A list of favorite Kpop concepts
Oct. 23rd, 2023 10:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lachrymosySo I have a deep and honestly unfounded belief that I would be an excellent Kpop creative director. I made this list based on that (again, totally unfounded) belief. This list is my favorite Kpop comeback concepts, or the comebacks that unify song, choreography, music video, costuming, and styling in a cohesive way across the whole comeback. Essentially, which ones tell a clear and consistent story? (Not in the story mv sense but in having a single vision.)
The way I determined what to rank where on this list was my own personal whims. There really wasn’t any other system and I kept moving things around but got tired of re-numbering. Videos are embedded in this post.
If you don’t see something you love here, I may love it too but I excluded it for things like: the comebacks with the clear costuming story weren’t as strong in other areas (Twice) or vice-versa (BTS), I just don’t like the music video in addition to other elements of the concept (Le Sserafim “Antifragile”), the group identity changes kind of often (Shinee—has a somewhat consistent sound in certain eras but it was hard to pinpoint a single comeback that I wanted to talk about), I don’t follow the group at all (Monsta X), I liked the debut better than any of the comebacks (Miss A), there were too many elements at play for me to sort through (New Jeans), or there was more of a group identity across all their work instead of a single story for one comeback that can be easily differentiated by costumes and styling as well as sound (2NE1, Blackpink).
Some honorable mentions here include: Taeyeon’s “INVU,” BTS’s “I Need U,” Sistar’s “Alone,” 2PM’s “Heartbeat,” IU’s “Twenty-three,” Miss A’s “Hush,” Brown Eyed Girls’ “Abracadabra,” Kara “Step,” Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry,” Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby,” and a bunch more I’m forgetting. Once again this list was made according to my whims.
Onto the list!
15. T-ARA, “Roly Poly”
I don’t remember if “Roly Poly” was as popular internationally as it was in Korea when it came out, and I don’t hear it mentioned a lot. I suppose this is partly because of the bullying scandal that hit T-ARA hard (and honestly it got so confusing that I don’t remember most of the details), and I think T-ARA also only had one really strong/memorable performer for casual viewers. That said I think this is a really cohesive concept: memorable song, perfect costuming connected to historical nostalgia, great choreo that was both unique in Kpop at the time but also fun to imitate. If I have any complaints it’s that the mv does start to feel like Jiyeon and Friends and I personally don’t love mvs that stop the music halfway through, but it makes sense for this concept so I’m not too upset about it. Really solid.
14. Got7, “Just Right”
You may be wondering why I would pick this instead of something more consistent with Got7’s overall sound. Certainly, if we’re going for best comeback and concept overall, it would have to be “You Calling My Name.” But I picked this one because I think it’s the most cohesive combination of Got7’s individual talents, group identity, performance, and styling.
It was pretty clear that Got7 did not want to be a cute group, but this mv proved that they could do cute better than a lot of their contemporaries. The song utilized their vocal abilities to their best potential within the group context, where other songs of theirs have to either make their vocals work beyond what I think they’re really capable of or force them into that famous JYP sound (“Stop stop it” I will fight for you though). The mv has a clear story that works with the song—I remember there was ~discourse~ around it at the time but the plot is obviously that they’re self-confidence fairies, no other interpretation makes sense. All the live stages use bright colors to reinforce the concept, and you cannot convince me that there isn’t a direct line between this and Twice’s TT (one of the directors of this mv worked on Likey). Just because Twice picked up the bright JYPE direction doesn’t mean there wasn’t overlap and I do wish bright Got7 was something that had been continued.
13. 4minute, “Crazy”
This comeback is one of the best examples of how a cohesive concept can solidify a group’s place in the Kpop scene. 4minute had had a local hit in 2013 with “What’s Your Name?”—I actually visited Seoul right after it came out and heard it everywhere—but it seems like it hasn’t had a lasting impact; same for “Whatcha Doin’ Today?” And every 4minute song’s impact was negligible in comparison to Hyuna’s solo endeavors, presence in Gangnam Style, and Troublemaker. So when Crazy came out, it really brought together 4minute with Hyuna’s solo career in a cohesive concept. The black-and-white mv with a few elements of color, particularly on Jiyoon’s green hair, manage to draw just enough attention away from Hyuna to put some visual focus on the whole group. Gayoon’s vocals are excellent. But Hyuna is the star in a way that elevates the whole—she’s resplendent, at peak performing power, with an iconic perm.
There are elements of this that I think are extremely derivative of YG; by copying YG’s aesthetic at the time it both is and isn’t just as appropriative of African American culture and styling. I think it’s twice removed so the appropriation seems a little less on-the-nose than what a lot of YG groups were doing contemporarily, and it manages to just skirt some of the most problematic visual elements which continually crop up in Kpop. But you’re still a little aware of the potential in the styling even if it stays just on the right side of being truly problematic.
It’s also a great example of how live stages—once again, emphasizing styling, choreography, and performance—elevate the song. This stage really stuck with me for some reason. The visual elements create a really clear line from music video to live performance while also creating cohesion across the group. I think it’s a good song, but part of the appeal is also the choreography and how Hyuna performs it. It’s not only that the song is catchy but that you can’t help but think of the choreo when you hear it, and want to imitate it. That’s the whole point of a hook choreography and it’s why it persists in some form in Kpop until today.
12. (G)I-DLE, “Queencard”
This is still sitting at the top of the list of my favorite songs of 2023. I feel like this is quintessential Kpop. When it first came out I remember being iffy on it, but then whenever my brain was quiet for more than two seconds, it would start playing. It’s got a really memorable choreo as well as memorable visuals and a catchy tune, but one thing that really stuck out to me was the diversity of costumes for their live stages. They did so many different looks but somehow they told a cohesive story, which I think was achieved by tapping into that 2000s teen romcom vibe. It’s Y2K, but Y2K with affection for the cheesiness of that era. There’s a tongue-in-cheek aspect to their performance that compliments the outrageousness of the song. In short, it has a really clear vision of exactly what it’s going to be and executes it in every area.
11. SNSD, “Genie”
I don’t necessarily think this is the best SNSD comeback; there are songs that I like better and songs that had more impact. But “Genie” proves the importance of concept, which is why I picked this one. (What is the concept of “I Got a Boy”? Is there one? There kind of is but it’s not immediately clear what the connection is between all the elements.) There are some elements to the “Genie” music video that I find a bit incoherent—what is the relationship between a genie and the navy, are they having a slumber party, why is Yoona driving a convertible—and I do think that finding some consistency in those elements can lead to a kind of creepy story. That said, I still think that this comeback is what made SNSD into the legendary group they became because it cemented their transition from youthful to more mature. “Gee” gave them explosive fame—and it’s brilliant, particularly with the costuming—but “Genie” gave them longevity.
What’s really interesting is the nautical concept wasn’t part of the overall concept at first, as evidenced by the dance practice, where the song sounds a bit different and there aren’t any salutes at the end. You can absolutely see what it will become, but it’s once you get creative direction in there that the whole thing becomes memorable. Navy hats with hot pants and high heels will ALWAYS equal “Genie,” without question.
10. Seventeen, “Very Nice”
This is not higher on the list because I actively hate the official music video. I think it overuses random storytelling shots and downplays the things that are hallmarks of both Seventeen and this concept specifically; namely, it cuts away from all the most interesting bits of the choreography. If you ONLY watched the music video, especially at the time, you really couldn’t be blamed for considering Seventeen just another Kpop group among the masses.
When you get away from the mv, you get a better picture of just how perfectly executed this concept is. The suspenders are used FOR the choreo, a prop which contributes to the overall vibe, but if you were watching a Kpop music show (especially at the time) you’d know the second you saw the suspenders what song was about to play. THAT’S the importance of costuming. Even now I think suspenders are still extremely associated with this song and choreography. Their synchronicity as a dance team was in top form (I regularly use this to introduce people to Seventeen). In short, if this didn’t have such a generic official music video it would be one of the top entries on this list. But the music video is horribly generic. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the best combinations of choreography, costuming, and song in all of Kpop.
9. VIXX, “Voodoo Doll”
(I have posted the clean version here because I’m a BIG WIMP but the official music video goes all in on the concept.)
VIXX is pretty famous for their concepts and this is probably the most cohesive on every element. If I have one complaint it’s that the suits are a bit drab even with embellishments, but it’s easy to create cohesion across live stages with a suit, so I do get it. There’s such good consistency with the skull thing in the music video, the microphone on the live stages, the choreography, and the song lyrics. I don’t have a ton more to say about it but I think clarity of concept is what made VIXX so memorable, especially not coming from the Big 3.
8. Sunmi, “Full Moon”
You can’t convince me that Sunmi’s current soloist identity doesn’t date back directly to what she developed at JYPE. Basically she said “take that, and make it weirder” and it totally worked for her, but at JYPE she established really clear concepts that set her up for later success.
There’s cohesion in this music video which connects 24 Hours with the new look here, with short pink-haired Sunmi becoming a vampire/ghost/whatever, while long dark-haired Sunmi carries the song. The song is VERY JYP in sound, for better or worse, but the costuming creates such a clear cohesive line between music video and stage performance. If you saw someone performing in a short feathered dress and bare feet, I bet you’d think of Sunmi. It also carves out a really neat space for her in the creepy Halloween vibes which is noticeably darker than anything with the Wonder Girls, something she’s still capitalizing on. Really the only misstep here is including a trainee from the scrapped 6Mix debut.
7. After School, “Bang!”
There’s a good reason the After School members seem to get brought back every few years to perform this. Not only is it a super memorable 2nd gen song, but from the first second you hear the drums you’re thinking about their performances with the marching band concepts, you’re thinking of the choreography, you’re thinking of the costumes. This is how a cohesive concept should function: it should imprint that concept on your mind forever.
My complaint about the mv is that there’s way too much runway walking instead of focus on the really good choreo, and that during the bridge they go into those weird beauty shots instead of the choreo where they’re walking in a circle which made for such iconic live performances. (This is just one I grabbed at random but I think it shows how well the concept works.)
This is also the first example on this list that proves one of my major arguments which is that if you have a great concept, with song, choreo, and costuming all telling a cohesive story, you don’t need a lot of extra stuff on the set to make the performance super memorable.
6. EXO, “Growl”
Remember what I just said about how I think a really clear vision for a concept doesn’t need much to make it work? This is a great example: catchy song with a great choreography and simple but visually memorable costuming. This music video went a long way to blur the line between the K and M subunits and pave the way for 12-member comebacks to be the norm. (Yes, technically Wolf came first, but it was absurd.)
The music video is very simple but it works especially well with the camera circling around and achieving a level of storytelling that way. This was then echoed in the dance practice, which should absolutely be considered a major element of any comeback, especially with how EXO was kind of at the forefront of making an HD dance practice for fans part of the norm (versus what we used to get, which was mostly meant for music shows). This comeback really cemented EXO’s place as the top boy group at the time in a way none of their other singles had managed to do.
(Yes, it’s too bad that Kris is in these, but we can’t undo the past.)
5. TVXQ, “Mirotic”
I think this is one of the best Kpop moments of all time. It was deeply weird to see this for the first time circa 2009 and just have no reference for the visual kei influence on DBSK at the time, particularly their haircuts, but this whole music video is so compelling you can’t look away. It’s a perfect union of song and choreography, and those partially open shirts are iconic. Once again though, I take issue with the costumes—it actually has a pretty consistent costume story, I just think it’s a somewhat boring one. This is one I kept moving around but I think all the elements except costuming are so strong that we can forgive that a bit.
4. Taemin, “Move”
I consider this one of the greatest Kpop comebacks of all time as well and absolutely one of the best choreographies, although in many ways I think this has a very separate identity from the rest of Kpop. It’s telling to me that despite the popularity of this choreography, most of the covers of it were very bad—I consider it essential that this has an alien, bird-like quality to the movements and Momo was the only other Kpop idol I saw manage to really capture that.
If anything, I wish this comeback had a stronger costume story. I’d probably use the choreographer’s look in this version of the mv over a lot of the looks Taemin actually wore on live stages. In some ways this song doesn’t NEED a strong costuming thread through every performance because the choreography and his performance carries that, but I think it could have solidified what this comeback was about.
3. Red Velvet, “Russian Roulette”
Once again, we’ve got more proof that a really cohesive concept doesn’t need much to make it work. The live stages for this comeback were pretty bare of set dressing and it really wasn’t needed. The tennis dresses, choreography, and sound were plenty to make the stage engaging.
I quite like this music video as well; it sort of looks like a tumblr post in a way that really suited a 2016 release, and some of the shots are reminiscent of f(x) in a good way, while also kind of looking forward toward what New Jeans will do later (although I see this more clearly in “Ice Cream Cake”). It shows how important a creative director is to a cohesive concept for a group, both in a single comeback and across their whole discography. I have no particular feelings or knowledge about Min Heejin but the woman clearly knows how to put together a memorable concept and shaped the whole SM output. (I got to this point and realized she’s behind four entries on this list, which tracks.)
2. Wonder Girls, “I Feel You”
What do you do when the producer who created your group also ruined your fame, dropping you from the rank of the very top Kpop group to a veritable nugu? You take the retro concept you were saddled with and make it fresh, that’s what.
The Wonder Girls’ 2015 comeback was faced with a lot of challenges. One, they’d lost their two most popular members. (Coming after Sunmi’s solo career success, she had a lot of popularity, but definitely at the Wonder Girls’ height it was Sohee followed by Sunye as the most popular—anyone who claims otherwise wasn’t there.) Two, they’d lost a lot of name recognition. You can only float on the success of their trifecta of hits for so long, and nothing they’d done after JYP took them to the US in 2009 had had any lasting impact on the Kpop market. They had an opportunity to do something fresh in 2011 if they’d chosen a different song to be their title track (justice for “Me,In”) but instead they’d never really gotten to have any growth as a group.
In addition to taking up the band concept and learning to play instruments, they did something really smart by leaning into a different era of a retro sound. The whole comeback, from sound to music video to costuming for live stages, utilizes the 80s sound and imagery impeccably. Really the only flaw here is that “I Feel You” isn’t even in the top five strongest tracks on the album (which is reasonably considered one of the best Kpop albums of all time).
Anyway stan the Wonder Girls, and !#$&@ you JYP for your hubris.
1. f(x), “Red Light”
In my opinion, this is the best Kpop comeback & concept I’ve yet seen. Not the most impactful necessarily, but one where every single element is working together to tell a clear and consistent story. This is my favorite Kpop makeup ever, and it shows how a hair color change—such a hallmark of Kpop!—can be visually arresting, drawing interest for the comeback itself. The choreography works perfectly in sync with the music. Even though Pink Tape is usually named the best Kpop album, I think “Red Light” improves upon a lot of what “Rum Pum Pum Pum” does well concept-wise, while having less of that SM look overall.
I also think the trailer does what a trailer should do. It doesn’t spoil the whole comeback (looking at you, Seventeen FML) or lead you to expect something different than what you’ll get (Hello, Wonder Girls Wonder World album teaser, not to mention the whole EXO lead-up to Call Me Baby.)
In summary, I think SM sat at the top of the Kpop food chain for a long time for a good reason. They had a really clear vision for each of their groups (in ways I'm not sure they do now). I feel like a lot of Kpop is reactive rather than visionary; groups get swept up in trends instead of setting them. And even when a group is a trendsetter, they're not necessarily unifying every element of a comeback to tell a single story across all live stages and videos, even where there's a clear vision for the group (YG groups tend to fall into this category for me). However a cohesive concept can make such a difference for how a comeback sticks in the collective memory—and in particular, I wish Kpop companies would pay closer attention to costuming as a major part of the whole!
The way I determined what to rank where on this list was my own personal whims. There really wasn’t any other system and I kept moving things around but got tired of re-numbering. Videos are embedded in this post.
If you don’t see something you love here, I may love it too but I excluded it for things like: the comebacks with the clear costuming story weren’t as strong in other areas (Twice) or vice-versa (BTS), I just don’t like the music video in addition to other elements of the concept (Le Sserafim “Antifragile”), the group identity changes kind of often (Shinee—has a somewhat consistent sound in certain eras but it was hard to pinpoint a single comeback that I wanted to talk about), I don’t follow the group at all (Monsta X), I liked the debut better than any of the comebacks (Miss A), there were too many elements at play for me to sort through (New Jeans), or there was more of a group identity across all their work instead of a single story for one comeback that can be easily differentiated by costumes and styling as well as sound (2NE1, Blackpink).
Some honorable mentions here include: Taeyeon’s “INVU,” BTS’s “I Need U,” Sistar’s “Alone,” 2PM’s “Heartbeat,” IU’s “Twenty-three,” Miss A’s “Hush,” Brown Eyed Girls’ “Abracadabra,” Kara “Step,” Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry,” Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby,” and a bunch more I’m forgetting. Once again this list was made according to my whims.
Onto the list!
15. T-ARA, “Roly Poly”
I don’t remember if “Roly Poly” was as popular internationally as it was in Korea when it came out, and I don’t hear it mentioned a lot. I suppose this is partly because of the bullying scandal that hit T-ARA hard (and honestly it got so confusing that I don’t remember most of the details), and I think T-ARA also only had one really strong/memorable performer for casual viewers. That said I think this is a really cohesive concept: memorable song, perfect costuming connected to historical nostalgia, great choreo that was both unique in Kpop at the time but also fun to imitate. If I have any complaints it’s that the mv does start to feel like Jiyeon and Friends and I personally don’t love mvs that stop the music halfway through, but it makes sense for this concept so I’m not too upset about it. Really solid.
14. Got7, “Just Right”
You may be wondering why I would pick this instead of something more consistent with Got7’s overall sound. Certainly, if we’re going for best comeback and concept overall, it would have to be “You Calling My Name.” But I picked this one because I think it’s the most cohesive combination of Got7’s individual talents, group identity, performance, and styling.
It was pretty clear that Got7 did not want to be a cute group, but this mv proved that they could do cute better than a lot of their contemporaries. The song utilized their vocal abilities to their best potential within the group context, where other songs of theirs have to either make their vocals work beyond what I think they’re really capable of or force them into that famous JYP sound (“Stop stop it” I will fight for you though). The mv has a clear story that works with the song—I remember there was ~discourse~ around it at the time but the plot is obviously that they’re self-confidence fairies, no other interpretation makes sense. All the live stages use bright colors to reinforce the concept, and you cannot convince me that there isn’t a direct line between this and Twice’s TT (one of the directors of this mv worked on Likey). Just because Twice picked up the bright JYPE direction doesn’t mean there wasn’t overlap and I do wish bright Got7 was something that had been continued.
13. 4minute, “Crazy”
This comeback is one of the best examples of how a cohesive concept can solidify a group’s place in the Kpop scene. 4minute had had a local hit in 2013 with “What’s Your Name?”—I actually visited Seoul right after it came out and heard it everywhere—but it seems like it hasn’t had a lasting impact; same for “Whatcha Doin’ Today?” And every 4minute song’s impact was negligible in comparison to Hyuna’s solo endeavors, presence in Gangnam Style, and Troublemaker. So when Crazy came out, it really brought together 4minute with Hyuna’s solo career in a cohesive concept. The black-and-white mv with a few elements of color, particularly on Jiyoon’s green hair, manage to draw just enough attention away from Hyuna to put some visual focus on the whole group. Gayoon’s vocals are excellent. But Hyuna is the star in a way that elevates the whole—she’s resplendent, at peak performing power, with an iconic perm.
There are elements of this that I think are extremely derivative of YG; by copying YG’s aesthetic at the time it both is and isn’t just as appropriative of African American culture and styling. I think it’s twice removed so the appropriation seems a little less on-the-nose than what a lot of YG groups were doing contemporarily, and it manages to just skirt some of the most problematic visual elements which continually crop up in Kpop. But you’re still a little aware of the potential in the styling even if it stays just on the right side of being truly problematic.
It’s also a great example of how live stages—once again, emphasizing styling, choreography, and performance—elevate the song. This stage really stuck with me for some reason. The visual elements create a really clear line from music video to live performance while also creating cohesion across the group. I think it’s a good song, but part of the appeal is also the choreography and how Hyuna performs it. It’s not only that the song is catchy but that you can’t help but think of the choreo when you hear it, and want to imitate it. That’s the whole point of a hook choreography and it’s why it persists in some form in Kpop until today.
12. (G)I-DLE, “Queencard”
This is still sitting at the top of the list of my favorite songs of 2023. I feel like this is quintessential Kpop. When it first came out I remember being iffy on it, but then whenever my brain was quiet for more than two seconds, it would start playing. It’s got a really memorable choreo as well as memorable visuals and a catchy tune, but one thing that really stuck out to me was the diversity of costumes for their live stages. They did so many different looks but somehow they told a cohesive story, which I think was achieved by tapping into that 2000s teen romcom vibe. It’s Y2K, but Y2K with affection for the cheesiness of that era. There’s a tongue-in-cheek aspect to their performance that compliments the outrageousness of the song. In short, it has a really clear vision of exactly what it’s going to be and executes it in every area.
11. SNSD, “Genie”
I don’t necessarily think this is the best SNSD comeback; there are songs that I like better and songs that had more impact. But “Genie” proves the importance of concept, which is why I picked this one. (What is the concept of “I Got a Boy”? Is there one? There kind of is but it’s not immediately clear what the connection is between all the elements.) There are some elements to the “Genie” music video that I find a bit incoherent—what is the relationship between a genie and the navy, are they having a slumber party, why is Yoona driving a convertible—and I do think that finding some consistency in those elements can lead to a kind of creepy story. That said, I still think that this comeback is what made SNSD into the legendary group they became because it cemented their transition from youthful to more mature. “Gee” gave them explosive fame—and it’s brilliant, particularly with the costuming—but “Genie” gave them longevity.
What’s really interesting is the nautical concept wasn’t part of the overall concept at first, as evidenced by the dance practice, where the song sounds a bit different and there aren’t any salutes at the end. You can absolutely see what it will become, but it’s once you get creative direction in there that the whole thing becomes memorable. Navy hats with hot pants and high heels will ALWAYS equal “Genie,” without question.
10. Seventeen, “Very Nice”
This is not higher on the list because I actively hate the official music video. I think it overuses random storytelling shots and downplays the things that are hallmarks of both Seventeen and this concept specifically; namely, it cuts away from all the most interesting bits of the choreography. If you ONLY watched the music video, especially at the time, you really couldn’t be blamed for considering Seventeen just another Kpop group among the masses.
When you get away from the mv, you get a better picture of just how perfectly executed this concept is. The suspenders are used FOR the choreo, a prop which contributes to the overall vibe, but if you were watching a Kpop music show (especially at the time) you’d know the second you saw the suspenders what song was about to play. THAT’S the importance of costuming. Even now I think suspenders are still extremely associated with this song and choreography. Their synchronicity as a dance team was in top form (I regularly use this to introduce people to Seventeen). In short, if this didn’t have such a generic official music video it would be one of the top entries on this list. But the music video is horribly generic. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the best combinations of choreography, costuming, and song in all of Kpop.
9. VIXX, “Voodoo Doll”
(I have posted the clean version here because I’m a BIG WIMP but the official music video goes all in on the concept.)
VIXX is pretty famous for their concepts and this is probably the most cohesive on every element. If I have one complaint it’s that the suits are a bit drab even with embellishments, but it’s easy to create cohesion across live stages with a suit, so I do get it. There’s such good consistency with the skull thing in the music video, the microphone on the live stages, the choreography, and the song lyrics. I don’t have a ton more to say about it but I think clarity of concept is what made VIXX so memorable, especially not coming from the Big 3.
8. Sunmi, “Full Moon”
You can’t convince me that Sunmi’s current soloist identity doesn’t date back directly to what she developed at JYPE. Basically she said “take that, and make it weirder” and it totally worked for her, but at JYPE she established really clear concepts that set her up for later success.
There’s cohesion in this music video which connects 24 Hours with the new look here, with short pink-haired Sunmi becoming a vampire/ghost/whatever, while long dark-haired Sunmi carries the song. The song is VERY JYP in sound, for better or worse, but the costuming creates such a clear cohesive line between music video and stage performance. If you saw someone performing in a short feathered dress and bare feet, I bet you’d think of Sunmi. It also carves out a really neat space for her in the creepy Halloween vibes which is noticeably darker than anything with the Wonder Girls, something she’s still capitalizing on. Really the only misstep here is including a trainee from the scrapped 6Mix debut.
7. After School, “Bang!”
There’s a good reason the After School members seem to get brought back every few years to perform this. Not only is it a super memorable 2nd gen song, but from the first second you hear the drums you’re thinking about their performances with the marching band concepts, you’re thinking of the choreography, you’re thinking of the costumes. This is how a cohesive concept should function: it should imprint that concept on your mind forever.
My complaint about the mv is that there’s way too much runway walking instead of focus on the really good choreo, and that during the bridge they go into those weird beauty shots instead of the choreo where they’re walking in a circle which made for such iconic live performances. (This is just one I grabbed at random but I think it shows how well the concept works.)
This is also the first example on this list that proves one of my major arguments which is that if you have a great concept, with song, choreo, and costuming all telling a cohesive story, you don’t need a lot of extra stuff on the set to make the performance super memorable.
6. EXO, “Growl”
Remember what I just said about how I think a really clear vision for a concept doesn’t need much to make it work? This is a great example: catchy song with a great choreography and simple but visually memorable costuming. This music video went a long way to blur the line between the K and M subunits and pave the way for 12-member comebacks to be the norm. (Yes, technically Wolf came first, but it was absurd.)
The music video is very simple but it works especially well with the camera circling around and achieving a level of storytelling that way. This was then echoed in the dance practice, which should absolutely be considered a major element of any comeback, especially with how EXO was kind of at the forefront of making an HD dance practice for fans part of the norm (versus what we used to get, which was mostly meant for music shows). This comeback really cemented EXO’s place as the top boy group at the time in a way none of their other singles had managed to do.
(Yes, it’s too bad that Kris is in these, but we can’t undo the past.)
5. TVXQ, “Mirotic”
I think this is one of the best Kpop moments of all time. It was deeply weird to see this for the first time circa 2009 and just have no reference for the visual kei influence on DBSK at the time, particularly their haircuts, but this whole music video is so compelling you can’t look away. It’s a perfect union of song and choreography, and those partially open shirts are iconic. Once again though, I take issue with the costumes—it actually has a pretty consistent costume story, I just think it’s a somewhat boring one. This is one I kept moving around but I think all the elements except costuming are so strong that we can forgive that a bit.
4. Taemin, “Move”
I consider this one of the greatest Kpop comebacks of all time as well and absolutely one of the best choreographies, although in many ways I think this has a very separate identity from the rest of Kpop. It’s telling to me that despite the popularity of this choreography, most of the covers of it were very bad—I consider it essential that this has an alien, bird-like quality to the movements and Momo was the only other Kpop idol I saw manage to really capture that.
If anything, I wish this comeback had a stronger costume story. I’d probably use the choreographer’s look in this version of the mv over a lot of the looks Taemin actually wore on live stages. In some ways this song doesn’t NEED a strong costuming thread through every performance because the choreography and his performance carries that, but I think it could have solidified what this comeback was about.
3. Red Velvet, “Russian Roulette”
Once again, we’ve got more proof that a really cohesive concept doesn’t need much to make it work. The live stages for this comeback were pretty bare of set dressing and it really wasn’t needed. The tennis dresses, choreography, and sound were plenty to make the stage engaging.
I quite like this music video as well; it sort of looks like a tumblr post in a way that really suited a 2016 release, and some of the shots are reminiscent of f(x) in a good way, while also kind of looking forward toward what New Jeans will do later (although I see this more clearly in “Ice Cream Cake”). It shows how important a creative director is to a cohesive concept for a group, both in a single comeback and across their whole discography. I have no particular feelings or knowledge about Min Heejin but the woman clearly knows how to put together a memorable concept and shaped the whole SM output. (I got to this point and realized she’s behind four entries on this list, which tracks.)
2. Wonder Girls, “I Feel You”
What do you do when the producer who created your group also ruined your fame, dropping you from the rank of the very top Kpop group to a veritable nugu? You take the retro concept you were saddled with and make it fresh, that’s what.
The Wonder Girls’ 2015 comeback was faced with a lot of challenges. One, they’d lost their two most popular members. (Coming after Sunmi’s solo career success, she had a lot of popularity, but definitely at the Wonder Girls’ height it was Sohee followed by Sunye as the most popular—anyone who claims otherwise wasn’t there.) Two, they’d lost a lot of name recognition. You can only float on the success of their trifecta of hits for so long, and nothing they’d done after JYP took them to the US in 2009 had had any lasting impact on the Kpop market. They had an opportunity to do something fresh in 2011 if they’d chosen a different song to be their title track (justice for “Me,In”) but instead they’d never really gotten to have any growth as a group.
In addition to taking up the band concept and learning to play instruments, they did something really smart by leaning into a different era of a retro sound. The whole comeback, from sound to music video to costuming for live stages, utilizes the 80s sound and imagery impeccably. Really the only flaw here is that “I Feel You” isn’t even in the top five strongest tracks on the album (which is reasonably considered one of the best Kpop albums of all time).
Anyway stan the Wonder Girls, and !#$&@ you JYP for your hubris.
1. f(x), “Red Light”
In my opinion, this is the best Kpop comeback & concept I’ve yet seen. Not the most impactful necessarily, but one where every single element is working together to tell a clear and consistent story. This is my favorite Kpop makeup ever, and it shows how a hair color change—such a hallmark of Kpop!—can be visually arresting, drawing interest for the comeback itself. The choreography works perfectly in sync with the music. Even though Pink Tape is usually named the best Kpop album, I think “Red Light” improves upon a lot of what “Rum Pum Pum Pum” does well concept-wise, while having less of that SM look overall.
I also think the trailer does what a trailer should do. It doesn’t spoil the whole comeback (looking at you, Seventeen FML) or lead you to expect something different than what you’ll get (Hello, Wonder Girls Wonder World album teaser, not to mention the whole EXO lead-up to Call Me Baby.)
In summary, I think SM sat at the top of the Kpop food chain for a long time for a good reason. They had a really clear vision for each of their groups (in ways I'm not sure they do now). I feel like a lot of Kpop is reactive rather than visionary; groups get swept up in trends instead of setting them. And even when a group is a trendsetter, they're not necessarily unifying every element of a comeback to tell a single story across all live stages and videos, even where there's a clear vision for the group (YG groups tend to fall into this category for me). However a cohesive concept can make such a difference for how a comeback sticks in the collective memory—and in particular, I wish Kpop companies would pay closer attention to costuming as a major part of the whole!
