Welcome to the 2012 K-pop Dance Off: Male Edition! 2012 saw an incredible year for k-pop and an incredible variety of dances with it. Let’s get started!
10) G- DRAGON – One Of A Kind
GD chose to launch his long-awaited, highly anticipated solo comeback with ‘One Of A Kind’; a head bouncing, body rocking song featuring baby animals, cute kids and one very angry Barbie doll. Putting these aside, GD and his YG entourage complete the video with a boastful and iconic dance which I’m sure everyone tried to imitate behind closed doors. (And let’s not forget THAT sexy move at 1:15)
9) JJ Project – Bounce
My personal favourite rookie group of the year sprang onto the Korean music scene with ‘Bounce’ – a high-energy, playful song with a definite JYP party feel. The dance is energetic, simple and fun with dancers decked out in eye-poppingly colourful Adidas. Would you ‘shake it’ for JR and JB?
8) BIGBANG – Bad Boy
When it comes to elaborate and synchronised dance choreography, YG artists do not usually spring to mind. In ‘Bad Boy’ however, we see the 5 boys dougie-ing in sync through the streets of New York. Out of all the members, it appears Taeyang is most in his element as he pops and locks along the pavement, chasing that very special love interest. Let’s hope the boys will be grooving on the streets of the UK for videos to come in 2013.
7) 100% – Bad Boy
Despite sharing the same title, ‘Bad Boy’ by rookie group 100% has a totally different feel to the one by BIGBANG. Despite being rookies, 100% demonstrated an abundance of energy and pinpoint synchronicity which blew me away. For me, the quality of the dancing definitely overshadowed the song – have a look (if you haven’t already) and let me know what you think.
6) B.A.P – Warrior
B.A.P have certainly been busy this year and as a result, they have amassed a relatively large following in a short space of time. Without a doubt, their rough, unique, high-impact debut brought with it their best dance, including one of the best k-pop breakdowns I’ve ever seen.
5) EXO – History
Along with B.A.P, EXO M and EXO K have developed large, loyal fan bases. But after just releasing one album each, the EXO boys have proved that they are more than just pretty faces. ‘History’ was the first upbeat song to be released and it was accompanied by slick, precise choreography…including some suspicious pocket vibrating to open the video.
Rather than open the can of worms that is ‘Who is the better EXO?’, both videos are here for you to choose from.
4) Infinite – The Chaser
Infinite have always been known for their dances and 2012 was no exception. ‘The Chaser’ quickly became a fan-pleaser and was even named the top k-pop song for 2012 by Billboard. I feel the dance matches the song perfectly, with well-paced, crisp dance moves which don’t detract from this brilliant song. Well executed – as we have come to expect from Infinite.
3) Shinee – Sherlock
Another year, another concept for Shinee and it was fair to say that everyone had extremely high expectations, especially after the successful dance hit ‘Lucifer’. Perhaps the hybrid song ‘Sherlock’ wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Shinee delivered on the dance front for sure. And I was really pleased to see all of the members dance so well, even though Taemin is known for being the main dancer of the group. With imaginative and dynamic choreography, Sherlock is awarded a well-deserved bronze medal in the Male 2012 K-pop dance rankings.
2) TVXQ – Catch Me
TVXQ have amazing singing voices and when I heard Catch Me, I liked it. But then I saw the music video and fell in love with it a thousand times more. Without a doubt, ‘Catch Me’ features the smartest pieces of choreography of any K-pop music video in this list (yes, I am talking about that ‘dragon move’ and that ‘Hulk’ pose!) With crisp, clean, powerful and effortless dance moves, TVXQ reminds us once again why they are so respected in the K-pop world.
1) PSY – Gangnam Style
Shocked? Didn’t think so. Gangnam Style Mania well and truly took hold of the world in 2012. It was the dance every celebrity and every drunk dad was doing. PSY was the man to be; kitted out in bespoke flashy suits and sunglasses, he created an image for himself recognisable around the world. Of course it goes without saying that this song wouldn’t have been as popular without THAT horse dance. 1 billion views later and everybody is asking the same questions: what animal dance will PSY pull out the bag next time? And will it be as popular as the hit which ruled the world in 2012?
Well, what do you think was the best male dance of 2012? And how do these dances compare to those in previous years? Leave some comments below!
Also, keep an eye out for the female edition coming very soon!
