Opening Ceremony 2018: Congratulations, you’ve just discovered K-pop. Now what?
The Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics included plenty of performances from K-pop acts … and you’re hooked. What’s a newbie to do?
Before we actually get into discussing K-pop at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, let’s just get this out of the way: If you get absolutely hooked on K-pop, do not expect to emerge from the fandom in anything remotely resembling short order. This comes from personal experience long before the Olympics went to South Korea this year.
Regardless, this year’s Opening Ceremony, as noted by Billboard, has snippets of multiple songs used entry music during the procession of nations. Deulgukhwa’s lead singer Jeon In Kwon also performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” with three other Korean artists, Ha Hyunwoo, Lee Eunmi, and Ahn Jiyoung during the ceremony. In order of musical appearance, here are those songs — and what you should listen to next from that same artist, as well as a similar song from another artist that might just draw you in further.
1. “Gangnam Style” — PSY
This song was everywhere in 2012. You could not escape people trying some of its iconic dance moves or pronouncing “Gangnam Style” in some hilariously wrong ways. It really needs no further introduction.
Next step: “Gentleman” — PSY
It’s kind of a follow-up to “Gangnam Style,” featuring some repurposed dance moves and some similarly bonkers visuals. Since releasing “Gangnam Style,” though, PSY has continued to release music — including a new album, 4×2=8, just last year.
Deeper cut: “365 Fresh” — Triple H
No, no, this isn’t the professional wrestler — it’s a group comprised of Hyuna (the woman in the “Gangnam Style” video) alongside members of boy band Pentagon. But this time, she’s the star of the show. Hyuna also has a solo career and was also part of the duo Trouble Maker at one point in time.
2. “Likey” — TWICE
What is K-pop without its girl groups? Not interesting, that’s for sure. Before you ask, yes, there are nine women in this group from JYP Entertainment, and it’s been big pretty much since it debuted, although 2017 was the biggest year for TWICE yet.
(And yes, big groups are kind of a thing in K-pop.)
Next step: “Heart Shaker” — TWICE
If you think to yourself that “Heart Shaker” has easy choreography, we recommend you actually try doing it at the tempo of the song … while keeping a smile on your face as the members actually do. It has a fun, retro-bubblegum sound that should make dreary winter days go by a little more quickly.
Deeper cut: “As If It’s Your Last” — BLACKPINK
Featuring fewer members and a slightly more mature-sounding pop, at least in the verses, “As If It’s Your Last” introduces you to BLACKPINK, another relatively popular girl group these days.
3. “Fantastic Baby” — BIGBANG
“Wow, fantastic baby!” BIGBANG’s song has to qualify as a classic at this point. Is it really any surprise it came back at the Olympics? Anyway, this group once topped a list this writer composed of 21 K-pop groups to know for Culturess … and it’s hard not to say they still qualify as a top-ranking group, even though some of the members are completing their military service right now and thus haven’t released new music. (Soompi reports that two members will enlist early this year.)
Next step: “Last Dance” — BIGBANG
That’s right, the same group put out these two songs. “Last Dance” is one of their most recent releases.
Deeper cut: “Touch” — Shinhwa
Shinhwa is kind of what BIGBANG wants to be in the sense of being one of the longest-lasting boy bands out there that’s had a massive impact on the scene as a whole. Seriously, this group has been around since the ’90s and has not broken up or lost a member in 20 years.
4. “DNA” — BTS
If you know one K-pop group (so PSY doesn’t count), then you probably know BTS, since the group performed at the American Music Awards last year. Surprisingly enough, the group performed “DNA.”
Next step: “Mic Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)” — BTS
“Mic Drop” and its remix are currently doing pretty well on the Billboard charts right now, so it’s the natural choice for your next song from BTS.
Deeper cut: “Clap” — Seventeen
Don’t let the name of either this group or the album “Clap” features on (Teen, Age) fool you: Seventeen has some swagger to offer in “Clap.” Yes, even when some of its members have varying shades of pink hair.
5. “Red Flavor” — Red Velvet
Funnily enough, this song appears on the mini-album The Red Summer, which makes it a patently ridiculous choice for the Winter Olympics. However, it’s just silly enough that it runs right back around to being bright and happy to beat the wintry gloom back.
Next steps: “Bad Boy” — Red Velvet
Red Velvet has just released The Perfect Red Velvet, with “Bad Boy” leading off, so it’s the most recent output from this girl group.
Deeper cut: “Shinin'” — Jonghyun
Jonghyun passed away in late 2017, with even American outlets like the Washington Post covering it, but SM Entertainment (the same label to which Red Velvet is signed) released the album he had been working on, Poet | Artist, earlier this year. No, he is not swearing in the first words of the song. Instead, he’s singing “shinin’, shinin’, your eyes are shining” in Korean.
Next: 11 songs the FanSided team would skate to at the Olympics
On behalf of K-pop fans, welcome. Hopefully, you enjoy at least one of these songs!