Every K-Pop act goes through concept changes, but these 7 artists have gone beyond that. They have experienced dramatic transformations that have completely changed their career paths!
1. DREAMCATCHER
DREAMCATCHER has gone through one of the most dramatic changes in recent K-Pop history. This girl group changed everything from their sound to their style when they left their old name, MINX, behind.
As MINX, DREAMCATCHER had a bubblegum pop sound and a sexy-cute look to match it. Their “Why Did You Come To My Home?” MV features a bright, colourful bop and a sporty hip-hop aesthetic.
MINX took fans by surprise when they came back in 2017 with two new members, a new name, a new gothic look, and a much grittier, guitar-heavy sound with “Chase Me”.
Every since then, DREAMCATCHER has stuck to their new dark, anime-esque style. Now it’s hard to believe that this is the same group that made “Why Did You Come To My Home?”.
2. IU
IU‘s debut single “Lost Child” and its music video were darker, dramatic, and fantasy-inspired. Think Neil Gaiman meets K-Pop.
IU didn’t stick with this style for long though, as it was not well-received at the time. She made a dramatic change with “Boo”. It has a much cuter, upbeat sound, which has stuck with her throughout her career.
Although IU does have her fair share of emotional tracks too, none have quite the same phantasmagorical vibe “Lost Child” did.
3. CLC
In 2015, CLC joined the K-Pop game with a colourful, girl-next-door look and a catchy pop sound. In their bright and funky “Pepe” MV, CLC showed off their sweet side while dancing in black and white cheerleader-inspired dresses.
They kept the same summery sound and style for their first year, but made a startling shift in 2017 with “Hobgoblin” and, later, “Black Dress”. “Hoblin” has a much fiercer, hip-hop sound than CLC’s previous tracks, and has a sexy, street-chic concept to match it.
Since then they have stuck with their more mature look and sound, in both their fast-paced dance tracks and more emotional songs like “Distance”.
4. Stellar
Stellar debuted with a fresh, upbeat mix of pop and hip-hop and a cute, funky concept to match it.
Over the next three years, Stellar continued down the same cheerful, rainbow road with bubbly hits like “UFO” and “Study”.
Everything changed in 2014 when they dropped their super sexy single “Marionette”. Both “Marionette’s” sound and music video are much more mature than any of Stellar’s previous works.
Stellar continued on with their revamped musical identity up until their disbandment in 2018.
5. HELLOVENUS
Like Stellar, HELLOVENUS went from the sugar-sweet sound and image of “What Are You Doing Today” and “Do You Want Some Tea” to a much spicier one.
Unfortunately, their new sexier image and sound was not as well received as it could have been.
“Wiggle Wiggle”, in particular, drew criticism for its sexual concept, ‘low budget’ music video, and lackluster sound.
Thankfully, HELLOVENUS has finally seemed to found their footing by meshing their old and new styles together to create hits like “Mysterious”.
6. Global Icon
This girl group did a complete 180 before unofficially disbanding in 2016. They debuted with a bold hip-hop sound and a tomboy concept with “BEATLES”…
…and “GI-YEUK” but, at the time, their boyish sound and style weren’t gaining much momentum.
After a line-up change, the group returned in 2015 but both their music and visuals had changed drastically. Their new sexy, “girly” style and sound may have been an attempt to boost the group’s popularity, but it did just the opposite. The majority of Global Icon’s original fanbase strongly rejected the change.
7. Jessi
The Jessi you know today is definitely different from the Jessi who dropped this street-wise, pop-rap single in 2005.
In fact, she’s probably hoping that fans will forget about this adorable live stage of “1-2 Step”.
Today’s Jessi is a badass rapping queen with a fierce, “I don’t take any sh*t” sound and a strong, sexy look. “GUCCI” is a far cry from Jessi’s pop star days, that’s for sure!
