Spring belonged to K-pop sensation IVE, who continued their winning streak into May, succeeding in their 'defense battle.' Large idol groups, who ignited the music scene in May with their comeback rush, couldn't stop IVE's solo run, but they did manage to put up impressive 'all-show' scorecards.

As of 9 AM on the 20th, IVE's 'I AM' is leading on Melon, the largest domestic music site's TOP100. The title song 'I AM' from IVE's first full album 'I HAVE IVE,' released on the 10th of last month, has been reigning supreme for a month since overtaking the pre-released song 'Kitch.'

After dethroning Newzins, who dominated the music chart from January to March with three songs, including 'DITO', 'OMG', and 'HYPE BOY', IVE has held the chart for two months in April and May with 'I AM', despite a comeback relay of strong singers.

Though the top spot remained elusive, the scorecards for the three girl groups that made their comeback in May were equally impressive. Leseraphim opened May with their first full album 'Unforgiven' on the 1st, which shot straight to third place upon release. After their music broadcast started, they swept the number one trophies, reversing IVE's 'Kitch' and settling in the second spot.

Leseraphim's 'Unforgiven' has several times achieved first place in the real-time charts by fuelling streaming firepower, surpassing IVE's 'I AM.' However, blocked by IVE's fortress, it has been running second in the daily chart for over a week.

Especially noteworthy was aespa, who returned with their third mini-album 'My World' on the 8th, showing their undeniable momentum after a ten-month hiatus. aespa won the hearts of the public beyond their fandom by shedding their previous fierce warrior image and returning with a high teen girl group image through their title song 'SPICY.'

The album, shining with a new K-pop girl group's initial record, had its title track 'SPICY' settle in the top five on the chart immediately after its release. The song fueled an upward trend, raising its ranking to third place as music broadcasts began in earnest. As the members' beauty is being highlighted, the upward atmosphere is expected to continue, particularly after winning first place on Mnet's 'M Countdown' on the 18th and receiving rave reviews for their stable live encore stage.

(G)I-DLE also made a direct entry to the upper ranks when they returned with their sixth mini-album 'I Feel' on the 15th. The new title song 'QueenKA' of (G)I-DLE pushed down the existing top five songs and stood shoulder to shoulder with IVE's 'I AM', Leseraphim's 'Unforgiven', and aespa's 'SPICY', the three powerhouse tracks of girl groups in May 2023.

While their momentum is not as strong as last year's phenomenal hits 'Tomboy' and 'Nude', the girls' comeback stages continue to attract attention, raising expectations of further growth.

The comeback rush in the music industry will continue until the end of May and early June. ENHYPEN, Dreamcatcher, Secret Number, Stray Kids, and ATEEZ have confirmed their comeback dates and have all started their countdown. However, there is no strong contender expected to topple the fervor of the artists currently in the upper ranks of the music charts, so the atmosphere of the May music scene, which saw the peak of the 2023 girl group boom, is expected to continue for a while.

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