Seo Taiji and Boys

Seo Taiji and Boys was a South Korean group active from 1992 to 1996. They were highly successful and are credited with changing the South Korean music industry. Some people say that they are a part of the history of kpop.
Seo Taiji and Boys consisted of 3 members:
- Seo Taiji (lead vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, leader, main songwriter)
- Yang Hyun-Suk (backing vocals, choreography)
- Lee Juno (backing vocals, choreography).
This group experimented with many different genres of popular Western music.

For a long time Korean music relied on its traditions of ballad songs and Trot songs' beat. Songs spoke of the past wars, saying goodbye to loved ones and the separation of North and South Korea. In the eyes of South Koreans, American culture was always associated with war or the fact they knew too much. So the idea that American music could have a collaborative connection to Korean music was completely unheard of and a feat that no-one dared try... until 11th April 1992.

Seo Taiji and Boys performed their first single "Nan Arayo" on a Korean broadcast station. Combining American rap, techno and metal music with Korean lyrics to make an authentic Korean sound, the trio created the first hybrid of modern and traditional music from opposing sides of the world. Seo Taiji and Boys debut performance was the beginning of the new musical genre – kpop.



Here is a link to their first MV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3DWZijTbVY

It's really different from present-day kpop, but at the same time it's the real beginning of that special genre.
See you soon!
/Karotka