Top Five 4th Gen K-Pop Rookie Girl Groups

Top Five 4th Gen K-Pop Rookie Girl Groups

K-POP ROOKIE GIRL GROUPS

K-pop has become a global phenomenon over the years. While the industry is known for producing talented artists, it's the girl groups that have been taking the world by storm. From BTS to Blackpink, we've seen the rise of some of the biggest names in the K-pop industry. 
2023 is shaping to be an exciting year for K-pop, with a new wave of rookie girl groups ready to take the stage. However, there's a new wave of K-pop girl groups that have taken the scene by storm, and we're here to introduce you to the top 5 rookie girl groups of the moment. Here are the top 5 groups to watch out for.

NewJeans

NewJeans
©NewJeans Instagram

 

"OMG" back to back, all popular songs! NewJeans is already rocking the K-pop world. 

NewJeans is a girl group from South Korea that made their debut on July 22, 2022, under ADOR. The group is composed of five members, namely Hanni, Minji, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. NewJeans' concept is centered around a "vintage modern" theme, and their music is a mix of retro sounds and modern pop. With their strong vocals and impressive dance moves, NewJeans is definitely a group to watch out for in the future.


 

 

In July 2019, HYBE (formerly known as BigHit Entertainment) announced that Min Hee Jin would lead a new girl group project, which was formed through the Plus Global Audition held by BigHit and Source Music. In late 2021, HYBE revealed that the group would debut in 2022 under the new independent subsidiary label, ADOR, with Min serving as the CEO.


 

@newjeans_official #NewJeans #뉴진스 #NewJeans_OMG #NewJeans_Ditto #Year_of_NewJeans ♬ OMG - NewJeans

Before their debut, some of the group members had been involved in the entertainment industry, such as Hyein being a member of Play With Me Club, while Hanni and Minji appeared in the music video for BTS' “Permission to Dance”.

On July 22, 2022, the group released their debut song, “Attention”. They followed this up with their second lead track, “Hype Boy,” and a B-side, “Hurt”. Their eponymous EP was released on August 1, 2022, and included their third lead single, “Cookie”. The EP achieved the highest opening week sales for a debut album by a girl group in South Korea, with over 300,000 album sales in the first week of release.

After their debut, NewJeans won the 2022 The Fact Music Award in the Next Leader category and were nominated for the Best Female Rookie award at the 2022 Genie Music Awards. On October 18, 2022, ADOR confirmed that the group was preparing for their first-ever comeback. The pre-release single, “Ditto”, was released on December 19, 2022, along with two music videos. Their first album, OMG, is set to be released on January 2, 2023.


aespa

aespa

©aespa Instagram

aespa is a four-member girl group under SM Entertainment. Blending stunning visuals, and powerful vocals, aespa redefines what it means to be a K-pop girl group. aespa's concept is centered around the idea of an "avatar universe," where the members have virtual counterparts. 


 

@aespa_official

 

♬ 오리지널 사운드 - aespa official

Their music is a mix of electronic dance music and pop, and their choreography is heavily synchronized. aespa has already garnered a huge following and has been breaking records left and right. The K-pop girl group is composed of four members: Winter and Karina from South Korea, Giselle from Japan, and Ningning from China. 

 

The group's concept is unique, with both human and AI-powered virtual members, making them the first project of the SM Culture Universe. They debuted on November 17th, 2020 with their digital single "Black Mamba," and their group name is a combination of the words "avatar" and "experience" as well as "aspect," representing their duality.


The group has opened their official fanclub called "MY," meaning "the most precious friend" in the language of Kwangya, the world where the virtual members reside. Fans first spotted their logo in SuperM's "One (Monster & Infinity)" music video, and later in NCT U's "Make A Wish (Birthday Song)" music video. The group's concept centers around a messaging service called "SYNK," which connects the human and virtual members through "Naevis."


Since their debut, aespa has released multiple teaser images and "SYNK" trailers for each member duo, featuring augmented reality technology. They earned the nickname "Monster Rookie" and "Global Super Rookie" due to their unique concept and impressive debut. In addition to their digital single "Black Mamba," they have also released a mini-album titled "Savage" with six songs, including their lead track.



STAYC

 STAYC

©STAYC Instagram

STAYC Girls, It’s Going Down!

We need water! STAYC caught our attention with its addictive and hooking release.

STAYC is a six-member girl group under High Up Entertainment. The group made their debut on November 12, 2020, with their single album "Star To A Young Culture." STAYC's concept is centered around a "retro-future" theme, and their music is a mix of retro pop and electronic dance music. With their catchy tunes and infectious personalities, STAYC has quickly gained a large fanbase.

 

 

The group is composed of six members, each with different roles. Sumin is the leader of the group and is responsible for vocals and rapping. Sieun is the main vocalist, while Isa serves as the lead vocalist. Seeun is also a vocalist, and Yoon is a lead vocalist. J is the youngest member of the group and serves as a vocalist and rapper. Together, they make up the group and work collaboratively to create music and performances.

 

@stayc_official Poppy💖✨ #PoppyChallenge #STAYC #스테이씨 #TeddyBear #Poppy ♬ Poppy (Korean Ver.) - STAYC

 

STAYC made their debut on November 12, 2020 with their self-titled first single album, which included the title track "SO BAD". The EP sold more than 4,300 copies on its initial release date, making it the highest-selling album for a girl group that debuted in 2020. Despite debuting at number 17, the EP eventually peaked at number 6 on the domestic Gaon Album Chart.


On April 8th, 2021, STAYC made their first comeback with STAYDOM, which had a more relaxed musical direction compared to their debut EP. The EP debuted at number 9 on the Gaon Album Chart, marking STAYC's first top 10 debut and their second consecutive top 10 album. STAYC had their second comeback of 2021 on September 6th with STEREOTYPE, their third EP. 

The album sold over 114,000 copies within its first week of release and debuted at number 2 on the Gaon Album Chart, which is the group's highest chart debut to date. The EP's title track "색안경 (STEREOTYPE)" earned STAYC their first music show win at SBS MTV's The Show on September 14th, followed by additional wins on MBS M's Show Champion and Mnet's M Countdown on September 15th and 16th, respectively. On October 2nd of the same year, STAYC was honored with The Fact Music Awards' Next Leader Award.



IVE

IVE

©IVE Instagram

Let’s Dive into IVE!

IVE is a five-member girl group under Starship Entertainment. The group made their debut on December 1, 2021, with their single album "Eleven." IVE - Combining stunning visuals with powerful vocals and sharp choreography, IVE got all. IVE's concept is centered around the idea of a "new generation" of girl groups, and their music is a mix of pop and R&B. The group is known for their strong vocals and impressive dance moves, and they've already gained a lot of attention from K-pop fans around the world.

 

@ive.official 유후 크리스마스 〰️🎄🎅❄️⛄️🎁💚 #AfterLIKE #애프터라이크 #IVE #아이브 #Christmas #크리스마스 ♬ After LIKE - IVE


The group is made up of six members, namely Wonyoung, Yujin, Rei, Gaeul, Liz, and Leeseo. They work together to create music and performances, and showcase their individual talents and personalities as a group. IVE made their official debut on December 1, 2021, with their first single album, ELEVEN. It was one of the most successful girl group debuts, garnering 45 million views on YouTube within a few days. The song reached #68 on Billboard’s Global 200, #2 on South Korean Gaon charts and #16 on Japan’s Hot 100. Just 7 days after their debut, the group won their first Music Show with ELEVEN.

 


 

 


Following their debut, IVE made a comeback a few months later with LOVE DIVE. The single album was more successful than ELEVEN, selling 120,000 copies within a day of its pre-release. The official “LOVE DIVE” music video on YouTube received 73 million views within a month, ranking at #52 on Global Top Music Videos. This led to the group receiving more recognition and multiple show awards.



In August 2022, IVE released their third single album, After LIKE, which was a huge success on charts and sales. After LIKE sold over 469,690 copies on the first day of its pre-order release, followed by 924,363 copies in a week on Hanteo. In September, the group made their Japanese debut with the Japanese version of their debut single, “ELEVEN.”


 





Kep1er

Kep1er

©Kep1er Instagram

Kep1er, a K-pop girl group project composed of nine members, was created through the Mnet reality show Girls Planet 999. Its members are Yujin, Mashiro, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, Youngeun, and Yeseo, and their final lineup was announced on October 22, 2021, during the final episode of the show. 


 

@official_kep1er Thank You Kep1ian💜💛 #Kep1er #케플러 #TikTokAwards #틱톡어워즈 ♬ Se Acabo (feat. Method Man) (Remix) - The Beatnuts

 


The group is managed by WAKEONE Entertainment and Swing Entertainment and will promote for two years and six months starting from their debut on January 3, 2022. They released their mini-album "FIRST IMPACT" and its lead single "WA DA DA" as their official debut.  Kep1er's concept is centered around the idea of "fresh energy," and their music is a mix of pop and electronic dance music. 

 


 

With their upbeat tunes and colorful personalities, Kep1er has quickly gained a loyal fanbase.  As the first multinational girl group to debut under WAKEONE, Kep1er is breaking boundaries and making history with its infectious pop sound.

Initially, Kep1er was scheduled to make its debut on December 14, 2021, but it was postponed to January 3, 2022, due to several staff members testing positive for COVID-19. They released their first mini-album, "FIRST IMPACT," which features the lead single "WA DA DA," on that day. The track won them three music show wins, and the album was a commercial success, selling over 150,153 copies and charting high on the Hanteo Chart. The group then participated in the second season of Mnet's "Queendom," placing fifth.

 


On June 20th, 2022, Kep1er released their second mini-album, "DOUBLAST," which includes the lead single "Up!". Their third mini-album, "Troubleshooter," was released on October 13, marking their fourth comeback of 2022. This release marks the end of their debut year with three platinum albums and nine trophy awards, including MAMA's Favorite New Artist and AAA's Best Choice and New Wave Award.



These are the top 5 rookie girl groups in the K-pop industry at the moment. From their impressive debuts to their catchy tunes and unique concepts, these groups are definitely worth keeping an eye on. With their immense talent and hard work, we can only expect great things from them. From catchy pop anthems to sultry R&B tracks, these groups showcase a diverse range of musical styles and concepts. It's exciting to see what these talented artists have in store for the future. Have a glimpse of their amazing performance together.



If you're a fan of K-pop and Korean culture, then you'll definitely want to check out the latest Seoulbox for February. This month's box is packed with Korean items, including authentic Korean snacks and K-pop merchandise that you won't want to miss.

In this month's Seoulbox, you can expect to find some of the most popular Korean snacks, including sweet and savory treats that are perfect for snacking while enjoying your favorite K-pop groups. You'll also receive a variety of K-pop merchandise from some of the top artists in the industry, including photo cards, and other goodies that any K-pop fan will love.

Seoulbox

And the best part is that you can get all of this delivered right to your doorstep! So, don't hesitate to order your February Seoulbox today and get a taste of Korean culture and K-pop. Order now and don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to experience the best of Korean culture and K-pop!

Author: Joshua Castillo
Back to blog

Leave a comment

DISCOVER KOREAN THROUGH SNACKS

Craving some more? How about with Korean snacks!

Yes, you, you hit the right spot! Treat yourself to a box filled with unique snacks, exclusive K-pop merch, and K-beauty essentials, all sourced directly from Korea. Relish the thrill of exploring Korea each month and feel its heartbeat closer than ever!

SHOP NOW