I have now spent half a decade listening to K-Pop. Five years. It boggles my mind that it’s been that long.
I’ve been a K-Pop fan since before EXO debuted. I remember when Heechul of Super Junior was still in the army. I remember when the only BIGBANG albums on iTunes was “Tonight” and their single for “Lollipop Pt. 2.” SHINee made their Japanese debut that year.
I feel old. Maybe it’s because I was still a teenager when I began listening to K-Pop. I was 19.
But I’ve told the story about how I began listening to K-Pop several times. Instead of that, today I’m giving you a playlist of the songs that captured my heart.
These are my first K-Pop music videos. Hopefully, they will fill you with a sense of happiness, nostalgia, or they may also become your first fondest memories of K-Pop.
Enjoy the list! They will appear in the order that I remember watching them.
BoA “Hurricane Venus”
SHINee “Ring Ding Dong”
Super Junior “No Other”
SNSD “Gee”
f(x) “Chocolate Love”
This is debatable, because early on I do remember watching “Pinocchio” as well because that’s where I mistook Amber for a boy. However, I remember watching both versions (the other being SNSD, they both made CFs for the Chocolate phone by LG) of this song waaaay early on, so that’s why this video is here instead.
BIGBANG “Tonight”
2NE1 “Go Away”
GD&TOP “Knock Out”
This is the only ‘official’ (being from Warner Music Taiwan) video left, due to copyright claim by Playboy (which is totally fair, they had the bunny symbol in the video and on the album/in the jacket photos).
Taeyang “I’ll Be There” (English)
I specifically remember this version because I was skeptical of the thumbnail. There was no way he was…naked. Needless to say that I was watching this music video through the cracks of my fingers. Oh, innocent me.
1TYM “Do You Know Me?” I’m more than positive on this because I remember thinking they were bad asses until I saw “Good Love.” Oh, young Karen.
2PM “Without U”
KARA “Step”
EXO “What Is Love” (K)
Ms. ThugBear 