K-Pop Boy Bands 2016
Let’s look back a bit to 2016. In 2016, many rookie boy groups had a successful debut. Astro, NCT, and KNK are some of them. Senior groups like Bigbang and Sechskies also finally made their long-awaited comeback. BTS, EXO, and Seventeen also greeted their fans around the world by releasing new tracks and doing concerts. They didn’t just stick to South Korea either. Many boy groups, like iKon and SHINee, also focused on promoting their music in Japan.
Most Popular K-Pop Boy Groups in 2017
K-Pop idols’ agencies wouldn’t want to miss their chance to promote their groups this year. Many popular boy groups had their comeback and many rookie groups also made their debut. How has your favorite boy group been doing in these past months of 2017? Let’s check if your idol is on our list of this year’s top 30 K-Pop boy groups!
1. BTS
BTS debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. BTS is an acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단) which literally means Bulletproof Boy Scouts. They introduced their English group name as Beyond The Scene.
Current Members and Position
Rap Monster (leader, main rapper) J-Hope (lead rapper, main dancer) Suga (lead rapper) Jimin (lead vocalist, main dancer) Jin (vocalist) V (vocalist) Jungkook (main vocalist, lead dancer, sub rapper)
Remarkable Achievements
In their debut year, they won the New Artist of the Year Award at 5th MelOn Music Awards 2013. BTS got the Grand Award at 26th Seoul Music Awards 2017. Their title track Spring Day became the first song by a K-Pop group to make it into the top 10 iTunes songs chart in United States. BTS is the first Korean group to be nominated at Billboard Music Awards 2017 and they won the Top Social Artist Award. BTS became the first Korean group who collaborated with The Chainsmokers’ Andrew Taggart for the song Love Yourself: Her on their upcoming album “Best of Me”
2. EXO
SM Entertainment formed EXO in 2011 and debuted them in 2012. EXO originally debuted as twelve members, but in 2014 three of the members left the group and the agency. EXO now consists of nine members, but they are temporarily promoting as eight members since member Lay is currently busy with his activities in China.
Current Members and Position
Suho (leader, lead vocalist) Baekhyun (main vocalist) D.O (main vocalist) Chen (main vocalist) Xiumin (lead vocalist, lead dancer) Lay (main dancer, vocalist) Kai (main dancer, vocalist, lead rapper) Chanyeol (main rapper, vocalist) Sehun (lead dancer, rapper, sub vocalist)
Remarkable Achievements
EXO is the first group to win the Album of the Year Award four times in a row at Golden Disc Awards. Their recent repackaged album titled “The War: The Power of Music” ranked #1 on iTunes album chart in 33 countries. EXO featured in “The Guinness World Records 2018 Edition” together with Bigbang. Their title track Ko Ko Bop MV gained 8.8 million views on YouTube in 24 hours. EXO was chosen as the most powerful celebrity by Forbes Korea in 2014 and 2015.
3. WANNA ONE
Wanna One is a boy group project that was made by national producers through Mnet’s survival reality show “Produce 101 Season 2.” Wanna One officially debuted on August 8, 2017 under YMC Entertainment. They are scheduled to promote only until December 2018.
Current Members and Position
Kang Daniel (center, main dancer, sub vocal, sub rapper) Park Jihoon (lead dancer, sub vocal, sub rapper) Lee Daehwi (lead vocal) Kim Jaehwan (main vocal) Ong Seongwu (main dancer, sub vocal) Park Woojin (lead dancer, main rapper) Lai Kuanlin (lead rapper) Yoon Jisung (leader, sub vocal) Hwang Minhyun (lead vocal) Bae Jinyoung (sub vocal) Ha Sungwoon (main vocal)
Remarkable Achievements
Wanna One is the first group who had their debut show-con held in Gocheok Sky Dome, one of the biggest stadiums in Korea, and the tickets are all sold out. Wanna One dominated Korean online music charts an hour after their debut album “1×1=1 (To Be One)” released. Their debut track “Energetic” won 15 times in Korean music TV shows. Wanna One became the only rookie group to be nominated for a Grand Award this year. They won the New Korean Wave Rookie Award at 1st Soribada Best K-Music Awards 2017.
4. SEVENTEEN
Seventeen made their debut in 2015 under Pledis Entertainment. They are known as a self-produced group since the members always participate in the process of making their songs and choreography. The group has three units called the vocal unit, the hip hop unit, and the performance unit.
Current Members and Position
S.Coups (leader, main rapper) Jeonghan (lead vocalist) Woozi (lead vocalist) Seungkwan (main vocalist) DK (main vocalist) Joshua (vocalist) Wonwoo (lead rapper) Mingyu (lead rapper) Vernon (main rapper) Hoshi (main dancer, lead vocalist) Jun (lead dancer, sub vocalist) The8 (lead dancer, sub vocalist) Dino (main dancer, lead rapper)
Remarkable Achievements
Seventeen won the New Artist Award at Seoul Music Awards 2015. In 2016, they won the World Rookie Award at Gaon chart K-Pop Awards. Their fourth mini album “Al1” ranked #2 on Billboard’s World’s Albums chart and made it into the list of the best-selling K-Pop albums. Seventeen listed in Billboard’s “Social 50” and remained for 13th weeks in a row. Before their official Japan debut, Seventeen’s repackaged album “Love & Letter” got listed into the top five of Tower Records’ daily sales chart.
5. WINNER
Winner first appeared on YG Entertainment’s survival program “WIN: Who Is Next” as Team A in 2013. They won the show hence their group name is Winner. YG Entertainment debuted them in 2014. They originally debuted with five members but since member Nam Taehyun left in 2016, they are now promoting with four members.
Current Members and Position
Yoon (leader, main vocalist) Jinu (lead vocalist) Mino (main rapper, vocalist) Hoony (main dancer, lead rapper, vocalist)
Remarkable Achievements
Winner topped Korean major music charts with their first album “2014 S/S” and received an all-kill. Winner’s single album “Fate Number For” topped Korean major music charts and iTunes charts in 21 countries. Their title track “Really Really” is the best-selling K-Pop song in America on the week of its release. “Really Really” also ranked 3rd on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales.
5. B.A.P
B.A.P is TS Entertainment’s first boy group. They debuted in 2012 with six members. B.A.P is an acronym for Best, Absolute, Perfect. Their comeback in 2017 was a notable one since member Yongguk is back to promote with the group again after his hiatus due to an anxiety disorder.
Current Members and Position
Yongguk (leader, main rapper) Himchan (sub vocal, rapper) Daehyun (main vocalist) Youngjae (lead vocalist) Jongup (main dancer, vocalist) Zelo (lead rapper, lead dancer)
Remarkable Achievements
B.A.P holds the record as the K-Pop group with the most no. 1’s on Billboard’s World Albums chart. B.A.P’s tracks from album “One Shot” stayed in Germany’s K-Pop chart Top 10 for 20 straight months. Their sixth single album “Rose” ranked 6th in the Worldwide iTunes Album chart. B.A.P won the Best Korean Act award at MTV Europe Music Award in 2014 and 2016.
6. NCT 127
NCT 127 is a sub-unit of NCT, a new boy group project by SM Entertainment. NCT 127 debuted in 2016 with nine members. The name NCT stands for Neo Culture Technology, while number 127 represents the longitude coordinates of Seoul city.
Current Members and Position
Taeyong (leader, main dancer, main rapper, vocalist) Mark (main rapper, vocalist) Johnny (lead rapper, lead dancer) Yuta (lead dancer, rapper, vocalist) Win Win (lead dancer, vocalist) Taeil (main vocalist) Doyoung (main vocalist) Jaehyun (lead vocalist, lead dancer, rapper) Haechan (lead vocalist, lead dancer)
Remarkable Achievements
NCT 127 won the Rookie Award at Asia Artist Awards 2016. Their 2nd mini album “Limitless” ranked 1st on Billboard’s World Albums chart. NCT 127 tops 11 countries’ iTunes chart with title track “Cherry Bomb.”
7. BIGBANG
YG Entertainment debuted Bigbang in 2006. They are known for their self-composed tracks and called one of the “Kings of K-Pop.” The other members are now focusing on individual activities, in Korea and overseas, while member T.O.P is currently under supervision because of his marijuana case.
Current Members and Position
G-Dragon (leader, main rapper, vocalist) T.O.P (lead rapper, vocalist) Taeyang (main vocalist, main dancer) Daesung (lead vocalist) Seungri (lead dancer, vocalist)
Remarkable Achievements
Bigbang is the first Korean group who won the Best Worldwide Act Award at MTV Europe Music Awards 2011. Their latest full album “MADE” achieved an all-kill on Korean music charts and topped iTunes album charts in 19 countries immediately after its release. Bigbang won the Best Artist from The World Award at MTV Awards 2016 in Italy and became the first Korean artist to win it. Their title track “FXXK IT” breaks the record for topping the Korean music charts for 20 days. Since their debut, Bigbang has won a total of 10 Grand Awards.
8. HIGHLIGHT
Highlight is formerly known as Beast. Beast debuted in 2009 under Cube Entertainment as six members. In 2016, member Jang Hyunseung decided not to extend his contract with Beast. Since then, the remaning five members moved to Around Us Entertainment and re-debuted as Highlight in 2017.
Current Members and Position
Doojoon (leader, vocalist, lead rapper) Yoseob (main vocalist) Gikwang (main dancer, lead vocalist) Junhyung (main rapper) Dongwoon (lead vocalist, rapper)
Remarkable Achievements
Highlight is the first boy group in 2017 who secured the no. 1 spot on MelOn’s standard weekly chart. After debut track “Plz Don’t Be Sad” released, Highlight ranked 1st in major Korean music charts. They won their first triple crown as Highlight in KBS Music Bank with “Plz Don’t Be Sad.”
9. GOT7
GOT7 made their debut in 2014. They are JYP Entertainment’s first new boy group since 2PM debuted in 2008. GOT7 is known for their performances that combine martial arts and b-boying styles. GOT7 debuted in Japan under Sony Music Entertainment in October 2014, just a few months after they officially debuted in Korea.
Current Members and Position
JB (leader, main vocalist, lead dancer) Youngjae (main vocalist) Jinyoung (lead vocalist, lead dancer, rapper) Mark (main rapper, lead dancer, vocalist) Jackson (lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist) Bambam (lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist) Yugyeom (main dancer, lead vocalist, rapper)
Remarkable Achievements
GOT7 won the Best Worldwide Act award at MTV European Music Awards in 2016. GOT7’s album titled “Flight Log: Turbulence” debuted at no. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. Their mini album “Flight Log: Arrival” became the best-selling K-Pop album in America on the week of its release.
10. iKON
iKON was first introduced to the public through YG Entertainment’s survival program “WIN: Who Is Next” as Team B with six members. Since they lost to Team A (now known as Winner), their debut had to be postponed. They officially debuted in 2015 with seven members who were chosen through another YG Entertainment’s survival program “Mix & Match.”
Current Members and Position
B.I (leader, lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist) Bobby (main rapper, vocalist) Jay (lead dancer, lead vocalist) Ju-ne (main vocalist) DK (main dancer, vocalist) Song (lead vocalist) Chan (vocalist)
Remarkable Achievements
Three months after they debuted, iKON won five rookie awards from various Korean award shows. In 2016, iKON debuted in Japan and won the Best New Artist Award at Japan Record Awards. iKON achieved triple crown on M! Countdown with title track “Dumb & Dumber.” iKON first album “Welcome Back” included in Billboard’s Top 10 World Albums. iKON topped iTunes charts in 15 countries with single album “New Kids: Begin.”
