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 year is… 2003

JTL – WITHOUT YOUR LOVE

After H.O.T disbanded in 2001, some members stayed with SM Entertainment and others left for different pursuits. Woohyuk, Tony and Jaewon joined forces to become JTL – a transformation that would be mirrored by the formation of JYJ from the ashes of TVXQ nearly a decade later. The trio released several successful albums under this name, and I’d like to feature their final title track today.

House music could now be considered a staple genre in K-pop, but back in 2003 this sound was quite unusual and novel. Because of this, Without Your Love was a pioneer of sorts — at least within this industry. It’s very much of its time, bouncing along an updated disco sound that was quite popular in 2003 – especially in Europe. This arrangement is given a K-pop makeover, making room for a rapid fire rap verse. The song does a great job blending boy group tropes with its sprightly tempo. I love the strings that accent each chorus. They add such a sense of richness to an already effective melody. Hooks like this are just timeless, regardless of the underlying genre.