Since the trailer was released, speculations started. Who is 4*Town really inspired by? Some said that it was BTS, others that it was really nothing more than a representation of American groups like the Backstreet Boys or N’SYNC, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
The appearance of 4*TOWN in “Turning Red” aroused curiosity among k-pop fans who quickly saw a resemblance with some of their idols and began to relate them to members of groups of this well-known genre.
You might find interesting: ‘Turning Red’: The fact that many fail to connect says a lot about our society
Although it seems to be an inspiration taken from groups from the 90s like the Backstreet Boys or N’SYNC, they are not really related, at least not visually.
Director Domee Shi said in an interview for Billboard Japan that the film is based on her own experiences as a teenager and that at that time, she was a k-pop fan and 2PM and BIGBANG, two of the most important k-pop groups.
However, it is believed that the inspiration for 4*town’s Tae Young was BTS’s Jimin. Until now, Shi has not said anything about it, but the resemblance between the two is indisputable.
And, though you have heard of BTS, maybe you are not an expert on K-Pop, that is why here’s everything you need to know about both bands that served as an inspiration for 4*TOWN.
2PM
2PM is a group that debuted in 2008 under JYP Entertainment. It has 6 members, Jun. K, Wooyoung, Junho, Taecyeon, Chansung and Nichkhun. Last year they released an album named MUST, their importance in this genre is huge and not only they were the inspiration but also there’s a reference to them in this movie poster.
Their fandom is named ‘Hottest’ and in a “Turning Re”d poster you can see that 4*TOWN is referred to as the ‘Hottest Band of the Year’
BIGBANG
Formed by G-Dragon, T.O.P, Daesung and Taeyang BIGBANG debuted in 2006 under YG Entertainment. Throughout their career, this group became one of k-pop’s main band to the point of being a reference for many upcoming groups of this genre.
It has even been said that the choreography performed by 4*TOWN resembles the debut choreography of BIGBANG and that also the cages in which the group appears during its concert in Toronto are similar to capsules that BIGBANG used during a tour; while the wings and the way they came down are related to the presentation of the song ‘Wings’.
Whether these were the bands that served as an inspiration for 4*TOWN or not, we are certain that watching Mei Lee get excited about her favorite boyband made us remember our teenage years.