History of K-Pop: BTOB
If you’re a newer K-Pop fan, the group BTOB may not be immediately on your radar due to many of the members currently shuffling in and out of the military. Even if the group ends up overshadowed by bigger names, there’s no doubt that BTOB has made a significant impact on the K-Pop world and remains as one of the most stable groups in the industry to this day. Besides being certified veterans of the industry, BTOB is also credited with being one of, if not the funniest, currently active K-Pop groups.
BTOB came onto the scene in early 2012 with seven members: Eunkwang, Minhyuk, Changsub, Hyunsik, Peniel, Ilhoon, and Sungjae, all of whom renewed with Cube Entertainment just last year, solidifying more years of BTOB to come once military service is completed by all of the members. The group’s debut featured two title tracks, “Insane” and “Imagine,” showcasing two different musical sides to the group. While “Insane” received the music video treatment and followed the typical pop group formula, “Imagine” had a more R&B influence that really placed the spotlight on the vocal talents of the group, which are definitely off-the-charts. Interestingly enough, “Insane” had quite a dark concept, the fashion reminiscent of something we’d see with BEAST or VIXX. It’s important to note that the members contributed to production of the debut album, which is something that wasn’t seen as much back in the day.
The debut isn’t as familiar to many, but it’s hard not to dive deep into the K-Pop world and not come across their first comeback title, “Wow.” The track has mass appeal in that it is very reminiscent of early boy bands from the ‘90s, the pop song reminding many of N*SYNC and the Backstreet Boys in their early days. The nostalgia proved to be a huge selling point and “Wow” remains one of their most popular releases today.
The beginning of 2013 would prove to be a time for the new group to get used to regular activities, with tours in other parts of Asia and participation in the 2013 United Cube Concert taking up much of their time. They released their first digital single in April, titled “Confession,” and held official promotions before releasing a music video for track “When I Was Your Man” in September in preparation for a new mini-album release. “When I Was Your Man” strayed from the intensely dark image in favor of a more conservative and lighter tone, proving their ability to tackle multiple musical genres. The group’s musical chemistry is quite evident in this track, especially with the video highlighting a live performance.
However, the most memorable release of the year was the following album, Thriller. The title of the same name was a Halloween-inspired release that is still quintessential on K-Pop fans’ playlists for the holiday. The track combines a traditional pop beat with a noticeable string melodic line to add a bit of a rustic feel to the song, and it’s rather infectious. The concept also fit into the darker feel that the group had been maintaining at this point with all of their major releases.
Come 2014, the boys began shifting gears in their concepts, where they began to see true commercial success. In February they released “Beep Beep,” and their fourth EP of the same name, which ranked first on the Gaon Album Chart, a first for the group. The track was more playful than previous releases and focused less on the intense concept, the song itself having a groovier rhythm to accompany the concept shift. The popularity of the track helped the group spearhead their first solo concert, which took place in Japan in July. Their first Korean solo concert happened later in the year, at the end of October.
This new style was maintained in the second release of the year, “You’re So Fly,” which showcased the extremely playful side to the boys while keeping the funky sound and image. Just a few days before Christmas 2014, the group released their first holiday album, The Winter’s Tale. The title track of the same name was the first to be produced by the members, with Hyunsik and Ilhoon penning their name to the work. This new playful and cute side helped to capture the hearts of many. This, coupled with their variety appearances and backstage footage that showcased their 4D personalities, helped to make them beloved in the industry. Eunkwang, Changsub, and Sungjae in particular are known for their hilarious and overly extra antics.
2015 saw the group releasing their first full album and their first lead ballad single, “It’s Okay.” This proved to be a fruitful move, as the title skyrocketed to the top of the music charts. The group’s first music show win would come from their seventh EP and title “Way Back Home,” creeping up on four years after debut. The shift from pop music influences to ballad earned the group even more recognition, gaining them nominations for multiple year-end awards and earning them the reputation as the top ballad boy group.
Concluding their ballad title track trio in 2016 with “Remember That,” their ninth mini-album New Men title “I’ll Be Your Man” blended their ballad prowess with a dance melody that had been left behind in 2014. The title was written, composed, and arranged by Hyunsik and the rest of the members contributed to other tracks on the album. 2016 also saw the formation of the first sub-unit BTOB Blue, which consisted of the main vocalists. The unit released two digital singles, one in 2016 and another in 2018.
While the title track is rather angsty and intense, we can’t help but include our favorite clip of all time from New Yang Nam Show during the promotional period that makes them even more lovable.
As time marches on, so does BTOB, and the tenth mini-album Feel’eM was released with the title “Movie,” a return to the playful demeanor and groovy retro style seen back in the 2014 releases. 2017 was also a big year for the group members due to the release of solo digital singles with their own personal twists on each; the main vocalists Changsub, Eunkwang, and Sungjae released emotional ballad tracks, rappers Ilhoon, Peniel, and Minhyuk focused on hip-hop driven beats, and Hyunsik switched it up with an alternative rock piece. After concluding the solo projects, they released their second full album Brother Act, with title “Missing You” shooting up the charts upon release. The boys also won their first Bonsang at the Soribada Best K-Music Awards.
2018 marked the first year that military service crept in to take the members. In June they released their eleventh mini-album, This Is Us, and shortly after renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment. Leader and eldest member Eunkwang left for his mandatory service in August of 2018. Minhyuk and Changsub followed him in early 2019, while Hyunsik, Ilhoon, and Sungjae just recently left this year, the latter two going early likely to make the full return of BTOB happen faster. Peniel is American, and remains the only member who does not have to complete military service, so he has remained active as a soloist through this whole period.
With only Peniel and Eunkwang currently active and the last of the members going into mandatory service just this year, it’ll be a good two years before we see a full scale BTOB comeback. Before leaving, Peniel is currently involved in a new podcast with KARD’s BM and Ladies Code’s Ashley, while Eunkwang has just recently returned from the military and released his first mini-album to mark his return.
Even with most members gone, all of them have offered some type of solo work to help ease the transition while fans wait for their return. Melodies will be happy to tell you just how great the members of BTOB are, and it’s about time for everyone to see what their hype is about. In conclusion: stan BTOB.