K-Pop Star Taeyong Just Proved Men Can Wear Bobby Pins in Their Hair, Too
Between new member additions, music videos, a mockumentary series, and nearly daily V Lives, K-pop group NCT isn't playing around in 2018. And through it all, every single member of the 18-man group has been serving swoon-worthy beauty looks left and right. But front man Taeyong just topped my imaginary list of the best NCT beauty looks since the group debuted in 2016 with an unexpected hair accessory.
On March 1, Taeyong and Ten stopped by M Countdown (a South Korean television show on which popular artists compete), to perform their new single, "Baby Don't Stop." Luckily, a recording of it was posted on YouTube for all of us in America to enjoy. Watching it for the first time, Ten and Taeyong's bare chests as well as Ten's magnificent smoky eyes, distracted me for a good 30 seconds. However, something glimmering in Taeyong's hair caught my eye. His hairstylist clipped back the left side of his fire-truck red hair with several gold bobby pins. I'm pleased to see bright red hair continuing its reign into 2018, but my attention was definitely fixed on the hairpins.
Typically, you'd catch someone trying to combat the awkward phase of growing out a pixie or bangs with this kind of accessory. Or, they could just be trying to keep their hair out of their face. But I thoroughly appreciate Taeyong's use of bobby pins for purely aesthetic purposes. When he performed "Boss" on the same M Countdown episode with the rest of NCT U, he didn't wear them. The pins were truly used to go with the vibe of "Baby Don't Stop." I can't help but respect that and wish more guys would consider bobby pins to not only conveniently hold back their hair, but also pull their looks together. Who said they were only for women? Taeyong is proof that you can still present as masculine and stick bobby pins in your hair. Masculinity and hair accessories don't have to be mutually exclusive.
In a time where K-pop stars are rocking mullets (I'm looking at you, GOT7's JB, Seventeen's The8, and SF9's Youngbin, but I also refuse to look at you), bobby pins are a hair trend for boy group members I can get behind. I would love to see GOT7's BamBam or BTS's Jimin try out Taeyong's bobby pin look next. I don't want to get carried away, but iKon's Bobby could definitely pull off bobby pins, too.
If you want to try out Taeyong's gilded bobby pin look for yourself, the H&M 30-pack Hairpins ($3, seen below), Kitch's White Marble Matchbook Bobby Pins ($10) and the Scunci Extra Long Blonde Bobby Pins ($3) are excellent, affordable options.
You can watch NCT's Taeyong and Ten's full performance of "Baby Don't Stop" below.
Read more about K-pop beauty:
Now, learn some handy bobby pin tricks:
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