You surely have heard about popular Korean pop groups like - BTS, EXO, Girls' Generation, BlackPink, Twice, etc., and probably are a fan too. But now you might want to discover something new and different genres of music, brand new concepts, or maybe just new groups to be a fan of. With so many groups debuting every year, finding one is not going to be a problem; however, if they match your tastes or not might pose a problem. But don't worry; we have got you covered. So here are – 10 Newly Debuted K-pop Groups that are worth checking out:
1. NewJeans
New Jeans is a girl group under ADOR. This group comprises five members- Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. They debuted in 2022 and have been a hit ever since. Their songs experiment with the Korean Pop and R&B genres. They've gained immense popularity with just seven songs, over half of which have gone viral on release. Their song, 'Hype Boy', charted on Billboard Global 200 for 32 consecutive weeks. They also became the first K-pop group to achieve the million-seller milestone with their debut EP – 'NewJeans'. If that's not enough to convince you, NewJeans also broke the Guinness World Record for 'Fastest K-pop Act to reach 1 Billion streams on Spotify.
2. Le Sserafim
Le Sserafim is a quintet under Source Music, consisting of Sakura, Kim Chae-won, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha, and Hong Eun-chae. They debuted in 2022 with their EP, "Fearless'. Their songs experiment with the alternative pop, disco-funk, K-pop, R&B, dance, and ballad genres. Le Sserafim won the Golden Disc Award for 'Rookie Artist of the Year' in 2023. One interesting fact about this group's name is that it's an anagram of the phrase 'I'm fearless'.
3. Xikers
Xikers is a South Korean boy band under KQ Entertainment. It comprises ten members: Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, and Yechan. They debuted with their first EP, “House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing,” in March 2023. The album reached number four on the Weekly Circle Album Chart and sold around 97,857 copies. In the first week, they sold over 100,000 copies, a significant achievement for a debut album in South Korea. The music video for their song “Tricky House” also gained popularity, reaching over 10 million views within 27 hours of its release.
4. Kep1er
Kep1er is a K-pop girl group managed by Swing Entertainment and Wake One Entertainment, formed through a reality survival show called 'Girls Planet 999. This group consists of nine members: Kim Chae-hyun, Huening Bahiyyih, Choi Yu-jin, Kim Da-yeon, Seo Young-Eun, Kang Ye-seo, Hikaru Ezaki, Mashiro Sakamoto, and Shen Xiaoting. The title track of their debut EP – 'First Impact', "Wa Da," earned a platinum certification for reaching 100 million streams.
5. &Team
&Team is a multinational boy group under Hybe Labels Japan with nine members: K, Fuma, Nicholas, EJ, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki. They were formed through a reality survival competition called ‘Audition: The Howling’. Their genres are Japanese pop and Korean pop. &Team debuted with their EP - “First Howling: ME’, in December of 2022. Hybe said that their first album quickly reached the top of the iTunes top album chart in Japan soon after it was released. And by Wednesday afternoon, it had reached number one on the chart in 22 different places.
6. Tempest
Tempest is a septet under Yuehua Entertainment that debuted in March of 2022. The members are Hanbin, Hyeongseop, Hyuk, Eunchan, Lew, Hwarang, and Taerae. Their debut EP, “It’s ME, It’s WE’, experiments with different genres, which showcases their versatility. They were awarded the Genie Music Award for “Best Male Rookie’ and the Mnet Japan Fan’s Choice Award for ‘Rookie of the Year’ just months after their debut. Tempest’s first music show trophy was for their song ‘Dragon’ on the ‘Show Champion’.
7. IVE
IVE is a girl group under Starship Entertainment with six members: Gaeul, Yujin, Rei, Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo. They debuted in December of 2021 with the EP “Eleven,” which had two songs: the title track ‘Eleven’ and ‘Take It’. But by far, their most famous song is ‘Love Dive’, which did well on the Korean Top 40 Top Chart. It reached the highest position on the chart and stayed there for 59 weeks. IVE was given the ‘Rookie Award—Female Group’ in the Hanteo Music Awards 2021. They also got the ‘Artist of the Year Bonsang in 2023 from the Hanteo Music Awards.
8. Fifty Fifty
Fifty Fifty is a quartet under Attrakt Record Labels. This group consists of Sio, Saena, Aran, and Keena. They debuted in November 2022 with their EP, “The Fifty’. But Fifty Fifty’s popularity skyrocketed after their single ‘Cupid’ became viral across all social media platforms for its catchy beats and relatable lyrics. They became the fastest K-pop group on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. And this was just four months after they debuted. They also became the first K-pop girl group to reach the top ten on the UK charts
9. Younite
Younite is a K-pop boy group under Brand New Music. It has nine members: Eunho, Steve, Hyunseung, Eunsang, Hyungseok, Woono, Dey, Kyungmun, and Sion. They debuted in April of 2022 with their first EP, “Youni-Birth’. They were nominated for “Best New Male Artist’ and ‘Artist of the Year’ at the MAMA Awards 2022 and ‘Best Male Rookie Award’ at the Genie Music Awards 2022. The group name is pronounced as the English word “unite,” meaning “You and I: we are connected’.
10. Nmixx
Nmixx is a South Korean girl group under a sublabel of JYP Entertainment, SQU4D. The group comprises six members: Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin. Nmixx debuted in February 2022 with their first EP, “Ad Mare’. They won the MAMA Award for ‘Favourite New Artist’ in 2022. The music video for the title track from this EP, “OO”, surpassed 20 million views in the first 24 hours of its release. This mini album also sold over 220,000 copies in the first week, marked as the highest debut album sales by a girl group in Korean pop history.
