How could a discussion of K-Pop ever be complete without mentioning the godfathers of K-Pop, Seotaiji and Boys? It simplty can’t. My love for these three knows no bounds. So much so, that I must share it with you.
Seotaiji and Boys, consisted of Seotaiji, a high school drop out, Yang Hyun Suk, who would eventually become CEO of YG Entertainment, and Lee Junho, the man who is responsible for the creation of Young Turks Club.
They rocked Korean airwaves from 1992 to 1996, releasing four albums throughout their career.
Their first hit was their debut single, “Nan Arayo,” (1992) in English, “I Know,” which was featured on the American movie, “3 Ninjas Kick Back” during the airport scene. It charted for a record breaking 17 weeks. They also had fame with their single, “Come Back Home,” (1995) when a lot of Korean youth were running away from home, and it did indeed bring them back.
They debuted with two dancers, Junho and Hyun Suk and Seotaiji, who was experimenting with midi sound, a sound that had not previously been heard before in Korea. There were no plans to debut as a dance group, and the mainstream success hit the group as a surprise.
Their second album, “Hyeoga” (1993) had some dance elements, but stayed with a relative rock/metal sound throughout.
Their third album went straight heavy metal/rock, except for “Dreaming of Balhae,” which expressed hope for the reunification of Korea. What took center stage in the album, however, were songs like “Gyosil Idea,” which featured Ahn Heung-chan of Crash. The song heavily criticized the Korean education system. This was the first of many controversies, one of which actually accused the group of hiding Satanic messages in their music. This accusation was proven false, however, their image never recovered entirely because of the moral panic the rumor caused.
Refusing to back down, Seotaiji and Boys released their fourth album in 1995 with songs such as “Come Back Home,” which was a foray into gangster rap, but did actually urge runaways to come back home. “Pilseung,” or “Must Triumph” was an alternative rock single, and “Shidaeyugam” or “Regret of the Times” was almost banned for having “inappropriate lyrics for youth consumption.” This caused an uproar with fans and the ‘pre-sensorship’ system was abolished in July 1996, and this is one of the reasons that caused it.
At the height of their fame in 1996, the group announced their disbandment to the disappointment of millions of fans. Seotaiji retired to the US, while Junho and YG created companies. They released a compilation album, “Goodbye Best Album,” and in the booklet they said, “Yes, it’s not over, our love will continue as ‘&’, not the ‘End’.”
Enjoy their music videos for “Nan Arayo,” audio of “I Know,” “Sad Pain,” and “To You.” If you enjoy any of these songs, their entire discography is available on iTunes!
Edited by: LeighDarling
- Bored 150%
- Fascinated 150%
- Angry 00%
- Sad 00%
- Amused 00%
- Excited 00%
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