2021 Boy Group MVs I enjoyed
I did a look back at boy group songs and MVs I enjoyed last year and thought it would be fun to do again for no other reason than end of the year lists and rankings are fun to compile and read. (I’ll also take this time to plug Money 4 Nothing’s recent episode on how Spotify Wrapped changes the way we think about things like end of the year lists.) This is just songs I remember enjoying and am still listening to, not a scientific list or critically thought out list. Please do not take offense but do feel free to let me know your favorites!
2021 had some high highs and some low (truly low) lows. Western music journalists finally started asking questions about streaming numbers and album sales that Japan has been dealing with since the AKB48 boom. Meanwhile the LINE user survey asking about favorite boy groups gave the overwhelming victory to 特にいない (nobody in particular) with a whopping 43.7% of the total vote. That’s almost half of the 60,000 respondents having no opinion or disliking all of them. Not a great look for Japan’s boy groups (and the Korean boy groups competing in Japan’s market.)
Still there were some real highlights.
Let’s start in Japan (these are in no particular order).
* SNOW MAN “Secret Touch”
I was so charmed with Snow Man in 2021 that in July I wrote a post titled simply: “I like Snow Man.” And as the year has ticked down, they’ve really cemented their breakout status thanks to Meguro “Meme” Ren’s starring turn in the unexpected super hit teen drama My Love Mix-Up (now available on Viki!!)
Snow Man started the year off strong with “Grandeur” (released January 20, 2021) and the fantastic B-Side “Big Bang Sweet”. This was followed up with “Hello Hello” (released July 14, 2021), the theme song to Raul’s teen romcom Honey Lemon Soda (spoiler alert: the move is adorable), backed with “YumYumYum ~Spicy Girl~” (another stone cold banger). THEN there was the album Snow Mania S1 (released September 29, 2021) with the title track “Evolution” and finally “Secret Touch” (released December 1, 2021).
I’m not generally a fan of moody mid-tempo ballads but “Secret Touch” does that thing that idol songs can do where the context, the choreography, and, yes, the performances add layers of enjoyment to an otherwise standard (lovely but standard) Johnny’s mid-tempo ballad. This song isn’t just this song. It’s the theme song to Meme’s drama (which I loved); it’s the song where Date-sama gets to wear a long plaid coat and sweep it around because that’s just who he is; where the members do goofy hand gestures in the choreography; where Meme gets to sing a front-and-center solo section. In other words, it’s the kind of song that probably won’t end up on any critic’s list but it will top fan’s lists (including mine.)
* KING & PRINCE “Magic Touch”
King & Prince aren’t one of “my” groups (fans know what I mean) but I’ve always enjoyed their performances and “Cinderella Girl” is undeniably a stealth banger. However, all that said, when I saw “Magic Touch” (released May 19, 2021) on Music Station it was a pure *record scratch* moment and I immediately jumped onto YouTube to watch the MV and then ended up buying the Re:Sense album on the strength of the song.
What I loved about “Magic Touch” is how the combination of the kind of seedy neon lit setting of the MV and the kind of seedy one-note verses bloom into this unexpectedly beautiful chorus. The song goes from “this club is gross but okay” to “damn that feels good” in a single heartbeat. Plus that whistle is infectious. I cannot resist a whistle.
* NANIWA DANSHI “Ubu Love”
It took a few listens for Naniwa Danshi’s debut song “Ubu Love” (released November 12, 2021) to really hit with me but once it hit, it hit. I listened to this single in my car--like the CD single--for days. DAYS! 奇跡を待てたんだ！The song is a classic Jazzin’ Park Johnny’s track and it does this hilarious thing where every chorus sounds like the song is stepping up for a key change. The MV looks like a cotton candy machine exploded and the performances are a pure sugar rush. It’s like the essence of everything I love about candy candy sweetie sweetie teen love songs and it’s probably my favorite song of the year.
* SEXY ZONE “Right Next to You”
2021 was the tenth anniversary of Sexy Zone’s debut (episode coming as soon as I finish editing it) and they dropped a title track for the celebratory best of album (released March 3, 2021) that was worth the price of the entire thing. “Right Next To You” ended up on some best of lists I’ve seen and honestly same. It’s the kind of forward looking, on trend pop song that even non-fans can enjoy. Plus the MV is really great with the triangle themed choreography that was just recently transformed to a Christmas Tree themed choreography for their performance on the CDTV end of the year music show. Sexy Congratulations on 10 years and here’s to ten more sexy years!
* GENERATIONS FROM EXILE TRIBE “Make Me Better”
One of the positive downstream effects of BTS’s “Dynamite” and “Butter” making so much news is that we saw some groups pick up the light disco theme and run with it. One of the best (if not the best) in the genre was “Make Me Better,” the title track from their album Up & Down (released July 14, 2021). The worst in this genre are types of songs that play over the ending credits of American animated children’s movies. Like the songs that play while you’re trying to avoid stepping in spilled soda and popcorn while hustling your kid as quickly out of the theater as you can because if you have to listen to one more butt joke delivered by a wise cracking sidekick you will not be responsible for your behavior. No, this song, written by Justin Reinstein (Twice, Gfriend, NiziU, etc), shows how good the light funky boy group song can sound. The vocals rest on this bubbling cloud of vintage synths like fizzy pink champagne; the whole thing goes down so smooth. The MV features the members of Generations getting dropped into a dystopian SIMS-esque hellscape with a mission to cheer up all the lonely, lovely ladies inside but (spoiler alert) the cheering up also works on those of us outside the SIMS sim. Total 10/10 song from Generations.
* 2PM “Boku to mata”
(Look I told you I love a whistle okay?) 2PM’s big return post-military hiatus was well worth the wait. After a round of summer comeback promotions in Korea, 2PM gifted Japanese fans with one of my favorite tracks of all year, the title track from their EP Boku to mata (English title With You Again, released September 29, 2021). Lyrics and music by Jun.K, the song is a showcase for everything 2PM does well: singing, dancing, and being handsome in well tailored suits. It’s the platonic ideal of what a boy group song from men in their 30s should be.
I’ll also take this opportunity to plug Jun.K’s acoustic version of “My House” on the First Take channel because it is excellent and you should hear it. Not every boy group member needs to be able to sing well but when they can… it’s magic. Thank you for your service, Jun. K!
* SIXTONES “Mascara”
Written and produced by Tsuneta Daiki (King Gnu, Millennium Parade) “Mascara” (released August 11, 2021) is a wonderfully spiky and somewhat off kilter pop tune. The song was another repeat listen for me over the summer into fall thanks to the swirling melody that does this quick run up the scale before tumbling back down only to do it again and again. The MV adds to the chaos with the off kilter hand held camera mimicking the way the melody tumbles around. Not all of the collaborations between critically acclaimed musicians and boy groups turn out well but SixTones seem to have it figured out. I absolutely loved this track. It’s a good sound for SixTones and clearly somebody agrees because the just-released title track “Rosy” from their upcoming album (preorder now!) is in the same vein and just as good.
And moving onto Korea!
Like I mentioned above with “Make it Better”, the downstream effect of “Dynamite”/”Butter” also hit boy groups hard this year in Korea. But who can complain with jams from “Black Mirror” (ONEUS) to “After Midnight” (ASTRO) to “Touch by Touch” (GREAT GUYS). On the other hand, I’m not a huge fan of the dreary sound that characterized a lot of what 2021 Kpop boy groups were doing so it’s best left unsaid. So here is what I did like (with a bonus shout out to Mino for his late entry solo album!):
* SHINEE “Atlantis”
“Atlantis” was the title track of the Atlantis repackage (released April 12, 2021) of SHINee’s Don’t Call Me album (released February 22, 2021). Let me make one thing clear: I loved every track from both albums (as well as the Japanese release) and I’m only picking “Atlantis” to highlight here because I can’t resist a man in fluffy pirate lace. I’m not sure what is left to say because I feel like I talk about SHINee a lot. They’re really the best of the best of what the genre is capable of. The care taken with art design, costuming, make-up, choreography, on top of top tier singing and dancing. SHINee are simply the complete package.
Look, who else is taking you to a weird underwater sea-themed convenience store? Nobody, that’s who. There’s only one SHINee.
2021 was a great year for SHINee overall with amazing solos from Taemin, Key, Onew, and Minho!
* NCT 127 “Sticker”
Hands down, this is my song of the year, at least for K-Pop. But it’s a close race with “Ubu Love”. Yes, the flute. Okay, it’s not a whistle but THE FLUTE! This song was the title track from Sticker (released September 17, 2021) and shows off the best of the (divisive) NCT 127 sound. And the sound is divisive, even more so on this song than on your average NCT 127 track. Watching the Classical Musicians React channel take it on, I was with the majority who found it incredibly refreshing to hear some of these discordant tensions and complicated rhythms blended into an R&B song, especially when K-pop in 2020-2021 has at times felt like it was heading totally into milk-drinking Kids Bop world. It’s nice to be reminded that, yes, the 9th and 11th and 13th exist.
The Final Fantasy style neon cowboy MV just makes it that much better. I have a lot to say about the NCT system and how it works (and, importantly, doesn’t work) but NCT 127 and their garbage pail noise music are alright by me.
* MCND “Not Over”
(The whistle, yes, I know.) MCND is by far and away the best of the fourth generation groups coming up. Their youthful energy is absolutely infectious. They had a great year between “Crush”, the title track for MCND: Age (released January 8, 2021) and “Movin’”, the title track for The Earth: Secret Mission Chapter 1 (released August 31, 2021). For whatever reason (the whistle) “Not Over” (an album cut from MCND: Age) is the song that stuck with me. These kids are charming and are excellent performers. I hope they continue on their path of putting out Bangers Only in 2022 because I will be waiting.
And on that note, bring on the live performances with an audience! We’ve been waiting!