Ten years ago, I cast Im Jaebum to play my character Kandahar. I needed a tall, artistic Asian man of a certain age to play my oppressed musician turned possessed leader. God showed me JB, leader of a K-Pop group called GOT7.
JB was everything I had imagined. He had the intensity of my possessed leader, but he could also display the pain of my oppressed musician. The first time I laid eyes on him, I felt like my character had come to life in a person. Of course, JB would never be Kandahar, not in the realistic sense—JB was his own person. But it’s getting to know Im Jaebum that led me to discover seven of the most talented, hardworking, hilarious men.
I’m not going to pretend that I know any of these guys by having watched them through a screen for ten years. Until I meet them, I can only speak to their talents as musicians, and my, have they all many skills. I’ve watched them grow from boys into men, from students into teachers. I’ve watched them blossom into their identities as artists, the individual sound of each member in their solo tracks. To celebrate their decade of achievements, I want to share one of my favorite songs by each of the members.
Im Jaebum
The sensual intensity of JB could be found in majority of his solo tracks, one of my favorites being “Sunrise.” The duality of his gentility is easy to see in his single “Rocking Chair.”
Park Jinyoung
Tied for my favorite Jinyoung song are “The Day,” which is a jazzy play on Jinyoung’s poetic side; the second being his irresistibly fun single “Cotton Candy.”
Mark Tuan
My all-time favorite of Mark’s songs is “Fallin’.” The catchy guitar pluck, the romantic lyrics, his voice. Did I mention that the video is ’50s themed with a RED MUSTANG? It’s like he made the video based on my heart’s themes.
Jackson Wang
Jackson has a knack for unforgettable music video stories, and one of my favorites is “Cruel.” The aesthetics and the power of the song are flawless. But then, listen to the lyrics and the imagery of “Bullet to the Heart,” and you’ll realize how hard it is to choose a favorite of his music.
Bambam
Bambam’s “Sour and Sweet” has that bouncy tune that you can’t help but bop along to. He has always been bursting with color, and he has a one-of-a-kind style that separates him from all others in K-Pop.
Choi Youngjae
Youngjae is the only guy I’ve ever seen who’s able to pull off a full-denim outfit, and he does it masterfully in his plucky song “Vibin’.” His smile, his laugh, his energy is always contagiously joyous.
Kim Yugyeom
Of course, the baby of our group is also the tallest of all the members. The irony, right? I love his entire persona in the song “Ponytail” (without Sik-K).
Proud can’t even begin to describe how I feel about all the success I’ve seen these guys achieve over the last decade. Having watched them grow up, grow into their talents, and grow independently has been beyond a pleasure of mine. God abiding, I’ll be here to support GOT7 through their solo careers for another ten years!
Side Note: After GOT7 was freed from their oppressor, JYP Entertainment, JB obtained the rights to the group and their music. Since then, the guys have all pursued individual careers as artists and actors, and they occasionally come together to perform once again as the well-loved group.
Danny Raye 