GOT7 is without a doubt one of the most distinctive global K-pop boy groups. The group hails from one of South Korea’s top entertainment agencies, JYP Entertainment, and is a worldwide icon with strong presence in Asia, the Americas and Europe. They also regularly top South Korean music charts and enter the Billboard World Albums Charts each time they make a comeback.

Fans of GOT7, known as IGOT7 (fondly known as Ahgase), love the diversity of the group and the dynamic they create. This septet comprises four South Korean members and three foreign members from various cities all over the world — Los Angeles, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Despite their different backgrounds, the brotherhood the team shares often touches the hearts of Ahgases, truly believing in the friendship that has blossomed through the hardships and successes they have shared throughout their career. 

GOT7 members are also known to be self-composing idols — all members have songwriting or lyrics credits in almost all of their albums. With the release of their latest album Breath of Love : Last Piece, GOT7 proved their versatility tackling different concepts in the past seven years of their career. 

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of the legendary and iconic performances GOT7 has put on that absolutely took our breaths away!

Performances are listed in chronological order.

T/N: This list is solely the opinion of the writer and is in no manner a representative of the entire fandom.

1. This Love – Special Stage on Mcountdown

GOT7 sent Ahgases in a frenzy when they performed Shinhwa’s This Love for the Mcountdown Special Stage. They impressed viewers with their sharp dance moves and accurate high notes. Styled as casanovas in black, red and white tuxedos, the hip movements, body waves, facial expressions, and sexy raps were an added bonus to the charisma the boys already possessed.

This is definitely a performance that Ahgases will never forget even as the years go by, and fans are still hoping for a 2020 version of This Love. It was a pity that leader JB was absent from the performance due to an injury, but he showed his support for his teammates through a short feature in the song. I can only imagine how complete this performance will be if he was in it, and a 2020 version with even sharper, clean cut moves from GOT7 will definitely send Ahgases swooning once again.

2. Unit Stages – Fly Tour

GOT7 prepares unit performances each time they embark on a world tour. These songs specially written for the unit stages are still very much loved by Ahgases. Fans were thrilled when the studio versions of these songs were released in their Present : You&ME album released in December 2018. It was difficult to choose one out of the three live unit stages as my favourite, so I have listed all three unit stages below.

For their first world tour Fly, JB and Youngjae performed the heart wrenching 1:31AM. The song describes the pain of a heartbreak and while thinking about an ex-lover at the late hour of 1.31AM. It is usually in the dark and quiet where your saddest thoughts overwhelm, and the sorrow is captured in vocalists JB and Youngjae’s quivering voices. (JB was only present during the encore of Fly in Seoul; he was absent from the first stage due to a back injury)

If JB and Youngjae’s performance depicted sadness and loss, Jinyoung and Mark showcased love from a different angle. Higher talks about the ecstasy and fluttery feelings that one feels when the person they like does the slightest things for them. Dressed in blue and pink suits, the upbeat music got fans jumping along with them and left fans asking for more.

Lastly, Jackson, BamBam and Yugyeom tackled a completely different concept . Feel My Vibe and WOLO (short for ‘We Only Live Once’) talk about chasing dreams and living the way they want to and ignoring haters. The songs encourage everyone to do what they want to do and not bother about living up to the standards of others — because they only live once. This hip-hop concept, that has always been naturally well-suited for GOT7, coupled with fiery raps from Jackson and BamBam, and sharp dance moves from Yugyeom got fans screaming for more.

3. Teenager – 2017 MBC Music Festival

Teenager from the album 7 for 7 is a fan favourite. GOT7 performed the upbeat and catchy song on stage for the first time when they made their comeback with title track You Are. But fans were truly in for a treat when GOT7 performed a special version of this song at the 2017 MBC Music Festival.

MBC aired a pre-recorded version of the performance, and GOT7 performed it live to the audience present when the show was broadcasted. I was one of the lucky fans in the audience during the pre-recording and witnessed the performance live in front of my eyes. The boys were full of energy and beamed widely as they heard the loud fanchants echoing through the recording studio. GOT7 was clearly enjoying their performance, and they displayed such great chemistry with their fans that it even earned praises from non-fans who attended the festival.

The most unforgettable part of this performance is definitely the dance-break, where their sleek body waves, smirks and good use of their outfits made everyone’s jaws drop. Mark and Jackson brought back flips and martial arts tricking into the performance, a trademark that distinguished GOT7 from other boy groups when they first debuted.

Three years on, this continues to be one of GOT7’s best performances on stage, and I always recall my fond memories of watching it live. Despite the freezing cold back then, watching GOT7 made me feel warm on the inside, and GOT7 always makes me feel like a teenager. 

4. King (Jinyoung and BamBam) –  Eyes On You World Tour Unit Stage

As mentioned previously, Ahgases look forward to the unit stages every world tour. The units are revealed on the day of the concert, adding to the anticipation and excitement. One of the most memorable unit performances I’ve watched live is Jinyoung and BamBam’s unit, where they performed their self-composed song King. 

It was refreshing to see Jinyoung take on a concept that contrasts his usual soft boyfriend image — in this performance he donned full black, and wore matching Rolex watches with BamBam. While there was not much dancing in this performance, I felt the stage set and their stage presence were truly captivating. They made good use of the props — the duo appeared on high chairs, threw money (albeit fake) to assert their ‘dominance’ and backup dancers waved flags as if proclaiming victory. They portrayed a sense of royalty and command as if they were real kings. It was a bonus to hear Jinyoung rap once again, considering he used to rap in JJ Project.

5. Girls Girls Girls hip-hop ver. – Eyes On You World Tour

Not forgetting their roots, Girls Girls Girls is a song that GOT7 never excludes on their world tours as it is their debut song and marked the start of their career. Girls Girls Girls might now hold an even more special meaning for Ahgases after seeing the remix of this song.

This new version boasts a remixed chorus and an entirely new set of dance moves, with leader JB leading in the centre. JB executes the dance moves sharply, and the rest of the members and backup dancers then follow him row by row, creating a beautiful chain effect. This is one of my personal favourites considering how the leader is at the front, indicating his strong and reliable lead, and the change in tune and dance from the original served as an indicator for GOT7’s growth. The group was in the fifth year of their career back then and they were able to incorporate greater ideas into their performances, showing their never ending thirst to improve and excel.

M2 aired another version of this remix during the comeback showcase for Lullaby.

Girls, girls, girls, we definitely love GOT7!

6. Lullaby + Fine + Nightmare – 2018 MAMA performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCg0739IVRI

GOT7 is known for their long and grand performances when they attend the Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their 2018 performance was a masterpiece. Their stable live vocals and energy in their dance was powerful.

The eight-minute long live performance included a ballad version of Lullaby, a short bridge of Jinyoung ‘flying’, Yugyeom’s dance performance Fine, rap-line Mark, Jackson and BamBam’s Nightmare and lastly a dark version of Lullaby. One look at the performance and you can tell how much effort and practice the group put into it.

This is one of the fans’ favourites because it showcased the strengths of various members. The ballad version demonstrated how an originally fast-moving piece can turn into a true lullaby with JB and Youngjae’s strong vocals, while Jackson and BamBam, the rappers in the group, amazed with their soft and sweet voices. Jinyoung’s short clip brought out the actor in him, and Yugyeom proved himself as the deserving winner of dance survival contest Hit The Stage in 2016. Finally, the rap-line, or more fondly known as AmeriThaiKong, proved their prowess in rapping. They definitely brought the stage alive and left live viewers at the edge of their seats. 

The final highlight of the performance has to be the transition into the dark version of Lullaby. Dropping onto the floor before performing a different set of choreography from the original, Mark also treated fans to a display of martial arts tricking.

7. Eclipse + You Calling My Name + Crash & Burn – 2019 MAMA Performance

I personally love GOT7’s B-side tracks more than their title tracks. 2019 was the year where GOT7’s title tracks were my favourite. Eclipse and the album itself revolves around the idea of insecurities, and You Calling My Name is about a sense of helplessness after a break up, no longer having the chance to hear one’s name called by their loved one again. The upbeat music kept me going while I was going through a difficult time.  

The highly stylised dance moves for You Calling My Name once again prove GOT7 are amazing dancers. The choreography of Eclipse was tedious and demonstrated teamwork between the group members, while You Calling My Name, despite having simpler moves, had to be well executed so that it did not come across as too overpowering.

At the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards, GOT7 wore shiny black outfits and completely commanded the stage. The staff and crew who worked with the boys on the performance definitely deserve a round of applause for their amazing work here. During Eclipse, the backup dancers lifted GOT7 in the air and silently supported GOT7 through their synchronized dance moves. The camerawork reinforced the artwork of the choreography, when JB moved backwards as if being consumed by ‘insecurity’.

Transiting into You Calling My Name, the septet made great use of chairs as stage props. Their stable vocals despite the vigorous dance moves earned praises from many. They performed Crash & Burn next and concluded the performance mightily, setting the standards extremely high for the rest of the generations of K-pop idols.

GOT7 are not just idols or singers, they’re performers made for the stage. As Jackson once said, “seven or never, seven or nothing”. GOT7 will not be complete unless they are seven.

Do you have a favourite GOT7 performance or a specific time they simply took your breath away? Share with us in the comments below!

Check out GOT7’s latest double title tracks Breath and Last Piece!

Title Track 1: Breath

Title Track 2: Last Piece

Stay connected with GOT7:

GOT7 Twitter | GOT7 Instagram | GOT7 YouTube Channel | JYP Entertainment YouTube Channel

Written by: Amber
Image by: Agnes

Established in 2011, The Seoul Story is a Southeast Asia-based Korean Events, Entertainment & Lifestyle News Site On The Go

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