After weeks-long of teaser images back, on the 25th of September, Pocket Doll Studio announced and released group images of the new boy group named ‘BAE173’, where BAE stands for “Before Anyone Else” and numbers 1 and 73 represents perfection and lucky numbers. A name that has been perfectly embodied the boy group who are on a mission to become number 1 in the hearts of fans and K-Pop lovers with their music style, charms, performances, stunning visuals, and loveable personalities.
On November 19, 2020, the boy group with nine members; HanGyul, J-Min, JunSeo, YoungSeo, Doha, Bit, YooJun, Muzin, and DoHyon released their debut EP “Intersection: Spark” with the lead single ‘Crush On You’, an addictive pop song that showed the beautiful colors of each member, and with a music video concept that was both thrilling and interesting to watch, alongside fans, we ended up saying “Yes BAE173, we do have a Crush On You!”. The music video since its release has gained over 11 million views and so far it has been streamed over 600,000 times on Spotify. Which is quite remarkable for a group that is just barely a year into the industry. A positive reaction that has signified the keyed interest in this new group by K-Pop lovers.
Their stage performances of the song showed just how much entertaining and refreshing it was to watch on stage, with their cute concepts, vocals, great rap lines, striking visuals, and charming personalities.
B-side tracks ‘Fly’ and ‘Every Little Thing Is You’ were so good that they could’ve as well been the title track of the EP. With ‘Fly’ we have the catchy pop song that evokes feelings of happiness and warmth, the message and lyrics are clear and not overshadowed by the beat, it is a well-balanced tune mixed with the harmonies of the vocal lines and the rhythmic skills of the rap line.
With ‘Every Little Thing Is You’, we don’t get the same pop sounds as ‘Crush On You’ or ‘Fly’, but a more emotional ballad-esque sound. It is soft yet powerful and beautiful. According to fans, the concept of the music video tells member HanGyul’s story, his long journey of loss and heartbreaks before finally finding a true family with the boy group. The boys singing while the animated storyline played in the background added a unique and extra special feeling to the song. Presenting to the viewers a heart-gushing and emotional story that portrays their love and understanding each other. With incredible songs and music video concepts like these, their debut EP would definitely be considered a massive success as it not just introduced them as a new group to watch, but also garnered them due recognition and popularity with fans and K-Pop lovers calling for more.
And that call was answered. On the 8th of April this year, they released their second EP “Intersection: Trace” with the lead single ‘Loved You’. A song with a sound that kind of takes you back to early 2000s K-Pop eras with acts like BIGBANG and INFINITE. A nostalgic sound that we all love mixed with the catchy tones of modern-day pop. It is quite different from what we hear on the radio and its uniqueness adds to the charm and makes us hit that repeat button.
The stage performance of this song was just as refreshing and bright as the audio. Everything was perfect, the choreography, the outfits, unwavering vocals, wonderful rap lines, and their boyish charms seeping through their striking visuals. These elements proved how great of a performer they are and their ability to deliver a unique stage performance.
Rightfully, they’ve always been a performance powerhouse. Before their official debut in November, they performed on the music reality show “Immortal Songs”, perfectly delivering a stage cover performance of BTS’ hit song ‘I Need You’. A performance that drew the admiration of the panel and viewers, giving us a sneak peek into the vast and amazing talents each line possessed and a clear indication that they have what it takes to become the next big thing in K-Pop. They are seasoned performers and dancers, often releasing dance covers of some of our favorite idol’s songs.
Asides from their incredible stage performance, another trait that the group possesses that has keyed the interest of fans and viewers is just how funny and entertaining they are. Their interactions with each other are always lighthearted and adorable and we cannot forget HanGyul’s iconic twerk dance during their interview with Edward Avila. Each comeback sees the group’s popularity rapidly increasing due to the undeniable growth and improvement. A popularity that has earned them a nomination at the Asia Artist Awards in the category “Male Idol Group Popularity Award”. A recognition that proves that with each day, they are one step closer to their mission of becoming number 1 in the hearts of fans. Next Rated: 5 New Male K-Pop Idol Groups To Watch KPOP STORIES|Oct 13, 2021 Meet The Characters From The Idol Web Drama “Love In Black Hole” Described By The Cast KDRAMA STORIES|Sep 17, 2021 BAE173’s HanGyul Opens Up About Living In An Orphanage Till He Was 7 KPOP STORIES|Jan 22, 2021
