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A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. South Korean boy bands usually also have designated rappers.
K-pop, short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, jazz, gospel, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, disco, and classical on top of its traditional Korean music roots. The term "K-pop" became popular in the 2000s, especially in the international context. The Korean term for domestic pop music is gayo, which is still widely used within South Korea. While "K-pop" can refer to all popular music or pop music from South Korea, it is colloquially often used in a narrower sense for any Korean music and artists associated with the entertainment and idol industry in the country, regardless of the genre.
Shinhwa is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment in 2004 before creating their Shinhwa Company to manage their career as a band. The band struggled initially with their first album before finding commercial success with their sophomore album T.O.P.. When their contract with SM Entertainment expired in July 2003, all six members signed with Good Entertainment and assumed creative control with the release of Brand New. That same year, members began to pursue individual careers.
Jung Ji-hoon, better known by his stage name Rain or Bi Rain, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, and record producer. Rain's musical career includes seven albums, 28 singles and numerous concert tours around the world. He achieved breakthrough success with his third Korean album, It's Raining (2004), which spawned the number one single of the same name. The album sold over 200,000 copies in South Korea and one million copies throughout Asia, and established Rain as an international star.
Super Junior , also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum and Kangin were originally part of the group before departing in 2011, 2015 and 2019, respectively. The group was formed by the founder of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo-man in 2005 as a 12-piece group with rotational members but the concept was abandoned after addition of Kyuhyun in 2006. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent contributions in Korean Wave.
Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d, is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in the entertainment industry after indefinitely discontinuing group activity in 2005 following the departure of a member. However, they regrouped as a quintet and made a comeback in July 2014. Although the group is largely known for their "story telling" lyrical style and signature blend of R&B and rap, their repertoire features a diverse array of genres ranging from hip hop to funk.
Wonder Girls (Korean: 원더걸스) was a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group debuted in February 2007 with the single "Irony" and 5 members: Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna and Sohee. After Hyuna's departure in July, Yubin was added into the group prior to the release of their debut studio album, The Wonder Years (2007). The album spawned the hit single "Tell Me", which topped various South Korean music charts.
Brown Eyed Girls is a South Korean girl group. The group is composed of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Gain. They debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group with "Come Closer (다가와서)" in 2006.
2PM is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K, Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, former member Jaebeom left the group in 2009 due to controversies that stemmed from his posts on MySpace.
B.A.P was a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 under TS Entertainment.
AOA is a South Korean girl group formed by FNC Entertainment. The original 2012 eight-member line-up included: Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Youkyung, Hyejeong, Mina, Seolhyun, and Dohwa. Over the following years since 2016, the group's members left the group for various reasons, leaving Dohwa as the group's sole remaining member as of 2024.
AKMU, also known as Akdong Musician, is a South Korean duo consisting of siblings Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun. Propelling to national stardom through the second installation of K-pop Star (2012–2013), the brother-sister duo officially debuted under YG Entertainment in April 2014 with the studio album, Play (2014), at the age of seventeen and fourteen, respectively. Inclusive amidst the prominent figures of South Korea, they have received numerous accolades and the honorific title, "The Nation's Siblings", in their home country; and are often cited as "musical prodigies" and "genius singer-songwriter" among others.
Tense is the seventh Korean studio album by South Korean pop duo TVXQ. It was released on January 6, 2014, by S.M. Entertainment. The record was promoted as a commemorative album for the duo's tenth debut anniversary, which fell on December 26, 2013. Tense consists of modern R&B and pop songs with components of neo-soul. Its lead single, "Something", also has elements of swing jazz with big band arrangements. Lyrically, the album references the concepts of love, courage and hope.
"Mr. Chu" is a song by South Korean girl group Apink. The song is their 5th Korean single and served as the lead single from their 4th mini-album Pink Blossom. It was released on March 31, 2014, by A Cube Entertainment. The song composed by Duble Sidekick. The song's music video was directed by Digipedi and released on the same day. Apink performed the song for the first time on KBS's Music Bank on April 4.
Lovelyz (Korean: 러블리즈) is a South Korean girl group formed in 2014 by Woollim Entertainment and is the company's first girl group. The group consists of eight members: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong and Yein. Their debut album, Girls' Invasion, was released on November 17, 2014.
Reboot is the third and final studio album by South Korean girl group Wonder Girls. It was released on August 3, 2015, through JYP Entertainment. The Wonder Girls were more involved in the composition of this album, with each member having writing and/or production credits on at least one song; each song has credits for at least one member. It was their first studio album since 2007 to feature member Sunmi and their first since the departure of members Sunye and Sohee. The album musically conveys a 1980s-inspired style, incorporating genres including synthpop, hip hop, pop rock and dance-pop.
The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 is the fourth extended play (EP) by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released on November 30, 2015, by Big Hit Entertainment. Available in two versions, the EP comprises nine tracks, with "Run" as its lead single.
NCT is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by SM Entertainment. Introduced in January 2016, the group currently consists of 26 members divided into six different sub-units: NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, NCT DoJaeJung, and NCT Wish. They are notable for their versatility in music, vocal and rap abilities, and powerful performances, and have been cited as K-pop's "most experimental boy band" due to their concept of having limitless members. As of May 2023, NCT has recorded more than 32 million album sales across all sub-units, making them the best-selling act under SM Entertainment and one of the best-selling K-pop artists of all-time.
R U Ready? is the second studio album recorded by South Korean girl group Lovelyz. It was released digitally and physically on February 26, 2017 by Woollim Entertainment and distributed by CJ E&M Music. The album was re-released under the title Now, We on May 2, 2017.
Play is the eighth Korean-language studio album by South Korean boy band Super Junior, released on November 6, 2017, by SM Entertainment. The album features seven members, marking the return of Shindong, Eunhyuk, Donghae and Siwon after their mandatory military service. Ahead of the official release, SM Entertainment released the single "One More Chance" on October 30, 2017. The album features the vocals of only seven Super Junior members. Only six members promoted the album formally: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Donghae, Shindong, and Eunhyuk. Vocals belonging to Kyuhyun and Siwon can also be heard on the album. The album's repackage, Replay, was released on April 12, 2018. According to the music data provider Gaon, the album sold over 200,000 copies on its first week of release.
References
- ↑ Ramstad, Evan. "Korea Counts Down Not Just To New Year, But to New Girls' Album". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
One of the unique things about album releases by K-pop artists is that they are routinely called 'comebacks' even when there's been no evidence that the musician or group went away or, in the conventional sports usage of the term, experienced a setback or loss.
- ↑ Rick Swaine, Baseball's Comeback Players: Forty Major Leaguers Who Fell and Rose Again (2014), p. 1.
- ↑ See Shlomit Barnea, "Chronicles of the Comeback that Was and the One that Almost Was", in Asher Arian, Michal Shamir, The Elections in Israel 2009 (2011), p. 146-147.