How Discovering "Momoland" Changed My Life

First, a confession. I only discovered "Momoland" in 2018 and ever since then, I have been down the rabbit hole of bright coloured music videos, energetic synchronised dance routines and stunning visuals. I give you a look at the history of the all girl K Pop group energising the music scene, critical reception by world wide fans and restoring the original traits of the K Pop genre.

The early beginnings of the 9 member group started with the Korean reality television program called Finding Momoland all the way back in 2016. The television program featured contestants competing and training in smaller groups through singing, dancing and overall visual performance. The conclusion of the program in November 2016 saw 7 of the 9 members announced being Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin and Nancy. The remaining 2 members were added to the group in early 2017 being Daisy and Taeha. Side note, I am slightly obsessed with Nancy, Daisy and Ahin, but with time, it will be the entire group I am sure of that!

During 2016 shortly after the group was formed, a debut EP was released entitled Welcome to Momoland. The EP had some critical reception and a fan base was growing if only on the small scale for the time being. For the rest of 2016 and 2017, the group focused on growing the fan base through a follow up EP Freeze! along with various performances on Korean television programs and live performances. Finally in 2018 came the critical breakthrough or "comeback" as I learned it is called in the K Pop genre. The 3rd EP Great! featuring the almost instant pop culture anthem "Bboom Bboom" and 4th EP Fun to the World featuring another instant hit with "Baam". The fresh sound and high energy performances on both songs and music videos sparked a resurgence for the group followed by critical success in album sales and a rapidly expanding fandom.

Momoland certainly are not an overnight sensation by any means as all the members have been hard at work to make it. The viral aspect of the group came from the single "Bboom Bboom". The question, what makes it so special? According to member Daisy during an Instagram live video, it is the type of song that gets stuck in your head and you can't get it out. I can 100% attest to that. It is the kind of song you leave on repeat and in the silence after, you find yourself singing it again and again. In addition to that, comes a music video with a signature choreography that has you almost hypnotised. This characteristic, I would later find is the case with every song and video. The success is hard to argue with "Bboom Bboom" reaching over 300 million views on YouTube at the end of 2018. I will not disclose how many of those views were mine... In line with the online views, the group has earned multiple awards for best new act across Korea.

Another attribute to the success of the group is their fan interaction. The members constantly mention their appreciation for the fans of the group that supported them and still continue to. Multiple versions of their hit singles with supporting music videos have been adapted for wider audiences such as Japanese versions for the respective fans. The members often enjoy using the "Live" function on social media sites allowing them to answer questions and announce news to fans in an interactive manner. I believe this is the key point in the "viral" aspect as fans feel close to their idols and feel as if they are a part of their lives.

2019 is set up to be another big year for the group with another "comeback", this time in the form of a tour of Asia and appearances at other events mainly to promote the existing albums while we can only hope a new full length feature is in progress. The latest comeback entitled "I'm so hot!" was a summer anthem and fans were happy to have new songs from the group. You will notice that Taeha and Daisy were not part of the comeback, this is assumed because of health issues Taeha was having and the dating scandal around Daisy. I will not elaborate because I am not that type of writer, but now you have a bread crumb to follow!

The longevity of the group has been brought into question when drawing comparisons to groups such as Black Pink and Twice. My take on it is that while other groups may be trying new things, Momoland pays tribute to the original essence of K Pop and draws their inspiration from iconic groups such as Girls Generation and in that way, ensures that the new generation will always have the necessary musical history.

If it did not come across from the article-I am forever part of the fandom and don't want to ever leave! In a time when music can be one sided, Momoland delivers a breath of fresh air into the K Pop scene and are definitely worth adding to your playlist whether it be for driving, in the gym or even before bed. Don't take my word for it, let the ladies do the talking or singing, you know what I mean...

"Alexa, play Bboom Bboom!"