Multi-national K-pop boy band Got7’s new studio album may be titled Flight Log: Turbulence.
But make no mistake, there is nothing turbulent about the seven-piece’s showbiz career thus far.
Got7, formed in 2014 by label JYP Entertainment, has enjoyed a smooth and steady ascent to the top, captivating fans with breezy hip-hop tunes like Girls, Girls, Girls, Just Right and Stop, Stop It.
Now, with Flight Log: Turbulence and its lead single Hard Carry, the members – South Koreans JB, Youngjae, Junior, and Yugyeom, Jackson from Hong Kong, American-Taiwanese Mark, and BamBam from Thailand, ages ranging from 18 to 23 – are back, fiercer than ever.
And the numbers say it all.
According to entertainment website Soompi.com, Hard Carry’s music video surpassed a million views in less than 12 hours after its release.
The boys also solidified their popularity in the US by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart.
Flight Log: Turbulence marks Got7’s third album to top the World Albums chart. It’s an incredible feat that ties them with fellow boy band B.A.P as the K-pop act with most number ones on that chart.
M looks at why the lads of Got7 are poised for world domination…
CREATIVE PROWESS
You enjoy longevity when you start owning your songs.
Got7, clearly not content with being pretty pop idols, co-wrote 11 of the 13 tracks on the album.
Taking a larger and more pro-active role in the creation of their music was exhilarating, the boys told Billboard.com in July.
“It feels better that you can rap your own verses instead of other people’s,” said BamBam.
The process was not easy though.
“It’s a learning experience, because when we make and record our own music, we learn what we need to improve on and what we need to do in the future,” said JB.
SWITCHING IT UP
Where their previous hits were fun, upbeat and playful, some of the tracks on Flight Log: Turbulence turned out to be incredibly intense.
Hard Carry, hands down the most impressive song, was praised effusively by K-pop news site allkpop.
Its reviewer called it “a sonic attack that slew me”, adding that there are “nods to trap and EDM (electronic dance music) beats… with tons of layered sounds”.
Music review site TheBiasList gave Hard Carry a score of 8.5 out of 10, saying the song’s “thunderous explosion of drums that ignites the chorus does its job well”.
TEAM SPIRIT
One of Got7’s greatest strengths is the camaraderie and teamwork among the members.
In a July interview with SURE fashion magazine, main vocalist Youngjae was asked if he felt disappointed that despite his excellent vocal chops, he always had to “split the singing parts” equally with his mates.
He said: “No, because it’s not Youngjae’s song.
“It’s not about showing everyone that I’m good at singing. It’s our goal to show that the seven of us can make good music as a team. “In fact, I feel that if my voice stands out too much, I would not be fulfilling my role as a lead vocalist.”
The baby of the group, Yugyeom, said in a separate interview with SINGLES magazine in January: “Even though we are very busy due to our schedules, I really like the life we have now.
“There are times when we’d fight and won’t even remember the reason why. But whenever I’m with my teammates, it is always fun.”
Awww.
This article was first published on October 12, 2016.
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