大象传媒

While not as globally recognised as BTS, EXO are the other big-hitting boy band in their homeland. Originally consisting of 12 members (yes, even more than Slipknot), now down to nine, the Korean-Chinese group have sold more than eight million albums and have regularly topped the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list, which ranks the country’s most influential entertainment figures, before being usurped by their more international rivals this year.

Initially split into two sub-groups (under the names Exo-K and Exo-M), EXO have been known to record their songs in both Korean and Mandarin, with a splatter of English thrown in for good measure. This bilingualism has often been portrayed as representing togetherness in the region. The symbolism of this was further apparent when the group were chosen to perform at the historic Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Pyeongchang back in February.

Similar to BTS, EXO’s fandom is both ample and ardent. When the group performed at the Olympics, fans started their own hashtag that threatened to drown out those who simply wanted to follow the scores and medal tally. Unlike BTS though, EXO come with a narrative that’s straight out of a sci-fi film: they’re all aliens from the ‘EXO Planet’, each with a different superpower, like teleportation or an ability to heal. It may sound strange, but it’s precisely this kind of backstory that has inspired almost 150,000 fan-fiction stories to be posted about the band online.

Having recently ventured into J-pop, releasing their Japanese language debut Countdown in January, don’t be too surprised to see EXO breaking the English market next. Their slick 2015 hit Call Me Baby is a must-listen.

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Despite their name, Seventeen are actually a 13-member group, named as such because all the members were roughly 17 years of age at the time of formation. Relative newcomers, having released their debut Love & Letter only two years back, the group have quickly become known for both their breathtaking choreography and DIY nature.

Split into three sub-groups of vocalists, rappers and dancers, the members write a lot of their own songs, produce their own music and come up with their own dance moves. In interviews, they’ve spoken about wanting to “tell our own story” with their songs, rather than simply “contributing our opinions” to work produced by others. This rare trait for an idol group has garnered the band praise from critics, as well as from fans.

K-pop fans, similar to pop fanatics in the West, like to play a role in their favoured group’s creation, with many idol factions forming through reality TV shows. Seventeen, however, took things a little further, with their formation being documented in a series of livestreams. They even got their own TV show before releasing a debut single.

Musically, Seventeen’s output is generally light and accessible. Don’t Wanna Cry is a breezy summer anthem, while tracks like Healing, Adore U and Mansae see the group venture into 90s pop-rap territory. If you’re looking for unwaveringly upbeat, Seventeen are your idols.

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NCT, whose name stands for the considerably less catchy Neo Culture Technology, are perhaps one of the hardest K-pop groups to get a grip of. They were formed by SM Entertainment, a company with over 20 years of manufacturing pop music in the country and basically Korea’s version of Simon Cowell’s Syco.

The main umbrella group consists of 18 members currently, with that number constantly growing, and there’s three different sub-units: NCT U (the main group), NCT 127 (a localised and very fashionable Seoul-based faction) and NCT Dream (a more teen-orientated variate, almost like NCT’s S Club Juniors). All three release their music separately, but also came together for the group’s full faction debut NCT 2018 Empathy in March. Only one member - a rapper named Mark - performs in all three units and the music produced across the board varies greatly - from the trap-pop of NCT U’s 7th Sense to the bubble-gum pop of NCT Dream (they actually have a song called Chewing Gum).

With members of the group hailing from Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Canada and the US, there have been suggestions that SM Entertainment could expand the group further afield than Korea, with the larger Asian market, and perhaps even Latin America, as possible targets. Could we see future world domination from a plethora of global NCT groups? Perhaps, and Simon Cowell would be very envious.

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Formed via the Korean talent show WIN: Who Is Next, WINNER first came to prominence in 2014 as an act that mixed overblown pop balladry with melancholic hip-hop, specialising in the kind of sad melodic-rap that's become popular in the wake of Drake. Empty and Color Ring are highlights from this era of the band.

However, they appear to have shifted their brand identity noticeably over the past few years, ditching the monochrome clothing and The xx aesthetics. Embarking on a year-long hiatus at the height of their initial breakthrough, WINNER came back with more broad hits, with their output ranging from the Diplo-like tropical house of Love Me Love Me to the Bieber-esque club-hit Really Really. Everyday, released last month, infuses trap and reggaeton influences and sees the group expand their sound - and reach - even further.

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Despite only releasing their first single back in August 2017, this band already has its end in sight. Along with fellow transient acts like I.O.I and JBJ, Wanna One are part of an increasing trend in K-pop for temporary outfits; projects formed solely for a finite time period, making no effort to hide their fleeting nature. While most traditional K-pop acts tend to be tied down to multi-album contracts stretching many years, the benefits of these short-lived groups are evident for both parties: the stars aren’t tied to a certain group (making potential solo careers a more viable transition) and labels won’t find themselves financially culpable if a group’s popularity wanes.

Not quite as short-lived as JBJ (whose entire lifespan lasted just seven months), Wanna One have enjoyed an expeditious rise since forming from a reality TV show that pit major agency also-rans against one-another: member Hwang Min-hyun was previously of the group NU’EST, while Park Ji-hoon is a former child act. Their album To Be One became the first K-pop debut to sell over a million copies, and only BTS or EXO sold more in Korea last year than Wanna One. Musically, they’re not the most distinct group about, but they know how to pull off a massive chorus (I.P.U) and EDM breakdown (Boomerang). Enjoy this group while you can because soon they’ll be no more.

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