History of K-Pop: SF9

SF9 is a group that a lot of people didn’t pay much attention to until they participated in Kingdom back in 2021. While they would have moments within their career where they would have big hits, they’ve struggled to maintain that popularity in the K-Pop space for some unknown reason. It’s an interesting story to follow from start to finish, especially given the popularity of some individual members.

SF9 was one of the many groups formed via a survival show at the height of their popularity in 2016. d.o.b (Dance or Band) had two factions, NEOZ Dance and NEOZ Band. Obviously, the members of SF9 were NEOZ Dance, and NEOZ Band would later go on to form FNC Entertainment’s band Honeyst. NEOZ Dance won the competition with their performance of “K.O,” a track later added to their debut single album. It was quite an ambitious and impressive choreography; I’m still not sure how they pulled it off.

After receiving their debut name Sensational Feeling 9, the group would debut with lead title “Fanfare” in October 2016. Single album Feeling Sensation peaked at No. 6 on the Gaon Monthly Album Chart with approximately 32,000 sales. They would also go on to promote “K.O” after finishing promotions for “Fanfare.”

The first EP Burning Sensation and promotions for title track “Roar” would follow in February 2017. Not even two months later, their second EP Breaking Sensation was released in April with title track “Easy Love.” Since the two were so close together, “Roar” got kind of lost in the shuffle as “Easy Love” became a more popular release. Sales numbers remained fairly consistent and stagnant for the first three releases, though Breaking Sensation landed the group their first position at No. 2 on the U.S. K-Pop Albums Chart.

From here the group showed no signs of slowing down, but there was a shift in concept. While their first three releases focused on a youthful and passionate type of style and sound, third EP Knights of the Sun went in a completely different direction. Title track “O Sole Mio” captivated me at the time, with a new Latin influence in their music and a lovely cultural representation in performance and concept. While sales still remained fairly stagnant, the music video for “O Sole Mio” got a lot of attention. It still baffles me that sales don’t reflect the general consensus of fans at the time that found the release and concept shift a great move for the band. This is definitely the era I became a stan.

The exploration of a new group identity continued with the next release, fourth EP MAMMA MIA! in February 2018. In this era we saw another totally different concept, with the boys representing a retro '50s influence prevalent in both the composition of the title track with the same name and the overall styles of the comeback. This era was a lot of fun because it gave a nostalgic twist to a mischievous youthful concept and for once allowed the silly personalities of the members to shine in the music video. Previously they’d been very serious in performances, but watching one variety show from the group showed they were young and playful at heart. We could have done without Dawon and Youngbin’s hairstyles on this one, though.

Slow progress in sales could be seen with this comeback, with about a 10,000 unit jump from the previous release. Concept shifts continued with July 2018 release Sensuous and title track “Now or Never.” This was our first taste of a more mature concept in stark contrast to “MAMMA MIA.” To this day “Now or Never” is a heavy rotation, and while the EDM-influenced track gave whiplash compared to the previous song, it proved the group was able to tackle many different genres. This was also the turning point where we saw a lot more sensual influence in concepts, as suggested by the title of the mini. Despite a lack of virality, this was one of the best songs of 2018 without a doubt.

Now by no means was SF9 struggling, but the stagnation seen in their sales and views seemed incongruent with their talent. Rolling into 2019, the group continued with their darker, brooding concepts with the release of sixth EP NARCISSUS and title track “Enough.” While the album sold better than any previous album, the views on the title music video definitely don’t reflect it, as it sits currently at one of the lowest viewed music videos. Still, sexy and brooding proved to be a formula that worked for them, as it would be a trend moving forward.

Seventh EP RPM released in June 2019, right before the group would perform at KCON that year. This release didn’t get a lot of attention, despite showing a newer futuristic concept and heavy dance focus, the core part of the group. 2019 also marked a period where Chani and Rowoon began getting a lot more attention from the public through their acting in major dramas. Chani gained a ton of attention for his wholesome role in immensely popular drama SKY Castle, while Rowoon got his first lead role in Extraordinary You.

We saw the group finally get their big break in early 2020, with the release of their first full album FIRST COLLECTION and title track “Good Guy.” The title got their group their first music show win and three wins total, along with five nominations. The album was their first to sell over 100,000 copies. “Good Guy” showed the boys mastering the sophisticated and mature concept, which they would definitely capitalize on in future releases.

Eighth EP 9loryUS came in July with title track “Summer Breeze.” While the concept was similar to the previous release, the song itself had a totally different feel, almost as if it was a modern western. Album sales continued to rise to new heights. Later in the year in October, they would release the single album Special History Book to mark their fourth anniversary.

As we came into 2021, all members resigned with FNC Entertainment after contract expirations before the group would participate in Kingdom. Despite coming in last (arguable, in my opinion), the exposure proved to be helpful for the next comeback later in July. Ninth EP TURN OVER tripled in sales compared to previous releases. It’s interesting to note, especially since this is also not reflected in the music video views.

Remaining active, the next comeback would occur in November with tenth EP RUMINATION and lead title “Trauma.” While the album had great sales, there wasn’t a lot of talk of this comeback at the time, which I never really understood since it’s one of my favorites. Perhaps continuing with their sexy and mature concepts was getting stale, but there’s no denying that they’re masters at it.

Coming into 2022, Inseong and leader Youngbin were up for military duty, so they left early in the year in February to complete service. It was a pretty quiet year for group activities until the summer, with eleventh EP THE WAVE OF9 would release without Rowoon’s participation, making it a six member comeback. Most recently earlier this month, they released their twelfth EP THE PIECE OF9 with Rowoon rejoining the lineup. Both albums retained sales above 100,000.

What’s interesting to look into is the discrepancy between views and sales for this group since their inception. While some music videos pulled a lot of views, the albums didn’t sell as well, and vice versa. SF9 is still considered an underrated group in general despite numbers reflecting success. A lot of it may have to do with a lack of recognition at awards shows and a lack of general virality. It’s hard to pinpoint blame; a lot of it is likely due to an oversaturation of the genre to begin with.

Regardless, SF9 is a very talented group of individuals with a solid discography. If you haven’t given them a listen, now is the time.