This year has been huge in K-pop. South Korean pop culture is at a pivotal point where the new fourth generation of groups is making a definitive impact on the landscape. The most notable act to break the mould last year was NewJeans, who with their first eponymous album shook up everything that was expected of girl groups. NewJeans became the act to watch, and it felt like the entire first half of 2023 was merely an anticipation of their follow up, Get Up, and of whether it would deliver on their promise.
And it did, in spades, but even before it came out it was crystal clear that they were already influencing the entire industry. While during the last few years, K-pop girl groups had a tendency towards a techno goth space-pirate vibe; that vibration ceased this year, and acts who didn’t shape up to the new model, such as Pixy and EVERGLOW, were looking visibly dated when they re-emerged. aespa however notably chose to rebrand strongly, taking pointers from left-field acts such as Billlie and LOONA, to update their music and image for 2023.
Other acts who made successful transitions into the new year, such as IVE and G(I)-DLE also adopted what was at times a much less CGI-heavy video route, and a more natural, although probably carefully curated, dress code towards a spooky lo-fi witch-pop vibe. None of these acts have slavishly copied NewJeans baggy, informal illusion, and LE SSERAFIM, who also have been enjoying massive success, including a banger co-written with Nile Rodgers, managed to retain their spookily absolute hi-energy control while remaining right at the top of their game.
It’s also worth noting that MAMAMOO+, a sub-unit of MAMAMOO, one of the most highly-regarded third generation acts, with their Two Rabbits album, gave us one of the most effortless reinventions of the year: Solar and Moonbyul gave us definitive evidence that their is still plenty of life in thirtysomething idols.
And speaking of LOONA, as we were, things had appeared to be on indefinite hold for them last year as all of the members took legal action against Blockberry Creative, their former label, who had been exploiting them since they started. However in 2023 all twelve members won freedom from their contracts, and ten of them are already active in various formations. Five of them in Loossemble, on the CTDNM label managed by an ex-Blockberry executive, put out a successful album with an agenda aimed at reuniting the full twelve members of LOONA, another three, ODD EYE CIRCLE, which was one of the most beloved LOONA sub-units, have reuinited on MODHAUS, the label of Jaden Jeong – the original architect of the LOONA mythos. Heejin has also put out a solo album on MODHAUS and something similar is expected from Haseul soon.
However, of all of the former LOONA members, perhaps it is Chuu’s solo album which is the most immediately engaging, and the most radical departure from her original role in LOONA. As a footnote, it’s worth mentioning that MODHAUS’s other major project, tripleS, has been putting out excellent fourth generation K-pop through several sub-units, including Acid Angels From Asia, last year, and +(KR)ystal Eyes, EVOLution and LOVElution this year.
Before signing off on our overview of the year for girl groups in K-pop, maybe it’s worth noting that all of this may only have been possible because BLACKPINK have not had a comeback album this year. Having said that, Jisoo’s solo album and single were insanely successful, which demonstrates that YG Entertainment can by no means be dismissed as hasbeens.