{"id":502242,"date":"2026-06-20T08:42:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T08:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/502242\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T08:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T08:42:20","slug":"male-k-pop-acts-revive-early-2000s-dance-pop-in-latest-wave-of-releases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/502242\/","title":{"rendered":"Male K-pop acts revive early-2000s dance-pop in latest wave of releases"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEOUL \u2013 A growing number of K-pop boy groups are looking to dance-pop\u2019s past as they shape its future.<\/p>\n

In recent years, many idol releases have been built around short-form-friendly hooks, easy-listening melodies and highly segmented song structures optimised for social media consumption. But some of K-pop\u2019s leading male acts are increasingly embracing a more traditional approach to dance-pop \u2013 one characterised by strong melodic lines, dramatic song progression and clear verse-chorus-bridge structures.<\/p>\n

The trend comes as girl groups such as Le Sserafim<\/a>, Illit, Katseye and Izna have helped fuel a broader revival of electronic dance music through house- and techno-inspired releases. Among male acts, however, the movement has taken a different form, drawing inspiration from the dance-pop formula that dominated K-pop during the 2000s.<\/p>\n

Among the most prominent examples are Tomorrow X Together<\/a> and BoyNextDoor.<\/p>\n

Released in April, the lead track of Tomorrow X Together\u2019s eighth EP, Stick With You, recalls the emotional sensibilities of early-2000s K-pop through its minor-key melodies and dramatic progression. Rather than relying heavily on trendy synth-driven production, the song places greater emphasis on vocal harmonies and melodic storytelling as it gradually builds emotional momentum.<\/p>\n

BoyNextDoor has adopted a similar approach with Viral, the lead track on its first album, Home.<\/p>\n

The song opens with relatively restrained vocals before gradually layering instrumentation and expanding into a larger arrangement. Featuring a clear progression from verse to chorus, alongside a prominent hook, dramatic bridge and dance break, the track evokes elements of K-pop\u2019s earlier dance-pop traditions while maintaining a contemporary sound.<\/p>\n

\"BoyNextDoor,<\/p>\n

BoyNextDoor, a K-pop boy group under KOZ Entertainment.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: KOZ ENTERTAINMENT<\/p>\n

According to leader Jaehyun, the approach was intentional.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen preparing this album, we thought that what might be considered the classic grammar of K-pop \u2013 clear narrative progression, performance-focused choreography and songs with distinct emotional highs and lows \u2013 could actually feel unique when BoyNextDoor does it,\u201d he said during a recent interview with the press in early June.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wondered if audiences might be craving that kind of music again: songs that run longer than three minutes, feature dramatic structures, emotional bridges, high notes and dance breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments suggest that some artists see room for a return to fully developed song structures at a time when many releases are optimised for short-form platforms.<\/p>\n

The resurgence of this structure has also produced strong commercial results.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow X Together achieved five music show wins with Stick With You, while reaching as high as No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. BoyNextDoor surpassed one million first-week album sales with Home, becoming a four-time million seller.<\/p>\n

\"Treasure,<\/p>\n

Treasure, a K-pop boy group under YG Entertainment.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: YG ENTERTAINMENT<\/p>\n

The movement extends beyond dance-pop, too. YG Entertainment\u2019s Treasure<\/a> recently returned with lead track If I, which draws from hip-hop\u2019s earlier foundations within the K-pop industry rather than contemporary pop trends. Built around heavy beats and raw rap performances, the song focuses on the core appeal of hip-hop and surpassed 100 million YouTube views within 11 days of release.<\/p>\n

\u201cRather than recreating sounds of earlier eras, artists are rebuilding familiar K-pop sounds and formulas through modern production techniques, performance styles and visual aesthetics,\u201d said music critic Lim Hee-yun.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor younger listeners, the structure and storytelling may feel refreshingly different from current trends. For older audiences who grew up with earlier generations of K-pop, the songs offer a sense of familiarity filtered through a contemporary lens.\u201d THE KOREA HERALD\/ASIA NEWS NETWORK<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEOUL \u2013 A growing number of K-pop boy groups are looking to dance-pop\u2019s past as they shape its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[146,85,46,409],"class_list":["post-502242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=502242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/502242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/502243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=502242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=502242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=502242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}