It’s always sad and bittersweet hearing news of a group’s disbandment. Even worse when a group just goes their separate ways without even an official announcement or even acknowledgement.
So when it was announced yesterday that SNUPER has officially disbanded upon the expiration of their contracts, it was definitely sad, but unfortunately not unexpected news. SNUPER had been mostly inactive as a group for a few years now with most of the members fulfilling their military duties.
But during that time, I, like probably most fans of the group, would continue to listen and enjoy the group’s music.
SNUPER was always a refreshingly unique group. They had a distinct sound and style that they maintained throughout their run. With talent, charm and charisma, SNUPER delivered some amazing performances in the last seven years. And plenty of songs worthy of repeat listening.
If you aren’t too familiar with SNUPER, here’s a quick rundown of their excellent discography!
SNUPER debuted in 2015 with the title track “Shall We Dance.”
The pop track had wonderful hints of retro nostalgia with its bright melody. And it was definitely a refreshing song at the time. (Still is!)
The group leaned into that unique sound even more with a quick comeback and their follow up track “Platonic Love.”
It wasn’t hard to immediately get taken by the synth-infused pop track. And now in 2023, one can see that the song was actually far ahead of its time in K-pop.
SNUPER continued their bright, retro-infused style with the summery “YOU=HEAVEN”
And closing out 2016, SNUPER would release one of my favorite songs. Not just from them, but in all of K-pop.
“It’s Raining” was a big step forward for SNUPER while still keeping their signature sound. A charismatic and more mature performance showcased the group’s talent and true versatility without completely doing a 360 with their sound like other artists might.
The same can also be said for their next release “Back:Hug”
Another charismatic pop-dance track with dramatic flair. But the repackage of the album I Wanna? would hold probably my absolute favorite SNUPER track. And one of my all-time favorite K-pop tracks as well.
“The Star of Stars” (유성) is a song that has not left my repeat playlist since it was first released in 2017. (Though several of SNUPER’s songs are also regular listens for me too.) The bright, hopeful feels of the lyrics match the group’s signature retro-infused sound. Making for what is a nostalgic, summer dance track.
If I wasn’t sure before this (which I was), “The Star of Stars” definitely solidified me being a fan of theirs. So much so that when they had a Makestar campaign for their 2nd anniversary, I did not hesitate to take part. And now I proudly have my name in the honorary producer list in the special photobook album! (Which is also autographed by the way!)
The group would go on to release “Tulips” and “You in My Eyes” in 2018, continuing their growth and evolution of their music. While again, not turning their back on their signature sound.
Sadly, that would end up being their last Korean release. Though the group would still go on to release a few more singles in Japan.
The group’s last new release overall would be “Oxygen” in 2020. By this time, members had to fulfill their mandatory military service.
And the group would go on hiatus until yesterday’s news. The members had pursued solo activities while Sebin joined the project group OMEGA X.
With the news official, the only thing that can be said is Thank you and Best of luck.
Best of luck to the members on their future endeavors. And, perhaps most importantly, Thank You to the members for all their hard work the last seven years and providing everyone with some excellent music and performances to continue enjoying for years to come.
Love SNUPER!
They will be missed!@