(Photo credit: Blue Dot Entertainment)
K-pop isn’t just about the music, but the spectacle of it all.
From the choreography, costumes and the idols themselves, K-pop creates a world on stage. And that’s exactly what drew me into the genre as a high schooler in the late 2000s.
This was the time of groups like SHINee, BIGBANG and 2PM. The 2000s gave us shaggy hair, black eyeliner, skinny jeans and LOTS of metallic fits and neon colour. The music was just as avant-garde as the visuals. With electropop and club music trending during the era of second-gen K-pop, maximalism was in.
For the members of JUSTB, this era of K-pop was what inspired each of them to become artists in their own right. Now they’re paying homage to the nostalgia of the past with their latest self-produced EP, which is aptly titled k-pop.
“We wanted to remind people of what made us fall in love with K-pop in the first place. For us, K-pop has never been just about music. It’s about the visuals, the fashion, the performances, the personalities, and the whole world you create around an album,” Bain said in an interview with bunni pop.
“We wanted to bring back that excitement, but through our own perspective. So instead of trying to come up with some complicated title, we thought, why not just call it what it is? k-pop.”
JUSTB debuted in 2021, but it was 2025 that saw the group rebrand and switch up their sound dramatically. They’ve branched out to the grungy maximalist sounds of the hyperpop genre. Their latest single “Party Time” takes things up a notch, with JUSTB paying homage to the second gen icons that inspired them. In their music video for the song, the JUSTB members are seen sporting fur coats, highlighter yellow hair and colourful streetwear.
Below, the group share what inspired their latest EP k-pop, their second generation style icons and what it means to draw comparisons to their idols BIGBANG.
(Conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.)
What were some of the “K-pop” influences you turned to in making this album?
Bain: We were definitely inspired by the energy of second-generation K-pop. There was something so fearless about that era. The music was loud, the fashion was dramatic, and every artist had such a strong identity. But we weren’t trying to recreate the past. We wanted to take that fearless attitude and mix it with who we are today. It’s more about bringing back a feeling than bringing back a specific sound.
Can each of you share the K-pop group that has helped influence your journey as an artist?
Geonu: Definitely BIGBANG. Also "붉은노을 (Sunset Glow)” was my first interaction to K-pop.
Lim Jimin: SHINee because I thought I should dance for the first time after seeing SHINee's stage.
Siwoo: B.A.P sunbaenim. I remember watching and listening to a lot of their stages and songs when I was young.
Bain: For me, it would have to be 2NE1. Growing up, they really changed my perception of what a K-pop artist could be. Every member had such a distinct personality, and they weren’t afraid to be different. They showed me that being an artist isn’t just about performing well. It’s about having your own identity and making people feel something.
Sangwoo: BIGBANG, BTS.
DY: BIGBANG and 2NE1 have been my biggest influences. I’ve also been greatly inspired by BEAST.
So much of ‘Party Time’ relies on your hairstyles and clothes! Looking back to the K-pop artists who have come before you, who is the artist you consider a style icon.
Geonu: Definitely G-Dragon. No need to explain.
Lim Jimin: I think BIGBANG is the icon of style, because they created and led the trend of that era.
Siwoo: I think it's BIGBANG sunbaenim, because they are constantly creating new trends not only in that era but also until now. I think [they] are an icon that inspire many artists in music but also in fashion and style. B1A4 sunbaenim also came to mind. I was very impressed by the unique and original style of the seniors, and I think they are a style icon in that respect.
Bain: Definitely CL. What I love about her style is that she never seems afraid of looking different or even a little ridiculous to some people. I think that’s what makes fashion exciting. It’s not always about looking conventionally beautiful or cool. Sometimes it’s about taking risks and creating something people haven’t seen before. That’s something I really wanted to bring into this era.
Sangwoo: Personally, I don’t have a fashion icon in the K-pop industry.
DY: BIGBANG
(Photo credit: JUSTB_Official/X)
You have leaned into the hyperpop sound in recent years. And K-pop in the past has been known for maximalist sounds. Is that something you are hoping to bring back?
BAIN: Absolutely. I think there’s something really beautiful about being excessive.
Not everything needs to be minimal, polished, or perfectly controlled. Sometimes more is more, and that’s what makes it exciting. We wanted this album to feel a little chaotic, a little ridiculous, but completely intentional. I don’t think art always needs to be tasteful or subtle. Sometimes it just needs to make you feel something.
Many have compared your comeback to BIGBANG. What role has that group played in your journey as artists?
Geonu: I believe they are the best lesson if you want to be one and only with timeless music.
Bain: First of all, being compared to BIGBANG is such a huge compliment. I think what made BIGBANG so special was that they never felt like they were following a formula. They had their own sound, their own style, and their own rules. That’s something we really admire. With this album, we were involved in everything, from the music and choreography to the visuals and creative direction. And I think that sense of ownership is something we’ve always looked up to in artists like BIGBANG.
DY: BIGBANG has always been a huge inspiration to me and a source of ideas. They always put “being cool” first, and their music is incredible. Even when you look back at their old work, it’s still cool. Being cool has always been their priority. That’s something I really want to learn from them.
How have you seen K-pop’s sound change in the last five years?
DY: Musicians who don’t make music. Artists who don’t create art. An endless cycle where you have to give up music just to become a singer.
In two words, how would you describe JUSTB’s style of “k-pop?”
Geonu: Sick-Kick.
Bain: Beautiful Chaos.
DY: Korea and music.
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