Stanning a group is serious work and can take forever to do, especially if they've been around for a few years. SF9 have been under my radar for as long as I've known K-Pop. There was a song of theirs I really enjoyed but I never wanted to take the leap and stan them as they didn't particularly jump out to me. That changed when one of my friends suggested we stan them together. I decided then to take the leap. Now I can only ask myself why it took so long to come to this point.
SF9 are a 9 member boy group under the entertainment company, FNC Entertainment. FNC has produced some pretty decent groups like the k-bands N.Flying and CNBlue and girl groups like AOA and Cherry Bullet. SF9 were their first dance boy group to debut and they did so in October of 2016. With four years under their belt, they certainly have had time to really come into their own and try various different styles and genres. The one thing about SF9 that particularly appealed to me was the way every album they have sounds completely different from the next yet they still have their own style. Below, I am going to break down my stand outs from their discography and why you should give them a shot.
Debut Song: Fanfare
SF9 debuted on October 5, 2016 with this absolute jam of a debut song, Fanfare. Fanfare is a hip-hop influenced track that features some aggressive vocals raps from the band. It's got these smooth synths and a jumpy beat in the instrumental that makes it perfect for a jam session. It feels very reminiscent of songs that were coming out at this era of K-Pop (namely Rush by Monsta X and Rhythm Ta by iKon). This song is just a fun song and a great introduction to who SF9 are as it really showcases all their talents.
My Introduction to SF9: Now or Never
This song has been in library for as long as I can remember. I definitely remember this being one of the first K-Pop songs I heard. This song is just so sexy in every way. It's got these smooth vocals and deep raps (particularly from member Hwiyoung) that make anyone's heart flutter. The beat is also dance worthy thanks to these funky guitars and deep synths. This song is perfect and even after 2 years, I'm still not sick of it.
Favorite Title Track: RPM
RPM is a perfect example of the types of songs I particularly enjoy in K-Pop. This track is noisy and intense and just really crazy. I love it so much. RPM features these intense synths that feel like they belong in a spy movie. The beat is so dance worthy along with their intense vocals. And the beat switches are so smooth despite it going back and fourth loads. It's a chaotic track but it's definitely controlled chaos. It's a perfect track for them to show off their rap team and their crazy vocals. It might be a grower for some people, especially those who don't particularly enjoy noise music, but it's definitely worth a shot. This is definitely one of my top tracks in their entire discography.
My Favorite Bias Moment: Zuho's (and Hwiyoung's) rap in Enough
I had to create this category just so I could talk about this song and these raps because my god are they simple yet so effective. One of the biggest parts about stanning a new group is picking who your bias is and with SF9 I really struggled because they are all so amazing. That was until I heard this song. At about the 1:20 mark Zuho came in with this simple rap that just blew me away. And Hwiyoung built off his really nicely. The rap section only lasts about 12 seconds but it's so good. And from that moment forward I declared Zuho my bias. This song also has a catchy chorus and a really nice instrumental with heavy synths. This song blew me out of the park and even though it's a simple track it's very effective.
My Favorite Album: Narcissus
With Enough absolutely blowing me out of the park, I listened to this album very early on in my discovery and it's one I keep going back to. With Enough leading the album off, it sets a nice tone for this record which features some dance-able moments and also softer moments. Songs like Heartbeat and The Beat Goes On showcase their softer sides and vocals. The latter especially being a really cute track and a fun outro to this album. Play Hard has to be one of my top tracks in their discography. It's a dance worthy song with a crazy beat and crazy raps. It's also got this fun horny instrumental and piano riff that drives the drop that I just love. This album is fun from start to end I totally recommend it if you want a good intro to SF9.
Song(s) I would show to a new listener: Good Guy, Summer Breeze, Easy Love
SF9 to me have one of the more digestible discographies that I have heard in K-Pop. Their music is just really fun and easy listening to ear (with some exceptions of course). But if you wanna get into SF9 I highly recommend the three tracks above as a good starting point. These tracks aren't crazy or weird that might turn you away. Good Guy and Summer Breeze are these dance-y tracks that showcase their talents. The former is a bit more synthy and poppy but it's got some sexy grooves to go along with it. Summer Breeze feels right out of a western movie in a fun way. It gets stuck in my head all the time and it's a fun song to bop around to. Easy Love is the softer tracks of the three so if you're more into that I think this is a good track for you. It's an easy groove.
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