Often credited as one of the first k-pop boy bands and the forerunners of the "idol group" trend in the Korean music industry. H.O.T. successfully turned mainstream Korean music into music for the younger generation. Made up of five teenagers at the time of their debut, they were formed to specifically target teenagers, hence their name "High-five Of Teenagers".
Member : (YEAR 2015)
Heejun 희준 Moon Hee-jun 문희준 文熙俊 March 14, 1978 (age 37)
Woohyuk우혁 Jang Woo-hyuk 장우혁 張佑赫 May 8, 1978 (age 37)
Tony An 토니안 An Seung-ho 안승호 安勝浩 June 7, 1978 (age 37)
Kangta 강타 An Chil-hyun 안칠현 安七炫 October 10, 1979 (age 36)
Jaewon 재원 Lee Jae-won 이재원 李在元 April 5, 1980 (age 35)
HISTORY
H.O.T. was formed by producer Lee Soo-man, the head of SM Entertainment, in 1996.Their music comprises a mixture of rap, ballads, dance, and later Rock. Singer Kangta provided most of the ballad vocals.
The first member that Lee Soo-man picked was Kangta. The manager saw him dancing and singing with a friend at an amusement park, and was impressed. Second was Moon Hee-joon, who after auditioning was accepted into the band. Hee-joon then invited his friend Lee Jae-won to audition, who was subsequently also admitted. The fourth to join the band was Jang Woo-hyuk, after winning first place in a dancing contest. He was asked to try out and became the fourth member to join.
SM Entertainment then traveled to LA to hold auditions. Tony An, originally discovered by Brothers Entertainment in the United States, and his friend Andy Lee both joined the band. However, Lee's parents later withdrew support, causing him to leave the band and join Shinhwa in 1998. The new group was called H.O.T. - High Five of Teenagers.
CAREER
H.O.T. was a group that enjoyed massive success in their career, allowing them to become major influences on the future of boy bands and the rest of the music scene in Korea. Their popularity also led to the creation of female groups in Korea.
H.O.T. made their debut with their first album, We Hate All Kinds of Violence in September 1996. This album and its first single, Junsa Ae Hoo Yeh, sparked controversy because some of their songs apparently plagiarized others, and lawsuits were placed against the group.
Despite their controversial debut, they released a second single from the album, Candy, which became the first of their hit songs.
They released their second album in June 1997, entitled Wolf & Sheep. This became another controversial release, since the title track featured strong language that caused it to be banned from all the major radio stations. However, a second single from this album, “We Are the Future” brought them back into the spotlight with another #1 hit. In 1998, the music video for "We Are The Future"s earned an American MTV Award for Best International Video.
The next year the group had their first live tour, starting with the Seoul Olympic Stadium. H.O.T. was the first Kpop group to hold a concert here, thanks to their large fanbase. Owing to their popularity, they were seen frequently in advertisements. At one point, they had their own soda brand with the catch phrase "I only drink H.O.T." They released their third album, Resurrection, in September 1998. This album featured a more “serious” style, with music gravitating towards rock.
On 25 June 1999, H.O.T, together with its label-mate S.E.S., performed at Michael Jackson's concert "Michael Jackson and Friends - The Adventure of Humanity".
They released their fourth album, Iyah!, and a “Best of” album in the following year, 1999. They also starred in a "Space Jam"-like movie called "Age of Peace", for which they also released a soundtrack consisting songs that the members themselves composed. Everything in the film except for the five members were computerized, and the film was released in Japan during promotional activities for their fourth album. They won numerous awards from KMTV, and various popular music shows in Korea for their fourth album and the soundtrack.
They released their fifth and final album, Outside Castle, in September 2000. All of the members took part in composing the lyrics. H.O.T. enjoyed great success with all of their albums, and were known for their talent of writing and composing many of their own songs. In addition, Moon Hee-joon and Jang Woo-hyuk were also known for their dancing abilities, and often choreographed the groups routines.
They maintained a friendly rivalry with other K-pop bands such as Sechs Kies, and were close friends with Kim Hwan-sung of N.R.G., who died from pneumonia a week or two prior to his 20th birthday. Kangta was heartbroken by his friend's death, and when N.R.G. released their album after Kim Hwan-sung's death, he wrote the main track of their album.
DISBANDMENT ;-; and post-H.O.T.
H.O.T. disbanded in May 2001. As the members of H.O.T. neared the end of their contracts with SM Entertainment, it was rumored that financial issues caused the group to split. However, because the real reasons for the breakup were never officially released to the public, financial contract issues still remain an unverified rumor to this day.
After the split, Kangta and Moon Hee-joon were offered lucrative contracts to SM Entertainment as solo artists and released moderately successful albums. While Kangta's music was usually mainstream soul or R&B, Moon Hee-joon in the beginning, like Kangta, started with the mainstream R&B, but later attempted to establish a rock music career. However, Hee-joon was overshadowed by his teen idol image and was met with harsh criticism.
The remaining members, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony An, and Lee Jae-won, formed a three-member group called jtL under another label, and sold moderately successful albums. Later, Jang Woo-hyuk and a partner created their own dance company with Woo-hyuk leading his own team and school named Newest.
A few years after forming JTL, Tony An released a solo album, created his own entertainment company, Tn Entertainment, a successful school uniforms company, Skoolooks and an undergarment company, Shinenihs. In September 2010, Tony completed his 2-year army duty and released a new song, "Going To Meet You Now".
In 2005, Moon Hee-joon left SM Entertainment, creating his own company, PS Entertainment, and releasing one album. Later that year, Hee-joon headed off to military service, a duty required for every male Korean citizen. In 2008, he completed his 2-year army duty and signed with a company called SidusHQ.
Lee Jae-won also left SM Entertainment, and on April 4, 2005, he released his first post-H.O.T. album, "No Pain, No Gain". Lee has since then completed his military duty in 2011.
On September 12, 2005, Jang Woo-hyuk released his first solo album No More Drama, performing with the renowned American hip-hop group Elite Force, who was also a former dance team for Will Smith. Woo-hyuk was the last member to release a solo album, and he earned a reputation as "The Prince of Dance Music". In year 2010, he signed with a Chinese Entertainment Company and is currently active in China. His recent collaborations are with Singaporean Mandarin pop singer JJ Lin and Hong Kong singer/actor Karen Mok.
On September 2010, Kangta remains as a shareholder in SM Entertainment and released his new Chinese electro-pop title song, "Love, Frequency" or better known as "Breaka Shaka". Few days later he also released his first digital mini album, Love, Frequency.
Tony An released a solo mini album "Topstar" with top pop song under same name of album on April 4, 2011.
Jang Woo-hyuk new album released May 25 entitled " I am The Future ", with singles including Time is [L]over, I am the Future, and Minimalism.
Kangta expressed an interest in having the band reunite in the first half of 2011. However in March 2012 members Moon Hee Jun and Tony stated that it would be difficult for the group to come together again.
It's hard for them to reunited again because kpop industry nowadays have many newcomer that so competitive and talented + handsome look & young. They should reunited in year 2001 - 2002, 2003 - 2010 TVXQ ruled it kpop industry for 2nd Generation Idol. For now 2010s 3rd Generation Idol EXO ruled it, hope TVXQ can reunited again before they enter millitiary service ;-; ~~ SM ARTIST was so talented & legend !! ;-; but I dont like how they ending their artits like this...
열등감 The end of my inferiority complex
H.O.T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
그런데 왜 하필 내 여자 친구에게
잘 생기고, 돈도 많은 너를
나와 비교하게 만드는 거야
제발 내 곁에서 떠나주길 바래
더 이상은 이제 견딜 수가 없어
고급 차도 없고, 그저 그런 내가
그 애가 처음으로 내게 다가왔을 그때쯤
일 년을 거절당했을 때였어 yeah
힘들어했던 나를 위로하며 달래주던 그런 너에게
진실한 친구 이상의 감정도 생겼지
난 다 말했어
오랫동안 그녀를 내가 쫓아다닌 모든 시간들에 대해서
난 느꼈지, 그 누구도 너만큼 알아줄 순 없다는 걸
난 믿겠어, 나를 아는 친구이기에
근데 이런 날벼락이 친 거야
그녀와의 처음 데이트에 아무런 생각 없이 (ho)
나는 그 앨 데리고 나가 소개시켜 줬고 (ho)
모든 게 잘된 건 이 친구 덕이 크다고
입술이 마르도록 나는 칭찬을 늘어놨어 (go, go, go, go)
근데 이상해, 그 애를 바라보는 (ho)
그녀의 눈빛들은 이미 떨리고 있었어 (get 'em up, get 'em up)
나를 그 애와 비교하는 말투도 느꼈어
내게 우째 (ho) 이런 일이
어떻게 내게 이런 웃긴 일이 생겨?
정말 바보가 된 것 같아
너는 정말 나보다도 가진 것도 많아
네 주위에는 온통 괜찮은 여자들이
꽃도 주고 초콜릿도 주고
환심을 사려 하고 있는데
하필 내게 와서 내 여자 친구까지
잘난 너를 좋아하게 만드는 거야
정말 싫어, 이젠 네가 싫어
날 떠나줘, 내 곁에 안 보이게
하지만 난 마음을 열어두고 (열어두고)
너의 우정을 생각해 (생각해)
날 위로해 준 너의 따스함이
모두 거짓은 아니었는데
모든 것을 포기하고 돌아서던 내게
황당한 표정의 그녀는 이런 말을 했어
그게 아냐, 뭔가 잘못됐어
내 표현이 너무 지나친 거야 oh
자신감이 없는 너의 모습 볼 때마다
그동안 나도 모르게 답답했던 거야
바보처럼 기다리지 말아
날 잡아줘, 난 널 사랑하니까
The lyrics to H.O.T's song "열등감" (Inferiority Complex) reflect the feelings of someone who is experiencing insecurity and jealousy in a relationship. Throughout the lyrics, the writer compares themselves to their partner and feels inadequate in comparison. They express frustration and sadness, hoping that their partner would leave them because they believe they cannot compete with their looks and wealth.
The first paragraph describes the writer's feelings of inferiority compared to their partner, who is seen as better looking and wealthier. The writer questions why they have to constantly compare themselves to their partner and feel sorry for themselves because of it. They ask their partner to leave them, feeling unable to bear the pressure of the comparison any longer.
In the second paragraph, the writer reflects on the time when their partner first approached them and expresses gratitude for their support during difficult times. They admit that their feelings for their partner have grown beyond just friendship, indicating a deeper emotional connection. However, the writer is shocked by the sudden strike of lightning, possibly referring to the realization that their partner is interested in someone else.
The third paragraph describes a date where the writer introduces their partner to someone else without thinking much about it. However, they notice signs of their partner being interested in the other person and feel a sense of comparison. They question why they are experiencing such a strange situation and reflect on becoming foolish in the process.
In the fourth and final paragraph, the writer acknowledges that their partner has many things that they do not have. They mention that their partner is surrounded by many attractive women who show affection towards them. They express their dislike and ask their partner to leave their side and stay out of their sight. However, despite all the mixed feelings, the writer opens their heart and acknowledges the warmth and support their partner has given them, considering it to be genuine.
Overall, the lyrics explore a relationship where the writer feels inferior to their partner and experiences jealousy and insecurity. They grapple with their emotions and question their self-worth while trying to navigate their feelings of love and frustration.
Line by Line Meaning
너는 정말 나보다도 잘난 것도 많아
You have so many things that are better than me
그런데 왜 하필 내 여자 친구에게
But why did you have to compare yourself to my girlfriend?
잘 생기고, 돈도 많은 너를
You, who are handsome and have a lot of money
나와 비교하게 만드는 거야
Are making me compare myself to you
제발 내 곁에서 떠나주길 바래
I hope you leave my side, please
더 이상은 이제 견딜 수가 없어
I can no longer endure it
고급 차도 없고, 그저 그런 내가
I don't even have a luxury car, I'm just like this
너 때문에 더 불쌍해져
Because of you, I become more pitiful
그 애가 처음으로 내게 다가왔을 그때쯤
Around the time when that girl first approached me
일 년을 거절당했을 때였어 yeah
It was when I was rejected for a whole year, yeah
힘들어했던 나를 위로하며 달래주던 그런 너에게
To you, who comforted and consoled me when I was struggling
진실한 친구 이상의 감정도 생겼지
I developed feelings beyond just being a true friend
난 다 말했어
I said everything, you know
오랫동안 그녀를 내가 쫓아다닌 모든 시간들에 대해서
About all the time I spent pursuing her for a long time
난 느꼈지, 그 누구도 너만큼 알아줄 순 없다는 걸
I felt that no one can understand me as well as you
난 믿겠어, 나를 아는 친구이기에
I believe that because you know me as a friend
근데 이런 날벼락이 친 거야
But why did this lightning strike hit me
그녀와의 처음 데이트에 아무런 생각 없이 (ho)
Without any thoughts on our first date with her (ho)
나는 그 앨 데리고 나가 소개시켜 줬고 (ho)
I took her out and introduced her (ho)
모든 게 잘된 건 이 친구 덕이 크다고
Because of this friend, everything went well
입술이 마르도록 나는 칭찬을 늘어놨어 (go, go, go, go)
I kept complimenting to the point my lips went dry (go, go, go, go)
근데 이상해, 그 애를 바라보는 (ho)
But it's strange, the way she looks at her (ho)
그녀의 눈빛들은 이미 떨리고 있었어 (get 'em up, get 'em up)
Her eyes were already shaking (get 'em up, get 'em up)
나를 그 애와 비교하는 말투도 느꼈어
I felt the tone of comparing myself to her
내게 우째 (ho) 이런 일이
How could this (ho) happen to me
어떻게 내게 이런 웃긴 일이 생겨?
How did this funny thing happen to me?
정말 바보가 된 것 같아
I feel like I've become a real fool
너는 정말 나보다도 가진 것도 많아
You have so many things that are better than me
네 주위에는 온통 괜찮은 여자들이
Around you, there are only good girls
꽃도 주고 초콜릿도 주고
They give flowers and chocolates
환심을 사려 하고 있는데
They are trying to win your heart
하필 내게 와서 내 여자 친구까지
But you came to me and even liked my girlfriend
잘난 너를 좋아하게 만드는 거야
You're making me like you, who is so impressive
정말 싫어, 이젠 네가 싫어
I really hate it, I hate you now
날 떠나줘, 내 곁에 안 보이게
Leave me, disappear from my side
하지만 난 마음을 열어두고 (열어두고)
But I keep my heart open (keep it open)
너의 우정을 생각해 (생각해)
I think of our friendship (think of it)
날 위로해 준 너의 따스함이
Your warmth that comforted me
모두 거짓은 아니었는데
It wasn't all a lie
모든 것을 포기하고 돌아서던 내게
To me, who was giving up and turning away from everything
황당한 표정의 그녀는 이런 말을 했어
With a bewildered expression, she said these words
그게 아냐, 뭔가 잘못됐어
No, something went wrong
내 표현이 너무 지나친 거야 oh
My expression was too overbearing, oh
자신감이 없는 너의 모습 볼 때마다
Every time I see your lack of confidence
그동안 나도 모르게 답답했던 거야
It has been frustrating for me without realizing it
바보처럼 기다리지 말아
Don't wait like a fool
날 잡아줘, 난 널 사랑하니까
Hold onto me, because I love you
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Young Jin Yoo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind