17 Idols Who Are Hands-On With Their Music

K-POP is one of the most versatile genres out there, and it has gathered quite the attention globally during the past few years. And so, a lot of fans have become quite interested in who is behind the music everyone loves so much! Besides the big well-known producers who write songs for companies in so-called songwriter camps, there are also a few idols who have made a name for themselves when it comes to producing, writing, or composing music. Be it music for their group, their solos, or for other groups, each of these idols is immensely talented and deserves to get some more love.

A short disclaimer; while self-produced music is something to really appreciate, it does not discredit artists who sing songs not written by themselves. Every song becomes the property of the artists when performed. As we, here at the Honey Pop, celebrate all kinds of music, we wanted to share our appreciation of these following idols who work hard on stage as well as behind the scenes!

B.I. / Kim Hanbin

B.I. is to this day the only idol to win Songwriter of the Year at the Melon Music Awards, and it is well deserved! Kim Hanbin used to be the leader and main producer for his group iKON. He was the genius behind the group’s biggest hit, ‘Love Scenario,’ which did amazing on charts in Korea and abroad. And it’s still sitting comfortably on Korean charts! But besides producing most of the group’s discography, B.I. is also behind some well-loved hits of other idol groups, e.g., Winner’s ‘Empty’, Blackpink’s ‘Whistle’, and Lee Hii’s ‘No One.’ Since leaving the group, he has been on hiatus, and we are anxiously waiting for his return, be it as a singer or producer!

Hui – Pentagon

Pentagon’s Hui is the leader and main producer of the group. He has been lovingly dubbed this generation’s next genius producer. Hui is behind the group‘s mega-hit ‚‘Shine’ as well as most of the rest of the group’s flawless discography. They recently got their first win with ‘Daisy’ which was long overdue. But not only is Hui the main supporter of all things music for his own group but he has also used his genius for the survival show Produce 101 and other artists. The idol really knows how to produce a bop and he is probably behind some of your favorite hits from recent years. Such as Wanna One’s ‘Energetic,’ Wei’s ‘twilight‘, and JO1’s ‘Oh-Eh-Oh‘. The male idol soon has to enlist and we will certainly feel his absence on the scene!

JB / Defsoul – GOT7

GOT7 has one of the vastest discographies out there and the most diverse range of concepts. The idol group’s most successful comebacks are always title songs written by the group’s leader Jaebeom. This just shows how talented he is! JB goes by the alias Defsoul when producing music, and he has blessed Ahgase with a couple of mixtapes on his SoundCloud already, which you should check out if you can! Defsoul has blessed our ears by writing GOT7’s ‘You are,’ ‘Look,’ and the latest hit ‘Last Piece,’ and many more GOT7 songs we love.

Woozi – SEVENTEEN

Woozi is the man when it comes to SEVENTEEN songs! There is barely a song that isn’t at least co-written by Woozi and really amazing! The group is well known among the K-POP community as one of the most self-produced groups. Woozi is responsible for some of the most catchy bops in recent years, and we really think he needs more appreciation when it comes to his song making. Among the songs he is credited for is this year’s ‘Left&Right,’ classic ‘Very Nice,’ and mega bop ‘HIT.’

Soyeon – (G)I-DLE

(G)I-DLE is one of the biggest breakout female rookies of recent years, and this is all thanks to their leader Soyeon, who mostly writes and composes the group’s music. She wrote the break out debut single ‘LATATA,’ which was outright a mega-hit and gave the group a fast first win on music shows. It is honestly amazing how hands-on Soyeon is when it comes to her group, but the female idol has also helped produce some of the other artists’ mega-hits such as CLC’s ‘No,’ Hyoyeon’s ‘Dessert,’ and Namjoo’s ‘Bird.’ She is really killing it out here!

3RACHA – Stray Kids

Now, if you haven’t heard about Stray Kids, we are truly sorry for you! The geniuses behind Stray Kids’ flawless discography are 3RACHA. This trio consists of the group’s leader Bang Chan and members Han Jisung and Seo Changbin, and they are killing it! There isn’t a song not written or composed by 3RACHA, especially Bang Chan, and it is probably why the group is so successful; they are putting out one bop after the other. Truly amazing the work this trio is doing, which gives SKZ their unique sound. They also have a SoundCloud, where you can find mixtapes by the trio. There are so many songs 3RACHA is responsible for that, for Stray Kids, we can’t name them all, so we will just mention our current favorites Stray Kids’: ‘God’s Menu,’ ‘Back Door,’ and ‘All In.’

Kim Jonghyun – SHINee

Kim Jonghyun is not only one of the best vocalists out there, but he is also behind some of SHINee‘s most epic title tracks! Jonghyun has written and composed multiple songs, as well as his solo projects, and we are so grateful for the music he has given us. The idol has a way of writing songs and lyrics that is completely unique, and it touches hearts everywhere. Not only is he responsible for some amazing songs from his own group, like the legendary ‘Juliette,’ ‘View,’ or ‘Selene 6.23,’ but he has also given some songs to other artists. These songs have become stables in the artists’ careers, such as Taemin’s ‘Pretty Boy,’ EXO‘s ‘Playboy,’ Lee Hii’s ‘Breathe,’ and ‘A Gloomy Clock’ by IU. Truly one of a kind!

Namjoon / RM – BTS

BTS is one of the biggest K-POP groups out there at the moment. Despite that, they have not lost their way of making music. Since their debut, BTS is known for writing and composing most of their music. Almost all of the members have participated in the music-making process, but the genius behind their epic discography is majorly no one else but the groups’ leader RM, or better known as Namjoon. Namjoon is behind most of the group’s songs, and his signature is what makes BTS’ music so incredible! Namjoon is behind ‘Dynamite,’ ‘ON,’ ‘Life Goes On,’ and ‘Black Swan,’ just to name a few from this year.

YoungK – Day6

Are you feeling sad? Well, Day6 got your back! Especially Young K, who is responsible for almost all the songs the rock K-Band has put out! Young K really knows how to write songs one can relate and cry to a little. Each of the songs’ messages hit very hard depending on what kind of situation you are in, and we really are wondering if Young K will ever run out of content to write about. We really hope he doesn’t since he has given Days some of the most amazing songs, such as ‘I Need Somebody,’ ‘Zombie,’ and ‘I Smile.’

Jooheon & I.M – MONSTA X

MONSTA X are one of the hottest groups out on the scene at the moment, and they keep releasing bops one after the other. Have you ever wondered who is behind those amazing songs? Well, it is no other than the group’s rap line Joohoney and I.M. The rappers have taken part in most of the writing process of the group’s songs. They helped with bops such as the recent ‘Love Killa,’ ‘Alligator,’ and ‘Fantasia.’ They both also have their own mixtapes, which they entirely made by themselves. Joohoney’s latest mixtape Psyche is completely written by him. Legends only if you ask us!

G-Dragon – BIGBANG

We have reached one of the most legendary groups and idol producers. G-Dragon, the leader and rapper of BIGBANG, has been starving fans for new content since his enlistment in the military, but that doesn’t make fans forget about the songs he has left them with so far! And they are epic. G-Dragon has helped with the music and lyrics of almost all of Big Bang’s discography. Megahits like ‘Flower Road,’ ‘Loser,’ ‘Fantastic Baby,’ and ‘Bang Bang Bang’ all have G-Dragon credited; we know a genius when we see one. The Idol is also very hands-on with his solo music and writing for other artists, which is really impressive. He has helped write songs for PSY, iKON, and IU!

Seungyoon & Mino – WINNER

WINNER is a group that is very well known for writing their own music. Most of the time, leader Seungyoon is the one writing the music for the group (we are still impatiently waiting for his solo album!). All of the members have taken part in the process, though, especially member Mino, who is very active in the making of the group’s discography and his own solo music! Mino gave INNER CIRCLE the catchy bop ‘Hold’ in the first half of this year and his entire second album, Take, just last month, but Seungyoon is the main point of music-making for WINNER. His songs give WINNER their very distinctive sound, and he has helped with bops like ‘Really Really,’ ‘Love Me Love Me,’ and ‘Millions.’ But Seungyoon has also gifted his genius to label-mate Bang Yedam for his amazing pre-debut solo song ‘Wayo.’ We hope he never stops making such good music!

Zico – Block B

It is time to mention one of the busiest men in the K-POP industry when it comes to making music! Zico is a digital monster on Korean music streaming services and is well-beloved by the general public, and that is for a good reason. Zico is part of the K-POP group Block B and is behind multiple of the group’s songs, such as ‘Shall We Dance,’ ‘Nillili Mambo,’ and ‘Very Good.’ But Zico is also behind his entire solo discography and probably some of your favorite K-POP songs. Zico produces left and right, and while we are still bopping to ‘Any Song’ or ‘Summer Hate’ from this year, the bops he made for other artists still have fans bopping as well. Wanna One’s ‘Kangaroo,’ Super Junior‘s ‘2YAO2YAO,’ and X1’s ‘Move’ are just some of our most recent favorites! Zico is currently serving in the Korean military, we hope he returns soon and healthily!

IU

We come to yet another monster in the K-POP industry, the legendary IU. IU is another digital monster when it comes to the Korean music charts and being loved by the public of Korea. The cause of this is IU’s beautiful voice and her just as beautiful music! And it is written by yours truly, IU herself. There is really nothing this female idol can’t do, and we love her for it. She is also a great actress and has fans in awe of her roles. The most recent beautiful songs IU has written and given to fans are ‘Love Poem,’ ‘Blueming,’ and ‘Eight.’ We hope IU never stops releasing and making such amazing music.

Zuho – SF9

SF9 has had an incredible 2020. The group is finally getting more and more popular and even got their first few music show wins! Now, this is due to all of the members working their hardest, but the man we should thank is member Zuho, who is very involved in the group’s music. There isn’t a song he isn’t credited for on the boys’ albums! For being a relatively new group on the scene, their discography is rather solid, and they make bops, b-sides, and titles alike. It is really impressive to see such a young group being so hands-on with their music from the start, and Zuho seems to be another genius of his generation. We can thank him for bops like ‘RPM,’ ‘Summer Breeze,’ and ‘Mamma Mia.’ The B-side ‘Go High’ on their summer album 9loryUS of this year is especially good; please never stop Zuho!

BoA

BoA is the absolute queen and legend of K-POP. She is celebrating her 20th debut anniversary this year, which is no easy thing to do in an industry that moves so incredibly fast. Besides being one of the most successful female soloists, BoA is also very involved and hands-on with her music. Her first self-penned song was ‘Only One’ in the year 2012, and she has just grown from there. There are now barely any songs the female idol hasn’t had her hands on. BoA just keeps getting better and better with every release and year she is active, and it is amazing to see. Some of her self-written songs are ‘Woman,’ ‘Starry Night,’ and ‘Who You Are.’ We love BoA here at The Honey Pop and hope she keeps being this awesome!

Hyunsik & Ilhoon – BTOB

And finally, we would like to appreciate BTOB’s Ilhoon and Hyunsik for everything they do for their group. The two are a power duo when it comes to making music! Their brains are so, so big, and some of our absolute favorite songs are written and composed by these two. BTOB is known for their incredible ballads and vocal skills but also their bops and their humor! Hyunsik and Ilhoon are currently serving in the military, and we miss them dearly, and as we wait for their return we have the songs they have given fans so far on repeat, bops like, ‘Missing You,’ ‘Beautiful Pain,’ and ‘Pray (I’ll Be Your Man).’ Hyunsik also wrote all of the songs on his solo album last year and even gifted BTOB’s sub-unit BTOB 4U their current title ‘Show Your Love.’ It’s really incredible what they are doing for their group!

This concludes our tiny but rather long list of idols who are hands-on when it comes to their music! We know there are many more idols who help with the production of their music, but if we listed them all, this list would never end! So please forgive us!

We really live for any kind of music, self-produced or out-sourced, and we love to see these idols’ hard work paying off and them putting out such great music! Have we named your favorite idol who is hands-on with their music? What’s your favorite self-written song? Let us know by commenting below, tweeting us at @TheHoneyPOP, or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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