2012: Of Comebacks and Debuts
2011 was an eventful year for the K-Pop scene, no doubt, from Big Bang‘s long-anticipated comeback with Tonight and Love Song to Cube Entertainment‘s unorthodox subunit, Trouble Maker, to 2NE1 performing in New York City for thousands of fans. K-Pop is becoming a global phenomenon as many Korean artists are planning to make their debuts in the United States this year and tours are being scheduled for countries in South America and Europe.
Now that 2012 has finally come, what can we expect from the ever-changing world of K-Pop?
- Shinhwa
Shinhwa, one of the original K-Pop idol groups, is planning a comeback in March 2012, fourteen years after their debut in 1998 under SM Entertainment. Their popularity achieved by their albums has not diminished over the years, especially with older fans, although their activities have been disrupted by hiatuses and army duty. Currently, the members, Eric Mun, Lee Min Woo, Jun Jin, Shin Hye Sun, Kim Dong Wan, and Andy Lee, are under Shinhwa Company.
Shinhwa’s comeback will be spectacular because they are veterans to the K-Pop scene. Their collection of awards is impressive and they were the first Korean boy band to be ranked in the top ten of an international music chart. They are also the longest-running K-Pop group in history, which is impressive in itself, as many groups have broken up after initial successes.
The members of Shinhwa have been wrapping up their solo activities during the last few months of 2011 and now are hard at work preparing their comeback. They are also arranging an Asia Tour Concert. It will definitely be interesting to see what kind of comeback they make—whatever it is, it won’t be a disappointing one for sure!
- EXO-K and EXO-M
One of the most anticipated debuts of 2012 are those of EXO-K and EXO-M, SM Entertainment’s newest boy groups. We haven’t seen them debut a boy group since SHINee in 2008 and as much as everyone loves to hate SM’s policies for their artists, we all have to grudgingly admit that SM never disappoints when it comes to boy groups (just look at the success of TVXQ and Super Junior).
It looks like EXO will be following in the footsteps of their highly-successful sunbaes with their devastatingly good looks. Only vague teasers have been released by SM so far, but since they’re not a very unpredictable company, we can probably expect to see some electronic, dance-y tracks from them with choreography to match. With all the exposure EXO has been receiving lately, it looks like their debut will be a successful one!
- Big Bang
Perhaps the most anticipated comeback of 2012 is that of Big Bang’s in March. Although their two 2011 singles, Tonight and Love Song, did well during the first half of the year, scandals involving the members erupted during the summer and interrupted their group activities for a few months. The group tentatively regrouped in the fall and made a public apology during their YG Family Concert in December, promising to do better in the future.
Big Bang’s success as an idol group is phenomenal. They are considered one of the most influential, popular, and successful groups in South Korea–even with the scandals. YG Entertainment does a wonderful job producing songs for the group and the boys are amazing performers as well. Their stage presence is magnetizing–each performance is unique and entertaining. Not only that, but Big Bang is undeniably talented as well.
Each member of the group has a forte to contribute–G-Dragon is a skilled rapper and composer (he is known for arranging Lies and Haru Haru, two of Big Bang’s biggest hits, and participating actively in each album’s production process), Taeyang and Daesung are well-known for their smooth vocals, TOP‘s charisma has carried him over to the world of acting successfully, and Seungri is an adept dancer. Big Bang’s success is largely due to the fact that each member excels in a different area, so when they are put together, it becomes incredibly difficult to pick out noticeable flaws in their music. They have also managed to develop a distinct signature sound without becoming repetitive, something that has contributed largely to their success.
It’s nice to see that although Big Bang is a relatively independent group (each member engages in solo activities), they know that they are the best that they can be when they stick together. As much as we appreciate TOP and Daesung’s acting skills and Taeyang’s slick-sounding R&B tracks, we’re glad that Big Bang plans to stick around for a little while. The group plans on releasing a full-length album or at least a mini album in March, the same time that their Big Show Concert is supposed to be held.
- BEAST and INFINITE
The boys of BEAST have firmly established themselves alongside the likes of SNSD, 2PM, and Super Junior. The success of their first full-length album, Fiction and Fact, showed fans that BEAST is not just another typical boy group with pretty faces and mediocre talent–in fact, their vocals have been praised by critics as one of the best on the K-Pop scene. Yoseob has excellent control over his vocals and Hyunseung‘s voice adds a unique touch to BEAST’s songs. Junhyung, the rapper, also helped compose and arrange multiple songs on Fiction and Fact, notably Freeze, which features a catchy dance beat. BEAST also possesses wonderful stage presence. Their dance steps never look overly choreographed and Cube Entertainment does a wonderful job with the boys’ images by allowing them to maintain their particular personalities.
BEAST will be touring for roughly three months during the first half of 2012 in fourteen different countries and releasing songs in January and February. They will return to Korea in May for their comeback. It’s safe to say that we can expect to see unique new tracks with strong vocals from them in the next few months!
INFINITE has made impressive amounts of progress since their debut in June 2010. They started off 2011 strong with promotions for Before the Dawn (BTD) from their second mini album, Evolution. They quickly followed up with performances of Nothing’s Over and Can U Smile. In July, their first full-length album, Over The Top, was released. On September 1, 2011, INFINITE won their first #1 spot on M! Countdown for their single Be Mine. In October, they began promotions for the repackaged version of Over The Top, winning #1 for their new track Paradise. The boys also spent time in Japan, releasing To-Ra-Wa and a Japanese version of BTD.
INFINITE is widely considered one of the most successful rookie groups of 2010-2011. They have managed to establish a loyal fan base and captured the attention of other K-Pop groups. Brown Eyed Girls, Super Junior, and SNSD have all commented favorably about INFINITE’s dedication and hard work.
Hard work, indeed–it almost seems like Woollim Entertainment has not allowed the boys to rest for even a minute since their debut! Between promotions for singles and recordings for albums, INFINITE has been featured on Sesame Player and are currently filming Birth of a Family alongside girl group, A Pink. Their tough schedules have paid off though–INFINITE is gaining recognition internally and have proved themselves to be worth watching with their crisply executed dance routines and clean vocals. With their first concert coming up in February (which sold out to 8000 eager INSPIRITS in under five minutes), it looks like it’s going to be a great year for INFINITE and their fans!
Both BEAST and INFINITE have made significant progress as K-Pop idol groups in 2011 and we look forward to seeing some exceptional new material from both of them!
- JYJ
JYJ is an interesting group to look at because they were not very active in Korea in 2011. A recent case found SM Entertainment guilty of interfering with the development of their activities and promotions on Korean channels such as SBS, KBS, and MBC. However, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu still had a successful year doing promotions outside of Korea for their album, In Heaven. They focused their efforts on holding concerts in countries such as Japan, United States, Spain, and Germany.
JYJ’s international fan base is a force to be reckoned with–the boys do truly possess remarkable vocals and it shows in their powerful ballads, garnering them much praise from critics and fans alike. They’ve earned recognition for their talents and with the lifting of the JYJ ban, hopefully they’ll start to become more active in Korea as well.
The group plans on touring in South America in March, which has generated a lot of excitement from K-Pop fans in that area. Also, with the recent acting debuts of Yoochun in Sungkyunkwan Scandal and Jaejoong in Protect the Boss, perhaps the boys will also join more acting projects during 2012 as well.
- 2NE1
The fierceness of 2NE1 has not gone unnoticed. The group’s major successes came last year and they have also managed to gain much-deserved international recognition for their talents. With the releases of tracks such as I Am The Best, Ugly, and Can’t Nobody, the ladies of 2NE1 have fully embraced a funky, girl-power sound that truly resonates in their music.
2NE1 is also a very consistent group. Their vocals are tight and their delivery is bold. 2NE1 has no qualms about getting up close and personal with their audiences–their music videos basically scream, “We’re fierce. If you don’t like it, that’s too bad, but we’re not going to change for you.” This kind of approach has made them an iconic group and allowed them to stand out from a sea of cutesy, frilly dress-wearing girl groups.
What is perhaps most shocking about 2NE1 is the fact that they have only been on the K-Pop scene for two years. Their performances give off the impression that they have been strutting around in sky-high stilettos for years now; the attitude and passion they assume on stage look completely professional. The energy that 2NE1 brings to their performances is truly commendable and the effort that CL, Dara, Park Bom, and Minzy put into their music shows that they really love what they do.
From what we’ve seen of 2NE1 in 2011, YG Entertainment tends to focus their efforts on promoting the group as trend setters and not just a typical girl group by shoving them onto variety shows. They let the girls focus on their music and performances, which has clearly paid off. We can expect to see them making waves in the K-Pop world in 2012 as well!
- SISTAR and miss A
The girls of SISTAR have managed to rise to the top of the female rookie groups last year. With the releases of their latest single in August, So Cool, they have embraced an aggressive and sexy image. Their songs have insanely catchy choruses and and disco-y feel to them, with funky beats and fashion to match.
Hyorin‘s strong vocals have definitely contributed to SISTAR’s abilities as a group to tackle songs with higher ranges in pitch. However, with that said, it would be nice to see the other members step into the spotlight once in a while. The release of Ma Boy from Hyorin and Bora was enjoyable, from the slower, sexy-yet-innocent tone of the song (complete with the perfect body wave), because it allowed fans to pay some attention to Bora’s rapping skills as well as Hyorin’s singing.
Hopefully Starship Entertainment will allow Soyu and Dasom to show off their talents in 2012 as well! SISTAR is well on their way to establishing a firm foothold on the K-Pop scene–we’ll be looking forward to a new mini album, perhaps, from them in the next few months.
Another rookie group that debuted during the summer of 2010 was JYP‘s miss A. They catapulted to almost instant success with their debut track, Bad Girl Good Girl, something almost never seen with rookie groups. The girls, Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy, have managed to keep their momentum through 2011 with the release of Good-bye Baby, as well as a slew of appearances on variety shows (as well as Suzy’s role in Dream High).
Miss A is another group that promotes girl power, but in a more subtle way. Instead of going all bold and colorful like 2NE1, they focus more so on elegance and creativity. They also look sexy, but not in a forced way at all–instead, JYP seems to be going for a classier, mature concept with this group. Their songs are the same; the music videos are sexy and aesthetically pleasing, but not overly so. For those K-Pop fans who just can’t bring themselves to cozy up to 2NE1′s in-your-face image, miss A provides them with an alternative.
Although miss A only made one comeback in 2011, they still upheld their popularity and we hope to see some new material from them in a few months!
- IU
When it comes to solo artists in K-Pop, few gain the recognition that they deserve. However, nineteen-year old IU has managed to win countless awards for her newest single, You & I.
With the release of her latest album, Last Fantasy, IU’s popularity has skyrocketed. Her talents clearly shine through her strong vocal abilities. Her songs all have a “ballad kind” of feel to them, but not to the point when listeners get bored of listening to her belt out tunes that sound the same. IU mixes in orchestral sounds and fast beats to make her songs move along a little faster in order to keep them sounding young and fresh, but at the same time, she manages to make her vocals the best part of each song. They should be, of course, with her incredible five-octave range. It seems like IU has discovered her musical identity within the last year or so, so we’re very excited to see what she does with it.
And of course, she’s not a shabby actress either. Perhaps we’ll be seeing some more acting projects from her as well?
There are many more artists that are worth watching in 2012. SHINee is scheduled to make their comeback soon, much to the delight of their noona-fans. We’re hoping for a change in concept, perhaps, to something a little more mature but a little less electronic and repetitive than Lucifer. If SHINee steps out of their comfort zone, they’ll definitely gain more fans. MBLAQ deserves recognition as well–their comeback is scheduled to occur next week with It’s War. Although they have yet to win a #1 award, MBLAQ has stayed true to their R&B roots, something very admirable. When success doesn’t come, it’s tempting to change images and attempt something else, but MBLAQ’s music has matured into a marked style, combining pop with a sassy, Latin feel. Tablo, a member of the hip-hop group Epik High, is also a talented artist from whom we expect to see extraordinary things from this year. His first solo album, Fever’s End, received many positive reviews from critics and clearly displays his finesse as a well-established hip-hop artist.
Which artists would you like to see excel in 2012?
This article does not represent the opinion of Hellokpop as a whole but only the individual opinion of the author.
Image sources: 2NE1 (1), 2NE1 (2), Shinhwa, EXO, Big Bang, BEAST, INFINITE, JYJ, SISTAR, miss A, IU, SHINee
Material sources: Shinhwa’s Comeback (KpopStarz), Shinhwa’s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), EXO-K and EXO-M (seoulbeats), Big Bang’s Comeback (soompi), BEAST’s World Tour (koreaboo), BEAST’s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), BEAST’s Fiction and Fact album review (soompi), INFINITE’s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), INFINITE’s Second Invasion (hellokpop), JYJ’s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), JYJ’s South America tour (allkpop), 2NE1′s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), 2NE1′s concept (seoulbeats), 2NE1′s visit to NYC (seoulbeats), SISTAR’s statistics and activities (Wikipedia), SISTAR’s So Cool (seoulbeats), miss A’s concept (seoulbeats), IU’s Last Fantasy review (allkpop), SHINee’s Comeback (koreaboo), MBLAQ’s Comeback (seoulbeats), Tablo’s Fever’s End review (hellokpop)
