New K-Pop Avengers SuperM, Assemble!

Jae-Ha Kim
Kocowa.com
November 2, 2019

The K-pop group SuperM kicks off its North American tour on November 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. If you live in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, you’ll have the opportunity to see them perform live.

But because they have many fans who don’t live in the cities they’ll be visiting, the group made the decision to shoot “SuperM the Beginning.” The hour-long episodes give fans a taste of their whirlwind debut.

The first episode starts with their highly publicized showcase in Los Angeles on October 5. As fans wait in line patiently for a chance to see the group — which includes members from EXO, SHINee, NCT 127 and WayV — viewers see the guys looking a little nervous backstage. Considering that the members are among K-pop’s most famous idols, it was endearing to see them sweat a bit.

Though they’re each superstars in their own right, it’s super cute to watch them ooh and ahh over the Los Angeles mansion they’re staying in during their California visit. There are a couple TMI moments, such as when Mark out-of-the-blue announces he has to use the toilet. Next shot: Ten is on their massive back deck alone. “Mark is using the bathroom,” he explains. “So I decided to wait outside…because there is no curtain or doors.” LOL!

Sometimes you can put stars together, but they just don’t fit well. These young men gel not just onstage, but off as well. Getting the opportunity to see them in these episodes — sans stage clothes and makeup — enjoying each other’s camaraderie was fulfilling and fun.

The members are such seasoned professionals that I knew their showmanship would be top notch. But it was the everyday moments that kept me wanting to watch more.

Initially formed to target the U.S. market, SuperM’s members were handpicked from SM Entertainment’s roster of boy bands.

THE MEMBERS:

EXO: Baekhyun (leader, main vocalist), Kai (main dancer, lead rapper, vocalist)

SHINee: Taemin (lead vocalist, main dancer)

NCT 127: Mark (main rapper, vocalist, lead dancer), Taeyong (main rapper, lead dancer)

WayV: Lucas (lead rapper), Ten (main dancer, rapper, lead vocalist)

THEIR ALBUM: Their debut EP, “SuperM – The 1st Mini Album,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Their first single “Jopping” (jumping and popping) was co-written and produced by LDN Noise, the London-based duo that had previously worked with TVXQ and Red Velvet. NICKNAME: The Avengers of K-pop. FANDOM NAME: Mark had joked about wanting to call their fans Assemble, but was shot down by his bandmates. PHILANTHROPY: When they made their first U.S. television appearance as a group on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, SuperM presented her with a check for $50,000 to benefit her preferred charity, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.