BACK TO K-POP’S FIRST GENERATION: H.O.T – We Are The Future

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.

Okay, it’s probably time to cover the obvious titan of K-pop’s first generation. Even those with no knowledge of the era have most certainly heard of H.O.T. They’re widely considered the blueprint for Korean idol groups and inspired a whole sub-industry in their wake. And across their five albums (and one soundtrack), they have quite a number of classics in their arsenal.

When I was first getting into older K-pop, I deferred to Candy as being their best song simply because it’s the most iconic. And yes, Candy has endured as a K-pop standard. However, at this point I’d rank several singles above it. Can we hear it for Hope? Git It Up? Warrior’s Descendant? And can we get an especially big cheer for We Are The Future?

In 1997, K-pop’s techno craze hadn’t yet taken hold but dance music was very popular. Compared to the material on their first album, We Are The Future is a big departure. This might explain why it was only the third single from their second album. But as time has gone on, I consider this track to be the group’s most seminal. Despite its direct ties to the era, the chugging synth line holds up remarkably well today and has been covered by countless idol acts in the years since its release. Aggressive rap gives way to sleek, sweeping melodies that erupt in the song’s mammoth chorus, offering a musical highlight to return to time and time again.

Grade: A+