TORONTO -- K-pop has become a world dominating genre on the music charts over the past decade and 2019 saw some of the most influential moments for the South Korean entertainment industry on the international stage.
CTVNews.ca is taking a look back at some of the moments that made 2019 a landmark year for K-pop:
BTS at Wembley Stadium
BTS attends the 2019 Variety's Hitmakers Brunch at Soho House on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
No list of 2019 K-pop accomplishments would be complete without mentioning BTS and their legions of fans known as A.R.M.Y. The incredibly popular group wrapped up a massive world tour, performed on “Saturday Night Live,” had several collaborations with artists like Charli XCX, Halsey and Lauv, and recently announced their partnership with the Formula E Championship racing series. During their international “Love yourself: Speak yourself” tour, BTS became the first K-pop group to headline Wembley Stadium in the U.K. to 60,000 screaming fans in two sold-out shows. The concerts were even voted as the “Wembley moment of the year” for 2019.
Monsta X’s massive international year
MONSTA X attend the Chanel Nº5 In The Snow launch event at The Standard, High Line, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
It has been a massive year for Monsta X, with their international “We Are Here” world tour, performances at the Jingle Ball holiday concert series, and their collaborations with electronic music heavyweight DJ Steve Aoki, rapper French Montana and Latin music star Sebastian Yatra. This year also saw member Hyungwon’s Pepsi commercial take off, the group’s ridiculously popular collaboration with merchandiser Twotuckgom, and the announcement of an all-English album debuting in 2020 – a rarity for a South Korean act. Fans of Monsta X – known as Monbebe - have championed the group through the surprise departure of vocalist Wonho due to a “scandal,” and a rumour concerning leader Shownu’s personal life. Fans have even embarked on a massive campaign to reunite all seven members of the group.
Blackpink performing at Coachella
Rose, from left, Jisoo, Lisa, and Jennie Kim of BLACKPINK perform at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival Friday, April 12, 2019, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
The “it” girls of music label YG Entertainment, Blackpink debuted a new album entitled “Kill This Love” in 2019, which made history on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts. The debut came ahead of their crowning achievement of the year – performing at music festival Coachella. In a first for any K-pop girl group, members Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo and Rose had their first full-length U.S. concert at the massive venue, sharing the spotlight with heavy hitters like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Diplo, DJ Snake, J Balvin and many more.
Psy’s new record label ‘P Nation’ signs Hyuna, E’Dawn, and Jessi
At the beginning of the year, the K-pop king responsible for the earworms “Gangnam Style” and “New Face” announced the launch of his new management and record label P Nation. First to be signed was female rapper Jessi, followed shortly by K-pop royalty Hyuna and ex-boy group member E’Dawn, who were cut from their previous label after revealing their relationship. All three signees have since debuted new music, much to the delight of their fans.
Holland’s single ‘Loved you better’
After debuting as one of the first openly gay K-pop idol last year, musical act Holland has delighted fans and gained popularity by leaps and bounds. His single “Loved you better” is a homage to his troubled past with bullying and mental health struggles. It highlighted his vocal abilities and showcased a message of self-love.
Itzy, TXT and Everglow debut
Members of the band Itzy pose for photographers upon arrival at the Asian Music Awards in Nagoya, Japan Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Several groups debuted this past year, but five-piece girl group Itzy from JYP Entertainment, five-member boy group TXT from Big Hit Entertainment and six-piece girl group Everglow of Yuehua Entertainment definitely deserve a shout-out. Itzy’s smash hits “Dalla Dalla” and “Icy” put them on the map, while TXT proved that excellence runs in the Big Hit family, the same company behind BTS, with their debut album “The Dream Chapter: Star.” The girls of Everglow burst onto the music scene with their electric song “Bon Bon Chocolat,” which raised the bar for rookie groups everywhere.
EXO, X-EXO and Obsession
With two members of the group currently completing their mandatory military service, and another one performing solo in China, it would be easy to think that K-pop’s masterclass of entertainment EXO would take a break. On the contrary, the six remaining members have been everywhere this year. Vocalists Chen and Baekhyun released three solo albums between them, Sehun and Chanyeol debuted in a hip-hop sub-unit called EXO-SC, and Baekhyun and Kai joined forces with other SM Entertainment artists in the newly formed SuperM group. The latest studio album from the six members, entitled “Obsession,” has the boys facing off against their alter egos, or X-EXO, in a slick choreographed battle.
Mamamoo and their empowering hit ‘Hip’
Members of the band Mamamoo pose for photographers upon arrival at the Asian Music Awards in Nagoya, Japan Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Four-piece girl group Mamamoo, known for their incredible live vocals and “I don’t care” attitude, found a hit with their single “Hip,” a song about self-love. The group prides themselves on not bowing to the expected conformity of the K-pop world, which earns them both high praise and heaps of criticism. Hip became their first number one hit on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart, a special feat from a girl group that is not under any of the “big three” entertainment companies that dominate the South Korean music scene.
Big Bang members finish military service
Members G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung and T.O.P. all finished their mandatory military service this year, with hundreds of fans awaiting them with open arms after their respective discharges. YG Entertainment has yet to make a statement about the group’s future activities, but G-Dragon hit the ground running, debuting a hand-painted shoe collaboration with Nike, which sold out globally in a matter of minutes.
CL leaves YG Entertainment, debuts new album
After working under YG Entertainment for more than a decade, both as a soloist and member of beloved girl group 2NE1, rapper CL announced in November that she was leaving the company and ending her exclusive contract. Shortly afterwards, she announced that her new album titled “In The Name of Love” would be released this month to the delight of fans everywhere.
GOT 7’s year of albums
Members of South Korean music band GOT7 pose for photos on the red carpet of the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Hong Kong, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The princes of K-pop have had a jam-packed year, with two Korean albums titled “Spinning Top” and “Call My Name,” one Japanese album entitled, “Love Loop,” and the sub-unit album called “Jus2,” made GOT 7 a mainstay on the charts. Separately the members have also kept busy, with massive endorsement deals such as rapper Jackson Wang being named a Fendi and Cartier ambassador and BamBam’s multiple deals with brands in Thailand.
(G)-IDLE on Queendom
After (G)-IDLE exploded onto the music scene in 2018, the six-member girl group has gone on to make a name for themselves with hits like “Senorita” and “Uh-Oh.” But it was their performances on the reality music show “Queendom,” a competition where female acts perform against one another, that really impressed. Despite only having a year under their belt as an official group, the girls pulled off incredibly polished performances and showcased their creativity. Although Mamamoo ended up being crowned the winner of Queendom, (G)-IDLE’s finale song, performance and ensuing music video of “Lion,” cemented their status as a girl group to watch.
