Dragon Pony: The Next Generation of Youthwave

Dragon Pony, a new generation of “youth music” seen through Dragon Pony, a four-member boy band consisting of Antenna Music X members Pyeon Seong-hyun, Kwon Se-hyeok, Ko Kang-hoon, and vocalist Ahn Tae-gyu, debutted with the EP “POP UP” in 2024. Formed in 2022, band members who were high school classmates and currently enrolled in the Practical Music Department at Seoul Arts University, combined with vocalist Ahn Tae-gyu, currently studying at Hwahoon University’s College of Arts, make up the band. They were chosen as the first boy band from Antenna Music with a lineup of talented singer-songwriters such as Lucid Fall, Park Sae-byeol, Jung Jae-hyung, Peppertones, Lee Jin-ah, and Yoon Suk-chul. Like other rookie bands, Dragon Pony honed their skills through performances in front of Hongik University in Seoul and various top festivals in Korea and have been actively promoting their new EP “Not Out,” released in March of this year.

Dragon Pony exudes a sense of stability rather than an uncertain future. The rock music genre led by bands that have gained popularity among young music fans in recent years has undergone market verification and can be likened to an officially certified model. The band is like a shining example of a debutant. First and foremost, the band’s name, Dragon Pony, was derived from the concept of the Chinese zodiac and animal signs corresponding to the ages of the members. Recalling the senior band Jannabi formed by friends born in 1992, even though they are under a named label as a boy band, saturated the underground club scene to enhance their skills, somewhat resembling the band DAY6 under JYP Entertainment. Unlike DAY6, who were trainees brought into the band project by the label without previous experience playing instruments, the members of Dragon Pony have been playing instruments since childhood, majoring in music. This has made their music the most solid aspect of the band, showcased by the typical band setup of two guitars, bass, and drums, bringing rock to life.

It is challenging to categorize their music into a single genre. Instead, they present the concept of “youth music.” The keyword “youth” is used to represent a specific trend that combines the freshness, purity, uncertainty, and slightly anxious feelings expected from young bands by the public after the pandemic. This style takes root faintly in 1990s Britpop, 2000s American pop-punk, and Korean modern rock and is prominently observed in the majority of indie bands comprised of practical music alumni, such as Touchdt and Yudavin Band. Dragon Pony is no exception. Their title track “Not Out” secures a clear climax through the intersection of wet reverb effects and distorted guitars, while the lonely acoustic guitar melody stands out in “NEVER,” and the dark mood emphasized by incorporating emo and post-hardcore genres, found commonly in recent bands, in “snake eating its tail.” They meet the expectations for band music with remarkable completeness. Instead of pushing forward with a single sharp music style, their versatility shines through. While they may not progress to a destructive phase, there is no lack of energy to shout and jump at a festival. Representative songs such as “POP UP” encourage audience participation through both performance sections and vocals.

Before the pandemic, “youth music” bands felt compelled to paint an uncertain tomorrow by performing at underground clubs, music festivals, and events supported by cultural organizations run by national and local governments. Programs like “Great Seoul Invasion” or “Superband” were also avenues to gain exposure. However, that is no longer necessary. Emerging from the long tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, music fans across the country are filling nationwide music festivals and various venues. Bands under medium-sized labels are creating their next piece in a stable practice environment while digesting their schedule. They find it relatively easy to appear in major domestic festivals such as the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, Busan International Rock Festival, and even on terrestrial TV programs. The dream of performing on famous overseas festival stages like Lollapalooza is within reach.

The universe of new music created from the black hole of the pandemic feels like everything has ended. Rock bands occupy this space. The fact that Yoonha’s modern rock hit “Horizon of Events” is the biggest hit of the year is no coincidence. Today, rock is the youngest and most prominent music genre in Korean popular music. The resonance of six and four strings, sticks held in two hands, and voices flowing through wires are no longer unfamiliar. Fans in the era of contactless communication feel a strong attraction to unexplored cultures that they can discover and experience themselves, connected through social media, resonating with each other despite their divergent tastes. They