The Disney to K-pop Pipeline: 10 Idol Groups and their DCOM Spirit Animals

Angela Hom
54 minutes ago
5 min read

For most Gen Z and millennials, Disney Channel was a childhood entertainment staple. The flashy, over-the-top acting and musical performances captivated our attention spans for decades. There were countless tunes and choreographies that we spent hours memorizing in our bedrooms instead of studying or sleeping. These timeless movies and shows shaped us into who we are today and influenced our interests. For many, this love of choreographed spontaneous musical numbers became the foundation for our love of K-pop.

Throughout the past decade, K-pop has enjoyed more spotlight in international mainstream media, originating from the 2013 sensation “Gangnam Style” by PSY. The rise of BTS in our modern era has led to many conversations about their impact worldwide, even past the music industry. With their extravagant outfits and cinematic, story-driven music videos, K-pop has become the new obsession for many just as Disney Channel Original Movies (or DCOMs) were. So this begs the question: What DCOMS would our favorite K-pop groups be?

SPOILER WARNING if you have not seen these movies!

BTS as Descendants

When it comes to the catalyst for the modern rise of K-pop, many will say it is BTS. It seems fitting to make them represent the movie that has captured young and old: “Descendants.” If you’re as chronically online as we are, we’re sure your feeds have blown up with Descendants content. From dance challenges to memes, this franchise has taken over the world, similar to BTS. From their rap and hip-hop origin to their current experimental sound, this group lives up to their DCOM’s name by being the musical descendant of so many other groups who set the stage in the industry before them. Just like the VKs aka villain’s kids of Descendants, BTS is already paving the way for future K-pop artists to enter the global mainstream.

Stray Kids as Camp Rock

This self-produced group of eight encapsulates the themes of found family and the power of music from Camp Rock. With three of their members being their main songwriters and producers known as 3RACHA, this group truly knows the importance of music and the inspiration it can bring. Camp Rock is a movie that captures a youthful passion for music and the adventure of growing up. With songs like “19” and “School Life” speaking on the growing pains of getting older, Stray Kids is the perfect fit for this iconic classic movie.

TWICE as Princess Protection Program

While these nine women are queens, they perfectly capture the essence of true friendship shown in Princess Protection Program. With TWICE’s survival show beginning to over 10 years of music, these girls have proven that idol groups can survive the seven-year curse: a superstition that a group will disband after seven years. Maybe they could even survive a royal kingdom takeover just like Princess Rosalina.

aespa as Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century

aespa has been a hot topic in the K-pop community for the past few months. Their futuristic look and unique sound pair perfectly with Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. From their out-of-space wardrobe and mind-bending music videos, this four-member group could fully blend in with the cast of Zenon. These girls are ready to take on an intergalactic adventure and we’re sure MY, aespa’s fans, would love to see this concept become reality.

DAY6 as Lemonade Mouth

Just like the strangers who became fast friends in Lemonade Mouth, this iconic K-band creates absolute bops in every release. Similar to Lemonade Mouth’s turbulent beginnings, DAY6 has gone through many transitions—even losing a member—but they still come out on top to create their unique sound. In the end, the students of Lemonade Mouth created music that spoke to them and their peers, and DAY6 creates musical masterpieces that allow their fans to unleash their inner rockstar. Now if only we could play instruments as well as these boys.

SHINee as Starstuck

Each of these members scream star quality in this classic boy group. Amidst their booming solo stages, the members of SHINee still make time to prioritize the group that started it all for them. Just like Starstruck’s main character Chistopher Wilde, there is a deeper side to these members. Through their music they have not only captured the superstardom of being an idol group but also the sincerity of the music they create. It just goes to show when your favorite idols can show off their duality, fans can’t help but fall in love.

EXO as Sky High

A high school for superheroes... what could possibly go wrong? Sky High, while underrated, is a perfect fit for EXO. EXO’s lore runs deep with their own superpowers which are heavily featured in their music video “Power.”

This SM Entertainment boy group has gone through many transitions with members leaving, which some could call chaos, but just like the students of Sky High EXO still saves the day by creating amazing hits. Let’s hope there are no supervillains out to get this group and continue to cheer for this third generation group.

Red Velvet as Teen Beach Movie

Just like this summer flick, Red Velvet absolutely brings the beach vibes. A turf war between surfers and bikers perfectly connects to Red Velvet’s opposing concepts. ‘Red’ encapsulates their cute and bright concepts (i.e. “Umpah Umpah” and their new single, “Surfin’ Boy”), while ‘Velvet’ shows off their more mature and dark concepts (i.e. “Bad Boy” and “Psycho”). In the end, both feuding groups come together to save the day, realizing they’re not so different, and Red Velvet is the perfect harmony of both sides of K-pop.

MAMAMOO as The Cheetah Girls

MAMAMOO are K-pop’s third-generation vocal queens. This group of four perfectly matches the chaotic but heartfelt sisterhood of The Cheetah Girls. Each of the members, Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa, while powerful together, are each equally gifted soloists. Just like The Cheetah Girls, sisterhood is stronger than anything life throws at them, and while Mamamoo may not always be together, they will always make time for each other as a group.

The Cheetah Girls movie poster — *The Cheetah Girls* movie poster

Seventeen as High School Musical

With 13 members, there are bound to be many different vibes, or even cliques. This powerhouse group shows that breaking the status quo could be a beautiful thing. From the trot style of Dino to the tear-jerking ballads of Seungkwan and DK, this PLEDIS group comes together to create masterpieces just like the students of West High in High School Musical. No matter their differences, in the end, it is all about the music.