Boy groups have always been popular in the K-pop music scene with groups like BTS and EXO to Seo Taiji and Boys, boy groups have always been a key component of K-pop. One group that has been influential in the K-pop journey is JYP’s second-ever boy group Groove Over Dose, more commonly known as g.o.d, or even those old fans of K-pop ‘The Nation’s Group.’ Are true icons not only for what they did musically but industry-wide. As one of the first ever groups to do musician activities outside of their original agencies and have long-lasting careers.
Debuting in 1999, the 5 member group would debut 2 years after meeting with the mastermind of the project Park Joon-Hyung flying to South Korea in 1997 to blend Western and Asian influences as he would later say in a 2001 interview. Before recruiting his cousin and second member Danny Ahn and his friend Son Ho-Young. Before recruiting members Yoon Kye-sung and Kim Tae-woo through auditions.
The group would face difficulties when debuting as their original company Sidus would face severe financial struggles leading to the cutting of funding to trainees. This meant the band would have to wait over a year with their big break coming when JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-Young decided that he would mentor the group becoming their producer and mentor.
Originally meant to be called GOT6 they would change the name with originally planned member Kim Sun-a leaving the group to pursue his acting career they would become G.O.D (Groove Over Dose). It was later revealed that GOT7’s name originated from the original GOT6.
Debuting on January 13, 1999, with their first album chapter one, they would first release the song to the public performing the title track ‘To Mother’ on the SBS show One Night Of TV Entertainment. The song wouldn’t be well perceived by the music industry, with the band placing heavy emphasis on their vocal ability and a relatable boy group. Setting a new trend for the new second generation of K-pop, adding a different element to the perfectly choreographed dances and aesthetics of first-generation K-pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twq3hcbtPic
The group would end the year strongly through their second album ‘Chapter 2’ where the lead song ‘Love and Remember’ would see the band top both Inkigayo and Music Bank earning their first-ever win, selling over 500,000 copies the album would feature great b-side hits such as ‘Dance all night’ and ‘Friday Night.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkVHuzUJ40
Moving into the 2000s and g.o.d would become a staple of K-pop. Starting the year with ‘g.o.d’s baby diaries’ a segment on ‘Achieve the Goal Saturday’. The members would together look after eleventh-month-old Han Jae-Min. The first time an idol group starred in its reality show. Before rising to major success with their third album ‘Chapter 3’ selling over a million copies becoming the first group since Seo Taiji and Boys to do so. ‘Lies’ became an instant success rocking the charts and music programmes alongside a Bonsang at the Golden disk award, and the Seoul Music Awards. Alongside finally winning their first-ever MAMA award for Best Male Group. They became the second-ever group to host a concert at the infamous Seoul Olympic Stadium, before touring around the Country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc-oFroae0Y
At the end of 2001, the band would release their fourth album ‘Chapter 4’ which like their previous album would hit over a million sales as well as the Daesang for Album of the Year at the Golden Disk Awards. The lead song ‘Road’ much like ‘Lies’ became an instant classic topping the music charts and staying in the hearts of Korean music fans still today.
After establishing themselves as K-pop’s best-selling artists they were chosen as the feature artists of the 2002 World Cup held by both Korea and Japan recording the song ‘True East Side’ as part of the ‘Fever Pitch’ album. They would later release their fifth album ‘Chapter 5: Letter’ which would be less popular with the wider Korean public due to their lack of TV appearances, as the group would do a ‘100-day Human Concert’ with each day having a different theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sp0aWglBYM
Yoon would leave the group in 2004, and with their contracts expiring the remaining members of g.o.d left label Sidus HQ to join the now established hit-maker and their producer Park Jin-Young of JYP Entertainment. They became the company’s second-ever boy group after 4-member Noel wouldn’t gather the initial potential JYP had hoped.
This led to the group’s sixth album ‘An Ordinary Day’ also known as ‘Chapter 6’. The first album to feature four members and under JYP Entertainment. The lead song ‘An Ordinary Day’ won first place at Inkigayo and music camp as well as being featured alongside B-side track ‘Promise’ as part of the LG Cyon 340 default tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSP5feEdvfM
G.o.d would go on to release one more album with ‘Into the Sky’ which would feature the title song ‘Two Love’ that would win at Inkigayo and music camp becoming the band’s last music show win. As they would also win big becoming Singers of the Year at the KBS Music Awards. But this would mark the end of g.o.d for now with the group going on hiatus after their last tour in December 2005. Ensuring fans that not only they would return but with all original 5 members.
Reuniting in 2012 g.o.d would return to perform at the Korean Music Festival in LA and the SBS MTV’s The Big Stage Pleasure. Before officially returning after lengthy discussions between SidusHQ and Yoon Kye-Sang they would announce their 15-anniversary concert before releasing their eighth album ‘Chapter 8’ featuring hits such as ‘The Lone Duckling’ and ‘Sky Blue Promise’ the album referenced several previous songs and albums as well as their journey throughout K-pop. It would feature an ‘Original version’ of ‘An Ordinary Day’ now featuring Yoon Kye-Sang after being rearranged and re-recorded to feature the member equally. Before repackaging the album later in the year featuring the new song ‘Wind’ a special song was written by Yoon to show his appreciation to fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDWWRNsTVJc
Beginning their 15 anniversary tour on July 12 2014 at the Jamsil Sports Complex with around 14,000 fans in attendance they would have to extend their initial plan of two days in Seoul to eight more dates and four more cities due to popular demand and would perform their encore at the sold-out Seoul Olympic Stadium, the second time they achieved this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFOf3r3PvQs
In 2015 g.o.d would release their first single album featuring songs ‘A Funny but Sad Day’ and ‘The Things You Need To Do’ Ahead of their end-of-year concerts where they would host a series of sold-out concerts in Seoul before heading to Daegu and Busan before deciding to continue solo activities in 2016.
In 2017 the group would reunite as part of their second Nationwide tour, beginning in Seoul and heading to five other cities. With their Incheon concert coinciding with their 18 anniversary. Before their 20 anniversary, the group would celebrate through a 10-episode travel variety show ‘Shall We Walk Together’ documenting the members’ walk around Camino de Santiago in Spain. And later released their single ‘Snowball’ which would get over 9 million downloads, and shortly after in January 2019 released their ninth album ‘Then & Now’ with the album featuring a mixture of their old classics and new songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq0IPSUKKxs
G.o.d have since released ‘Confession’ as part of the Do You Like Brahms OST in 2020 the band have had rumours of a possible concert reunion in 2022 with the group still not disbanded. This K-pop super-group still isn’t over with each member still being successful in their own right.
Overall, whilst we have talked about the impact that g.o.d have had on k-pop it is also important to talk about the impact they have had on Korean R&B and hip-hop, as whilst the group might not be the most authentic in terms of the genres as compared to other second-generation artists who focused purely on these genres the height in which g.o.d were able to reach whilst experimenting in these genres have since been mentioned by various artists over the year.
This group are still highly listenable today with music that people can still relate to it is clear why these idols are still so popular today and beloved by those of all ages.
