K-Pop’s first generation is often referenced as the foundation for the industry we enjoy now, but there aren’t enough good English-language sources that give its music the focus it deserves. I’m hoping to change that with a continuing flashback series, spotlighting personal highlights from the era – both iconic and obscure.
The era in question is often considered to run from the debut of Seo Taiji & Boys in 1992 to the emergence of TVXQ in late 2003. The music featured in this series will largely fit within that time frame, give or take a few years on either side.
It was a time of bonkers song structures, wild fashion, slamming techno beats, bad reggae impressions, flagrant use (theft?) of American hip-hop samples, hearty power ballads, foul language, the growliest rapper tones you can imagine and an anything-goes scrappiness that’s impossible to pigeonhole. To borrow the name of a popular second-gen act, these years were the “big bang” of an emerging musical powerhouse, still finding its footing and throwing everything at the wall.
Check out other “Back to K-pop’s First Generation” reviews here.
The year is… 1997
SECHS KIES – CHIVALRY
After today, this feature will move from being daily to more sporadic as I turn my attention to the many year-end countdowns for 2024. And to mark the end of this “season” of posts, I must feature a song whose performance has become one of K-pop’s most notorious memes.
Sechs Kies are important to cover on their own. Alongside H.O.T, they were a pioneer of Korean idol groups and the fandom rivalry between these two acts is the stuff of legend. They were immensely popular during their initial run, disbanding at the height of their fame. They’re probably best known for their mega-hit Couple – one of K-pop’s best early ballads. However, the song I want to write about today is Chivalry.
Though Chivalry never had a music video, it was promoted on music shows – most notoriously on MBC’s Top Music. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen this yet, but just click the first video below and enjoy the (very NSFW) introduction. The fact that this song is called “Chivalry” makes it all the funnier. But beyond the novelty of this choice, I feel like this moment best encapsulates the wild, anything-goes energy of K-pop’s first generation. The fact that they could away with this is endlessly amusing to me.
Beyond “the moment” of that MBC performance, Chivalry is one of my favorite Sechs Kies hits. It’s big and brash and features that great blend of rock and dance that this era of K-pop doled out so well. There’s an aural firepower unleashed right from the first moment, storming forward with unrelenting intensity. The chorus is a bit underdeveloped compared to similar songs like Road Fighter, but the group’s unwavering personality definitely compensates.
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
9
RATING
8.75