Boy band rivalries in K-Pop have often marked the beginning of a new era, starting as far back as H.O.T. and SechsKies, g.o.d. and Shinhwa, and the most familiar to current music fans, B2ST and MBLAQ. Considered as the rivals of NRG during the peak of their fame, Taesaja is a name often left out of old school boy band discussions - perhaps because of their short-lived career. Comprised of members Kim Hyung Jun, Park Jun Suk, Lee Dong Yun, and Kim Young Min, the group debuted in 1997 under Masscom, the former agency of actress Kim Hee Sun. Although their career wasn't as long as most boy bands of similar stature (they disbanded in 2001), their level of fame and the impact they made in that time far exceeded what most boy bands achieved. Taesaja debuted right around when H.O.T. and SechsKies halted their promotions as a group, so they were a shoe-in for the boy group frenzy that their seniors had begun. Their debut track, "Do", was composed by Jang Yong Jin, who had also composed H.O.T.'s "Candy". That in itself attracted widespread attention, as the composer was known for his sugary-sweet pop tracks. However, for Taesaja, he sat down to create a powerful dance track that was both brooding and dark, but with enough kick to still make it idol-like. Because they had debuted just a week apart from NRG, several show programs introduced the two groups as rivals, and that stuck with their image permanently. "Do" in itself was a rightful hit, but it wasn't until they followed up with their next track, "Time", where they reached the highest peak of fame in their career. They had all the necessary components of a successful boy band, but many were of the belief that their agency had failed to really foster the group's potential, a belief that was later reflected in the steps to their disbandment. With "Time", the group took home their first music program trophy in January of 1998, and went on to receive two rookie awards the same year at the SBS 'Gayo Daejun' and 'Video Album Awards'. So what set them apart from the rest? Male idol groups were limited to one image at the time, and that was 'cute'. It's hard to believe now with Chun Myung Hoon and everyone acting as comedians on various variety shows, but NRG was considered the SHINee of their time. Other rival groups like O.P.P.A. and Eagle Five stuck to the same concept, dressed from head to toe in loose-fitting colorful outfits and singing about mushy love songs. And then came Taesaja. English names were the dominating trend during this time, but this group confidently emerged with a name consisting of three Chinese characters that stood for 'the four big sons.' Sticking to the concept, each member represented the sky, rain, cloud, and wind. Taesaja also ditched the colorful outfits for a clean, suits-only style that had new fangirls raving over the change in look, and male college students emulating the semi-formal style. Kim Hee Sun, one of the greatest actresses still to this day, also lent her support on TV shows, which naturally drew in additional public attention. All of this combined with their pretty boy looks (probably the biggest driving force behind their fame since their vocals were a bit lacking compared to other groups), it's no wonder they hit it big right from the start. Furthermore, the group broke the stereotype of idol promotion styles, some of which still exists to this day. Every popular idol group followed a formula, which encouraged the release of a 'serious' title track followed by a bubbly, outgoing dance track. Taesaja stuck to their own style and chose a ballad track, "Time", as their follow-up to "Do". What left the greatest impression on male fans especially was that they sang about break-ups, leaving all those sweet, mushy lyrics to their rivals. This, in effect, not only differentiated them from the crowd, but also helped in creating a 'cool' image, one that would be engraved in the memories of fans to this day. After the release of their second album, the group stabilized their fanbase but unfortunately didn't rise any further from their 'one hit wonder' stage. They hit a plateau with their third album, and by their fourth, the group rolled downhill fast due to unfortunate issues out of their control. Kim Hee Sun had left their agency at around that time, so their label was too caught up in resolving matters and focusing their attention elsewhere. Essentially, Taesaja was cut off from all manners of support. Additionally, their title track, "Episode", was banned from broadcast networks due to the use of slang, forcing them to abruptly change to another song in the middle of their promotion cycle. Controversy escalated when the group performed on a Korean-Chinese music festival and KBS completely cut out their entire performance from the broadcast, raising tension amongst fans who were already wary of the group's disbandment. Unfortunately, their fourth album would be the last fans would be seeing from the group, as they officially announced their disbandment with the release of "Taesaja Forever History", a compilation album. Their disbandment was a quiet one, and perhaps one of the biggest reasons why they're often forgotten in the public's memories of male idol groups from the 90's. Some of the members went on to pursue acting, and others left the entertainment industry for good, but none of them really made a comeback that was worthy of headlines. Interestingly enough, fans wouldn't have it any other way. Fans of other idol groups are always yearning for a reunion for their favorite 90's bands, but fans of Taesaja are content with the group remaining as a 'cool' memory of their youth, one that will forever maintain their aura of mystery (an aspect that's often marred when old school idols try to make a comeback 10 years later by performing body gags and talking about girl group crushes on programs like 'Strong Heart'). Their style was considered modern for their time, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that they'd fit right in with our current group of idols. What do you think? -- < ? (Poem) MV > -- < Blue Birthday MV > -- < Again MV > -- < Loving MV >