If you ask my mother what she finds the most entertaining about K-pop she will immediately reply "The dancing". Whenever I show her a MV or performance she almost always exclusively comments about the dancing and how impressive it is, and I guess for someone that isn't into K-pop that must be even more striking. Western artists and groups rarely have choreography and when they do it's very simple, so to watch groups with sometimes as many as 13 members dance in perfect synchronization is quite astonishing. I do feel myself getting more used to the high quality choreographies and taking them almost for granted which is sad, however it means that the ones that I do like are ones I find extremely impressive. Below you'll find my personal favorite choreographies of 2016.
Astro - Hide & Seek
New boy group Astro jumped onto the scene in early 2016 with, what I thought, was a great debut. I liked the song too but the choreography was definitely what drew me in. It's energetic and fast-paced and only watching it leaves you feeling exhausted.
BTS - Fire
Not going to lie; it was really difficult deciding which BTS choreograpy would make it onto the list. Although I loved the routine for "Save Me" and "Blood Sweat & Tears" watching the boys perform "Fire" is so much fun and seeing it live at Kcon definitely sealed the deal.
Oh My Girl - Liar Liar
As with the case of BTS the ladies of Oh My Girl also had several great dance routines in 2016. Ultimately though I went for "Liar Liar", which is lively and cute but also powerful and energetic. I love the creativity, especially with the formations, and the variation between the different choruses.
GFriend - Rough
The choreography for "Rough" remains flawless to this day, and the fact that they've already won two major awards for it only proves my sentiment. It's, as one would expect, complex and powerful but also has huge emotional depth which I absolutely love.
Taemin - Drip Drop
I know I don't gush about Taemin that much on this blog because, well, I have other SHINee favorites, but I truly adore this young man and his talents. His dancing is really on a whole other level and this choreography shows exactly why he's one of the very best.
Seventeen - Very Nice
I did grow to love the choreo for "Pretty U" after seeing the dance practice videos, and while it is a very creative routine with plenty of originality it can't beat the riot that is "Very Nice". It's fun, playful, energetic and the boys look like they're having the time of their lives performing it.
NCT U - The Seventh Sense
If I had to choose one choreography as my ultimate favorite this year it would have to be this one. Whoever made this piece must be a genius, honestly. It's smooth yet extremely sharp and has amazing formations and transitions (especially that one move at 01:35, just wow).
Taeyeon - Why
Although Taeyeon might not be the best dancer in SNSD and as of today has mostly released ballads and other tracks that don't require choreography; she can, with the right routine, excel. This routine made me think of something BoA would do, and that's a huge compliment if anything.
I.O.I - Whatta Man
Not only was this a drastic change in concept, but the choreography in itself held so much more personality and character compared to I.O.I's bland debut. Member Chungha had part in creating it and it resulted in a fierce, powerful routine well-matched with the song.
Red Velvet - Russian Roulette
Last but not least comes the ladies of Red Velvet, whom now that I think about it wasn't included last year with "Dumb Dumb" for some strange reason (2015-me was clearly not in their right mind). For 2016 however there's no mistaking in that they deserve a spot on this list. I might love the song more but the choreography is still pretty darn awesome.
Honorable mentions:
Seventeen - Pretty U
SHINee - 1 of 1
Oh My Girl - Step By Step
BTS - Blood Sweat & Tears, Save Me
Infinite - The Eye
Monsta X - Fighter
No comments:
Post a Comment