Published on MacGMagazine, September 16th 2020
Welcome to another playlist! This is a playlist I’ve been playing around with. I’ve been doing Rapid Review a lot lately and I keep running into groups who came close to disbanding but managed to pull through. Unfortunately, I also ran into groups who just couldn’t find their footing.
Now, there’s a lot of things behind the scenes we don’t know about: corporate shake-ups, personality differences, legal matters, etc. Still, there are so many groups who show great promise but can’t make it off the ground. Groups who had interesting concepts and sounds but couldn’t make it work.
Warning: My focus with this playlist is groups who didn’t get a fair chance and disbanded too soon. As much as I’d love to add groups like 2NE1 or Sistar, they were incredibly popular. Putting them on the same list as someone like Alphabat seems unfair. We’re going for the groups with maybe 20 songs under their belts and who deserved more.
Black Widow – Pristin
UGH, WE WERE CHEATED!! Debuting in May 2017 under Pledis Entertainment, the group had some good steam going. Seven of the ten members competed in Produce 101 and two even made it into IOI! Still, it wasn’t even enough and they disband in 2019.
I loved Pristin’s sound, a mix of cute, fierce, and mischievous. It’s something that’s rarely done in K-Pop as most groups go the “Cute”, “Tough”, or “Sultry” paths. Not that it’s a bad thing but I wish there was more for those who don’t see themselves that way.
I Like That- Glam
Did you know that BigHit once had a girl group on the label? A lot of people don’t, which is a shame. Debuting in 2012, Glam only had 4 songs but wow, this group slapped. Much like PRISTIN, Glam didn’t quite fit into the typical K-Pop boxes but that’s what made them work. Even this beat! Composed by RM (Yes, that RM but focus), it actually samples “Why Do You” by Chuli and Miae. It’s taking something old and giving it a new spin, much like the K-Pop scene at the time.
Unfortunately, the group didn’t make it big and disbanded in 2014 for some…..Interesting reasons. I’m still incredibly bummed that they never got made it big.
Moonlight Sonata – BIGSTAR
The magic phrase for this article is “What a waste”, dear reader. Bigstar debuted in 2012 and disbanded last year when their contracted expired. Total songs released by the group? 15! Some of you might know the rapper, Feeldog, from his variety show appearances but overall, they flew under the radar.
And this song shows what they could have done. They fit this smooth R&B sound well, a sound mainstream K-Pop was missing at that time. Maybe they wouldn’t be really big, but they could have found success. But their company, Brave Entertainment failed them, much like they failed with their other groups.
Ready Set Go – LC9
LC9 might sound a bit basic in a 2020 mindset but you have to remember that in 2013, there weren’t a lot of groups who successfully pulled off the edgier hip-hop sound. B.A.P. was taking over the mainstage and LC9 debuted just a month before BTS. It was anyone’s game at that time and LC9 very possibly could have been where BTS is right now. But we’ll never know. They disbanded in January 2016.
Galaxy – Ladies’ Code
Technically, Ladies’ Code went on hiatus after their contracts expired but I’m still putting them on the list. I have a soft spot in my heart for this group, especially after my review of their first 2 EPs. Ladies’ Code has a diverse sound that pulls from many different genres: jazz, disco, ballads, dance tracks and they handle it remarkably. I really wished they were known more for their music than the tragedy. And I wish these three ladies the best in their lives, wherever it may lead.
I know I missed a lot of other groups. Madtown, Tiny-G, History, just to name a few. Feel free to not only let me know who else I missed but to check out smaller groups who might be struggling. Your support can mean more than you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment