2AM has gained fans all over Asia with its soulful singing and emotive style.
BIG BANG
YG Entertainment
MEMBERS
T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyun; 최승현) November 4, 1987
Taeyang (Dong Young-bae; 동영배) May 18, 1988
G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong; 권지용) August 18, 1988 (leader)
Daesung (Kang Dae-sung; 강대성) April 26, 1989
Seungri (Lee Seung-hyun; 이승현) December 12, 1990
KOREAN ALBUMS
Since 2007 (2006)
Remember (2008)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Always (2007)
Hot Issue (2007)
Stand Up (2008)
Tonight (2011)
Alive (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Number 1 (2008)
Big Bang (2009)
Big Bang 2 (2011)
Alive (2012)
SOLO ALBUMS
T.O.P
GD & TOP (2010)
Taeyang
Hot (2008)
Solar (2010
G-Dragon
Heartbreaker (2009)
GD & TOP (2010)
One of a Kind (2012)
Coup d’Etat (2013)
Daesung
D’scover (2013)
Seungri
VVIP (2011)
FAN CLUB VIP
OFFICIAL COLORS Black and yellow
Big Bang in a performance on M! Countdown in 2012.
In addition to its envelope-pushing music, Big Bang is known for its outrageous fashion.
If K-pop turns everything up to eleven, Big Bang goes to twelve. Even by the flashy standards of K-pop, Big Bang is a little wilder, a little crazier. Big Bang “gets its crayon,” as G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) would say.
Since its 2007 debut, Big Bang has made a name for itself as one of the most dynamic groups in K-pop, throwing together an incredible variety of sounds and visual styles, often within the same song. With two rappers in the group—G-Dragon and T.O.P—who have quite different styles and are able to rap melodiously, Big Bang is also unusually versatile. From the beginning, the guys of Big Bang have been heavily involved in shaping their own sound and writing their own music, making their music distinctly their own.
If ever someone was raised to be a star, it must have been G-Dragon. Having performed in the group Little Roora since he was just seven years old, G-Dragon trained for years at SM Entertainment before finally finding a home at YG Entertainment. Since making his debut with Big Bang, G-Dragon has shown a flair for the wild, wearing an ever-changing array of over-the-top outfits. His solo work has proven immensely popular also, with several Western music critics citing “Crayon” as one of the top songs of 2012.
Big Bang beat some stiff competition on the March 15, 2012 episode of Mnet’s M! Countdown thanks to its super hit “Fantastic Baby.”
In September 2013, G-Dragon released his second full-length album. Coup d’Etat unsurprisingly shot to the top of all the charts both in Korea and abroad, earning plenty of raves for its typical envelope-pushing style. G-Dragon rapped with Missy Elliot on “Niliria,” rocked in London on “Crooked,” and just got strange in the video for “Who You?” He even got a little tender on the ballad “Black” with Jennie Kim singing along.
Like G-Dragon, Taeyang joined YG when he was eleven, and together the two can be seen in the old Jinusean video for “A-Yo.” Originally, the two of them were going to be a duo, before the record label changed its mind and decided to put together a larger group.
T.O.P spent his early teenage years rapping under the name Tempo before getting picked by YG. In addition to performing with Big Bang and solo, T.O.P has been the most successful actor in the group, playing roles in movies like 71: Into the Fire and TV shows, such as the hit Iris.
Daesung is Big Bang’s main vocalist and is confident enough that he even released a “trot” single—usually music you think of for older people and miles away from Big Bang’s usual hip style.
Seungri hails from Gwangju, where he used to be a member of a dance team (Korea has some of the world’s best breakdance teams). Although YG originally cut Seungri from the group during a reality program that highlighted the creation of Big Bang, Seungri was given a second chance and this time he made the cut.
The bad boys of K-pop, Big Bang has weathered a few scandals over the years. But for their dedicated fans, a little naughtiness only makes their bang even bigger.
In 2012 and 2013, Big Bang’s world tour took them to twelve countries, where they played for 800,000 fans. Between the tour and all their solo projects, it was hard to believe that it was more than a year without a new release by one of the biggest groups in K-pop. YG Entertainment has promised more is on the way, but for Big Bang’s dedicated fans, “later” is too far off and “more” is never enough.
SUPER JUNIOR
SM Entertainment
Super Junior became one of the biggest groups in K-pop by becoming, literally, one of the largest groups in K-pop. Since making its debut in 2005, Super Junior has wowed audiences all over Asia, topping the charts in China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The group has even been depicted on Chinese postage stamps!
Super Junior is one of the largest boy bands in K-pop.
MEMBERS
LeeTeuk (박정수) July 1, 1983 (leader)
HeeChul (김희철) July 10, 1983
YeSung (김종운) August 24, 1984
KangIn (김영운) January 17, 1985
ShinDong (신동희) September 28, 1985
SungMin (이성민) January 1, 1986
EunHyuk (이혁재) April 4, 1986
DongHae (이동해) October 15, 1986
SiWon (최시원) February 10, 1987
RyeoWook (김려욱) June 21, 1987
KyuHyun (조규현) February 3, 1988
SUPER JUNIOR-M MEMBERS
ZhouMi April 19, 1986
Henry October 11, 1989
KOREAN ALBUMS
SuperJunior05 (Twins) (2005)
Don’t Don (2007)
Sorry, Sorry (2009)
Bonamana (2010)
Mr. Simple (2011)
Sexy, Free & Single (2012)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Show Me Your Love (2005) (featuring TVXQ!)
U (2006)
JAPANESE SINGLES
Bonamana (2011)
Mr. Simple (2011)
Opera (2012)
Sexy, Free & Single (2012)
Hero (2013)
FAN CLUB ELF (Ever-lasting Friends)
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl sapphire blue
From the beginning, Super Junior was created with an eye on the international market. For its subgroup Super Junior-M, ZhouMi is Chinese and Henry is Taiwanese-Canadian, and just a couple of months after Super Junior’s first single was released, it was topping the charts in Thailand. Its first album in 2005 did well, and Don’t Don, released in 2007, was even bigger, but Super Junior’s third full album, Sorry, Sorry, was arguably its biggest, becoming a massive success all over Asia.
Then the hits kept coming. In fact, in Taiwan Super Junior ruled the No. 1 spot on the KKBox online music chart for Korean singles for 121 straight weeks, going from “Bonamana” to “Mr. Simple” to “Sexy Free & Single” without a break.
Sub-units were a key part of Super Junior from almost the very beginning, with Super Junior-K.R.Y. (consisting of KyuHyun, RyeoWook and YeSung) releasing its first single in late 2006, and Super Junior-T (for “trot” music) making its debut in early 2007. Super Junior-M (as in “Mandarin”) is for Chinese-language songs. Super Junior-H (for “happy”) features LeeTeuk, EunHyuk, KangIn, ShinDong, SungMin and YeSung, and the duo DongHae and EunHyuk.
Today, Super Junior has more than 6.5 million “likes” on Facebook and each member has huge followings on Twitter—from 600,000 all the way to 3.5 million for DongHae and 3.8 million for SiWon. Plus millions more on China’s Weibo, Korea’s Cyworld and other social media sites. And they’re still getting bigger. Their latest world tour, “Super Show 5,” has taken the group all over the world, with twenty-seven shows in fifteen countries. Playing to tens of thousands of fans at a time, Super Junior’s latest three-plus hour concert has won raves for being one of the biggest and best K-pop shows ever put on. “Pure, unadulterated, and spectacular entertainment,” raved one newspaper in the Philippines.
Although they started out as boys, today the Super Junior members have grown into men.
With so many members, it is no surprise that Super Junior has continued to evolve. Several of the members are currently fulfilling their military service requirement, leaving about eight active members in the group. But if anything is clear about Super Junior, it’s that many more hits are on the way.
TVXQ!
SM Entertainment
TVXQ! may mean “Rising Gods of the East,” but in fact this group has already ruled the top of the K-pop charts for the better part of a decade.
MEMBERS
U-Know (정윤호) February 6, 1986
MAX (심창민) February 18, 1988
KOREAN ALBUMS
Tri-angle (2004)
Rising Sun (2005)
«O»-Jung.Ban.Hap. (2006)
Mirotic (2008)
Keep Your Head Down (2011)
Catch Me (2012)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Hug (2004)
The Way U Are (2004)
Christmas Gift from Dong Bang Shin Gi (2004)
2005 Summer (2004)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Heart, Mind and Soul (2006)
Five in the Black (2007)
T (2008)
The Secret Code (2009)
Tone (2011)
Time (2013)
FAN CLUBS Cassiopeia (Korea), Big East (Japan)
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl red
MAX and U-know, the guys behind one of the biggest groups in K-pop, TVXQ!
The name TVXQ! is based on a four-character phrase that works in Korean, Chinese and Japanese, but it sounds completely different in each language. 東方神起 is Dong Bang Shin Ki in Korean but Tong Vfang Xien Qi in Chinese and Tohoshinki in Japanese.
Founded in 2004, TVXQ! soon became one of SM’s greatest successes, with a pop sound that featured plenty of a cappella and simple piano melodies. But the band took its fame to a whole new level in 2006 with its album Mirotic, which was nothing less than one of the defining albums of K-pop; the electronic dance song “Mirotic” is a true classic. And like many K-pop groups, as their careers developed, the duo became more active in writing and producing their own songs. But perhaps their biggest legacy is their international popularity. For people who became K-pop fans in the mid to late 2000s, TVXQ! was the group they identified with. And this was no accident. SM Entertainment formed TVXQ! specifically with overseas markets in mind. They first created a huge following in Japan, but soon Thailand, China and the rest of the world followed.
Today, U-Know and MAX are going stronger than ever. Their latest international tour, which went to China, Malaysia, the United States, Chile and elsewhere, sold out in record time. Their 2013 Japan tour filled five giant stadiums for multiple shows, bringing in a record-setting 850,000 fans. And their latest Japanese single, “Ocean,” is selling as big as any TVXQ! hit.
Having just turned a decade old since their debut in December 2003, TVXQ! is definitely one of the defining groups of K-pop. No longer boys, U-Know and MAX are now young men at the top of their game. There’s no limit to how far and how high TVXQ! might go.
MAX and U-Know are constantly showing off different and fresh styles in TVXQ!, from the young and playful to the grownup and formal.
2AM
Big Hit Entertainment
2AM and 2PM will forever be linked as both groups originally presented as an eleven-man group called One Day, as profiled in a reality TV documentary, Hot Blood. But One Day was a bit of a trick, as JYP Entertainment founder JY Park actually intended to form two bands, one for more up-tempo dance music—2PM, of course— and one focusing on ballads and more emotive songs—2AM.
Despite having just four members, 2AM as a group is surprisingly diverse. Changmin is a rare K-pop star who performed his military service before joining the music label. He’s also one of the fastest recruits to go from signing up to debut, joining 2AM just three months after signing with JYP.
That’s a big contrast to Jo Kwon, who trained for nearly seven years. Even though he was in training for so long and was the last member chosen for 2AM, he became leader of the soulful singing group. Today, Kwon is in big demand as a variety star (he joined the cast of We Got Married in 2009, Family Outing and many other shows). He is also a TV actor and now a musical actor, having starred in a Korean production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
Seulong, Changmin, Jo Kwon and Jinwoon form one of the quieter groups in K-pop, yet their fans still scream plenty loud.
2AM at the 2010 edition of the Golden Disc Awards in Seoul, where they won the digital grand prize.
MEMBERS
Changmin (Lee Changmin; 이창민) May 1, 1986
Seulong (Im Seulong; 임슬옹) May 11, 1987
Jo Kwon (Jo Kwon; 조권) August 28, 1989 (leader)
Jinwoon (Jeong Jinwoon; 정진운) May 2, 1991
KOREAN ALBUMS
Saint O’Clock (2010)
One Spring Day (2013)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Can’t Let You Go Even If I Die (2010)
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Way of Love (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUM
Voice (2013)
FAN CLUB IAM
OFFICIAL COLOR Metallic gray
Jinwoon is a K-pop star with rock roots, having played in a band in high school. Even today, he is known to play guitar as well as some light rock, and has performed solo at a couple of music festivals.
Seulong has a diverse and interesting selection of side projects. He acted in the TV series Dream High and the movie 26 Years, based on the famous Kang Full web comic. And he recorded a Korean cover of “Levels,” the huge techno hit by Avicii.
2AM might also be the tallest band in K-pop, with three of the four members topping 180 cm.
2PM
JYP Entertainment
The up-tempo half of almost-group One Day, 2PM is the flagship guy group for JYP Entertainment. Soon after the Hot Blood documentary that introduced 2PM and 2AM, 2PM spilled onto the K-pop scene in 2008 with “10 Out of 10,” a high-energy, rock-guitar dance song and a video that featured a lot of impressively athletic dance moves. But it was their next single, “Again and Again,” with its catchy, beeping hook, that turned the band into true superstars.
It’s been a tough climb for the young stars, though, after they were forced to re-tool on the fly just a year after their debut, after losing their high-profile leader Jay Park in 2009. But thanks to the dedication and hard work of these six idols, 2PM has become one of the biggest groups in K-pop.
One of the most notable differences of 2PM is Thai-American member Nichkhun, one of the first non-Koreans to be featured in a K-pop group. Nichkhun was scouted by JY Park at a K-pop event in America when he was a teenager, then brought over to Korea for training. Fluent in Thai, Nichkhun has become a leading idol for K-pop’s international spread, especially in Thailand, of course, but throughout the region as well.
2PM getting ready for a big show.
MEMBERS
Jun. K (ex-Junsu) (Kim Min-jun; 김민준) January 15, 1988
Nichkhun (Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul; 닉쿤) June 24, 1988
Taecyeon (Ok Taec-yeon; 옥택연) December 27, 1988
Wooyoung (Jang Woo-young; 장우영) April 30, 1989
Junho (Lee Jun-ho; 이준호) January 25, 1990
Chansung (Hwang Chan-sung; 황찬성) February 11, 1990
PAST MEMBER
Jay Park
KOREAN ALBUMS
The First Album 1:59PM (2009)
Hands Up (2011)
Grown (2013)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Republic of 2PM (2011)
Legend of 2PM (2013)
JAPANESE MINI-ALBUM
Still 2:00PM (2010)
FAN CLUB Hottest
OFFICIAL COLOR
Metallic gray
It’s also worth noting that Chansung, the youngest member of 2PM, was one of the most successful artists before the band was ever formed, having acted in the popular comedy High Kick! in 2006.
Taecyeon, Jun. K, Chansung, Junho, Wooyoung and Nichkhun in action.
Compared to most K-pop groups, 2PM has gone with a look that’s a bit more mature and grown-up, although that style seems to have caught on recently and more groups are sporting suits and ties these days. Also unusual for K-pop, 2PM has no “leader.” Since Jay Park left the group, they’ve decided that they don’t need anyone to claim the captain’s chair, opting instead for a more equal arrangement.
After taking a two-year hiatus (that’s like a generation in K-pop terms) to concentrate on overseas promotions, 2PM returned with a well-reviewed comeback, Grown. Despite having one of the best songs in the group’s history (the elegant and sophisticated “A.D.T.O.Y.”), the singles on Grown did not set the night on fire, but album and concert ticket sales have been as huge as ever, showing that the future is shining bright for one of Korea’s most exciting acts.
B.A.P.
TS Entertainment
B.A.P. may be a new group, having released its first single in 2012, but it is clear about its ambitions. Just take a look at the name. B.A.P. stands for Best Absolute Perfect. With a name like that, you’d better be able to walk the walk. But considering all the best new band awards it won in 2012, it looks like B.A.P. is going to be walking for some time.
Compared to much of K-pop, B.A.P. tries for a tougher, dirtier style, with stronger hip-hop elements. Leader Youngguk used to be known as Jepp Blackman when he got started in the indie hip-hop group Soul Connection. He also writes many of his own lyrics, going back to his pre-B.A.P. days, helping shape the group’s sound.
Himchan, although also a rapper, has a much more unusual background, having gone to the National Korean Traditional Music Junior High and High School. Even now, he continues to study performing arts at the Korea National University of Arts.
The video for B.A.P.’s single “One Shot” most definitely featured many, many more shots than one, and is a wonderful example of the Korean saying “You die, I die.” Everybody dies. Given that “One Shot” shot to the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s World Music chart, though, B.A.P. obviously knows what it’s doing.
MEMBERS
Yongguk (Bang Yong-guk, aka Bang and Jepp Blackman; 방용국) March 31, 1990 (leader)
Zelo (Choi Jun-hong; 최준홍) October 15, 1996
Jong Up (Moon Jong-up; 문종업) February 6, 1995
Youngjae (Yoo Young-jae; 유영재) January 24, 1994
Daehyun (Jung Dae-hyun; 정대현) June 28, 1993
Himchan (Kim Him-chang; 김힘찬) April 19, 1990
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
No Mercy (2012)
One Shot (2013)
KOREAN SINGLES
Warrior (2012)
Power (2012)
Stop It (2012)
FAN CLUB Babies
OFFICIAL COLOR n/a
B.A.P. won plenty of rookie awards when it made its debut in 2012.
Despite being such a new band, B.A.P. has already had a solo tour of the United States, playing in four cities in 2013. Most unusual for a K-pop group, it played in the US before trying out Japan, usually the first place groups go to outside of Korea.
B.A.P. performing at Arirang TV’s Wave K in 2012.
BEAST
Cube Entertainment
Usually written as B2ST because “2” is pronounced “ee” in Sino-Korean, Beast has grown incredibly popular since its debut in 2009. But it is a bit of an unusual group, considered by many to be a band of cast-offs, filled with members who were cut from other music labels. Leader Doojoon, for example, had been on the reality TV program Hot Blood, which introduced 2AM and 2PM, but was one of the unfortunate guys who didn’t make the cut. Hyunseung just missed the cut for Big Bang.
Fortunately, Cube Entertainment saw the potential in this potent sixsome, and, thanks to some creative songwriting and production by Shinsadong Tiger, one of Korea’s leading music makers, Beast has become a beast on the charts. Its music is some of the fastest in K-pop, with unbeatable and cutting-edge production.
While all the members of Beast contribute to their albums, Junhyung is by far the most active, with credits on dozens of their songs, both for the lyrics and songwriting; in fact, he’s one of the most prolific songwriters in K-pop today, trailing only G-Dragon and Shinhwa’s Min-woo.
MEMBERS
Doojoon (Yoon Doo-joon; 윤두준) July 4, 1989 (leader)
Hyunseung (Jang Hyun-seung; 장현승) September 3, 1989
Junhyung (Yong Jun-hyung; 용준형) December 19, 1989
Yoseob (Yang Yo-seob; 양요섭) January 5, 1990
Gikwang (Lee Gi-kwang; 이기광) March 30, 1990
Dongwoon (Son Dong-woon; 손동운) June 6, 1991
KOREAN ALBUMS
Fiction and Fact (2011)
Hard to Love, How to Love (2013)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Beast Is the B2ST (2009)
Shock of the New Era (2010)
Mastermind (2010)
My Story (2010)
Lights Go On Again (2010)
Midnight Sun (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUM
So Beast (2011)
FAN CLUB B2UTY
OFFICIAL COLOR Dark gray
With a string of big hits, the six members of Beast, from left Junhyung, Doojoon, Yoseob, Gikwang, Dongwoon and Hyunseung, have proven that they are nobody’s cast-offs.
Despite having been K-pop stars for four years now, Beast has only released one full album in Korea and one in Japan, preferring instead to focus on EPs or mini-albums. But given the huge successes those mini-albums have had, you cannot argue with the strategy. In fact, it looks like it is the future for K-pop.
Beast has been lighting up the skies around the world with a flurry of big concerts outside of Korea. Together with other Cube artists, Beast had the first paid-ticket K-pop concert in South America in 2011. Their 2012 tour took them to eight countries, including Germany, Thailand and Indonesia, and 2013 saw them performing in Malaysia.
BUSKER BUSKER
Chunchung Music
If I were to tell you about a Korean music artist who came out of nowhere in 2012, using social media and word of mouth to become the biggest star of the year, you’d probably think I was talking about Psy. But in Korea, another band became a hit just as surprisingly and accidentally as Psy did—Busker Busker.
The guys in Busker Busker are accidental stars. The band began as an informal busking group playing on the streets of Cheonan, about an hour south of Seoul. Band leader Jang Beom-jun got the idea of trying out for the audition program Superstar K3, mostly because he hoped a brief bit of exposure on TV would raise the band’s profile enough that local merchants would let them play around their stores. He never expected his band would get on.
The producers of Superstar K3 also never expected the band to catch on. But catch on Busker Busker did. Big time. Superstar K3’s audience loved the quirky band of folk rockers, and despite the best efforts of the producers, Busker Busker kept winning. In the end, the group came second, losing to Ulala Session, but there was no doubting that the real winner with the public was Busker Busker, whose debut album was one of the biggest sellers of 2012.
Busker Busker, a trio that writes and plays its own music, is one of the biggest surprises in Korean music.
Kim Hyung-tae, Jang Beom-jun and Brad Moore are as surprised as anyone that they have become pop stars.
MEMBERS
Jang Beom-jun (장범준) May 16, 1989 (leader)
Kim Hyung-tae (김형태) December 21, 1991
Brad Moore August 3, 1984
KOREAN ALBUMS
Busker Busker 1st Album (2012)
Busker Busker 2nd Album (2013)
Despite some attempts to turn Busker Busker into K-pop stars, the band has remained true to its own music. Unlike most K-pop bands, its audience is a bit older, as the band is particularly popular on university campuses around Korea, where its members get mobbed by fans as enthusiastically as anything put out by the big three labels.
Busker Busker had yet one more big surprise in store. In spring 2013, a year after its first album came out and eight months after the band stopped promoting it, Busker Busker suddenly returned to the top of the Korean music charts. No one really knows why. Perhaps the warm weather of spring made people think of Busker Busker’s fresh, spring-like music.
The group’s second album, which was released in September 2013, is a mellower, sadder collection of songs than the first, but it rocketed to the top of all the charts just the same. While the first album had a strong spring vibe, Jang said he considers the second to be more of an autumnal evening. Regardless, Busker Busker is proof that music stardom comes in many different shapes and sizes in Korea.
CN BLUE
FNC Entertainment
CN Blue has one of the more unusual origin stories in the world of K-pop. Instead of being put together by a music management company in Korea, the members started out playing in small clubs and on the streets of Japan. With little money or support, and less than stellar Japanese skills, their record label sent them to Japan in early 2009, trying to create a buzz by playing live. Later that year, they released their first mini-album in Japan. With its English-only songs, it did not do particularly well, A second mini-album in November also didn’t sell much. But it was a start. That autumn, FNC Entertainment got Yong-hwa cast in the TV drama You’re Beautiful, along with FT Island’s Lee Hong-ki, and this greatly raising his profile.
MEMBERS
Jung Yong-hwa (정용화) June 22, 1989
Lee Jong-hyun (이종현) May 15, 1990
Kang Min-hyuk (강민혁) June 28, 1991
Lee Jung-shin (이정신) September 15, 1991
PAST MEMBER
Kwon Kwang-jin (권광진)
KOREAN ALBUM
First Step (2011)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Bluetory (2010)
Bluelove (2010)
Ear Fun (2012)
Re:Blue (2013)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Studio albums
Thank U (2010)
392 (2011)
Code Name Blue (2012)
JAPANESE MINI-ALBUMS
Now or Never (2009)
Voice (2009)
Lady (2013)
FAN CLUB Boice
OFFICIAL COLOR Blue
CN Blue got started in Japan before becoming popular in Korea and elsewhere in Asia.
Lee Jung-shin, Jung Yong-hwa, Kang Min-hyuk and Lee Jonghyun playing on M! Countdown in April 2012.
In January 2010, when CN Blue finally released its first Korean mini-album, led by the single “I’m a Loner,” the band found itself on the path to stardom.
CN Blue has one of the more convoluted names in K-pop. “CN” stands for “code name,” while “Blue” is supposed to be an acronym for the guys’ characters: Lee Jong-hyun got B for “burning,” Kang Min-hyuk L for “lovely,” Lee Jung-shin U for “untouchable,” and Jung Yong-hwa E for “emotional.”
As CN Blue’s career has developed, the guys have gotten more involved in the songwriting, helping further create a more distinctive sound for the group. By the time of its first full album, First Steps, CN Blue had a hand in the writing of all the songs.
Being one of the few K-pop groups whose members play their own instruments when they play live, CN Blue is unusual in the world of K-pop. The group once opened for Linkin Park in Japan— something it would be hard to imagine another K-pop group doing—and now that it’s touring beyond Asia, to the United States, the UK, Australia, and beyond, the world will soon know what the fuss is all about.
EXO
SM Entertainment
Soo-Man Lee, the founder of SM Entertainment, set his sights set on China from the earliest days of his music empire. And while many SM acts have had a lot of success in the Middle Kingdom, Lee took his ambitions to the next level with EXO, the first truly Korea–China joint project. More than just a group with a couple of Chinese members in it, EXO boasts two full line-ups: EXO-K for Korea and EXO-M for China.
The group’s first two singles, released in early 2012, mostly just introduced the band, but with its next song, “MAMA,” released in both Korean and Chinese versions, EXO rocketed up the charts in both Korea and China.
With fan bases established in both countries, EXO released XOXO (Kiss & Hug), its first full-length album in June 2013, and it instantly shot up to No. 1 on all the Korean charts, led by the catchy hit “Wolf.” The album came in two versions, “Hug” in Chinese and “Kiss” in Korean. A combined version hit No. 1 on Billboard’s World Music chart and No. 23 on its Heatseeker album chart. XOXO (Kiss & Hug) has sold more than 930,000 copies, something that no album has done in Korea since 2001.
With an all-Korean team and a second group for the Chinese market, could EXO be the future of K-pop?
MEMBERS
EXO-K
SuHo (김준면) May 22, 1991
BaekHyun (변백현) May 6, 1992
ChanYeol (박찬열) November 27, 1992
D.O. (도경수) January 12, 1993
Kai (김종인) January 14, 1994
SeHun (오세훈) April 12, 1994
EXO-M
Kris November 6, 1990 (leader)
Xiumin (김민석) March 26, 1990
Lu Han (루한) April 20, 1990
Lay (레이) October 7, 1991
Chen (김종대) September 21, 1992
Tao (타오) May 2, 1993
KOREAN ALBUM
XOXO (Kiss & Hug) (2013)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUM
MAMA (2012)
FT ISLAND
FNC Entertainment
FT Island surprised Korea’s pop scene when it made its debut in 2007 with the single “Love Sick,” which topped the charts for two months, followed by the album Cheerful Sensibility, the sixth biggest seller for the year.
With Choi Jong-hoon on guitar and keyboards, Lee Hong-ki on vocals, Lee Jae-jin on bass, Choi Min-hwan on drums and Song Seung-hyun also playing guitar and singing, FT Island was one of the rare K-pop groups to play instruments and sound more like a rock band. At first, FT Island played several shows in the Hongdae part of Seoul, the indie music center of Korea, to build up its popularity. By 2008 it was already traveling overseas, first to Malaysia and Thailand and then to Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and elsewhere.
After Lee Hong-ki got sick and hurt his vocal chords in late 2008, the music label created a three-man version of the group that came to be called FT Triple. Even after Hong-ki got better, he and Seung-hyun were in such demand for acting and hosting other television programs that the subgroup was needed to fulfill hungry fans’ expectations. In FT Triple, the three guys mix up their roles a bit, with Jae-jin switching to guitar and vocals and Jong-hoon playing the keyboards, while Min-hwan continues on drums.
As cool as it may sound to find audiences overseas and get to travel to them, it is not without its risks. In 2009, while filming a music video in Cebu in the Philippines, a typhoon struck, stranding the band there for several days.
MEMBERS
Choi Jong-hoon (최종훈) March 7, 1990
Lee Hong-ki (이홍기) March 2, 1990
Lee Jae-jin (이재진) December 17, 1991
Choi Min-hwan (최민환) November 11, 1992
Song Seung-hyung (송승현) August 21, 1992
PAST MEMBER
Oh Won-bin
SUBGROUP
FT Triple
KOREAN ALBUMS
Cheerful Sensibility (2007)
Colorful Sensibility (2008)
Cross & Change (2009)
Five Treasure Box (2012)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Jump Up (2009)
Beautiful Journey (2010)
Return (2011)
Memory in F.T. Island (2011)
Grown-Up (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
So Long, Au Revoir (2009)
Five Treasure Island (2011)
20 [Twenty] (2012)
Rated-FT (2013)
JAPANESE MINI-ALBUM
Prologue of F.T. Island: Soyogi (2008)
FAN CLUB Primadonnas
OFFICIAL COLOR Yellow
For seven years, FT Island has been delighting fans all over Asia.
Song Seung-hyung, Lee Hong-ki and Lee Jae-jin on stage at JTBC’s Music on Top in March 2012.
INFINITE
Woollim Entertainment
Infinite was created in 2010 by Tablo and Mithra from Korea’s pioneering hip-hop group Epik High (in fact, L and Infinite first appeared in the music video for Epik High’s “Run”), but the group’s first mini-album, First Invasion, released the same year, met with an underwhelming response.
Its next EP, Evolution, which came out in early 2012, did a little better, with Infinite’s “scorpion” dance for the song “Before the Dawn” gaining a lot of notice. It was finally the single “Be Mine” from its first album, Over the Top, that led Infinite to stardom, winning it its first weekly music program.
But it was the group’s single “The Chaser,” released in 2012, that took Infinite to the top of the K-pop ranks. “The Chaser” was a true phenomenon, holding the No. 1 spot on the Korean charts for weeks. Billboard called it the top K-pop song of 2012.
Group leader Sungkyu released a solo record, “Another Me,” in 2012, with more of a rock style than Infinite’s, teaming up with Nell, one of Korea’s few mainstream rock acts. Then, in early 2013, Infinite launched its first subgroup, the hip-hop styled Infinite-H. Featuring band members Dongwoo and Hoya, Infinite-H topped the charts, thanks to collaborations with some of Korea’s top producers, including Zion-T, Beenzino and Primary.
Infinite was put together by Tablo and Mithra from the famous hip-hop group Epik High.
As Infinite has grown more popular, its overseas fan base has surged. Its “One Great Step” tour, that kicked off in Seoul in August 2013, was one of the most ambitious ever in K-pop history, especially for such a young group. The tour will consist of thirty-one shows in four legs, with concerts all over Asia, North America, South America and Europe.
Infinite playing at its first concert in February 2012.
MEMBERS
Sungkyu (Kim Sung-kyu; 김성규) April 28, 1989 (leader)
Dongwoo (Jang Dong-woo; 장동우) November 22, 1990
Woohyun (Nam Woo-hyun; 남우현) February 8, 1991
Hoya (Lee Ho-won; 이호원) March 28, 1991
Sungyeol (Lee Sung-yeol; 이성열) August 27, 1991
L (Kim Myung-soo; 김명수) March 13, 1992
Sungjong (Lee Sung-jong; 이성종) September 3, 1993
SUBGROUP
Infinite-H
KOREAN ALBUMS
Over the Top (2011)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
First Invasion (2010)
Evolution (2011)
Infinitize (2012)
New Challenge (2013)
KOREAN SINGLES
Inspirit (2011)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Koi ni Ochiru Toki (2013)
JAPANESE SINGLES
«BTD (Before the Dawn)» (2011)
«Be Mine» (2012)
«She›s Back» (2012)
FAN CLUB Inspirit
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl metal gold
MBLAQ
J-Tune Camp
Rain was the biggest star in K-pop in 2007 when he broke away from JYP Entertainment and started his own music label, J-Tune Entertainment (and J. Tune Camp). Rather than just be a one-man show, Rain set to work training his own K-pop band. Two years later, MBLAQ made its debut at a major Rain concert, providing the band the kind of start that most other bands would kill for.
While all five MBLAQ members are solid singers and dancers, Thunder probably gets most attention because of his older sister, singer Sandara Park (Dara) of 2NE1. After living in the Philippines for several years, where she gained fame as a singer, Dara moved to Korea with Sang-hyun when she joined YG Entertainment. Sang-hyun tried out at a few different entertainment companies before catching Rain’s attention, where he was reborn as Thunder for the K-pop group MBLAQ.
While Lee Joon is also notable for his role with Rain in Rain’s Hollywood martial arts movie Ninja Assassin, in which he played a younger version of Rain’s character Raizo, for MBLAQ’s fans, all five guys are equally awesome.
As MBLAQ caught on, its popularity spread not just around Asia but also to the West, with songs like “This Is War” and “Mona Lisa” turning up on charts in Germany and Bulgaria.
But in this writer’s opinion, MBLAQ’s most interesting song was its 2013 comeback song, “Smoky Girl.” With a more grown-up look to the band in the music video, “Smoky Girl” also featured production by leading Korean team Primary, Simon D and Zion T, all from the exciting indie hip-hop label Amoeba Culture. A smooth and sophisticated combination of different elements, “Smoky Girl” was one of the smartest pop songs of the year.
MEMBERS
Thunder (Park Sang-hyun; 박상현) October 7, 1990
Mir (Bang Chyul-yong; 방철용) March 10, 1991
Seungho (Yang Seung-ho; 양승호) October 16, 1987
G.O. (Jung Byung-hee; 정병희) November 6, 1987
Lee Joon (Lee Chang-sun; 이창선) February 7, 1988
KOREAN ALBUMS
Blaq Style (2011)
Smoky Girl (2013)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Just Blaq (2009)
Y (2010)
Mona Lisa (2011)
100% Ver. (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUM
Blaq Memories (2012)
FAN CLUB: A+
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl chocolate
MBLAQ was originally put together by K-pop icon Rain, but today it’s a force unto itself.
MBLAQ has a reputation for having some of the best dancers in K-pop.
SHINEE
SM Entertainment
Formed in 2008, SHINee is yet another SM Entertainment success story. The group started out strong, thanks to Replay and The SHINee World, beating out such big names as U-Kiss and 2PM to win the top newcomer award at that year’s Mnet Asian Music Awards. But it was Year of Us in 2009 with its crazy popular single “Ring Ding Dong” that caused SHINee to really take off to K-pop super stardom.
SHINee is probably SM’s most physically fit group. The group members’ impressive array of bulging muscles and chiseled abs is well highlighted in their exceptional dance moves. Billboard magazine praised their choreography in the “Everybody” music video as some of the best of 2013. At the same time, the guys project a soft, slightly androgynous look, with plenty of long, well-moussed hair. It was a look that went well with SM’s typical upbeat, cute style of music. Around 2010, the group changed its image slightly, getting rougher and tougher. (Check out the Mohawk on Key in the “Lucifer” video.) More recently, it has changed yet again, opting for a mature and grown-up look, which is probably fitting given that the members are all older.
SHINee had one of its best years in 2013, thanks to hits like “Dream Girl” and “Why So Serious?”
SHINee, comprising from left ONew, JongHyun, Key, MinHo and TaeMin, has been one of the biggest music award winners since the group’s debut in 2008.
MEMBERS
ONew (이진기) December 14, 1989
JongHyun (김종현) April 8, 1990
Key (김기범) September 23, 1991
MinHo (최민호) December 9, 1991
TaeMin (이태민) July 18, 1993
KOREAN ALBUMS
The Shinee World (2008)
Lucifer (2010)
Chapter 1. Dream Girl—The Misconceptions of You (2013)
Chapter 2. Why So Serious?—The Misconceptions of Me (2013)
The Misconceptions of Us (2013)
KOREAN MINI-ALBUMS
Replay (2008)
Romeo (2009)
2009: Year of Us (2009)
Sherlock (2012)
Everybody (2013)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
The First (2011)
Boys Meet U (2013)
FAN CLUB Shawol (SHINee World)
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl aqua green
Like many SM Entertainment groups, SHINee has found huge fan bases around Asia, and done especially well in Japan. In 2011, SHINee became the first non-Japanese group ever to place three singles into the top three of the Oricon weekly singles chart. And the group’s 2013 tour has taken them to many of Japan’s largest stadiums.
ZE:A
Star Empire Entertainment
Ze:A, an abbreviation of “Jeguk-ui Aideul,” or “Children of Empire” in Korean, has grown a big following around Asia since its 2010 debut. In Korea, the group built its initial following through dozens of guerrilla concerts and appearances all over the country, creating a grassroots fan base. But Ze:A has from the beginning also worked hard on building fans all around Asia, thanks in part to the group’s diversity of language skills. Indeed, even before its debut, the group had signed with Warner Music China and Sony to further promotions around Asia.
With nine members, Ze:A boasts a diverse line-up of talent, with several members acting on TV and in films as well as hosting variety programs, starring in musicals, and much more. Minwoo is even a member of another group, 3Peace Lovers, a Japan-based band that includes Nikaido Hayato and Sasake Yoshihide.
MEMBERS
Kevin (Kim Ji-yeop; 김지엽) February 23, 1988
Kwanghee (Hwang Kwang-hee; 황광희) August 25, 1988
Siwan (Yim Si-wan; 임시완) December 1, 1988
Junyoung (Moon Jun-young; 문준영) February 9, 1989 (leader)
Taeheon (Kim Tae-heon; 김태헌) June 18, 1989
Heechul (Jung Hee-cheol; 정희철) December 9, 1989
Minwoo (Ha Min-woo; 하민우) September 6, 1990
Hyungsik (Park Hyung-sik; 박형식) November 16, 1991
Dongjun (Kim Dong-jun; 김동준) February 11, 1992
SUBGROUPS
Ze:A Five
Ze:A 4U
KOREAN ALBUM
Lovability (2011)
Spectaculary (2012)
JAPANESE ALBUMS
Ze:A! (2010)
Phoenix (2012)
JAPANESE MINI-ALBUM
Here I Am (2011)
TAIWANESE ALBUMS
Di Guo Jing Xuan (2010)
My Only Wish (2011, EP)
THAI ALBUM
Thailand Thank You (2011, EP)
FAN CLUB Ze:A’s (Ze:A Style)
OFFICIAL COLOR Pearl gold
The guys in Ze:A have been nearly as successful as solo artists and entertainers as they have been as a group.
With so much on the go, it’s amazing that the guys are able to record and perform together as much as they do. Which is one reason Ze:A has generated two subgroups, Ze:A Five and Ze:A 4U, so fans can continue to enjoy the group even when all nine members are not available. Despite its various forms, you can be sure Ze:A will continue to play great catchy, fun music for all its fans.