2024.05.10
The KPOP idol group that has started to be referred to as the 5th generation debuted in 2023.
Last year was a year of rising 5th generation boy groups.
Starting with ZEROBASEONE (commonly known as ZB1), born from the male version of "Girls Planet 999," "BOYS PLANET," followed by RIIZE, which SM Entertainment debuted as a boy group for the first time in 7 years since NCT, and TWS, a boy group from PLEDIS Entertainment, a subsidiary of HYBE, which is a brother group to SEVENTEEN and marks a 9-year gap since their last boy group debut. Additionally, BOYNEXTDOOR (commonly known as BONEDO), debuted under KOZ Entertainment (led by Zico from Block B) through Zico's production.
Furthermore, in September, SM, which debuted RIIZE, held an audition program on NTV and Hulu, leading to the simultaneous debut of NCT WISH, a Japan-based subunit of NCT, early in the new year.
While major agencies competed to debut new boy groups one after another, the debut of new girl groups honestly did not stand out in 2023. However, in 2024, perhaps as a reaction to that, a fierce battle between two major new girl groups is already unfolding.
The first group is ILLIT, born from the audition program "R U NEXT?" that aired last year.
Affiliated with HYBE's BELIFT LAB, ILLIT is positioned as the sister group of ENHYPEN, which also comes from the same agency's audition. However, as you can see from this promotional photo, it feels more fitting to say they are the sister group of HYBE's senior group, NewJeans.
With a gritty film-like texture and all members having black hair with nonchalant expressions, they embody the true essence of being a sister group to NewJeans.
The title track "Magnetic," included in their debut album "SUPER REAL ME," is an easy-listening song that NewJeans popularized and currently dominates KPOP, while also ensuring a clear differentiation from NewJeans.
This is likely a concept that could only be expressed because Min Hee-jin, the producer of NewJeans, was not involved.
Min Hee-jin always incorporates some dark elements, so if she had been involved, ILLIT would not have become such a non-toxic idol group.
As a result, their popularity has rapidly spread not only among KPOP fans but also to the general public.
The initial sales of their album, a testament to their popularity among fans, exceeded 380,000 copies, breaking NewJeans' record of 310,000 copies and setting a new record for debut albums by girl groups.
The performance of their music, a measure of their popularity among the general public, started at 93rd place on Melon TOP100, Korea's largest music chart, and gradually climbed to 1st place within two weeks of release.
Furthermore, their global performance is also strong, ranking 8th on the Billboard Global 200 and 2nd globally (excluding the U.S.).
This is the highest record for a debut song by a KPOP group in history.
It is not an exaggeration to say that they have already matched the performance of the current top 5 KPOP girl groups: NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, IVE, aespa, and (G)I-DLE.
However, a group has emerged that has quickly surpassed ILLIT's initial album sales record.
It is BABYMONSTER, the new girl group launched by YG Entertainment, known for BLACKPINK, after a 7-year hiatus.
The debut album "BABYMONS7ER" recorded over 400,000 copies sold in its first week, surpassing the initial sales record of 380,000 set by ILLIT, quickly rewriting the history of first-week sales for girl groups created by ILLIT.
This reminds us of 2022, a year when monster-level groups like IVE, Kep1er, NMIXX, LESSERAFIM, and NewJeans debuted in quick succession, with each new group breaking the debut album sales records of their predecessors (IVE actually debuted in December 2021).
However, in terms of digital performance, ILLIT has significantly outpaced them.
The title track "SHEESH" has not been able to enter the top 100 of the Korean Melon TOP100 even a week after its release, peaking at 141st place (as of April 9), indicating that it hasn't gained popularity among the Korean public.
This is attributed to BABYMONSTER being a hardcore girl group.
As mentioned earlier, easy-listening songs are currently trending in South Korea, and the public is seeking music that is pleasant and easy on the ears.
In contrast, BABYMONSTER's music features frequent rap parts, creating a more intense sound that seems to go against this trend.
However, their performance on Spotify, a key indicator of international popularity, is not bad.
They surpassed 1.7 million streams on the first day of release and have maintained that level even a week later.
That said, their rival ILLIT, while initially lagging behind with 1.3 million streams on the first day, steadily increased their numbers and surpassed 3.3 million streams a week later, creating a streaming gap nearly double that of BABYMONSTER. In terms of digital performance, it can be said that ILLIT currently holds the advantage both in Korea and globally.
Nevertheless, BABYMONSTER has a dedicated fanbase that has purchased over 400,000 CDs, and the music video for "SHEESH" has exceeded 90 million views in just a week (for comparison, ILLIT's "Magnetic" garnered about 30 million views in two weeks), showing just how impressive this is. The future of the competition between these two groups remains uncertain, especially with the upcoming girl group from "I-LAND2," which starts airing on April 18, potentially entering the fray.
In any case, the KPOP scene in 2024 will be hard to ignore, especially with the emergence of fifth-generation girl groups.
End
Written by: Nekomachi Peko
Head of the SKOOTA KPOP team
Originally a fan of Western rock music, I once considered working for Rockin' On. I started listening to KPOP thanks to BTS, then became hooked on BLACKPINK, and gradually immersed myself in the KPOP scene. I became deeply invested in the survival audition show "Girls Planet 999," also known as Galpra, and as a result, became a hardcore fan of Kep1er, fully diving into the KPOP world.