In a recent online discussion, one Korean netizen shared old videos showcasing the live performances of 1st generation idol groups from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

The netizen shared the videos on the popular online community TheQoo with the title, "The collection of live performances of 1st generation idols, who did better than expected." The list consisted of various first-generation idols such as Baby V.O.X, Shinhwa, Fin.K.L., S.E.S, Sechs Kies, g.o.d, and H.O.T. 

The netizen explained for each group:

Baby V.O.X: "They are an ultra-beautiful visual group. All members use handheld microphones. All members have stable live performances. Especially Kim E-Z sounds like the CD."

Shinhwa: "They also dance perfectly while singing live, which is amazing. Lee Min Woo is so talented. Shin Hye Sung and Kim Dong Wan nail the high notes, and they even handle ad-libs flawlessly."

Fin.K.L: "They were always criticized as a group with people saying they can't sing, they're just pretty. But Lee Hyori has a beautiful tone and sings well live. Surprisingly, Sung Yuri and Lee Jin sing their parts confidently. And then there's Ock Joo Hyun. Yeah."

S.E.S: "Eugene and Shoo not only have strong vocal abilities for their parts, but they also dance and harmonize. lol. There's absolutely no lip-syncing, lol. And what more can I say about Bada..."

Sechs Kies: "Their live performances here are even better than expected. Despite the energetic choreography, they don't miss a beat with rap/singing/ad-libs. Personally, if I were a fan back then, I would definitely pick Eun Ji Won (as my bias) lol."

g.o.d: "Deliberately searched for pre-100th concert videos, haha. Don't need many words, all members are incredibly stable. Kim Tae Woo was amazing, and Son Ho Young already showed signs of amazing vocals back then."

H.O.T: "True to the idol era, all members have impressive skills. Moon Hee Jun is genuinely an all-rounder, Kangta is not just reliable but solid. Jang Woo Hyuk, Tony, and Lee Jae Won each contribute more than their fair share. Considering they also wrote and composed their songs, they seem like the team that shows why the idol era began."

The netizen who created the post concluded their post by writing, "One sentence summary: They're much better than the AR-saturated idol videos these days."

Other netizens joined the conversation to share their thoughts and added, "I remember Eun Ji Won was really good at rapping and his vocal was not bad. I thought it was cool how he changed up his rapping style every performance," "I remember a lot of the idols were criticized for lacking skill back then even though they were this good," "I think the training is more strenuous these days than before, why are recent idols so bad at live singing? I wonder why the quality is declining even as K-pop's global status rises. Despite the intense dancing, you can hardly hear their voices and their pitch is off. The performers themselves seem lacking in confidence..." "This is why the main vocal is so important. I think they need to train the main vocal more if they were to debut these teams as singers," "Shinhwa's live singing is so solid even though they're dancing and their ad-lips are amazing," and "These first generation idols are really impressive."

SEE ALSO: Baby V.O.X reunites after 14 years at '2024 KBS Song Festival,' renewing interest in the 90s K-pop icons