If you’re a K-pop fan, then you’ve come to the right place. However, if you’re not, don’t let the title dissuade you. Despite being coined as Korean-pop, there is a wide variety of music produced by K-pop groups. This means there’s something for everyone. Ballads, hip-hop, dance-pop? They’ve got it all. To get you started, here are my top 3 favorite boy groups:
1. Monsta x
First on my list is Monsta X. They debuted in 2015 with the song ‘Trespass’. Monsta X has a unique style for K-pop. While, of course, releasing pop songs, they’re also known for having many hip-hop and EDM style songs.
If you don’t listen to K-pop because you feel intimidated by the language barrier, this is a good place to start. They have 2 English albums; ‘All About Luv’ and ‘The Dreaming’. Featuring collabs with French Montana and Pitbull, these albums are a good segway for those who want to get into K-pop, but haven’t quite adjusted to listening to songs in another language yet.
2. Stray kids
Stray Kids debuted in 2018 with the song ‘District 9′, and have been releasing hits ever since. One thing that stands out about their music is that it’s all produced by the self-picked group members themselves. Their subunit, 3Racha, makes all of their songs, with occasional help from the other members. This creative freedom means their music suits the group very well, as they have been creating their own image from the very beginning.
Their newest album ‘Rock-Star’ features a variety of songs that showcase their talents. The title track ‘Lalala’ is a powerful song with a mix of phonk and afrobeats. Other songs in the album also include elements of rock, pop punk, and more. They also collaborated with the well-known Japanese singer, Lisa for the song ‘Social Path.’
3. seventeen
Last is Seventeen, who made their debut in 2015 with the song ‘Adore U. With the song and choreography made by the members themselves, Seventeen has been a self-producing group since the start. Fast forward to 2024, and they are topping music charts and have plenty of songs for you to enjoy. To get you started, I highly recommend their album ‘Attacca.’ It showcases an impressive range of genres and is my personal favorite.
Seventeen stands out to me not only because of their music, but their dancing skills as well. Their choreographies are always in sync, no matter how complex they are. They are known among K-pop fans as one of the most in sync groups to exist. So if you haven’t listened to them yet, now’s the time for something new.
To finish things off here are 3 honorable mentions that I couldn’t leave out: Ateez, CIX, and Pentagon.