GOT7

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About GOT7

As the cult of the American boy band declined in the 21st century, music fans were forced to look farther afield to find the kind of lyrically clean, dance-friendly pop that had filled the airwaves. K-pop rushed in to fill the void, and GOT7 exemplifies the creative fertility of what is arguably South Korea’s biggest export. Formed in Seoul in 2014 by K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment, the group stands out for its international origins: Four of the seven band members hail from Korea, while the other three are from Thailand, Hong Kong, and the U.S. That gave the group a leg up from its inception, as the singers can easily toggle between English, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish in the same song to reach their diverse global fanbase. (They also release albums in Japanese.) But their real accomplishment is their deft mix of dance pop, EDM, R&B, and rap, which, from their first single, “Girls, Girls, Girls,” has had an irresistible kinetic energy, winning them fans across Asia and in the U.S. (They became the first K-pop group to headline and sell out the Barclays Center in New York.) Over time, the individual members have taken larger roles in songwriting and producing, releasing a dizzying array of EPs littered with dazzling hooks. And they’re not afraid to use their voice for political purposes: In 2020, the members acknowledged the enormous debt they owe to African-American artists when Mark Tuan made a donation to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and posted information and resources about racial justice on social media.

ORIGIN
Seoul, Korea
FORMED
January 16, 2014
GENRE
K-Pop

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