BACK TO K-POP’S FIRST GENERATION: Seo Taiji & Boys – Dreaming Of Bal-Hae

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 debut of Seo Taiji & Boys is often credited as the start of K-pop’s first generation and the big bang of “K-pop” as we know it. I Know was certainly a watershed moment, but like many famous starts it was an encapsulation of disparate elements that already existed, forging a streamlined project that broke through to a wide, enthusiastic audience. Seo Taiji & Boys’ four albums are some of the most genre-busting projects you’ll hear in the 90’s, moving through sounds and influences at an incredible clip – often within the space of a single song. If nothing else, this omnivorous approach set the stage for K-pop’s diverse set of influences.

Most listeners will already be familiar with the group’s breakthrough I Know and their enduring gangsta rap classic Come Back Home. To my ears, their second album is their strongest overall despite lacking either of those hits. Swamp Of Death is a stunning MJ-esque banger. However, I’d like to feature the lead track to their third album: the 90’s grunge rock classic Dreaming of Bal-Hae.

The trio often dipped into rock influences, occasionally with a prog influence. Dreaming Of Bal-Hae is the most fully-realized re-creation of this sound, opening as a stately ballad with medieval undertones before bursting into a very 90’s rap. From here, the track enters several distinct melodic refrains that surge and chant to rousing effect. A blazing guitar solo fills Bal-Hae’s mid-section before we return to softer tones. The song doesn’t sound much like what K-pop would become, but its willingness to fully embrace specific genre touchstones points toward Seo Taiji’s genuine interest in a wide variety of musical styles.

Grade: A-