Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Rising K-pop idols to watch - Monsta X, NCT 127, Stray Kids
Monsta X
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Thanks to BTS, 2018 has become a litmus test for K-pop's global expansion. This year has shown how far a K-pop act can reach in the United States and gain traction in Western markets.
Along with their speech at the United Nations, the seven-member boy band has set multiple records, including topping the Billboard 200 twice and selling out big concerts in Europe and North America.
BTS was neither the first nor the only K-pop band to break into the U.S., but it was the one to give global music fans a taste of K-pop ― which often embodies catchy melodies, powerful choreography, conceptual staging and heartfelt lyrics.
While K-pop is experiencing success on its own terms, the questions now arise upon which acts are likely to glide into the global pop music scene as BTS did.
Here are three acts on the rise ― Monsta X which successfully completed their second world tour, NCT which was the second K-pop band to be ever invited to the American Music Awards (AMAs), and Stray Kids whose fandom is stronger worldwide than in Korea.
Monsta X
Monsta X, a seven-member band comprising of Shownu, Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon and I.M, is one of the most promising K-pop bands to make a splash in the global music scene.
Due to their international popularity and successful overseas promotions, the boy band is often compared to BTS which rewrote K-pop history with their unprecedented global expansion.
They released their second full-length album titled “Take 1. Are You There?” fronted by the single “Shoot Out” on Oct. 22, and since then grabbed a second win at “The Show Champion” with their latest single. “I think our masculinity and aggressive hip-hop attitude are the weapons in our arsenal. But we try to accommodate many different concepts,” I.M. said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
When asked if it wasn't difficult to work on the new album while touring, Minhyuk said, “The world tour and meeting international fans gave us inspiration. I think we should work harder and get moving when we are receiving the spotlight.”
The band recently wrapped up their second world tour titled “2018 Monsta X World Tour: The Connect” that has taken them to 20 cities across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The high-profile band will be the first and only K-pop band to perform on the main stage of the annual Jingle Ball concert series. Monsta X will perform in six cities alongside top artists including Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Calvin Harris and Khalid.
The members expressed excitement about joining the lineup for the upcoming U.S. event. “The organizers sent us the trailer that featured us at the end. We are so thrilled to meet all the amazing artists in person, and we'd like to ask for collaborations with them,” Wonho said.
The band said they feel honored to represent K-pop when the industry is attuned to K-pop's potential. “BTS opened up the path for us. It seems surreal to be named, right after the group we look up to,” Wonho said. Kihyun also shared a few episodes when he felt that K-pop's influence in the global music industry is really growing. “I could definitely feel the difference in how the media and producers treat us. We could feel they really care about us and our music. Some foreign producers have asked us to take selfies together and asked about our upcoming album and concert plans.”
NCT 127
NCT 127
NCT 127 is a sub-unit of NCT, SM Entertainment's boy band made up of 18 members. NCT is divided into three sub-units ― NCT Dream, NCT U and NCT 127.
Among them, NCT 127 is primed for global reach.
Making their debut in 2016, NCT 127 is made up 10 members ― Jaehyun, Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Doyoung, Winwin, Mark, Haechan and Jungwoo.
The band made its presence in Korea and overseas, scoring chart accomplishments with their first full-length album “Regular-Irregular” released on Oct. 12.
By now, NCT 127 is the second-highest-charting K-pop boy band on the Billboard 200 albums chart following after BTS.
Its single “Regular,” in the Latin trap genre, was recorded in both Korean and English versions. The English version of the music video doubled the YouTube views of the Korean version, which indicates they have large a fan base abroad. Meanwhile, NCT 127 appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Oct. 8, attended the AMAs red carpet event Oct. 9, and performed at Mickey's 90th Spectacular, a primetime show to celebrate 90 years of Mickey Mouse that will be aired Nov. 4. “We've grown up, and this album really captures our varied talents and gives us a chance to showcase our full performance abilities while experimenting with different styles and genres,” Johnny said when unveiling the latest album.
Stray Kids
Stray Kids
JYP Entertainment's rookie band, which debuted in 2017, drew a huge international following from a fresh start and created a buzz by landing its pre-debut album titled “Mixtape” at No. 2 on Billboard's World Albums chart in January. Comprised of nine finalists from the 10-episode idol survival show called “Stray Kids” that aired from October to December last year, they have proven their musical talents and songwriting skills.
The band, recognized for their powerful performances and hip-hop-laden dance tracks, has a clear goal ― to make music that people in their late teens and early 20s can relate to. Stray Kids, which consists of members Woojin, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N., unveiled their third mini-album titled “I am You” on Oct. 22.
Although many K-pop acts place creative hands on their music nowadays, Stray Kids' producer trio called 3RACHA, made up of members Bang Chan, Han and Changbin, has once again taken a major role in writing all eight tracks of the album.
“I get inspirations from our fan club Stay,” Changbin said during a press showcase for promoting their new album. “To thank them for cheering us throughout the years, we included a phrase in our album which reads 'You make Stray Kids stay.'”
Meanwhile Seungmin unveiled his thoughts on entering the music charts in Korea. “I realize it's difficult to be ranked high on music charts. The competition is so fierce. But we believe if we continue on crafting songs and showcase better stage performances, our rankings would go up.”
Bangchan said, “I think our songs and the music have a lot of energy, so that combined with our members' teamwork would draw more fans in Korea and worldwide.”