Jan 1, 2016

Top 5 Debuts of 2015



This year has been great for rookie groups, as there have been more successful debuts than I can remember there being in any year that I've been a K-pop fan. Of course there have been some less successful but you can't deny that 2015 has had a flood of talented idols, and I'm sure plenty of them will have a bright future ahead. The years of 2014 and 2015 does kind of feel like the new "wave" of K-pop, if you get what I'm saying, as most of the major labels have put out new groups (in 2014 we had Red Velvet, Lovelyz, Winner, Mamamoo, Got7 and Uniq for example). Personally I'm really liking this new generation of idol groups, and although there were some that I wanted to include I had to cut it down to five. Enjoy!




GFriend


GFriend is, without any hesitation, my favorite new group of 2015. Upon their debut some people liked it, but the majority thought it sounded either too much like early SNSD or A Pink, and thought they were unoriginal. At first I was one of those people, but seeing them perform live and later also listening to their mini album completely converted me. There's been a really long time since I saw a girl group with this kind of choreography and energy on stage, and the fact that they're also contradicting the "virginal" concept they've also got going on by being so fierce is amazing to me.

Twice


Not going to lie, I am 100% hooked on Twice. I didn't even know back when I was (sort of) watching "JYP's Sixteen" that I was going to love them so much, but I've really grown attached to all of the members. Seriously, I wish I could hang out with them and be their friend, and that goes to say how good their concept is because it will surely attract both male and female fans. Not only their concept, which is a nice change from all the cute, innocent ones, but their music is equally amazing. Sure, their debut song wasn't my favorite but it quickly grew on me and I love their mini album. This group will, just like GFriend, go places, that I can assure you.

Seventeen


This year has definitely been all about the girl groups, in my opinion, both when it comes to debuts and comebacks, so the guys have had it harder to stand out and overpower the ladies. One group that did catch my attention, and did so spectacularly, was Seventeen. I had been aware of their existence for several years but was beginning to think they'd never actually debut, and then one day they did, and it was wonderful. With one of the best debut songs I've ever heard, Seventeen made a name for themselves with their fantastic stage performances, talent and endless charm and personality.

Oh My Girl


When it came down to it I was choosing between Oh My Girl and The Ark, because those groups debuted around the same time and had each a strong first impression, for different reasons. Although I do think The Ark had a better debut song (and video, to a certain extent) Oh My Girl wasn't far behind with either of those things, and the reason I'm now picking them is because they in general had a better first year. The Ark had little to no promotion and were seen practically nowhere whereas Oh My Girl was, and thus I got to know them and took a liking in them as a result. This proves that how your company manages you does matter when it comes to leaving an impression.

Day6


This debut was probably the most surprising one of the bunch, which makes it even better. I had been low-key expecting this group of boys to make their debut after seeing them kill the competition on "YG's Win" in 2013, but had no idea exactly how their debut would turn out. They were so talented but talent means nothing if your songs aren't good, so imagine my relief when I first watched the MV for "Congratulations" and later listened to their mini album? I had a new favorite group, right there and then, and I have been proudly stanning them since.


Honorable Mentions: 

CLC - Off to a great start but later got screwed by their company.
The Ark - Great debut song and MV but later completely vanished.
Monsta X - Not the best debut song but I like the image they're going for.
iKON - Underwhelming to me personally, but there's no doubt they'll be huge later on.


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