K-Bops in K-Pop

This post was a little delayed due to technical difficulties (boo) and the setting up of a new laptop (yay), but it’s here! As with the girl group moments, these are not necessarily positive things. One thing to note, however: I will not be including Jonghyun in this list. Not only do I think it would be incredibly crass to rank a death as a “moment,” but I also don’t think a tragedy of that magnitude should ever be compared alongside something as comparatively trite as a comeback. That said, let’s jump right in!

10. Our Twenty For Release

This was truly Winner’s year. After the departure of Taehyun from the group, Inner Circles were worried that the rest of the group would suffer from his loss. However, proving themselves the incredibly talented group that they are, Winner delivered not one but two unforgettable comebacks this year. Rounding off the summer with the bops Love Me Love Me and Island, Winner showed how capable they were of diversity in sound and creative success.

9. Dramarama Release

This release was such a monumental one in my opinion because Monsta X had had a streak of serious disappointment for me. I wanted something different from them that showcased everything I knew they were capable of and this song was it.

8. My First and Last Release

I was not on board for NCT Dream when they debuted. Putting boys that young into the spotlight when they haven’t even had a chance to be real kids yet still seems like a very hasty, money-driven scheme. However, there is no denying these boys are talented. Proof of that is the amazing choreo that pairs this catchy track.

7. Critical Beauty Release

I’m a sucker for Pentagon. They may not the most popular, but I’m a devout Universe anyhow. This release was the perfect example of why everyone should be a Universe too. It was upbeat and bright but still did justice to the unbelievable vocalists and rappers Pentagon has. The only downside of this comeback was the total lack of Yan An.

6. Love Yourself: Her Release

BTS not at the top of the list? Is she crazy? I’m not. I’m in full control of my faculties. And I can tell you that while I adore this album and thought it was such a beautiful way that Bangtan has shown us how they’ve evolved as artists, it was actually not my most memorable release of the year. Maybe because I expect this level of quality from BTS anyway, but it was still a solid release.

5. Limitless Release

This may not be entirely clear since I don’t talk about them often on here, but I love NCT 127. Love them. And this release was such a prime reason for that love. It was not only incredibly explosive in sound and execution, but the choreography was sharp and bold. The only thing I didn’t love was the concept outfits, but it was surprisingly not a deal breaker for me.

4. The Boyz Debut

I’m actually stunned by how much I love these guys. I wasn’t expecting to see so much talent from such a new group, but they already proved their worth a dozen times over. They have some of the cleanest, most well-executed complex choreo out there and their debut track, Boy, will weasel its way into your brain before you know it.

3. Really Really Release

As I said, it was truly the year of Winner. Fate Number For was their first comeback after losing Taehyun and there was a lot riding on their shoulder to hold up to Exit: E. But they did it. They completely changed their sound and did it beautifully, creating a memorable single in the process.

2. Wanna One Debut

Who isn’t talking about Wanna One’s debut at this point? But they merit talking about. They are basically a super group of faves destined for success with masterful vocals, interesting choreo, and stunning visuals. They’ll be likely to continue surprising and amazing us until their inevitable disbandment and I look forward to all they have in store.

1. Teen, Age Release

I know that when I wrote my review of Teen, Age, I was not all that impressed, but putting it into perspective really changed how I viewed it. I think it was such creative growth from Seventeen and a really brilliant example of how talented they are not only as actual performers but as composers and producers and lyricists. I’m always shocked at how hands-on Seventeen is with creating their music and I think this album showed that they’ve grown and learned from that constant creation and I’m so so proud of them for it.

I want to know what your top moments for boy groups were this year. I have to admit this list was a lot harder to create than the girls because it was so difficult to rank one moment above another. Let me know what you all thought!