The Washington Inquirer EditorYou’re only a true K-pop girl group fan if you know these bands.
‘Hallyu’, or the Korean wave, has driven the popularity of Korean pop, famously known as K-pop, to evolve into a global phenomenon.
Thanks to their diverse genres, synchronic choreography, strategic camera movements and spotlight-stealing fashion trends, their songs are no less than an audio-visual treat. While BTS and EXO are among the world’s most successful K-pop boy bands, Korean girl groups are now dominating the pop music scene with their high-octane performances and euphonious vocals.
Check out these 11 all-girl K-pop groups that have become a global phenomenon and continue to top the charts worldwide.
BLACKPINK
Since their debut in August 2016, BLACKPINK has become one of the most popular all-girl K-pop groups. The four-member South Korean pop group made history with the most first-day views of their 2018 single “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” from their mini-album Square Up under the label YG Entertainment.
The members of the quartet, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, are also popular for their style and have been dubbed as fashion icons.
While all of them can sing, Jennie and Lisa are rappers lending a unique edge to the band’s overall upbeat vibe. The fans of this K-pop group are known as Blinks.
BLACKPINK songs are also a visual treat featuring glamorous outfits, impeccable choreography and outstanding concepts. With over one million copies sold in the world, it is the best-selling K-pop girl group of all time.
The multilingual group also collaborated with Dua Lipa for the song “Kiss and Make Up”. Their latest song “How You Like That” ranks No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales. In 2019, BLACKPINK is the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella.
The girl group also has a reality show called the BLACKPINK House which follows the singers carrying on with their daily lives.
Listen to their music here.
TWICE
The South Korean all-girl ensemble debuted in 2015 and comprises nine members — Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu.
The group was originally formed from a survival reality show named Sixteen and had seven members. Tzuyu and Momo joined later.
TWICE gained popularity with their 2016 hit single “Cheer Up” from their mini-album Page Two, which also won Best Female Group and Song of the Year awards at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
One of the best K-pop girl groups, the band is renowned for its striking fashion outfits, seamless and synchronised choreography.
Listen to their music here.
Girls’ Generation
The eight-member all-girl K-pop group was launched in August 2007 under the label SM Entertainment. Also known as SNSD, the members include Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, YoonA and Seohyun.
Girls’ Generation has been credited for the Hallyu wave long before bands like BLACKPINK came into existence. The group’s catchy singles “Gee”, “The Boys” and “Oh!” have over 100 million views on YouTube.
Their song “Into The New World” was dubbed a protest song and got featured in many women’s rights protests, including #MeToo campaigns and LGBTQ+ demonstrations.
The group recently reunited on the show You Quiz on the Block that aired on tVN on 1 September 2021.
Listen to their music here.
Mamamoo
Consisting of four members — Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa — the all-girl group came into existence in 2014 under the label RWB.
The K-pop quartet is known for its expertise in different genres — jazz, R&B, ballad and pop, apart from their playful fashion statements.
Some of the hit songs with impressive vocals and head-turning performances include “Mr. Ambiguous” (2014), “Taller Than You” (2016) and “Um Oh Ah Yeah” (2015).
Listen to their music here.
Red Velvet
Red Velvet started as a four-member K-pop girl band in 2014 which now has five members with Wendy, Irene, Seulgi, Joy and Yeri.
The band gained traction for outstanding vocals, vibrant outfits, upbeat and edgy concepts.
The group is managed by SM Entertainment and has released two studio albums so far. The official name of their fan club is ReVeLuv.
Listen to their music here.
(G)I-dle
Pronounced as ‘idle’ or ‘idol’, this all-girl K-pop group started with six members in 2018 by Cube Entertainment.
The five members of the troupe — Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua — made it big with their debut track “Latata”.
The song enjoyed a No. 4 spot on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales and was No. 5 on World Albums, making them the sixth all-girl K-pop band to dominate Billboard World Charts in the first go.
Their latest mini-album I-Burn was released in January this year with one of the most coveted songs “Hwaa”, opening at No. 17 spot on Billboard K-Pop 100.
It went on to make (G)I-dle one of the leading all-girl groups in K-pop.
Listen to their music here.
ITZY
The five-member K-pop girl troupe debuted on the Billboard 200 Chart and Rolling Stone‘s Top 200 with their latest release “Guess Who” in April 2021.
Launched in February 2019 by JYP Entertainment, the group includes Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna.
ITZY’s latest English album titled Not Shy released in January 2021 features hit tracks like “Wannabe”, “Icy”, “Dalla Dalla” and the title track “Not Shy”, which also won one of the best K-pop numbers of 2020 by TIME magazine.
Listen to their music here.
Apink
The six-member South Korean girl band was launched in April 2011 by Play M Entertainment. Apink received the Best New Female Artist Award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) the same year.
They are one of the top all-girl groups of K-pop who gained popularity for their upbeat bubblegum pop style and carefree choreography.
What originally began with seven members, the group now comprises Park Chorong, Yoon Bomi, Jung Eunji, Son Naeun, Kim Namjoo and Oh Hayoung. The official name of their fan club is Pink Panda.
Apink’s single “Mr. Chu” from the 2014 album Pink Blossom marked the first appearance on Billboard’s World Digital Songs Sales. Their best-selling song in the US is “NoNoNo” from their 2013 mini-album Secret Garden.
Listen to their music here.
Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher has a huge international fandom. They are the first all-girl K-pop group to lead Billboard’s Next Big Sound Chart in February 2021.
One of the best K-pop girl groups, the group is known for telling ‘dystopian’ stories through impactful visuals and uniquely stylised choreography.
Formerly known as the five-piece group MINX, the band was re-debuted with seven members — JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami and Gahyeon — in January 2017. Named Dreamcatcher, they dropped their first album Nightmare and its title track “Chase Me”.
The band stands out for its prolific performances and synthpop music style that shows resemblances to that of Evanescence.
Listen to their music here.
Oh My Girl
WM Entertainment’s Oh My Girl originally debuted with eight members in October 2017. The now-seven-member all-girl K-pop group consists of Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Jiho, Binnie and Arin, with Hyojung as the lead vocalist.
The versatile K-pop septet is the most popular for its videos with well-timed transitions and experimental hair as well as makeup styles.
Their latest eponymous album Dear OHMYGIRL, released in May 2021, features the breakthrough song “Dun Dun Dance” that nabbed the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s K-Pop 100 in June 2021.
Listen to their music here.
TRI.BE
The newest phenomenon in K-pop acts is the seven-member all-girl group which made its explosive debut in February 2021 with the album TRI.BE Da Loca and released two singles “Doom Doom Ta” and “Loca”.
Formerly known as LIONGIRLS and TRI.ANGLE, TRI.BE’s members are SongSun, Kelly, JinHa, HyunBin, Jia, SoEun and MiRe. The group is managed by Sinsadong Tiger and Universal Music Group, Korea.
The band’s name is inspired by the words ‘triangle and being’. It is pronounced as ‘try-be’, and “We are perfect as we are” is their slogan. The multilingual band members are known for their energetic performances and preppy videos. Currently, they can also be seen in their first reality series Let’s Try! Be on Studio Lululala’s YouTube.
