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Posted by joy_k1 pt Tuesday, June 17, 2014

[Original Feature] Then and Now: B2ST

B2ST, Doojoon, Hyunseung, Junhyung, Yoseob, Kikwang, Dongwoon

As a brand new company, Cube Entertainment made a big splash with their first male idol group, B2ST.  B2ST is a 6-member group that consists of Doojoon, Hyunseung, Junhyung, Yoseob, Kikwang, and Dongwoon.


Upon their debut, they were immediately dubbed as K-pop's "Recycled Group," because the majority of the members were trainees at notable companies before signing onto Cube�Doojoon, Yoseob, Kikwang, and Dongwoon were JYP trainees while Hyunseung was a YG trainee (not to mention Junhyung debuted before in group Xing). Kikwang also had a brief solo career as AJ. Although they just missed the cut of being in some of K-pop's biggest groups such as Big Bang, 2AM, and 2PM, B2ST has proven that their dance and vocals are equally spectacular. It is undeniable that they have come a long way since their debut in 2009. Today, they are one of Korea's leading global idol groups, a much-deserved position for this group of talented individuals. 


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B2ST debuted with the track "Bad Girl".  From the beginning, B2ST caught everyone's attention with strong vocals and dance skills displayed by each of the members (along with their good looks). Their follow-up track, "Mystery", similarly garnered more B2UTYs and fared well on music charts, especially for a rookie group. B2ST's first taste of real success came with their single "Shock", which won them their first number one win on music shows. Even today, "Shock," remains one of my favorite B2ST tracks with its catchy electro song and distinctive dance ("every day I shock, SHOCK!"). Although they saw great success, winning multiple awards and more, they were still rather eclipsed by other big-time idol groups and rookie groups, such as MBLAQ, for some time.


However, after countless appearances on variety shows, showing off their impressive dance moves (like Kikwang's no hands backwards flip) and likable personalities, they built a strong fan base. B2ST released popular songs such as "Beautiful", a catchy lovey-dovey song, and "SOOM", a song about a lost love with an electro backbeat and incredibly catchy dance (both music videos feature A Pink's Na-Eun!) during this period.  As a group, they won more prestigious awards, such as the Bonsang Award at the Seoul Music Awards.




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2011 was a turning point for B2ST. With the release of their song "Fiction", they catapulted themselves to the ranks of K-pop's top groups. The entire 'Fiction and Fact' album did extremely well with songs that were chart toppers without even being promoted -- most notably, my personal favorite song off the album, "On Rainy Days". During this time, we definitely saw a more mature side to B2ST. Their lyrics had meaning to them on a personal level and you can hear the sincerity in their voices. Furthermore, member Junhyung penned many of their songs. B2UTYs and music critics alike obviously loved this change because B2ST saw a new level of success with another Bonsang Award and Song of the Year at the KBS Music Festival for "Fiction" (not to mention the countless music show wins). They continued to release chart-topping hits such as "Beautiful Night". 



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Their more recent promotional cycle included "Will You Be Okay?" and "Shadow. "Shadow" especially made me look forward to B2ST's future sounds and imagery because not only was the song beautiful but also their music video was artistically so perfect that it became clear they weren't the same cookie-cutter type male idol group that we've seen come and go. Rather, they continue to mature and grow into their own sound.


Most recently, B2ST has released two music videos for "No More" and "Good Luck", composed by Junhyung. With the success of their recent songs, which don't disappoint (check out the music videos and let me know what you think), and a new variety show, "Burning the B2ST", it is clear that they are not slowing down anytime soon. I look forward to seeing what else they have in store for us lucky fans! 







SOOOOO B2ST :)  Vote in our poll below!


  1. B2ST
  2. Doojoon
  3. Hyunseung
  4. Junhyung
  5. Yoseob
  6. Kikwang
  7. Dongwoon
0 71,379 Share 96% Upvoted

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