Kpop Feature (Part Two): Unsung - 9 More Underrated Boy Groups

AA, Block B, BTOB, MBLAQ, MYNAME, HISTORY, M.I.B, MR.MR, The Boss

Unsung - 9 Underrated Boy Groups Pt. 2

Last month we released an article on '9 Underrated Boy Groups.' Now, it's time for part 2! There are so many awesome boy groups in K-pop that deserve to be on top that we couldn't fit all of them in one article... So, let's see which groups make our list this time around.

The Boss

The Boss debuted in 2010 under Open World Entertainment. All of the members were previously part of Xing Entertainment, whose project group also previously housed popular idols, such as B2ST's Junhyung. This group is vocally extremely talented--they all have unique, but equally strong vocals. They have released a number of solid, catchy tunes. They are known to have promoted for an extended period of time in Japan, which may partially explain their limited success in Korea--however, it's clear that these guys have plenty of talent and deserve more love!

AA

AA comes from an agency that houses many of Korea's top actors. Thus, it's no surprise that this group, which debuted in 2011, is multi-talented. They have the looks, the vocals, and the fluid dance movements that should be the recipe for ultimate success in the K-pop world. Although they haven't had their breakout hit yet, I'm confident that these guys will come around soon. They have experienced minor setbacks such as member changes, but now this group is seemingly stronger than ever and ready to kill the game. I hope they kill it, I know people like their kimchi to be fermented but if it ferments too long, it'll be too late and lose its prime flavor.

HISTORY

HISTORY debuted in 2013 as LOEN Entertainment's first boy group. For their debut track, "Dreamer," they enlisted the help of their popular label mates, IU and Son Dam Bi, resulting in increased anticipation for the group. This multi-talented group did not disappoint with videos reaching over 1 million views on YouTube and even nominations at the MelOn Music Awards and Golden Disk Awards in 2013 and 2014 respectively. However, despite their popularity and fan base, this group has surprisingly yet to top the music charts. HISTORY is a relatively new group, still, so I'm confident they're success will see a sharp rise!

M.I.B

M.I.B made their official debut in 2011. However, prior to their debut, they showed fans that they were not just good looks whose voices were masked by layers of harmonies--in fact, they released solo songs prior to their official debut as a group to showcase their individual talents. Since their debut, this group has seen some setbacks, but they've also seen success with many of their tracks. My favorite is definitely, "Dash (Men In Black)." Although they haven't risen to the popularity levels of other groups that debuted around the same time, they released quality tracks that are bound to see major success in the near future.

MYNAME

MYNAME is another group that debuted in 2011. They were formed by Hwanhee of popular group, Fly to the Sky. With a mentor and vocal coach like Hwanhee, it's no surprise that these boys have strong vocals that perfectly fit ballads and up-tempo dance beats. MYNAME, too, has seen a strong showing of over 1 million hits on YouTube. However, considering how talented they are, and not to mention how catchy their songs are, it's surprising that they haven't seen the success they deserve. Yet.

MR.MR

On this entire list, MR.MR may be the most underrated group here. They debuted in 2012 alongside big name groups such as EXO and B.A.P. However, they have not seen quite the same success that their competitors have seen. With hits such as, "Waiting For You," off their last album, it's disappointing to see the minimal success they have seen. There has been much buzz surrounded these boys regarding controversial lyrics and member changes--let's hope we see more buzz surrounding them for their solid tracks.

BTOB

BTOB was one of the most discussed groups on '7 Underrated Boy Groups (Part 1),' so I decided to add them to this list because I do for the most part agree that they are in fact underrated. Despite having a video peak at over 12 million YouTube views (their video for "WOW," posted below), and many others reaching over 1 million, and winning awards at the Cyworld Digital Music Awards and Seoul Music Awards, they still are underrated when compared to other groups of their caliber. But they have definitely seen a spike in success in the last year, so let's hope this trend continues.

Block B

Block B, too, has seen an increase in popularity starting from last year. However, I don't think they've reached the popularity level where they should be. I was surprised to learn that they actually debuted in 2011. They garnered a lot of interest from fans prior to their debut despite having many of their early videos banned by the Commission of Youth Protection. I personally think that "Very Good" was a turn around track for this group, and I'm really excited to see that this group is finally starting to take off. Their new single, "HER" has won them multiple live-music show number ones. Although they've been much underrated for much of their career thus far, I'm confident that this is now their time.

MBLAQ

MBLAQ had a lot of attention in the beginning because of their connection to legendary artist, Rain. They had a strong debut in 2009, and their hit, "Y," released in 2010, garnered a lot of popularity for this new group. This group has made a strong appearances on variety shows and dramas showcasing their singing and acting chops. Although this group has accomplished a lot, to me, they are still underrated, especially when compared to their "rival" group, B2ST (as both groups debuted around the same time). It's no shock that these guys are extremely talented, and they are always hovering near the top of the music charts. I just hope it won't be too long before these hits become all-kills.