Can you tell the boys from the girls?

Can you tell the boys from the girls?

Is gender-bending the latest "thing" in K-pop?

In the last two years, the Korean pop music industry has evolved to a stage where only one thing matters - grabbing the most eyeballs.

The Koreans cannot be blamed.

Just last year alone, more than 30 K-pop acts made their debut, which has led industry moguls to ask themselves: How is my band different?

K-pop boy bands are taking this idea to the extreme, perhaps taking a leaf out of girl group f(x)'s book - they are best known for Amber, the androgynous cutie.

Appearing in full drag and doing hilarious impersonations of girl groups have got them noticed.

Some fans have lapped it up and are screaming for more.

Here are four of the most memorable cross-dressing performances to date.

Boy Band: Btob's Minhyuk, Nu'est's Ren, Vixx's Hongbin and A-Jax's Seungjin for ad hoc boy band Boy's Day

Dressed as: Girl's Day

Performed: Something

Where: Music show Music Core's 400th episode on March 8

Fans say: Wrote hipployta: "Ren's lip-syncing was so on point. He was so fierce and pretty that I couldn't believe it was him."

Wrote krystal_32206: "Boy's Day! They're prettier than most girl idols."

Wrote shameless: "Ren already looks like a girl. No need for all that hair and make-up."

Verdict: From all the positive comments online, Boy's Day was a bona fide hit.

The boys have feminine features to begin with, so the rest was easy-peasy.

Fans have even called them prettier than the real thing. Ouch.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stilettos


 Boy Band: Vixx

Dressed as: Wonder Girls

Performed: So Hot

Where: SBS's Chuseok's Star Face Off, a talent show which showcases impersonations, on Sept 20, 2013

Fans say: Wrote 3xoSon3lov3r: "Vixx slayed it! I was on the floor laughing and I have to give them props. That takes a lot of guts, and they went all out!"

Wrote TheGuidance: "Gotta be honest, I was so bored. Not interesting for me."

Added local fan, 18-year-old student Krissa Lee: "I only started liking them after that performance... they aren't afraid to make fools of themselves to make their fans laugh. Much better than other K-pop boy bands who are only good at looking aloof and cool."

Verdict Vixx's gamble paid off - if wanting to be noticed was their agenda.

But leopard prints don't suit the boys. Some netizens had this advice for them: More class please. Otherwise, their performance was spot-on.

Rating 3 out of 5 stilettos

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Boy Band: Btob

Dressed as: A Pink

Performed: No No No

Where: Korean TV network MBC's Star Look-a-like League (battle for title of the best impersonator) on Jan 30

Fans say: Said 19-year-old student Mash Tjoe: "Btob showed me this good strategy - I dressed up as one of the Wonder Girls for my girlfriend and she loved it. Better than buying her flowers."

Student Elaine Kwon, 15, added: "My friends loved this when I showed them the video.

"I don't know why guys dressing as girls is just so funny.

"Even A Pink fans liked it very much - it's almost like Btob paid tribute to them in the best way possible."

Verdict: Even though the boys appeared a bit too manly to pull off the girlish dance moves, their slight awkwardness made them more endearing than irritating.

Fans were even lobbying to see them in shorter skirts next time. Btob, you listening?

Rating: 3 out of 5 stilettos


Boy Band: Infinite's Sungyeol and Sungjong

Dressed as: Trouble Maker (4Minute's HyunA and Beast's Hyunseung)

Performed: Trouble Maker

Where: Infinite's debut concert Second Invasion in Korea on Feb 11, 2012

Fan says: Said student Marion Koh, 16: "I bought the Second Invasion DVD and kept re-watching it. There's something really sexy about it. Some of my friends find it gross, but what do they know? They are not Infinite fans."

Verdict: A crowd favourite that has fans still talking about it even today.

Sungjong had said: "I got the idea first. So I went to suggest it to the CEO (of Woollim Entertainment, which represents the band). But the song wasn't a problem, the most important thing was that it wasn't me who was going to have the girl's role but Sungyeol."

Sungyeol continued: "He kept on trying to persuade me, I wanted to do an unprecedented transformation. So in the end, I agreed. The conditions for me doing it was that he had to kiss me for real... But because my parents were at the concert that day, I was embarrassed."

Well, Sungyeol's "sacrifice" was well worth it. And he certainly can rock a red dress.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stilettos


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