Throwback Thursday: The Year Is 2016

Photo: SM Entertainment

Is there a time in K-Pop you wish you could return to? For many, it’s 2018 or 2019, but I believe many tend to forget about the glorious year of 2016 and the great music we got from it. During this year, we got the debut of so many groups and soloists, iconic music, and it was an era in which many had so much fun. So, let’s take it back and talk about some songs that take us back to 2016. 

NCT U - “The 7th Sense” 

On April 9, 2016, the super group NCT debuted with their subunit NCT U. Members Taeyong, Doyoung, Ten, Jaehyun, and Mark came together and gave us a bass-induced track that is engraved in our minds forever. “The 7th Sense” is an upbeat track with that striking rap and smooth vocals that we know and love from NCT. When you hear that bass-filled beat, you can already picture the red music video and are ready to sing along. For this being the first song we’ve heard from them, it set the playing field for what we can look forward to from the group, and as each group made their debut, we got to see how unique NCT is.

ZICO - “BERMUDA TRIANGLE (feat. Crush & DEAN)”

On November 28, 2016, Block B member/leader and soloist ZICO dropped the hit track, “BERMUDA TRIANGLE,” featuring K-Hip-Hop/K-R&B artists Crush and DEAN. The moment the song starts, you are hit with these heavenly vocals that are sung in a falsetto. Then that iconic line, “We, we, we never know. We, we, we never talk. We, we, we criminal. Don’t let ‘em in, let ‘em in. Get out my zone,” starts, and you are hooked. This song is so much fun, and these K-Hip-Hop and K-R&B legends did a great job giving a collab we will never forget. 

Red Velvet - “Russian Roulette”

On September 7, 2016, SM Entertainment girl group Red Velvet released their well-known, upbeat track “Russian Roulette.” This bubbly track is so much fun to listen to, and also so addictive. Just from the first, “La-la-la-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la. Ah-ah-ah, yeah,” you are instantly hooked and on your feet. Since 2016, this song has been played by many K-Pop fans, and the super fun choreography has been learned by even more. “Russian Roulette” is a quirky song, and the music video shows that spooky side of the girls while still keeping it bright and colorful. It’s a must-have song for any K-Pop playlist.

Edited by Bryn Claybourne