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More K-Pop for Everybody!
While I was fangirling Bangtan, I found myself keeping up with K-Pop fandom in general/as a whole, something I hadn't done before with my previous bias groups. I used to focus on stanning one group only, while keeping an eye on several groups from the same company (SM) because it's easier to do. All updates are in one place. I was SM biased since I attended SMTOWN Live that one time, starting from fangirling Super Junior, to SHINee, to EXO.
BigHit currently only has BTS, so I was looking at many other groups to distract myself from constantly seeking for BTS news. I realized having only one group to stan is an unhealthy obsession which reflects badly to my mood and emotional being. When I introduced some groups to my non-K-Pop friend, I said "I used to like this group" and then she asked "not anymore? why?". At that moment I got silent, but the truth is, I don't think I have enough emotional capacity to stan multiple groups at a time. But then I asked myself, is it really? Liking a lot of things is great, you're not heavily dependent on just one group or one bias, you get a lot more comebacks, a lot more chances to celebrate and be happy!
Here are boy groups other than Bangtan that caught my attention so far.
SEVENTEEN : (2015 debut) I started liking them from Don't Wanna Cry stage days, because I kept seeing the hashtag on worldwide trending topics for each win (they won 6 times which is impressive!). I was curious about the song, and it is GOOD! The wins are well-deserved. I love this song so much. The song is great and the choreography is beautiful. I started researching more about them. I was watching Nu'est's Face MV when I blurted out 'Seungcheol??' and then immediately after I thought 'Wait. Since when did I remember his name? (real name, even!)'. I'm excited about their next comeback. The performance unit video is SO BEAUTIFUL UGH.
Names memorized : Sadly only 10 out of 13
Members I like : Pretty boy Jeonghan, Joshua, Vernon
Fav. Song : Don't Wanna Cry
Monsta X : (2015 debut) I kept seeing their names being recommended every time someone ask for other K-Pop recs, so I searched them up. I really love their songs! I'm not a fan of ballads but even their ballads are nicely produced. I ended up buying my favorite songs from each of their albums. I tried to watch some of their VLives and this is probably because I don't know them enough, but I'm not sure about the likability of their personalities. STILL, I'm super excited about their November comeback!!!!
Names memorized : 7 out of 7 ☆ 7 is a good number of members
Members I like : Hyungwon, Minhyuk, Kihyun
Fav. Song : Hero, Tresspass, Stuck (most of their up beat songs, tbh - I'm still baffled at the fact that Hero wasn't a title track)
Pentagon : (2016 debut) This one is a group I just recently discovered, and they are SO GOOD! The songs are great, the dance moves are awesome, and the quality of their MVs are really HIGH. I also heard good things about the quality of physicals from Cube, though I have no intention to purchase at the moment. Certainly would watch/hear again & look for more.
Names memorized : a sad 2 out of 10
I'm intrigued by : Weird kid E'Dawn
Fav. Song : Gorilla, Like This
SF9 : (2016 debut) Another rookie group I just recently discovered and now I'm super stoked about their comeback! I liked noisy, repetitive, annoying sounded songs so I like their debut song. Their next single is 'O Sole Mio' and to be honest, I don't care what language it is in, it sounds amazing already. Can't wait until it's released!
Names memorized : 4 out of 9
Members I like : No one in particular
Fav. Song : Fanfare
Wanna One : (2017 debut) To be honest kinda hated this group at the beginning because of how crazy everything was. The group blew up after Produce 101 Season 2 ended, their popularity goes through the roof. They top ALL the charts. I have to be honest here, part of my hatred was jealousy because this groups was 1 month old and they were getting all the attention, fame, and money, it's just not fair! And also very intimidating. Their brand reputation number was off the charts in August, with a total score FAR above others. Look at it:
They're getting into the mainstream so easily, EVERYONE in Korea knows & talks about them, their songs got the all kills and triple crowns, they got major brand deals, sold more than half a million physicals like it's nothing, filled Gocheok Dome for their debut con! Even big and seasoned groups aren't guaranteed of these kind of achievements. The fans were INSANE and I felt like there were news about fans misbehavior every day. I didn't watch Produce 101 other than short clips here and there, so I wasn't attached emotionally to anyone (except for Nu'est kids esp. Ren and Samuel just a bit back then). Also I had a weird, irrational hate for Kang Daniel, I don't even know why (IDK him at all). I tried listening to Energetic but didn't really like it on first listen. After the wave calmed down a little bit, I gave their songs another try and I ended up buying their whole mini album on iTunes. It's really good! I'm worried about how overworked the kids are, but also excited for their November comeback (pls take care of yourselves bbs).
Names memorized : 7 out of 11 not bad
I'm intrigued by : Daehwi
Fav. Song : To Be One, Burn It Up, Energetic
N. Flying : (2015 debut) Not an idol group, but still in K-Pop genre and their songs are SO GOOD. Their covers are awesome too.
Names memorized : 0 out of 5? with no intention of memorizing
Fav. Song : Gigamakyo/Awesome
B1A4 : This is an older group (2011 debut) that I've never paid attention to but heard good things about all the time. They recently had a comeback with a title track called 'Rollin' and IT IS SO GOOD. I love the tunes.
Names memorized : 1 out of 5 I only know Gongchan
Not intrigued enough by anyone at the moment
Fav. Song : Rollin'
B.A.P. : (2012 debut) Honestly I liked them very much during debut era (Warrior, Hurricane), I even watched their reality show which was fun. However, for me they kind of lost their momentum when they got into hiatus during that long lawsuit. I know it's for their best and they should stand for their rights, but still it's something that would drive people away. Fans (like me) doesn't want to deal with things like this, it's too emotionally draining. While they're inactive there are TONS of other fun, great, younger groups to admire. I know things are settled a while ago, but I haven't had the chance to get back to this group until their latest comeback in August. The title track was... different! I don't hate it, but I still can't be sure if I want to hear it more times than I already did.
Names memorized : 6 out of 6☆
Members I like : Zelo
Nu'est : (2012 debut) I have known Ren as the prettiest boy in K-Pop for a while since when he had that long hair. I've always been a fan of pretty boys so even though I don't follow his group (didn't know even one song), he has a special place in my heart. I was surprised to read that the group was deemed unsuccessful and they were sent to audition for Produce 101. WHAT. They have 5 years of career and they aren't nobodies. People know them. Even me, who aren't familiar with K-Pop world in general, I know them. It was really sad to read horror stories about their mismanagement and how Pledis is now just focusing on SVT. Now they have to start from the bottom again. I cried watching Minki cry on P101. I wish the best for them but honestly I still don't care for ballads. Give me Face 2.0! New song is a-okay.
Names memorized : 5 out of 5☆
Members I like : Ren, JR
Fav. Song : Face
Golden Child : (2017 debut) These kids are Infinite's younger brothers. So many kids. Debut song is super cute and bubbly but not my cup of tea. Kids in uniformed shorts... yeah, no thanks. I like the aesthetic in the MV, though.
Names memorized : 0 out of 11 There's this one kid who is said to be Jungkook lookalike. I disagree and I still do not know his name.
Victon : (2016 debut) The thing I like the most about Victon is the aesthetic in their comeback photos and latest MV. I don't remember their song so it's probably generic and boring.
Names memorized : 0 out of 7 Heochan is cute visual but still not sure if I could differentiate him out of a line-up. One of the members is a Jimin fanboy.
Black6ix : (2017 debut) I like the tunes of 'Like a Flower' so much I bought it on iTunes without any hesitation. The group though, I'm not really interested in. The company is so mysterious (Black Hole Entertainment?), their site doesn't work and there is so little information about the company and the group. Their stage performances are VERY SAD with bad costume, subpar hair & make-up. It's not helping that the kids are very diverse in looks and heights and most of them aren't conventional beauty. Performances were kind of painful to watch. Song is good, though.
Names memorized : 0 out of 6 with no intention of memorizing. The leader is friend with J-Hope.
Fav. Song : Like A Flower
NCT : This is hard for me because previously I was very SM biased, but I'm not attracted to NCT at all. I followed these kids during their SM Rookies days and I remember being excited and impatient for their debut. But IDK I don't get the system and I just can't get into their songs :/ I love avant garde, so I still love the crazy concepts that's very SM like.
Names memorized : a few out of IDEK how many they are
I'm intrigued by : Yuta. Kid is weird. He's super fun & bubbly and I really wanted to hear him talking Japanese but first of all he's Kansai kid with Kansai accent, second of all he spent so many years in Korea his Japanese turned super weird and awkward. On second thought I'd rather hear him talking in Korean lol.
Day6 : I tried to listen to some of their songs, but I just couldn't get into them. I know they love music so much and they've worked hard for it, but I'm a very simple person who prefers annoying repetitive noise and catchy beat. Jae is very adorable though. I enjoyed his vlogs and tweets.
SECHKIES : (1997 debut) My sister is a yellow kies and every time she can't stop gushing about this group so I looked them up. This is my first time ever looking at first gen idols (well, other than researching for Seo Taiji & Boys when Bangtan cover their song). They're older than me so it feels more age appropriate for me to 'idolize' them or whatever. Their episode of Weekly Idol was funny as hell and their latest song is beautiful. Easy to enjoy and offers a very different sound than all of these kid groups with noisy, messy tunes attacking your ears. I wasn't impressed on first listen because I didn't know what to expect, tbh. But the song is great and it's doing well on the charts.
Names memorized : Uh... 4/5
I'm intrigued by : Weird person Jaejin
Song : Something Special
Other comebacks and debuts I'm interested to see :
Stray Kids : I'm not a fan of TV programs, I probably wouldn't watch the show hmm... I like Hellevator, it's catchy and the dance moves are cool. The MV is cool, too. It's great that the kids composed the song and choreographed it themselves.
IN2IT : I know nothing about BOYS24 project but the kid in the teaser released today is cute.
THE BOYZ : IDK what the hype is about but they seemed to be loved by the fans and industry already. They're kinda everywhere. P101 alumni-related.
INFINITE : I just want to see more Sungjong.
Super Junior : The oldest members are my age so they're old for K-Pop standard, and to be completely honest they look kinda rough, lol. So many new groups have debuted and things have changed since their hiatus, it's interesting to see how they handle this. Still, I'm excited about their comeback :D
TRCING : Seriously what is with that name. These kids are all born in the year 2000 or later. The youngest still have braces on! If I had gotten pregnant and given birth right after high school, that imaginary child would be the same age as these kids. Seriously. Interested with what kind of concept TS will come up with for them. Hoping for their success and also a better treatment from the company.
Groups I haven't had enough time to research on :
UP10TION, ASTRO, IZ, I guess also MXM and JBJ though I'm not really into ALL of the P101 alumni.
Groups I can't really get (back) into :
EXO : I tried. I can't. They're all are adorable, but it's almost physically impossible for me to go back to that fangirl mode. Watched their MVs once or twice on release date, but other than that I'm deliberately avoiding EXO contents.
GOT7 : There's nothing that attract me to this group, none of the faces, none of the songs in particular, none of the personalities. I'll give them another chance.
P.S. Now almost EVERYONE is a product of a Survival Show, huh?
BigHit currently only has BTS, so I was looking at many other groups to distract myself from constantly seeking for BTS news. I realized having only one group to stan is an unhealthy obsession which reflects badly to my mood and emotional being. When I introduced some groups to my non-K-Pop friend, I said "I used to like this group" and then she asked "not anymore? why?". At that moment I got silent, but the truth is, I don't think I have enough emotional capacity to stan multiple groups at a time. But then I asked myself, is it really? Liking a lot of things is great, you're not heavily dependent on just one group or one bias, you get a lot more comebacks, a lot more chances to celebrate and be happy!
Here are boy groups other than Bangtan that caught my attention so far.
SEVENTEEN : (2015 debut) I started liking them from Don't Wanna Cry stage days, because I kept seeing the hashtag on worldwide trending topics for each win (they won 6 times which is impressive!). I was curious about the song, and it is GOOD! The wins are well-deserved. I love this song so much. The song is great and the choreography is beautiful. I started researching more about them. I was watching Nu'est's Face MV when I blurted out 'Seungcheol??' and then immediately after I thought 'Wait. Since when did I remember his name? (real name, even!)'. I'm excited about their next comeback. The performance unit video is SO BEAUTIFUL UGH.
Names memorized : Sadly only 10 out of 13
Members I like : Pretty boy Jeonghan, Joshua, Vernon
Fav. Song : Don't Wanna Cry
Monsta X : (2015 debut) I kept seeing their names being recommended every time someone ask for other K-Pop recs, so I searched them up. I really love their songs! I'm not a fan of ballads but even their ballads are nicely produced. I ended up buying my favorite songs from each of their albums. I tried to watch some of their VLives and this is probably because I don't know them enough, but I'm not sure about the likability of their personalities. STILL, I'm super excited about their November comeback!!!!
Names memorized : 7 out of 7 ☆ 7 is a good number of members
Members I like : Hyungwon, Minhyuk, Kihyun
Fav. Song : Hero, Tresspass, Stuck (most of their up beat songs, tbh - I'm still baffled at the fact that Hero wasn't a title track)
Pentagon : (2016 debut) This one is a group I just recently discovered, and they are SO GOOD! The songs are great, the dance moves are awesome, and the quality of their MVs are really HIGH. I also heard good things about the quality of physicals from Cube, though I have no intention to purchase at the moment. Certainly would watch/hear again & look for more.
Names memorized : a sad 2 out of 10
I'm intrigued by : Weird kid E'Dawn
Fav. Song : Gorilla, Like This
SF9 : (2016 debut) Another rookie group I just recently discovered and now I'm super stoked about their comeback! I liked noisy, repetitive, annoying sounded songs so I like their debut song. Their next single is 'O Sole Mio' and to be honest, I don't care what language it is in, it sounds amazing already. Can't wait until it's released!
Names memorized : 4 out of 9
Members I like : No one in particular
Fav. Song : Fanfare
Wanna One : (2017 debut) To be honest kinda hated this group at the beginning because of how crazy everything was. The group blew up after Produce 101 Season 2 ended, their popularity goes through the roof. They top ALL the charts. I have to be honest here, part of my hatred was jealousy because this groups was 1 month old and they were getting all the attention, fame, and money, it's just not fair! And also very intimidating. Their brand reputation number was off the charts in August, with a total score FAR above others. Look at it:
Bangtan was second that month with not even close to HALF of Wanna One's score. It's so incomparable the numbers look like a joke. They swept the top 11 individual boy band members brand reputation chart (August 2017) with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS.
They're getting into the mainstream so easily, EVERYONE in Korea knows & talks about them, their songs got the all kills and triple crowns, they got major brand deals, sold more than half a million physicals like it's nothing, filled Gocheok Dome for their debut con! Even big and seasoned groups aren't guaranteed of these kind of achievements. The fans were INSANE and I felt like there were news about fans misbehavior every day. I didn't watch Produce 101 other than short clips here and there, so I wasn't attached emotionally to anyone (except for Nu'est kids esp. Ren and Samuel just a bit back then). Also I had a weird, irrational hate for Kang Daniel, I don't even know why (IDK him at all). I tried listening to Energetic but didn't really like it on first listen. After the wave calmed down a little bit, I gave their songs another try and I ended up buying their whole mini album on iTunes. It's really good! I'm worried about how overworked the kids are, but also excited for their November comeback (pls take care of yourselves bbs).
Names memorized : 7 out of 11 not bad
I'm intrigued by : Daehwi
Fav. Song : To Be One, Burn It Up, Energetic
N. Flying : (2015 debut) Not an idol group, but still in K-Pop genre and their songs are SO GOOD. Their covers are awesome too.
Names memorized : 0 out of 5? with no intention of memorizing
Fav. Song : Gigamakyo/Awesome
B1A4 : This is an older group (2011 debut) that I've never paid attention to but heard good things about all the time. They recently had a comeback with a title track called 'Rollin' and IT IS SO GOOD. I love the tunes.
Names memorized : 1 out of 5 I only know Gongchan
Not intrigued enough by anyone at the moment
Fav. Song : Rollin'
B.A.P. : (2012 debut) Honestly I liked them very much during debut era (Warrior, Hurricane), I even watched their reality show which was fun. However, for me they kind of lost their momentum when they got into hiatus during that long lawsuit. I know it's for their best and they should stand for their rights, but still it's something that would drive people away. Fans (like me) doesn't want to deal with things like this, it's too emotionally draining. While they're inactive there are TONS of other fun, great, younger groups to admire. I know things are settled a while ago, but I haven't had the chance to get back to this group until their latest comeback in August. The title track was... different! I don't hate it, but I still can't be sure if I want to hear it more times than I already did.
Names memorized : 6 out of 6☆
Members I like : Zelo
Nu'est : (2012 debut) I have known Ren as the prettiest boy in K-Pop for a while since when he had that long hair. I've always been a fan of pretty boys so even though I don't follow his group (didn't know even one song), he has a special place in my heart. I was surprised to read that the group was deemed unsuccessful and they were sent to audition for Produce 101. WHAT. They have 5 years of career and they aren't nobodies. People know them. Even me, who aren't familiar with K-Pop world in general, I know them. It was really sad to read horror stories about their mismanagement and how Pledis is now just focusing on SVT. Now they have to start from the bottom again. I cried watching Minki cry on P101. I wish the best for them but honestly I still don't care for ballads. Give me Face 2.0! New song is a-okay.
Names memorized : 5 out of 5☆
Members I like : Ren, JR
Fav. Song : Face
Golden Child : (2017 debut) These kids are Infinite's younger brothers. So many kids. Debut song is super cute and bubbly but not my cup of tea. Kids in uniformed shorts... yeah, no thanks. I like the aesthetic in the MV, though.
Names memorized : 0 out of 11 There's this one kid who is said to be Jungkook lookalike. I disagree and I still do not know his name.
Victon : (2016 debut) The thing I like the most about Victon is the aesthetic in their comeback photos and latest MV. I don't remember their song so it's probably generic and boring.
Names memorized : 0 out of 7 Heochan is cute visual but still not sure if I could differentiate him out of a line-up. One of the members is a Jimin fanboy.
Black6ix : (2017 debut) I like the tunes of 'Like a Flower' so much I bought it on iTunes without any hesitation. The group though, I'm not really interested in. The company is so mysterious (Black Hole Entertainment?), their site doesn't work and there is so little information about the company and the group. Their stage performances are VERY SAD with bad costume, subpar hair & make-up. It's not helping that the kids are very diverse in looks and heights and most of them aren't conventional beauty. Performances were kind of painful to watch. Song is good, though.
Names memorized : 0 out of 6 with no intention of memorizing. The leader is friend with J-Hope.
Fav. Song : Like A Flower
NCT : This is hard for me because previously I was very SM biased, but I'm not attracted to NCT at all. I followed these kids during their SM Rookies days and I remember being excited and impatient for their debut. But IDK I don't get the system and I just can't get into their songs :/ I love avant garde, so I still love the crazy concepts that's very SM like.
Names memorized : a few out of IDEK how many they are
I'm intrigued by : Yuta. Kid is weird. He's super fun & bubbly and I really wanted to hear him talking Japanese but first of all he's Kansai kid with Kansai accent, second of all he spent so many years in Korea his Japanese turned super weird and awkward. On second thought I'd rather hear him talking in Korean lol.
Day6 : I tried to listen to some of their songs, but I just couldn't get into them. I know they love music so much and they've worked hard for it, but I'm a very simple person who prefers annoying repetitive noise and catchy beat. Jae is very adorable though. I enjoyed his vlogs and tweets.
SECHKIES : (1997 debut) My sister is a yellow kies and every time she can't stop gushing about this group so I looked them up. This is my first time ever looking at first gen idols (well, other than researching for Seo Taiji & Boys when Bangtan cover their song). They're older than me so it feels more age appropriate for me to 'idolize' them or whatever. Their episode of Weekly Idol was funny as hell and their latest song is beautiful. Easy to enjoy and offers a very different sound than all of these kid groups with noisy, messy tunes attacking your ears. I wasn't impressed on first listen because I didn't know what to expect, tbh. But the song is great and it's doing well on the charts.
Names memorized : Uh... 4/5
I'm intrigued by : Weird person Jaejin
Song : Something Special
Other comebacks and debuts I'm interested to see :
Stray Kids : I'm not a fan of TV programs, I probably wouldn't watch the show hmm... I like Hellevator, it's catchy and the dance moves are cool. The MV is cool, too. It's great that the kids composed the song and choreographed it themselves.
IN2IT : I know nothing about BOYS24 project but the kid in the teaser released today is cute.
THE BOYZ : IDK what the hype is about but they seemed to be loved by the fans and industry already. They're kinda everywhere. P101 alumni-related.
INFINITE : I just want to see more Sungjong.
Super Junior : The oldest members are my age so they're old for K-Pop standard, and to be completely honest they look kinda rough, lol. So many new groups have debuted and things have changed since their hiatus, it's interesting to see how they handle this. Still, I'm excited about their comeback :D
TRCING : Seriously what is with that name. These kids are all born in the year 2000 or later. The youngest still have braces on! If I had gotten pregnant and given birth right after high school, that imaginary child would be the same age as these kids. Seriously. Interested with what kind of concept TS will come up with for them. Hoping for their success and also a better treatment from the company.
Groups I haven't had enough time to research on :
UP10TION, ASTRO, IZ, I guess also MXM and JBJ though I'm not really into ALL of the P101 alumni.
Groups I can't really get (back) into :
EXO : I tried. I can't. They're all are adorable, but it's almost physically impossible for me to go back to that fangirl mode. Watched their MVs once or twice on release date, but other than that I'm deliberately avoiding EXO contents.
GOT7 : There's nothing that attract me to this group, none of the faces, none of the songs in particular, none of the personalities. I'll give them another chance.
P.S. Now almost EVERYONE is a product of a Survival Show, huh?