2021 was filled with amazing comebacks, but a notable trend we saw was that iconic second generation groups were also releasing new content. The Hallyu wave is still going strong and it has brought some groups together after a very long time. Here’s a list of some 2nd gen groups who blessed us with comebacks or fun stages.
The boys from SHINee came back with two albums this year. There was the album ‘Don’t Call Me’ and then later on the album repackage ‘Atlantis’. It had been since 2018 that the group had released music together due to the mandatory military enlistment.
After the promotions it was revealed that Taemin would be enlisting. Right now he is the only member enlisted. The two albums were outstanding and gave us a very diverse listening experience.
Highlight released their EP ‘The Blowing’ after a bit more than two years. This was their first comeback as a four member group. ‘The Blowing’ had a great R&B sound to it. The vocals were stunning and overall, it was a great comeback. Their title track ‘NOT THE END’ had beautiful aesthetic shots and superb vocals.
There was also the comeback of the vocal group Big Mama. They released their first single since 2012. The four members reunited for the new single ‘One Day More’. We’re super stoked that this group is back together, to bless us with their new songs. Their vocals are just too fantastic to hide away.
The ladies from After School unfortunately didn’t release new music, however they did come back for a special stage. They absolutely rocked it and we’ve been streaming ‘bang’ since the concert ended. It had been ten years since they performed together. Two members had to fly in from abroad and member Kahi was five months pregnant. Speak about absolute icons.
Everyone knows for a great ballad, you can rely on 2AM and their discography. This year they released the mini-album ‘BALLAD 21 F/W’. They really didn’t disappoint with their heartfelt vocals and their gut-wrenching lyrics. It had been 7 years since their last comeback.
On the other side of the spectrum we have 2PM. They really said, let’s drop a full album after 6 years. The new album ‘MUST’ was R&B goodness. ‘Make it’ was their title track and the music video was absolutely bonkers. We got some fantastic bops and absolute vibes.
The members from T-ARA came back after four years with the single album ‘re:T-ARA’. The title track ‘TIKI TAKA’ gives us some groovy vocals and a fun choreo. The girls simply oozed stage presence and it was amazing to watch.
The last comeback I wanted to highlight was the new release by CNBLUE. The EP ‘WANTED’ was absolute fire and I loved every minute of it. They had a comeback in 2020 as well with ‘RE-CODE’, but before that it had been over three years. For this release they went with the theme of cowboys and it was amazing.
We love to see 2nd gen get major recognition with their comebacks. The Hallyu wave has made K-pop a lot more accessible and fans love to discover its history. We’re very curious to see which icon will be releasing new music to delight fans across the world next year.
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