KPOP Jacket Lady
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Kpop: The Best Dances Of The Time? 2010.
I fell in love with Kpop in 2009, which was arguably the best year ever for Kpop. It was a year of so many songs that later became classics. And of some which changed the face and feel of Kpop forever. So a look at any year after that is going to be a bit of a letdown. However 2010 was still a year of some great songs and some still recognizable dances. Show someone some of these dances and they can instantly tell you the artist and song.
It was also a year when Kpop had much more variety. There were bands such as CNBlue and FT Island, ballad groups like 2AM and 4Men, as well as a lot of soloists singing everything from OSTs to Hip Hop. There was a lot of experimentation with style and format too which led to some fantastic girl groups who created girl power ‘anthems’ that have since become iconic.
It was also a time when I still followed girl groups as well as the guys.
Not all my favorite songs from 2010 fit this title of ‘Best Dances Of The Time’ but here are some of my choices that do. With most of these the dance helps make the song a ‘package’ of all that’s wonderful about Kpop.
I’ll start with Hyuna who has been selling her sex appeal in a powerful fashion for years. Her first solo song ‘Change’ was flagged as being ‘inappropriate to minors’ which didn’t seem to bother her as she is still pushing boundaries to this day.
Another 2010 song that may surprise some of you new to Kpop is Psy’s song Right Now. Released 2 years before Gangnam Style, it too was banned from those under 19+ although the ban in his case was for an ‘obscene lyric’. Psy had already been showcasing his nonconformity for years in Korea before he became a worldwide phenomenon and Right Now helps you understand that Gangnam Style really just didn’t appear out of ‘nowhere’.
Miss A debuted in 2010 as JYP’s new girl group. Now sometimes just known as the stepping stone for Suzy, who has gone on to acting and success as a product endorser, as well as having a solo career as a singer, Miss A was a fun and entertaining group. With the right support they could have been really successful. Bad Girl, Good Girl had some great lyrics about judging someone by their looks.
Infinite was well known for their dancing and if you look at their MVs you can see moves that seem familiar. It’s because some of their moves were improved upon by succeeding generations of Kpop groups and are still around today. Come Back was perhaps not their best song ever, but the dance helped the audience engage with this one.
One can’t talk about 2010 without a mention of Girl’s Generation. (aka SNSD) Although they debuted back in 2007, it wasn’t until 2009/10 that they became really popular with a slew of hit songs that earned them the label “The Nation’s Girl Group.” While Hoot was perhaps not their most famous song of 2010 people fell in love with the arrow shooting part of the dance and you could see people copying it on all the variety shows.
One also has to mention SNSD’s brother group, Super Junior. Formed way back in 2005 they were an even larger group than SNSD, with 13 members at their peak. They too hit their stride in 2009 and have continued ever since, albeit with different lineups of members. I personally enjoyed Bonamana which used some of Michael Jackson’s moves in their choreography.
One also can’t miss mentioning perhaps the best ever female Kpop group 2ne1. 2010 was a good year for them with multiple hits and awards, including Mnet’s ‘Artist of the Year’ award. While back then a practice video was just that, a video of them practicing, it still shows their uniqueness and personalities. Can’t Nobody was also released in an English version.
Showing their dance practice, and not those of the other mentioned groups is perhaps a tad unfair, so here is their Korean version, and English version. Just look at those fabulous outfits.
At lastly for today perhaps the best and most iconic Kpop MV song and dance and talent combination MV of 2010 there is Lucifer by SHINee.
It basically boils down to the fact that some song/dance combinations are ‘forever famous’ and for 2010 that is probably this song. (And their 2009 Ring Ding Dong may have won that title for that year too.) More than any other group SHINee encapsulates all the many facets that make Kpop so enjoyable to watch as well as to listen to. The dance, the clothes, the visuals all come together with the music and lyrics to create the ultimate Kpop experience. Seeing them all perform live was one of the highlights of my concert going resume.
Do you have a favorite Kpop ‘dance’ MV from 2010? One where the choreography is perhaps as important as the song itself.
Have a great day everyone.
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You may also enjoy Kpop: The Best Dances Of The Time? Part 1 (2009), Like Dance? Watch Kpop, and SHINee World V Tour in Dallas. 2017.
KPOP Jacket Lady 