AOA (South Kensei) AOA is one of the most popular boy bands in South Korea,Interview Drupal Buytaert Javascriptanderson Theregister and it’s also one of the most famous. The group began as a cover band called Knox, who played at a local club for about a year before embarking on an international career. The members of AOA are all performers in other musical acts who team up to perform as AOA. Their output has been varied but consistent – from hits such as ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ to experimental one-man shows and live performances. They have several albums under their belt, including At Night, Day and Nowhere (2012), Alive! (2013), The Middle (2014) and Superstar (2016). They released an album titled Square in Summer 2017 which is considered by some to be their best effort yet. Check out these videos to know more about them!
AOA – At Night, Day and Nowhere
AOA’s first album, At Night, Day and Nowhere, is an oddball record in that it’s an album where you can feel the energy of the band, but yet still listen to the quiet, sometimes soothing sounds of ocean waves. At Night, Day and Nowhere is a collection of tracks that feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the heady, sensual tracks on the album opener, AOA’s first single, “The Man”. The quiet nature of the album lead-in ties together the disparate elements of the group’s sound and makes At Night, Day and Nowhere a more accessible listen for anyone who likes a more artistic take on pop star-dom.
AOA – The Middle
AOA’s second album, The Middle, is a more robust work, with tracks such as “Lost My Words”, “When You’re Young” and “The Man” feeling more like a song cycle than a collection of individually released tracks. The album opener, “The Man”, is one of the more unexpected tracks on The Middle, and as such finds the AOA boys at their creative best. “The Man” is one of the album’s better solos, bracing the group for the rest of the set. Another standout is “I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me”, a ballad that finds the guys (and gals) in their element, performing the song live on stage.
AOA – Superstar
AOA’s fourth album, Superstar, sees the boys at their most Kanye-like, with the group proudly sporting their “Yeezy” headphones. “I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me”, “When you’re young” and “The Man” are the album’s most memorable tracks, and their comebacks to earlier collaborators and groups such as 1D and Major Lazer are spot-on. Superstar is the group’s most pop-influenced album to date, and for good reason – with standout tracks such as “My Heart”, “I Am” and “Why Do I” sounding a bit like something from Selena Gomez’s latest album.
AOA: Opening Ceremony
AOA’s Opening Ceremony is the group’s most Iconic Album. It was released in 2016 and has since gone through various stages of development, with the group members at various points discussing their reasons for choosing to record it as an album. To their credit, the track list is a bit jumbled, but that doesn’t mean the album as a whole isn’t worth a listen – it’s just that it’s taken a while for the group to drop the ball in the studio. The title track is the first track on the album and it’s a great way to open the album, with the guys sat in their living room on a cold December evening, playing along with some R&B music on their iPhones and the speakers on the wall. The rest of the album is a mix of pop and rock, with tracks such as “Crackin’ Up”, “Breathe”, “Rising Sun” and “We Are” being particularly interesting.
B-Day – Live in Concert
B-Day is the group’s most famous show, and with good reason – it’s an unforgettable concert performance. It was held in New York City in 2016 and their performance was nothing short of magical. The guys were on their absolute best form, playing hits such as ‘Crazy’ and ‘The Thrill’, and adding in covers of some of the group’s hits while they were at it. Their setlist was anything but conventional, with the guys playing everything from R&B to rock and electronic, and they were unstoppable. Even at this distance in their career, the guys still maintain a passion for their music and performing, which is only matched by their fans. Check out these videos to see who else was at B-Day in New York City in 2016!
AOA Make Up Show of 2017
AOA’s Make Up Show of 2017 is their best effort to date, and it’s proof that the boys don’t just appear on stage, they also make up a brand new musical group! The album is a collection of original shows, advertisements and mash-ups, performed by various members of AOA, with each song being a completely new experience. The AOA live shows are never the same twice. They’re always fresh and different, and the audience is left with an unforgettable impression of the AOA boys in a creative, creative way. Check out these videos to see the album in concert!
Final Words
AOA is an interesting incident in South Korea pop history, and that’s what makes their latest album, AOA: Opening Ceremony, such an interesting listen. The opening track on the album, “The Man”, is a cover of one of South Korea’s most recognizable pop stars, Seung Yeon-ho. But the album is more than that, it’s a collection of different and original tracks, many of which are written and performed by the group. While the group released an album in 2016, the group is also currently releasing a studio album, AOA: Opening Ceremony. If you want to hear a collection of unique and original tracks, then AOA: Opening Ceremony is the record for you.
