Favorite Kpop Debuts

I thought it would be fun for this Music Monday post to list my favorite Korean debuts. No particular order, but just cause it seemed fitting I alternated between female/male. I rarely actually get into a group from the very beginning. These are the groups where I like their debut songs enough to put them in my playlist rotation.

-LADIES’ CODE ‘Bad Girl’ March 7, 2013
I know I said no order, but legitimately this has to be one of the top (if not the top) debut song for me. I love LADIES’ CODE. I love this song. I love their sound. It just worked so well.

-DAY6 ‘Congratulations’ September 7, 2015
Did we expect for me to not put this one on here? What a way to debut, especially when you’re group is a hard to break through band. I love everything about this song, and is one of my favorite DAY6 songs to this day. Also, the music video just so perfectly works for this song. Everything went right for this one.

-Miss A ‘Bad Girl, Good Girl’ July 1, 2010
I know that the girls in Miss A don’t like this video (I mean, can you blame them? They are babies here and the choreo isn’t great) but this song is so catchy and I loved it from the second I heard it. It wasn’t my first Miss A song, but it’s still a top one that I have to stop and sing when it comes on.

-N.Flying ‘Awesome’ May 20, 2015
Some may say this is a cheat, but this song is N.Flying’s Korean debut, so I’m making it count. Real talk, I actually HATE this video. Really not into. It’s just not fun to watch, and I spend the whole time feeling bad for the AOA girl. However, this is my all time favorite N.Flying song. I know it isn’t their musical style anymore, but I would love if they went back to this even if just for a song or two.

-Dreamcatcher ‘Chase Me’ January 13, 2017
I guess some can say this is also another cheat? But really, MINX is a completely different group so I really don’t count that as Dreamcatcher’s debut. I love them so very very much. I’m sorry I never gave them a chance when they first debuted because there is nothing I don’t like about this song and music video. It’s their signature style creepy, and the music matches it. It’s so what I’m into.

-SS501 ‘Warning’ June 8, 2005
My original absolute love. I got into SS501 early on and fell head over heels. They were my one and only kpop group for a long time. Not intentionally, just more that I wasn’t into kpop then, but connected with them randomly (thanks, YouTube!). The reality of most of my original favorites…it was just me, myself, and I watching YouTube clips for hours on end not knowing any of the things that were going on (or little fandom inside jokes). I watched all of their MNET behind the scenes documentary thing and so I got real familiar with ‘Warning’.

-2NE1 ‘Fire’ May 6, 2009
2NE1 will always have a place in my heart because they are really the first girl group I got into fully. I loved ALL of their music, I watched all stages and all interviews. I really fell hard even though I didn’t get into them till late in the game. And their energy and personality from day one worked.

-SHINee ‘Replay’ May 22, 2008
Do I need to really tell you why this is amazing? I thought so.

-MAMAMOO ‘Mr Ambiguous’ June 18, 2014
MAMAMOO is a group that I haven’t given enough time to, but I really love every song they put out. ‘Mr. Ambiguous’ is no different. It perfectly shows what you are going to get with them, and it’s still that way to this day, and that’s why I love it so much.

-The Rose ‘Sorry’ August 3, 2017
The Rose puts out good music, and their first song still holds up as a great intro to them.

-4minute ‘Hot Issue’ June 15, 2009
This is such a fun song with a catchy chorus. I just always want to dance like Jihyo when it comes on.

-2PM ‘10 Out of 10’ September 4, 2008
Is this my favorite 2PM song? No. But it still a good one and think still captures some of their dance/club sound. I also got into 2PM fairly early on, and was introduced to them with these earlier videos so it holds a nostalgic spot in my heart.

-EXID ‘Whoz That Girl’ February 16, 2012
Even though half the group leaves after this, and half of the next lineup isn’t in it yet (including my ult, Solji), this song is still a top choice. It’s a fun pop song.

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