With all the bombast and over-the-top theatricality of K-pop, it’s not hard to imagine some songs taking center stage on Broadway or West End. Here are five K-pop songs that turn up the musical theater vibe:
“DamDaDi” – Golden Child
Woollim’s newest boy group has 11 members, and the boys use the group’s size to their advantage with choreography that looks made for musical theater. Listen to this ‘50s rock-n-roll vibe and try to tell us that this doesn’t sound like something straight out of a retro musical.
“Re-Bye” – Akdong Musician
Along with a charming video about a backstage girl longing to be in the limelight, AKMU’s “Re-Bye” has all the quirky vocal playfulness and dramatic instrumentation that would make it a runaway hit in the theater district.
“Pretty U” – Seventeen
Seventeen already upped the theatricality of their performance with props and some acting in “Pretty U,” but the song’s bombastic funk would make it a great choice for a Broadway finale.
“You Don’t Love Me” – SPICA
This song’s music video matches the grooviness of the music, but the musical theatricality of “You Don’t Love Me” is all in the live orchestration and the girls’ strong vocals.
“Home Run” – GOT7
After “Fly,” GOT7 came back swinging with follow-up single, “Home Run,” which bounces around with electronic synths and a catchy hook. Not exactly vintage Broadway material, but something about boys singing about love and baseball makes us think about another certain baseball number in “High School Musical.”
What’s missing from our list?
