Asian Boy Bands- Part 1

As you'll know if you follow this blog, I'm a fan of Asian music. In the past I've done several posts featuring different types of Asian music, including two round-ups. You can view them below:

Asian Music Round-up: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/03/asian-music-round-up.html

Asian Music Round-up 2:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/03/more-asian-music.html

 

I thought it would be fun to do a couple of posts about Asian boy bands! They will include groups from several countries.

Note: I'm focusing on East Asian groups (Korean, Japanese, Chinese etc.). I don't actually know many South Asian ones (I've come across a couple of Indian and Pakistani bands in the past), but maybe that can be the subject of a future post! :) 

 

This was just going to be one post but it was turning into a really long one and I haven't been able to get it finished due to going to a dance event today. So, I've decided to split it into two parts! This post features Chinese, Japanese and Korean boy bands, and the next one will feature more Korean groups and a Filipino one. :)

Update 5/8/22: The 2nd part didn't end up featuring a Filipino boy band because I realised that there were some other groups I hadn't featured. But I think I will do a 3rd post in this series in future! :)

C-pop

 

TFBOYS

TFBOYS (The Fighting Boys) are a Chinese boy band (trio specifically). I featured them in my Asian Music- K-pop, J-pop and Beyond post back in 2017. You can see that post here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/02/asian-music-k-pop-j-pop-and-beyond.html

They were only 12 and 13 when they debuted back in 2013, but now they're all grown up! I'm not sure if they're still together but all 3 members- Wang Junkai (aka Karry), Wang Yuan (Roy) and Yiyang Qianxi (Jackson)- are still working individually. I just came across some new music of Karry's, so I'll probably feature that in a future C-pop Saturday! 

 

Visit these links for new solo music from the boys and basic info, including social media links:

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TFBOYSofficial%E5%AE%98%E6%96%B9%E9%A0%BB%E9%81%93

Kprofile:  https://kprofiles.com/tfboys-members-profile/

UNINE

UNINE was a 9-member group that debuted in 2019. I featured their single SET IT OFF in a C-pop Saturday post back in January 2020. You can see it here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/01/c-pop-saturday.html

They released 3 EPS, followed by their debut album U-Night Flight in May 2020 and then disbanded in October 2020.

 

Bestards

Bestards are a band from Taiwan who play their own instruments (not an idol style group). You can watch the video for one of their songs released in 2018 (I think the English title might be Ideal B*stard or Dream of Unicorn?) , in this C-pop Saturday post from 2020:  https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/03/c-pop-saturday.html

 

They are still active, so visit their YouTube channel for their latest music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZn0sWyHi1OVNfug5l4G3BQ

 

WayV

WayV is the Chinese sub-unit of the Korean boyband NCT. They made their debut in 2019. The group started out with 7 members but is currently promoting as 5. 

 

Watch the video for Action Figure (released in March 2021) here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/05/weekly-music-video_12.html

And you can watch the music video for their Dec 2021 single Miracle in this C-pop Saturday post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/01/c-pop-saturday.html

 

BOY STORY

Chinese group BOY STORY debuted in 2018 (their pre-debut was 2017). They literally are a "boy band" with most of the members having been preteens when they started out! They're now aged 15-18.

Visit this C-pop Saturday post to see the music video for Too Busy, their 2019 single with Hong Kong singer (and member of K-pop boyband GOT7) Jackson Wang and a dance practice video for MONSTER, uploaded last summer: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2021/09/c-pop-saturday.html

 

A couple of other groups are Nine Percent  (they debuted in 2018 but disbanded in 2019) and NEXT, formerly known as NEX7 (debuted in 2018; I think they are still together). 

Taiwanese singer Chen Liong (former member of Nine Percent) and Chinese singer THEO aka Zhu Zhenting (former member of Nine Percent and member of NEXT) have released solo singles. I featured a couple of their songs in this C-pop Saturday post in December 2019: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/12/c-pop-saturday.html

J-pop

 

J Soul Brothers

J Soul Brothers are a part of supergroup EXILE TRIBE,  along with others groups including EXILE and GENERATIONS. I did a post on J Soul Brothers in 2015 and shared their video for the song J.S.B DREAM: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/09/j-soul-brothers-japanese-boyband.html

And visit this post for the Yes we are (2019): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/03/new-j-pop-and-k-pop-releases.html

 

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

GENERATIONS consists of 7 members and is also part of EXILE TRIBE. They debuted in 2012 and are still releasing music- their 6th studio album Up & Down came out in July last year. 

I included the video for their single Sora in a New J-pop Releases post (June 2017), I didn't know the English title then: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/06/new-j-pop-releases.html

Here is the video for their latest single Super Shine. It was released in December.

Note:  Avex videos are blocked from being shown on third party applications. If you click on the video, you can watch it fine on YouTube. :)

EXILE THE SECOND

EXILE THE SECOND is another EXILE group. They were the second J Soul Brothers and released one album before going on hiatus in early 2009. Most of the members formed a new unit, THE SECOND from EXILE (later changed to EXILE THE SECOND in 2012).

 

Visit this C-pop Saturday post to see the video for Summer Lover: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/06/new-j-pop-releases.html

And I shared the video for their single Acacia (I think that's the title): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/02/new-j-pop-releases.html

 

THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE

 THE RAMPAGE is another unit from EXILE. They were formed in 2014 and officially debuted in 2017. A sub-unit called MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE (made up of 5 rappers from the main group) debuted in 2020.

THE RAMPAGE released their 4th studio album Ray of Light this January.

 

Visit this Girls Vs Boys post to see the video for their 2018 single HARD HIT (also features a video by E-girls, EXILE's sister unit): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/10/girls-vs-boys-j-pop.html

And here is the video for SWAG & PRIDE (2019): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/10/weekly-music-video_9.html

K-pop

DBSK/TVXQ!/Tohoshinki

Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK) also known as Tohoshinki in Japan and TVXQ! (Tong Vfang Xien Qi) om China, started out as 5-member group in 2003. Their name translates in English as "Rising Gods of the East". They were successful as a full group until 2009, when 3 of the members (Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu) tried to split from their management S.M. Entertainment (one of the biggest entertainment groups in Korea), which led to a legal battle. They went on to form the trio JYJ. 

The other two members (U-Know and Max) are still together and performing under TVXQ! JYJ is no longer active as a trio.

 

Here are the Korean and Japanese music videos for Mirotic, my favourite DBSK/TVXQ! song: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2011/12/weekly-music-video.html*

And visit this Girls vs Boys post to see the video for Rising Sun (also features a Girl's Day video): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/12/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html

 

*The German singer Sarah Connor has an English language song called Under My Skin, which is very similar to Mirotic. I included both her and TVXQ's videos in last year's Same Song, Different Singer post.

 

BIGBANG

Another mid-00s boy band is BIGBANG, who debuted in 2006. They were also popular in Korea and Japan. They started out as a 5-piece, but are now 4 after Seungri retired from the entertainment industry in 2019 (due to criminal charges, for which he was later sentenced to prison).

BIGBANG have released 3 Korean albums and 5 Japanese. They went on hiatus in 2018 since several members had to complete their military service. They made a comeback this April with the digital single Still Life.

 

Here's the video for their Japanese single Gara Gara Go: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/05/weekly-music-video_23.html

 Girls vs Boys post featuring my fave song Bad Boy (also features Girls' Generation): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2012/11/girls-vs-boys-k-pop.html

 And watch the Still Life music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN5mG_yMDiM

 

BTS 

BTS (also known as Bangtan Boys) are one of the most popular Korean boy bands to date, having achieved international success. They've been going for 9 years now, since debuting in 2013.

The group has released 5 Korean language studio albums and 4 Japanese albums so far, and just brought out their first anthology album Proof, in June.

 

Visit this post to see a round-up of BTS posts on the blog up to November 2019 (also a MONSTA X round-up): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2019/11/bts-and-monsta-x-videos.html

Features HOME, one of my current favourite songs: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/02/current-favourite-songs.html

 

And here is the group's new single Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment). It's the lead single from Proof, and both album and single were released on 10th June.

Hope you like the post! :) Look out for the 2nd one next week. Who is your favourite Asian boy band/s?

 

Update: See Part 2 here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/07/asian-boy-bands-part-2.html

Want more Asian music? Check out this post:

Asian Music for Summer: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2020/07/asian-songs-for-summer.html