January 4, 20215 yr From The BBC Asia They made their debut as a boy band, expecting to create music and amass fans along the way. Instead they were met with anger, protests and even threats. They perform choreographed dance routines, sing addictive tunes and have shockingly slick music videos - and no, we're not talking about a K-pop group. This is Q-pop, or Qazaq-pop - an up and coming pop genre in Kazakhstan, which all started with one band, Ninety One. But the band has not only made a name for itself through its music. It also made a huge statement when its five androgynous looking members - complete with long hair, guyliner and makeup, burst onto the scene in the deeply conservative country - and challenged its gender norms. In 2014, an entertainment group in Kazakhstan held a singing competition - looking for talented individuals who could form a band. Four boys - A.Z. and Zaq were selected, with Bala and Alem cast separately. They were joined by Ace, who had come from South Korea's famous SM Entertainment - the group behind some of the country's most popular K-pop acts. "We became a team, wrote songs together, learned to dance and perform, and finally... debuted when we were ready," the band told the BBC in an email interview. But the band's producer and the man responsible for creating the group, Yerbolat Bedelkhan, wanted more than just one band. Continues at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55359772
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