Groups like ITZY, aespa, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans are familiar names to those interested in K-Pop. What they have in common, having dominated the music charts for the past year, is that they are all '4th generation girl groups' who have not debuted long ago. With their unique music styles and distinct concepts, they have rapidly risen to become the 'mainstream' of the music industry.

4th Generation Girl Groups vs Girl Groups vs Girl Groups: Conquering Music Charts

In 2023, a strong 'female wind' blew through the domestic music charts. Looking at the monthly digital chart of Circle Chart, a measure of popularity based on streaming, downloads, BGM, and V-coloring sales, the top spot from January to August was dominated entirely by girl groups. NewJeans, who held the top from January to March with 'Ditto,' passed the baton to IVE with 'Kitsch' in April. IVE continued its popularity in May with 'I AM.' June saw (G)I-DLE's 'Queencard' at the top, and NewJeans reclaimed the throne with 'Super Shy' for July and August. September brought a new number one with the co-ed duo AKMU, but numerous girl groups continued to dominate the upper ranks afterward.

Industry insiders attribute the success of 4th generation girl groups to their 'music.' In the post-BTS global boom era, as the boy group market found it challenging to produce 'easy listening' tracks, the diverse genres offered by girl groups became more accessible to the public. One insider explained, "While flashy K-Pop is great, girl groups are much more flexible in competing with 'easy listening' songs." Another industry insider emphasized the importance of lyrics, noting that "Many of the 4th generation girl group songs are based on 'self-love,' showing an assertive and confident image." As more women seek an autonomous lifestyle, the lyrics of these girl group songs resonate, gaining popularity.

Overcoming 'Weak Fandom' - 4th Generation Girl Groups Easily Hit 'Million Seller' Albums

A notable event in October was IVE's first-week sales record for their first mini-album 'I'VE MINE,' released on October 13th. It surpassed 1.6 million, beating their previous album 'I've IVE,' which had 1.1 million. This achievement placed them third in the all-time highest initial sales for a female artist. Additionally, aespa (Mini Album 3 'My World'), NewJeans (Mini Album 2 'Get Up'), LE SSERAFIM (Full Album 1 'Unforgiven'), and NMIXX (Single Album 3 'A Midsummer NMIXX Dream') released albums in 2023, surpassing the million mark in first-week sales, quickly joining the 'million seller' ranks.

4th generation girl groups are also showing strength in album sales, breaking the traditional weaknesses associated with previous girl groups. Traditionally, K-pop boy groups, with their strong fandoms, showed dominance in domestic and international album sales, while girl groups gained popularity in domestic music charts. However, 4th generation girl groups, with their catchy music, have not only dominated domestic music charts but also formed strong domestic and international fandoms, recording significant album sales. Their presence in the music industry is now 'overwhelming.'

Kim Jin-woo, Senior Research Fellow at Circle Chart, said, "Since BLACKPINK sold over a million copies of a single album in 2020, the market has recognized that girl groups can increase sales not just domestically but also internationally." He noted that since May 2022, these groups have been showing visible success. "In 2022, K-pop album sales reached 80 million, up from 60 million in 2021, with 15 million of the increase attributed to girl groups. Without them, the market's growth would have slowed down," he added, emphasizing the importance of girl groups in the K-pop market.

How 4th Generation Girl Groups Became the 'Trend': Leveraging the Success of Major Agencies

How did 4th generation girl groups become so popular? They grew with the robust backing of major agencies. With the know-how accumulated from previously launched K-pop groups, major agencies like SM, JYP, HYBE, and Starship successfully created new girl groups that combine public appeal and solid fandoms. ITZY followed TWICE, aespa followed Red Velvet, and LE SSERAFIM was a result of the collaboration between Source Music, which produced GFRIEND, and HYBE. NewJeans was also produced by Min Hee-jin, the CEO of ADOR, who participated in albums for f(x) and Red Velvet.

These major agencies, with their capital, aggressively showcased not just primary music content but also various ancillary content like self-produced variety shows and cover videos, leading to the establishment of 'core fandoms.' Just as BTS reinforced its fandom through numerous self-produced content on YouTube, current 4th generation girl groups continue to expand touchpoints with fans by consistently presenting content that requires significant capital investment.

Music critic Kim Do-hun stated, "It's true that teams from major agencies have received attention in the past. To create appealing narratives, invest in visuals, and choose music video locations, you need capital." This kind of multiple music video production for a single album release is possible due to the financial backing of major agencies. He analyzed, "In a saturated K-pop market, major agencies have an inevitable advantage."

Additionally, the significant interest K-pop fans show in rookie groups from major agencies plays a crucial role in generating initial buzz. Idol fandoms from these agencies naturally take an interest in the new groups, showing 'downward love,' which often leads to the group's popularity.

Stronger Concepts than Worldviews... Idols Become 'Icons'

4th generation girl groups focus on accentuating each team's charm based on the 'assertiveness' that symbolizes the MZ generation. If the previous generation's girl groups showed somewhat limited musical colors, 4th generation girl groups express their unique colors through various music genres.

They utilize multiple concepts freely, not confined to a particular worldview. IVE's 'narcissism' and LE SSERAFIM's identity of 'fearlessly moving forward,' along with NewJeans aspiring to be 'icons of the era,' are widely loved for these reasons.

Kim Do-hun commented, "Until now, girl groups have been somewhat stereotypical, but 4th generation groups are ditching previous concepts to show more dimensional and diverse forms. As a result, they appear more trendy than boy groups that show extreme performances or follow a particular worldview."

Challenges and Synergy... Overwhelming Support from the MZ Generation

Diverse short-form content has also contributed to the popularity of 4th generation girl groups. Recently, idols have been replicating trending challenges on short-form platforms or repeatedly posting challenges for their new songs, generating a wealth of content. During this process, the public consumes this content through TikTok, Reels (Instagram), and Shorts (YouTube), creating a natural promotional effect. The visibility of girl group videos amidst the plethora of content has been particularly notable. An expert mentioned, "Girl groups present diverse short-form content, and the response to visuals tends to be better, leading to greater exposure."

The use of girl group songs as background music in short-form video content is also noteworthy. Each time this happens, the songs are naturally exposed to the public, enhancing promotional effects. An insider said, "Many girl group songs belong to the 'easy listening' category and are well utilized as background music in short-form content. As a result, the songs become familiar to the public, and when they search and listen to the songs on music charts, the response is significantly amplified."

Korean Market Conquered by 4th Generation Girl Groups, Accelerating Global Market Penetration

With the global success of top K-pop boy groups like BTS and girl groups like BLACKPINK, 4th generation girl groups have also started targeting the global market since their inception. Equipped with solid singing and dancing skills, and fluent in various foreign languages, they confidently showcase the charm of K-pop groups on the global stage.

This strategy has proven successful in the global music market. NewJeans, with their mini-album 'New Jeans' and single 'OMG,' has two 1 billion streaming albums on Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform. The title track 'Super Shy' from their mini-album 'Get Up' recorded their highest position of 48th on the US Billboard main single chart 'Hot 100.' IVE's 'LOVE DIVE' and 'After LIKE' surpassed 200 million Spotify streams, and songs like 'ELEVEN,' 'I AM,' and 'Kitsch' also recorded hundreds of millions of streams, resonating with international K-pop fans. aespa raised eyebrows by placing both their mini-album 'Girls' and 'MY WORLD' in the top 10 of the Billboard main album chart 'Billboard 200' in a short period.

Kim Jin-woo, Senior Research Fellow at Circle Chart, emphasized Spotify, noting, "Until 2022, K-pop girl group songs had daily streaming of about 2 million, but now it's over 4 million. They also stay on the daily chart for over 150 days, showing an increasing consumption trend and longevity." He viewed this as an expansion of K-pop girl groups' recognition and base in the global music market.

Kim Do-hun, a music critic, said, "Global market expansion is now a basic activity for all idols. With the Korean market being too small, many K-pop groups will continue to knock on the global market's door." He emphasized the importance of what style and aesthetics to present to the global market.

Beyond Being the 'Trend' of the Music Industry to Becoming 'Global Queens'

Even the rapidly rising 4th generation girl groups have challenges to overcome. The K-pop market has moved beyond the 3.0 era, which focused on localization strategies, to the 4.0 era where local producers apply the K-pop system to their local idols. Groups like the all-Japanese girl group NiziU, the all-foreign girl group XG, and HYBE's North American local girl group audition 'Dream Academy' team have emerged. Ultimately, they are expected to compete on the same level as domestic girl groups. In the face of the 'infinite competition' of idols, 4th generation girl groups need to focus more on music, the core content of K-pop, to stay ahead.

Music critic Im Jin-mo also emphasized the importance of music, saying, "Finding each team's color is important, but producing quality songs that can communicate with the public is necessary. Girl groups, too, are ultimately pop music teams and should not just aim for hit songs but create masterpieces that resonate with many." He stressed the need to find 'great songs' beyond flashy performances.

Kim Do-hun said, "The impact of 4th generation girl groups has already surpassed the previous generation in terms of absolute sales and social media exposure. It's time for K-pop to move beyond just growing in size to the next stage." He pointed out that artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo share their personal stories and emotions to communicate and form massive fandoms, exerting cultural influence. "K-pop has the dilemma of being inherently artificial, so there's a need for sophisticated planning that can twist that perception or, even if artificial, can provide thought-provoking content," he said. For this to happen, both artists and companies need to invest time and effort to create meaningful content.

As 4th generation girl groups continue their triumphant march, they are not just 'trending' in the music industry but are poised to become 'Global Queens.' Their journey ahead will undoubtedly be one to watch as they redefine K-pop's presence on the global stage.

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