They came back with their self-titled EP “GOT7” and title track ‘NANANA’ on May 23rd. You can watch the full music video for ‘NANANA’ here. As a celebration of their comeback, let’s take a look at the evolution of GOT7 from their debut to their greatest encore yet.
The beginning of it all
GOT7’s Jay B and JinYoung were the first members to join JYP Entertainment in 2009. This era is best known for their appearance in the K-Drama “Dream High” and for the formation of their duo the JJ Project. The iconic song ‘BOUNCE’ encompasses the nostalgia of this time period. Members YuGyeom, BamBam, Mark, and Jackson were the next members and joined a survival show called “WIN: Who Is Next?”. Thereafter, YoungJae joined the group as the final member. The group earned their name ‘GOT7’ which represented the 7 lucky members. It would also unintentionally become a metaphorical phrase for the sentiment that most Ahgases share today. Each Ahgase who has joined the fandom (regardless of in which era) can say that they have got 7 gifts through this group. GOT7 debuted on January 16, 2014, with their mini-album “Got It?” and the title song ‘Girls Girls Girls’, which did extremely well. As a multinational group (with members from South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Hong Kong) that appeals to a wide demographic of audiences, they immediately showed huge potential for global success. They also held a special appeal as standouts in the pool of K-Pop artists due to the way that they incorporated martial arts and B-boying into their choreography.
GOT7’s hit-after-hit growth era
The group became incredibly successful incredibly quickly. In their debut year, they were able to expand their promotional market to Japan, as well. By the end of the year they were nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, and won ‘Rookie of the Year’ at the Philippine K-Pop Awards. They were definitely monster rookies.
GOT7 swiftly became a dependable group for fans as they produced hit after hit with each comeback. Anyone who is new to GOT7 can only be shocked by how solid and endlessly euphonious their discography is. Each album is a no-skip blessing to the ear and you can easily put their songs on shuffle and not be worried about the song selection as they are all so good. They showed versatility, pulling off a number of different concepts. From vibrant playful concepts to darker heavier storylines, GOT7 was proving that there was nothing that they couldn’t do.
The members showed growth and improvement with each year of experience that they gained. Be it producing skills (writing and composing), making appearances on variety shows, gaining acting experience, becoming MC hosts, and more, GOT7 proved that they were not just a force to be reckoned with on stage. They were and are still a force to be reckoned with in every single inch of the entertainment industry. This was all while creating the strongest bond with their fans.
GOT7 also proved that they were a group of top-caliber by not only giving their all to their group activities, but showcasing their full talent in sub-units and solo capacities, too. JJ Project made a comeback that Jay B and JinYoung heavily produced, engraving their thoughts over the years into the lyrics. Later, Jackson also started his solo career which revealed yet another side to him as an artist. The other members also got a chance to release and film music videos for solo songs showing their individual styles, too. Additionally, Ahgase had the pleasure of listening to music by JUS2, which is a sub-unit made up of members Jay B and YuGyeom. This duo showed a different side of music that GOT7 had not performed much before, unlocking yet another layer to the group’s range. With successful comeback after successful comeback, each one taking the group to new heights, it almost felt like there was no stopping the members. They were and still are multi-talented award-winning artists. Their final album under JYP Entertainment “Breath of Love: Last Piece” was released on November 30, 2020. Then came the news that the members were receiving offers from other agencies and might not renew their contracts with the company. Fans had mixed feelings about these events but naturally wished for the outcome that would be best for the boys. The members all left JYP Entertainment and went their separate ways to find/continue their paths as artists.
Finding and defining their colors as individual artists
The new journey for each member came with freedom for them to explore and expand on their respective artistic colors. Regardless of their industry, fans’ could rest assured as the careers of each member took off in their respective capacities. With members producing their own music in their own style, Ahgase got to re-meet the artists known as GOT7 through varying genres, concepts, and promotional activities. When Ahgase momentarily paused the members’ music that they had playing on a loop, they were able to switch on a TV or laptop screen and dive into a good bingeing session to see some of the members’ prolific acting. It is well-known among the fandom that GOT7, despite showing a plethora of talents during their time as a group under JYP Entertainment, had a lot more that they wanted to show fans as a group and as individuals, as well. It has been a blessing to see them come into their own and shine to their heart’s desire.
Rebuilding GOT7
Of course, as much as Ahgase continued to cheer on each member in their individual endeavors, the longing for an OT7 reunion or comeback did not go away. However, luckily for all of us, GOT7 kept their promise #GOT7Forever and came back on May 23 with their self-titled album. With a fan concert, comeback, and various content, all of the nostalgic memories flooded in. As the comeback triggered nostalgia from the years spent supporting the boys, fans and the members were overcome with emotion. Add to that the high-quality of their new music, and this comeback has signified more than can be expressed in words. Not only did GOT7 keep their promise, but by obtaining their trademark rights to the group, sub-units, and members, GOT7 has become the first K-Pop group in history to achieve this kind of reunited success after all leaving a company. Fittingly, their concept was centered around the construction, packing up, and finishing touches of the new GOT7. This cements the fact that GOT7 has delivered one of the best encores in K-Pop history. During the GOT7 Homecoming Fan Concert, the members got emotional as they repeatedly emphasized how much it meant to them that the fans waited for them. They asked Ahgase to stay by their side and trust that they will always come back. On that note, they proved one thing for certain with this comeback… When it comes to GOT7, the wait is and always will be worth it. What do you think about GOT7’s journey? Let us know in the comments.
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