It’s no doubt that the Korean pop industry has quickly risen throughout the past years with big names such as BTS making headlines all over the globe. While male K-pop groups seem to be getting all the hype, especially in Western countries such as ours, girl groups are constantly working just as hard and deserve just as much love and attention. If you want to branch out with your music taste, here are four K-pop girl groups to start off with.
- BLACKPINK
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From dropping the hit single “Kill This Love,” to performing at Coachella, there’s no doubt that BLACKPINK dominated America in 2019. Paper Magazine listed “Kill This Love” as the number one song of 2019, and the four-member group also became the first K-pop group in history to perform at Coachella, despite only first debuting as a group in 2016. Members Jennie, Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo have proven themselves to be successful, despite a lack of songs and promotions compared to most other groups. Some songs to give a listen to are “WHISTLE,” “PLAYING WITH FIRE,” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU.”
- TWICE
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With hit releases such as “FANCY” and “Feel Special” both dropping in 2019, nine-member group TWICE has made their way to the top once again. These singles quickly became favorites to many fans and have also brought in many new ones due to the popularity of both songs. TWICE has been known by K-pop fans to have a sweeter concept in most of their songs, but this year they really experimented and pushed their boundaries, with their latest album consisting of tracks that are different from their rest. If you want to give TWICE a try, songs like “FANCY,” “LOVE FOOLISH,” and “What is Love?” are some fan favorites.
- Red Velvet
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This five-member group, known as Red Velvet, is recognized for their versatility, giving them an advantage that not a lot of other groups possess. Their songs can be split up into different categories: their “red side” represents more of a poppy and cheery sound, while their “velvet side” showcases a darker and sexier sound. There are even some songs that don’t fall into either side. They just recently released a new “velvet” song, “Psycho,” right before 2020. Many people consider “Psycho” and “Bad Boy” to be their most popular “velvet” songs, while “Red Flavor” is hands down the most popular “red” track.
- ITZY
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Although the five ladies of this group may have just debuted in 2019, they’ve already been making a name for themselves. Coming from the same company as TWICE, ITZY dropped their first single “DALLA DALLA” last February. The music video currently has 172 million videos on YouTube, while their second and most recent single “ICY” has 125 million. The group has even already accumulated 21 music program wins. Since they just debuted last year, they don’t have very many songs yet, but the two songs already mentioned are a great place to start.
Even though I fully understand the hype over male K-pop groups (I mean c’mon, they’re cute), I think K-pop girl groups deserve attention too. In a world where patriarchy still exists and women have to work twice as hard to get to the same spot as their male counterparts, we should also give attention to these hard-working ladies. So, go stream “FANCY,” and make sure to look out for these four groups in 2020.