Old Kpop Song Recommendations (Boy Groups)

With Kpop becoming more popular internationally, Kpop has definitely reached a larger audience and I am so proud that a once niche genre of music is now more widely accepted and loved. With so many new groups debuting, more and more fans are joining the fandom. Now that we are in 2020, I thought I would write a blog post with some song recommendations of old Kpop. This is really just a recap of some of my favorite songs in the past two decades and also a recommendation list of songs for anyone just joining the Kpop fandom and wants to learn more. Though there are a lot of amazing songs being released right now, I still love to listen to old Kpop songs. There is just something so special about old Kpop. It was weird (in the best way possible), unique, cheesy, cringy, fun, colorful, and catchy. Since this list would be super long if I did it all in one post, I will split it into two posts with one being strictly for boy group songs and the other for girl group songs. Here is a list of some of my favorite Kpop songs by boy groups from 2000-2015.

Let me start off this list with a first-generation Kpop song. First-generation Kpop is really the beginning of Kpop from the 1990s to around 2004. The first song on this list is Perfect Man by Shinhwa. This is a song about a man who misses a girl after she leaves him and his regret. He vows to become a perfect man for her if she returns to him. The members' masculine charms paired with the lyrics, high energy chorus, amazing vocals, sick choreography, makes this one of my favorite first generation Kpop song. Their choreography with mic stands is such a classic. Also, Eric said "hoes" in his rap. How controversial for a Kpop song.

Shinhwa- Perfect Man

The next song is by the legendary boy group DBSK who is now referred to as TVXQ. They essentially started the second generation of Kpop and were insanely successful until 2009 where 3 members terminated their contract with their company, SM Entertainment. This was not the end of this group as the two remaining members returned in 2011 with the song, Keep Your Head Down, and are still going strong. The group is known for consisting of 5 main vocalists because every member is a super talented vocalist and could easily be the main vocalist in any other group. All their live performances are such a pleasure to watch and listen to. They also have amazing acapella. 

The first song by DBSK is Mirotic. This is such a classic and is one of their most well-known songs. The song is about a man singing about how he knows the girl is crazy about him and she cannot escape from his love. The song is super catchy and the vocals are amazing. Here, I included a video of one of their live performances for you to see how stable they are live. Everything, including the background vocals and adlibs, was sung live.

DBSK- Mirotic

The second song is Rising Sun. This motivational, hot-blooded song sings about feeling lost and helpless but not giving up and to burn and shine like a rising sun. This song is truly one of its kind. At the beginning of the song, Changmin screams/shrieks No! after each verse almost like someone screaming due to anger and struggle. However, in the chorus, his high note when they sing "waiting for rising sun" sounds almost triumphant and really adds to the hot-bloodedness of this song. Then, suddenly the song switches and has a dance break moment that catches you off guard and almost doesn't even fit into the song. Then, once again, we hear Changmin's high note and return to the chorus. The ending reminds us to "Rise up!" If you ever feel lost or helpless and need motivation, this is the perfect song to listen to.

Also, I remember the time when Kpop had a lot of locking. Old Kpop songs, especially from SM loved incorporating locking and some popping into their choreographies. After seeing so much urban, it is nice to see other dance genres being incorporated into the choreographies.

DBSK- Rising Sun

I would also like to recommend Wrong Number by DBSK.

Next up are two songs by one of the original "Kings of Kpop," Super Junior. I had a super hard time picking because all their songs are bops, but I ultimately decided on U and A-Cha. I decided not to include Sorry Sorry because that song is just soooo famous so you'll probably hear it somewhere. Super Junior has a lot of old songs that are major bops but are super underrated, so I decided to talk about two of them.

U is a pretty great era looking back. Kyuhyun joined Super Junior making Super Junior a 13 member group. Here, all thirteen members are promoting. The song is super catchy, we get Cinderella Heechul, locking dance moves, and the entire 13 membered Super Junior. As the junior group to DBSK, Super Junior's early songs were very vocal-heavy which showcased each members' vocals. 

Super Junior- U

I wanted to pick another song of Super Junior's from the post-Sorry Sorry era because the group had a concept change. After the success of Sorry Sorry, Super Junior found a formula to success which included easy to sing along chorus and verses, funny English, memorable point choreography, and a simple black and white themed music video. One such song is A-cha. Though extremely repetitive and catchy, this song still showcases Super Junior's vocals through plenty of belting and adlibs by the vocalists. If you like this song, be sure to check out Mr. Simple and Bonamana because they are kinda similar to this.

Super Junior- A- Cha

Here is a live performance of this song. The high notes and belting are amazing and stable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jefIuJqCcHQ

I just had to add this live performance by Super Junior K.R.Y. which is comprised of the main vocalists of Super Junior: Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung.

Super Junior K.R.Y.- Dorothy

The next song is by another Kpop royalty... another "King of Kpop," Big Bang. Big Bang rarely makes a comeback but when they do, they are bound to be major BOPS. One of the first songs to launch them into success is Lies. The song talks about one person lying about not loving the other person. Written and composed by leader, G-Dragon, the lyrics are relatable for anyone who is still desperately in love with their ex. Everything from the raps and chorus is so memorable. The music video is so dramatic with a whole plotline (though Haru Haru's music video is my personal favorite of the two).

Big Bang- Lies

This next song is a solo song by Big Bang member, G-Dragon. This has to be my favorite of all his solo songs because not only is it super catchy but it has really nice lyrics. Crooked sings about a person who becomes crooked after a breakup with someone who betrayed their love. The music video perfectly describes the song as we see G-Dragon stumbling around the streets of Europe getting into fights and looking lost and empty. Though this song sings about a breakup, I listen to this when I feel lost or just angry at something. Something about this song just makes you want to vent all your anger and just be crooked. The song is super therapeutic for me because I am acknowledging my feelings of anger and raw emotions and just shouting "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ANYMORE!"

G-Dragon- Crooked

The next song is by a group that holds the title of "Prince of Kpop" and is the group that got me into Kpop. The name of this group is Shinee! I definitely had to include the song that got me into Kpop, which is Lucifer. This song is super catchy, has random English words sprinkled throughout, CRAZY fashion and hairstyles, an amazing choreography credited to have changed Kpop choreographies forever (the choreography of Lucifer was very difficult at its time and Shinee's knife-like synchronization made other groups take on more difficult choreographies), and very solid vocals.

Shinee- Lucifer

Another song by Shinee that I really love is their debut song, Replay. This is known to be one of the best debuts in Kpop because of how good the song is and how successful it was. It was especially popular among the older female population because this song is about liking a noona, or a girl who is older. This is a contemporary R&B song with velvety vocals and powerful adlibs by the vocalists. Here is one of their very first performances. I am not sure if this was their debut stage but it's close. Since debut, Shinee has been delivering stable live vocals and synchronized dances. This song is a bit hard to listen to because one of the main vocalists of the group, Kim Jonghyun, passed away in late 2017. His voice has so much presence and really perfected the performance. Jonghyun... we miss you and may you rest in peace. Thank you for the amazing music you have given us over the years. Your voice continues to live on.

Shinee- Replay

The final song that I want to recommend by Shinee is Hello. This song is just so happy. I listen to this when I am sad, when I am happy, just all the time. Once again, Shinee delivers with the vocals, making this song just so much better.

Shinee- Hello

This next song is Infinite's The Chaser. This song is truly an experience and I really want everyone to listen to it. The song talks about a hopeless romantic who is desperately in love and regardless of where the girl goes, he will be "the chaser" who chases after her to the end of the world. The music video starts off super epic with their visual, L, in a flipping car. Then we are hit with the intro which is just so epic and catchy. The instrumentals are just out of this world. The song just keeps building up vocally and the chorus is so phenomenal. The two main vocalists, Sungkyu and Woohyun really perfected the song and made this a super epic song. (sorry for saying epic a million times but this song is just so..... EPIC) There is a reason this was named Kpop song of the decade by a boy band by Billboards.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8544710/best-k-pop-songs-2010s-top-100

Side note: their outfits are gorgeous.

Infinite- The Chaser

This next song is by Teen Top. This group debuted in 2010 and though are not as famous as some of the other groups on this list, every song released by them is super catchy. As the name suggests, Miss Right is specifically about a girl with long hair who is their miss right and their infatuation with her. FYI this music video has English subtitles.

Teen Top- Miss Right

Another song by Teen Top that I recommend is No More Perfume On You which is about a man telling his noona, or a girl older than him, to not put on any perfume because his girlfriend will find out he is cheating on her. The lyrics really are something.

Teen Top- No More Perfume On You

This next song is by B.A.P, a group that was a monster rookie but was mistreated by their company. Debuting in 2012 with the song Warrior, the group left a strong impression on the public for their tough boy image. All members bleached their hair, the song was super rap heavy, the choreography was powerful, etc. Their following comebacks in the next few years solidified B.A.P as one of the most popular rookie groups in the Kpop scene and they especially had a large international fanbase. However, their company paid them dirt for all their hard work and success. According to the members, the members made $9 million dollars for the company only to be paid a total of $18,000 each. I really wish their company treated the members better so they did not have to file a lawsuit. It really put a halt to their career which was at its peak.

This first song is One Shot which is a super catchy song with a movie-like music video to pair with it. The music video is over six minutes long and is about the members committing a heist to get $10 million dollars to save their comrade... only there's a major twist in the end. The choreography here is super difficult. The members perform ground moves and members jump over each other. Zelo is over here bouncing on his back across the floor and does the scorpion dance.

B.A.P- One Shot

The second song is 1004 or Angel. This is one of their most famous songs. It is so insanely catchy. Everything is so perfect... Daehyun's vocals, Bang Yongguk's and Zelo's rap, the acting (especially by Himchan), another difficult choreography ... EVERYTHING.

B.A.P- 1004 (Angel)

The next song is BTOB's WOW. This song is insanely catchy and the members' vocals make it so much better. This is just such a fun song to listen to.

BTOB- WOW

This next song is by another one of my past bias groups, EXO. The hit their peak with the song, Growl. It's catchiness, in-sync choreography, and one-take music video took the Kpop scene by storm and shot them into stardom.

EXO- Growl

Before the group VIXX took on more edgy, scary concepts like cyborgs and voodoo dolls, they did more fun and colorful concepts. They debuted with Superhero, a super fun song about being like a superhero and promising to give the girl anything she wants.

VIXX- Superhero

Their next song is Rock Ur Body and is arcade-themed.

VIXX- Rock Ur Body

This next song is from MBLAQ who released many hit songs but I never hear anyone talk about them anymore. This is probably one of their most famous songs and for good reason. As the name suggests, This Is War sings about a man announcing that "it is war" to the person that hurt his girl. The song is essentially singing about the music video so I did not include an English subtitle version. Once again, this is another drama/movie-like music video with a whole plotline and very dramatic effects. To top it off, there is an entire orchestra playing in the background, making this a very dramatic and epic music video to watch. You can probably tell by now that Kpop music videos used to be all about the movie-like plot and visual. Sadly, we don't get to see much of that now.

MBLAQ- This Is War

This next song is by a group named Demion. This was released in late 2013 and is their first and only release before they disbanded shortly. This is one of my favorite Kpop songs so it was such a shame that they disbanded. This song, Ask Her Out, encourages people to confess to the person they like. This is just such a fun listen and the chorus seems so anthem-like. Whenever I listen to this song I just can't help but shout/sing the chorus with them. For anyone wanting to learn Korean, this is a perfect song to learn. The lyrics are fairly simple and very easy to sing along to.

Demion- Ask Her Out

This next song is by one of my all-time faves, FT Island. As the first idol boy band, they really paved the way for idol boy bands. The song I am recommending is I Wish which has a nice Spanish guitar sound and is super catchy and another fun listen.

FT Island- I Wish

The next song I highly recommend by FT Island is one of their b-sides. I LOVE all of FT Island's song but this b-side has to be one of my favorites. Love It and Hate It sings about the conflict that a person has when they both love and hate a person. Though hurt by them in the past, they cannot help but love them. Performed by the main vocalist, Lee Hong Ki, his husky voice makes this song so melancholy and beautiful. You can really hear the words HURT and PAIN in his voice.

FT Island- Love It and Hate It

Though known for their hit song, Fiction, my favorite Beast song is actually Beautiful Night. Beautiful Night is colorful, upbeat, energetic... a whole ass BOP. A perfect song to dance to and just have a good time. Man, back when Kpop released pop dance anthem one after another in 2012... it really was an amazing year (a good number of songs on this list were released in 2012). Also, they are now promoting as Highlight so please go support!

Beast- Beautiful Night

B1A4 oh how much I miss them. Their music videos were always so weird and colorful and just about having a good time. However, you wouldn't expect this pop-rock song to be about finding out your partner is cheating on you.

B1A4- What's Happening?

Beautiful Target is just such a catchy song with a chaotic and fun music video, so I just had to include it. 

B1A4- Beautiful Target

Any new fans that have heard of Zico, give his group, Block B, a listen. They have amazing concepts... everything from pirates to circuses. The first song I am recommending by them is NILLILI MAMBO. Another movie-like music video where all the members are pirates. This song is just so catchy. Even though this music video is about the members being pirates and stealing money but this song is all about having fun and grooving to the music. FYI turn on CC for English subtitles.

Block B- NILLILI MAMBO

The next song is another catchy song with a fun music video. The music video's concept is a bank heist and at first glance seems edgy and scary but is actually a super fun video with some humor sprinkled throughout. This song and music video are so chaotic and hyped in the best way possible.

Block B- Very Good

I swear just one more Block B song. The final Block B song I am recommending is Her. Another super energetic, fun, colorful song, Her is just such a BOP. If you just want to have a good time, turn up Her. From Zico rapping next to an ostrich to PO selling laundry detergent with his pink hair to the CRAZY neon lights and graphic aesthetic to Block B being interviewed, performing, and playing instruments all in one scene, this music video is another colorful, chaotic mess. I love it!

Block B- Her

If you made it to the end of the list, I hope you enjoyed these songs. Kpop will continue to evolve, expand, and produce amazing music, but sometimes it is just nice to look back at the old Kpop songs. They had their own unique sound that you really do not hear anymore. All popular Kpop groups now are successful partially because they are riding off the backs of their seniors. The previous generation of Kpop really set the foundation of what Kpop is today. Though many of these groups might have either disbanded or are inactive or no longer in their prime, the amazing music they have given us will forever be remembered. Good music never ages.

 If you have any old Kpop favorites, please feel free to drop a name and/or link in the comment section below. Please also stay tuned for the Old Kpop Song Recommendations from girl groups!