K-pop Groups That Hooked Me! Pt. 4

Continuing from where we left off last time:

KiiiKiii: I first heard about their interesting and abnormal concept on YouTube. It gives me “girl next door” vibes. At first, I thought their concept wasn’t going to stand out much to me because it didn’t have a concrete theme, something I see often in 5th-generation K-pop groups. As time went on, I became more interested in the group’s music and retro vibes. Their ability to sing well live also caught my attention. Their newest release seems to lean more into their retro concept. I look forward to them possibly taking more inspiration from 2nd-generation K-pop groups in the future.

NEWBEAT: I honestly wasn’t interested in their pre-debut singles like “JeLLo(Sleepers)” and “HICCUPS”. It was mostly their concept that caught my attention, and the cool visuals they feature in their music videos without needing to use AI. Once their debut album, RAW AND RAD, was released, the title track, “Flip the Coin”, didn’t really interest me either. However, the other, less-promoted songs on the album sounded so amazing. I especially loved their song “Wonder”. Though their newest song, “Cappuccino,” slightly disappointed me (as it uses ANOTHER chant chorus), I still want to wait until their next album to see what other songs they may have hidden in their B-sides.

XngHan&Xoul: This isn’t technically a group, but more like an honorable mention. I was so sad when Seunghan left RIIZE, and, though I still tune into their music, it’s hard for me to see them as 6 members. Nevertheless, I am glad to see Seunghan performing again. I love watching his performances, and hopefully, the future will bring him and his crew to try new things and perform on even bigger stages, as they already seem ready for it.

82MAJOR: I initially started listening to 82MAJOR because of their song “First Class”. When they released their song “촉(Choke),” I became a bit less excited about their musical direction (especially because one of the members was wearing cornrows for that era). Once they released their song “혀끝(Stuck),” I became interested again. The music video had a very fun storyline and, even though it was quite short, I couldn’t help but listen to the song over and over again. Their newest song, “TAKEOVER,” really sealed the deal.

1VERSE: I didn’t really plan on being a fan of them, but after a year of seeing them release pre-debut content, I was eager to see what their debut would be like. They released the song “Multiverse“ before their official debut, and I enjoyed the song’s aesthetic. Their official debut song, “Shattered,” was also very cool, and I liked the chorus. Their concept intrigued me because it reminded me a bit of The Matrix with its glitchy cosmic feel.