Artist Spotlight: MBLAQ, Group Whose Impeccable Discography Deserved More

This Artist Spotlight has been a long time coming because if there’s a second generation group whose music we really wish we could hear again for the first time, it would definitely be MBLAQ.

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Hello friends, our Artist Spotlight section is being brought back from the dead finally after more than half a year since we did our last one on VIXX’s Leo and his solo discography. I’ve been meaning to write this for quite a while and have been mentioning it to Lina but I’ve fell out of the routine of writing these and it took me a while to get back on my feet. Either way, I couldn’t be more excited to talk about MBLAQ’s flawless discography today because they really deserve more appreciation for everything they’ve given us during their way too short run as a group. I’m not going to go into a rant because it would just end up being a bitter post or one absolutely destroying Rain for everything I have to say to him regarding how he treated the group. Instead, I want to share my favourite songs by MBLAQ and hopefully maybe get someone to listen to them for the very first time.

I ended up covering a lot more songs than we usually do in AS but I think they deserve and it would’ve been way too difficult to pick between title tracks since they’re all incredible. This is also a great way for me to give you short reviews of the songs as I’d end up going through them with our Song of the Moment section if I haven’t decided to write this. All in all, I hope you’ll enjoy if you’re familiar with the group and share your favourite songs with me in the comments. If you’re not familiar – make sure to listen to those listed below and tell me which one you like the most!

MBLAQ (Korean: 엠블랙, an acronym for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality which quite frankly couldn’t be more accurate) is a South Korean boy band created by Rain under J. Tune Camp. Originally a five member group, MLBAQ today consists of Seungho (leader, lead vocalist), G.O (main vocalist) and Mir (main rapper, vocalist, maknae), with Lee Joon (main dancer, lead vocalist) and Thunder (lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist) departing from the group in 2014. The group debuted on October 15th 2009 and has been pretty much on hiatus since 2015 with the company it was originally under shutting down in 2017. The group has released one full album and eight EPs as well as two compilation albums. They have also released music in Japanese. MBLAQ have also won some pretty great awards such as several Best Rookie/Newcomer awards as well as a Disk Bonsang, Korean Culture Entertainment Awards’ Music Daesang and several music show wins. The group deserved miles more than what they got for the amount of talent and quality music they’ve put out so let’s take a look at some of that incredible discography below.

Oh Yeah (2009)

Oh Yeah is MBLAQ’s debut song from 2009 and it honestly still hits that sweet, sweet spot. End of 2000s couldn’t be more apparent in trends and sound than in this very song and music video. The song was penned by Rain, the group’s mentor, and produced by him and C-Luv (who also, for example, worked on Rainism). I actually think it should’ve been illegal to debut with song this catchy all while having Lee Joon wear that almost non existent shirt because the bar was set too high. Also, how often do you have a member debut with facial hair? Because G.O was out there giving us DILF vibes at 22. Oh Yeah is peak 2009 k-pop and is as such extremely nostalgic in a very, very good way. Give me this kind of dance floor jumping music again. They did everything and more with this.

Y (2010)

You know a song is going to absolutely slap when it starts with a shower scene and someone saying which year it is. How was 2010 12 years ago? Math and time are not real. Y is the title track of MBLAQ’s 2010 EP of the same name and a song once again penned by Rain who had the help of one of JYPE’s producers JR Groove (who I believe was most recently behind some of OnlyOneOf music). The song starts off strong with that dramatic melody followed by an even more dramatic choreography (where Lee Joon is trying to angstily rip off his shirt?) but the song’s undoubtedly best and catchiest part is the chorus that’s impossible not to like honestly. The instrumental, the slight autotune, the dramatic choreography, the oh-oh-oh parts, the sexy black outfits paired with some sort of neon styling mystery? Peak 2010 k-pop. MBLAQ really said let’s start this decade with a bang. Linking this stage performance of it because… well, you’ll see.

Cry (2011)

Real men making real music. In my quite subjective opinion Cry is one of the best and most representative k-pop songs of the entire previous decade and it has that timeless energy and melody to it that we aren’t even close to in today’s k-pop scene. Cry is one of the lead songs of MBLAQ’s first full album BLAQ Style from 2011 when the group decided to release 3 of the best k-pop songs and leave everyone trying to reach the bar. Cry is actually written and produced by E-Tribe who are behind legendary songs such as SNSD’s Gee, miss A’s Hush, Super Junior’s It’s You as well as most of Dalshabet’s discography since the group came from their own company. Cry is one of those k-pop songs that doesn’t have a single hitch during its almost 4 minute long run. From the intro and the melodic yet angsty verses to its melodically dramatic chorus and soft post-chorus, Cry doesn’t slow down one bit. If anything Cry simply continues to get better and better. Cry also has one of my favourite MBLAQ rap sections because Mir and Thunder understood the assignment and provided us with quality.

Cry also has one of my favourite early 2010s k-pop music videos because nothing screams dramatic and melodic like men falling to their knees while wearing some very intense eye make up and gloves. The music video also gave us the iconic underwater shots which were very difficult to film but still look just as beautiful. Timeless. Iconic. Legendary. Yet to be topped.

Stay (2011)

Hey, remember when boy groups gave us actual good music? Stay is the other lead song of MBLAQ’s first full album and it has one of the best pre-choruses in the history of k-pop. This is actually scientifically proven – I did a research paper with Einstein. Another dramatic yet impossibly melodic song from MBLAQ that withstands the test of time without a problem. I have no idea who decided to put Seungho and Joon in that fur outfit for their pre-chorus parts but they still somehow look incredible which should just be illegal at this point. Jokes aside, Stay is another one of my favourite MBLAQ songs and it honestly does everything right – it has that dramatic 2011 intro, fantastic verses and an even better pre-chorus that seamlessly transitions into a catchy chorus. Even the rap sections seem to be incorporated well into the melody with Thunder’s verse being one of my favourites.

PS. Leaving this stage performance because this song somehow sounds even better live? If you thought the pre-chorus is good in the audio version… you simply haven’t heard the live one yet.

Mona Lisa (2011)

EVERYBODY ON THE LEFT EVERYBODY ON THE RIGHT EVERYBODY BODY EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSE! Thunder said what he said and left no crumbs. He also came for my neck here because that’s a look. Mona Lisa is the title track of MBLAQ’s 2011 EP of the same name and it’s pretty much a Spanish-inspired dance track before these became popular in k-pop. The important name behind the song is Black Eyed Pilseung’s Rado which already tells you this is going to be a banger and a half. Mona Lisa is one of my favourite k-pop songs and honestly a timeless tune that truly always makes me want to get up and dance my heart out. It’s also one of those songs that actually manages to make a rap section as the song’s opening work perfectly. Mir knew what he was doing with that melody and it makes Mona Lisa start off very strong only for you to be met with one of the catchiest k-pop pre-choruses ever. Mona Lisa also has one of my personal favourite choreographies and is overall such an upbeat track that will never grow old. One of the best bridges as well. If you haven’t heard Mona Lisa before – you need to now.

PS. We’ve actually talked about this song before as part of our K-pop songs on ESC series. Click on the link if you want to find out which country got Mona Lisa. 😉

This Is War (2012)

This Is War is the title track of MBLAQ’s 2012 EP 100% Ver which I believe is their best-selling EP to date. The name behind the song is the one and only duo of Double Sidekick who gave us songs such as KARA’s Mamma Mia or Girls’ Day’s Something and Hello Bubble as well as BAE173’s last year’s masterpiece Loved You. This Is War brings us something that we have not seen for quite a while in today’s k-pop and that is a whole a string orchestra blended with a dance ballad. If you haven’t heard the song before I think this description should be enough of a clue that you’re going to be hearing some pretty incredible melodies and vocal performances in the song. While This Is War‘s verses really are great, it’s that dramatic, emotion-packed chorus that seals the deal. Once again MBLAQ dramatically get on their knees and give us all the nostalgic angst we need in our lives. G.O went crazy with vocals on this song honestly because I could feel everything he was singing. This Is War also gives us a fantastic bridge and even better and more explosive final chorus. I miss the times when k-pop songs would switch the tempo of the final chorus and give us some phenomenal high notes and intense instrumental. This Is War does exactly that.

PS. Who is letting these men wield guns again? Get those away from them. Also leaving you with a Lee Joon fancam for this song just because I can and because I have never seen a better looking man than this era Joon.

Smoky Girl (2013)

Someone asked for sexy men making sexy music? MBLAQ provided with the title track of their fifth EP Sexy Beat from 2013. The title of the album tells you everything because the title track Smoky Girl has me acting up every single time. Fun fact – the lyricists for Smoky Girl are no other but Crush, Simon D and Zion.T with Primary doing the music for it. Makes perfect sense why the song seems like a completely different style for MBLAQ but the one they do just as flawlessly as all of their previous concepts and sounds. I don’t want to be dramatic but that G.O and Joon intro… makes me feel certain things. Pink haired Thunder was also lethal this era. Just sexy men being sexy while singing a sexy song. Sometimes that’s all we need and especially when the song is as catchy and actually good as Smoky Girl is. More music like this please.

I suggest checking out the live performances as well because… eyes and ears blessed.

Be A Man (2014)

2014 marks a more mature era for MBLAQ with their sixth mini album Broken and the Wheesung (the man who gave us B1A4’s Only Learned Bad Things can do no wrong composition wise) penned title track Be A Man where we get to see the group in all their classy glory. Be A Man gives us a more dominant vocal performance by the group with the seemingly slower style but the one that’s just the right enough of melodic and interesting to never let the song get mellow. I especially like the way the chorus is split into two parts because while the first part makes sure to focus on the emotions and vocals, the second part makes sure the energy of the song doesn’t get too low. I also absolutely love Mir’s rap section in the second verse here because it fits the song so well. A different style for the group but they had no problem portraying this mature image at all as far as I’m concerned.

Mirror (2015)

2015 marks a new era for MBLAQ as Lee Joon and Thunder depart from the agency and the group so Mirror, the title track of their eight mini album of the same name, serves as their first comeback with three remaining members. Mirror is honestly a great track all around with a really memorable and vocally impressive chorus. The melancholic feeling of the song truly reaches its peak during Mir’s rap verse and is only deepened during the chorus that follows. While the song has a bitter sweet feeling for several different reasons, I think it’s a pretty strong one and I especially love the final chorus and all the lovely high notes we get.

Running and Running (2010)

As for non title tracks of MBLAQ I decided to pick two I love the most as the post would’ve ended up being a bit too long. First of my picks is the OST the group did for 2010 k-drama The Fugitive: Plan B because this honestly sounds like something that easily could’ve been a single from one of their albums. The sheer adrenaline I get from Running and Running is amazing because the song also manages to keep a steady and catchy melody and give us some pretty great vocals. I love this song so much and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Run (2012)

The b-side I decided to highlight is Run from their 2012 album 100% Ver because it’s the b-side I’ve listened to the most and it has this sort of mysterious but nostalgic feeling for it. The chorus might be a repetitive one but it works for me still. It simply makes me feel like I’m in some sort of action movie and it gives me all the go-crazy-go-stupid energy I need. Dramatic as usual but in a good way.

PS. You can check out the reviews of two Lee Joon dramas I’ve written about on the blog as well – The Silent Sea and Bulgasal: The Immortal Souls. I’m watching Bloody Heart right now so look forward to that review sometime in the future too.

You can find MBLAQ members on Instagram: G.O, Thunder, Mir, Seungho.

Header Image Source: J. Tune Camp