlfriend because she is controlling and starts pointless arguments with him.
The members' names are: June (Junhoe), Song (Yunhyung), Bobby, Jay (Jinhwan), B.I., DK (Donghyuk) and Chan (Chanwoo).
The group's fandom name is iKONIC and their official fan color is Orange-red.
IKON is the fastest K-pop group to have a Tokyo Dome Tour after debuting.
3. NCT
Debut: NCT U - Without U, Seventh Sense (2016)
Members: Infinite
NCT is an acronym for Neo Culture Technology and the name refers to a collective group with unlimited members and unlimited sub-units. As of now, there are three units, which all debuted in 2016 and an upcoming project called NCT 2018. First is NCT U, which has 6 members. They debuted with two singles of contrasting styles: "Seventh Sense" which is a trippy trap hip-hop song and "Without U" - a vocal-centered rock song. Next is NCT 127 which was revealed to be the "Seoul-based unit", as "127" is the longitudinal coordinate of Seoul. Finally, is NCT Dream, a unit of the youngest members who take on fun, juvenile concepts. The NCT project has a lot of uncertainty as compared to the typical boy group - there is no pattern to which the units comeback and there's no telling exactly when a new unit may debut. Because of this, fans are kept on the edge of their seats as to what's in store for the group.
Favorite Member(s):
Ten, Taeyong
Recommended Songs:
NCT 127 debuted as a seven-membered group in 2016 but returned in early 2017 with two additional members. "Limitless" was the group's first comeback and first release with main vocalist Doyoung and lead rapper Johnny. It is "urban hip-hop" and is accompanied by two different music videos - the performance version (shown above) and the rough version which is meant to look like homemade video clips edited together. Notably, "Limitless" highlight's NCT's dance and vocal skills because of the complicated choreography and intricate vocal harmonies.
NCT is a multinational group that includes members from South Korea, Japan, China, Canada, Thailand, and the United States.
2. BTS
Debut: No More Dream (2013)
Members: 7
BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeodan which translates from Korean to Bulletproof boy scouts. It also stands for "Beyond The Scene". The group debuted with a hip-hop concept in 2013 and immediately boosted the ambitions of youth through their lyrics. Since then, BTS has attempted more genres and lyrically addressed different social issues. For example, "Am I Wrong" is a jazz-pop/blues song that calls out people's lack of empathy towards problems in society. Meanwhile, "Baepsae" which is primarily rap, criticizes the divide between the privileged and the underprivileged. Such topics make the young men of BTS very relatable to all kinds of listeners, especially since the members themselves take part in writing and composing.
Favorite Member(s):
J-Hope, Jungkook
Recommended Songs:
"Save Me" is a single from BTS's compilation album "Young Forever"- the final part of their artistically intricate trilogy "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life" series. The song is a complete turn-around from their confident anthem "Dope" and shows a more vulnerable side to them. "Save Me" has a whistle-synth chorus and tropical house elements. The one-take music video is rather basic, which draws more attention to their bouncy choreography.
The group's fandom is A.R.M.Y. and their official fan color is Silver-Gray
In 2017, BTS became the first Korean group to win a BBMA (Billboard Music Award) and the first to perform at the AMAs (American Music Awards).
1. Big Bang
Debut: We Belong Together (2006)
Members: 5
Big Bang, sometimes referred to as the "Kings of K-pop", are known for their talent, individuality, and versatility. The five-membered group is made up of three vocalists and two rappers (who occasionally sing as well). Big Bang has written and composed most of the music in their over a decade-long career. This is in part why they have gained so much respect and admiration from not only their fans but from the public as well. Despite the sky-high international and domestic success, Big Bang has remained humble artists, as apparent by their single "Loser". According to the leader G-Dragon, "Loser" aims to remind everyone that celebrities are human too and are not above having negative emotions or difficult circumstances. Their discography also has some upbeat party songs (Bang Bang Bang and Tonight) and some soft, sentimental numbers "Let's Not Fall In Love" and "If You".
Favorite Member(s):
G-Dragon
Recommended Songs:
Big Bang is often associated with their hype party songs, but as I mentioned above, they have tried other styles and sentiments too. One particular song that I want to recommend to is "Blue", which proved to be even more successful than some of their more upbeat tracks. "Blue" is an electronic ballad with acoustic and synths. The song is very mellow and it's lyrics describe feelings of emptiness and longing. While Bigbang sings their blues, they wander through the cold alleys of New York City. The color palette of the music video is primarily muted hues, which further captures the melancholy feeling.
Here's a list of the top 20 best-looking male k-pop idols. They are ranked in order of their birth year (youngest to oldest). Note: This list is based on my personal opinion. Who's your favorite on the list? And who do you like that wasn't included?
