SM Entertainment / Media DSP
In K-Pop, the rise of the fourth generation is more than evident with groups like newjeans, TXT, I HAVEIt is lost children reaching the top of the music charts with each release. These groups, among many others, are leading the current wave of K-Pop on a global scale and increasing the number of fans from all countries.
While its success is clear to all, let’s not forget that the genre as a whole has seen a huge number of successful artists pass through its doors since its inception. K-Pop has a storied history that would take weeks to properly classify and cover. But here at Kpopmap, we’re taking it one month at a time with our newest series, K-Pop Retrospective.
Through this series, we open the doors of nostalgia at the end of each month and take a look at a specific moment in K-Pop. Our goal is to look back at no less than 7 years, the average contract length of your typical idol group. Our goals are to remind and introduce new K-Pop fans to older groups and trends that dominated the market so many years ago. For the month of March, we’re traveling back to 2010. Let’s meet the artists who dominated the charts!
melon chart
Melon
circle chart
circle chart
Looking at the Melon Chart and Circle Chart, the artists were pretty much the same with the legendary girl groups T-NOW, KARAIt is Girls’ Generation entering the list. Then there are the two heavy vocal groups of 4 MEN It is 2 amtogether with the soloist MC Mong presenting Seo InYoung completing the list.
Best Songs of March 2010
T-ARA – ‘Crazy Because of You’
T-ARA was insane in the best possible way. This electronic dance track had fans screaming at the top of their lungs for the girl group. They poured out an endless amount of love and praise as they hummed the lyrics to this iconic song.
KARA – ‘Lupin’
You can’t talk about iconic second generation girl groups without mentioning KARA. Their hit song ‘Lupin’ dominated the charts for the entire month of March 2010. The song earned them multiple music show wins and became an absolute craze across the country. The fanchants should speak for themselves and serve as proof of KARA’s immense popularity.
Girls’ Generation – ‘Run Devil Run’ and ‘Oh!’
Two Girls’ Generation songs appeared on both music charts: ‘Run Devil Run’ and ‘Oh!’.
At this point, the SM Entertainment girl group is already three years into their career and has proven to be a dominant force. Her stage presence and vocals were absolutely next level, making it difficult to tear yourself away from the screen. Both songs were incredibly catchy, mesmerizing not just the general public in Korea, but the entire world. Since then, ‘Run Devil Run’ and ‘Oh!’ have become some of the most memorable songs in the Girls’ Generation discography.
2am – ‘I was wrong’
Up until this point, 2am was purely known as a vocally focused group. But through ‘I Was Wrong’, the lauded boy group proved that they’ve got skills on the dance floor too. Not only did they impress with their consistently impressive live vocals, but they also delivered performances that wowed fans across the world.
MC Mong – ‘Bubble Love (feat. Seo InYoung)’
In 2010, MC Mong released a collaborative album with a variety of different talented singer artists. His song ‘Bubble Love’ with Seo InYoung was able to top the Melon and Circle Charts at the time. You can imagine the amount of playlists this sweet love song has been a part of!
4MEN – ‘I Can’t’
Rounding out the top artists and songs for March 2010 is ballad group 4MEN. ‘I can’t’ pierces your heart and can even make you yearn for a person you don’t even know. It’s a timeless classic that must be heard at least once for nostalgia and sentimentality.
Did you enjoy this trip down memory lane? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
