A decade in flight: GOT7 celebrates 10th anniversary

[Photo: GOT7; edited by X user @bambamism]

A whirlwind of green hearts and well wishes engulfed social media as the globally renowned South Korean group GOT7 soared to an incredible milestone with its 10th debut anniversary on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Ahgases, the seven-piece act’s indefatigable legion of supporters, took over the online sphere as the hashtag #ADecadeWithGOT7 dominated the trend list on X, formerly known as Twitter, with over half a million posts as of publication.

GOT7’s official social media accounts came back to life with a celebratory post featuring photos of the members in Polaroid frames, along with their individual handwritten letters.

The beloved South Korean group @GOT7 is celebrating its tenth anniversary today, Jan. 16! To mark this milestone, the members each shared handwritten letters uploaded on the group's official Instagram account.

🧵 Check out this thread to read the members' letters! |… https://t.co/5nK2cL8m1d

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 15, 2024

The members also joined in on the online chorus of jubilation as they marked a decade in the industry with their ride-or-die fandom.

Happy 10 Years @GOT7! 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

— Mark Tuan (@marktuan) January 15, 2024

In an Instagram Live late last night, BamBam commemorated the group’s landmark achievement and even tried to get the members to join the live broadcast, but to no avail.

“To my brothers, GOT7, you know, it has been 10 years now since we’re together. This year, we might not be together, but still, our heart is always together,” he said.

10 YEARS GOT7 = Meme Day

i love you ahgase
we been through alot and that's what makes us strong and special💚#GOT7 #IGOT7 pic.twitter.com/glVYBEbSfe

— BamBam (@BamBam1A) January 15, 2024

JAY B, GOT7’s leader, shared his group’s official posts on his Instagram Stories, as did Youngjae. In Yugyeom’s Instagram post, a short but heartwarming exchange between him and BamBam gave the fans all the feels.

[Photo: Screenshot from Yugyeom’s Instagram]

This month, GOT7 also marked three years since their departure from their former label, JYP Entertainment, after the end of their seven-year contract, a decision hailed by many fans as a symbol of the septet’s teamwork and a blueprint for other groups to follow.

This move also allowed the members to pursue their individual careers while occasionally collaborating with each other and gracing each other’s events.

OUR BOYS! 💚

WATCH: GOT7's Mark Tuan shares a short clip of himself together with the group's youngest members, BamBam and Yugyeom, performing their 2022 hit "NANANA" at a New Year's countdown event in Thailand. | 📽️: Mark Tuan/IG Story

Visit https://t.co/SJREtQ9HPf for more… pic.twitter.com/JGTF0MEFGj

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 1, 2024

OUR MARKGYEOM! 💚🥺

WATCH: GOT7’s Mark Tuan is seen hyping up Yugyeom and enjoying the maknae’s performance in this behind-the-scenes clip taken from a New Year’s countdown event in Thailand. | 🎥: DNA Management/Instagram Story via @dnvrdelrosario

Visit… pic.twitter.com/NpDzYRsZbv

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 4, 2024

A year after exiting the agency, GOT7 released a self-titled extended play (EP) that paid homage to the group’s identity and journey as “seven or nothing,” a production that further quashed any assumptions of the acclaimed seven-piece act’s disbandment.

The members have consistently told their fans that they are keeping good to their promise to always stay as GOT7 despite being currently signed to different labels. In an Instagram Live to mark their eighth anniversary, Jinyoung reiterated the group’s pledge.

“Although we don’t know when we will be back again, we’ll be sure to come back with an album that our Ahgases will love,” he said in Korean.

Recently, BamBam, dubbed as the group’s “spoiler king,” further alluded to the group’s return with a post written in jest towards JAY B.

맨날 나 보고 스포하지말라하더니
리더님이 다 하네 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ😂

(don't tag him i don't want to die)

— BamBam (@BamBam1A) January 8, 2024

In the Manila stop of his “The Other Side” world tour last Sunday, Mark Tuan looked back at the group’s journey and expressed his hopes of taking the stage with his members in the future.

“I know that when we left the company, there was a lot of unknown mystery in what was going to happen. But […] we’re still GOT7. We’re still talking to each other. Hopefully, one day, we can come back and visit you guys,” Mark said. 

“I’m not spoiling anything,” he quickly added. 

To celebrate GOT7’s 10th anniversary, here’s Mark looking back at the group’s journey and expressing his hopes of performing with the members on stage once more.

“We’re still GOT7.” (@marktuan, #TheOtherSideinMNL)#GOT7 #IGOT7#GOT7FOREVER #ADecadeWithGOT7 pic.twitter.com/xsnCBKlRMA

— denver del rosario (@dnvrdelrosario) January 16, 2024

The group last visited the Philippines for the sold-out Manila stop of the “Keep Spinning” world tour in October 2019. Since then, the members returned to the country to stage performances as individual artists.

The beloved seven-piece act made its introduction to the music world with the release of its debut album “Identify,” which carried the singles “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Stop Stop It.” This first production was followed by four studio albums, along with 16 EPs.