K-Popis a pretty big deal, suffice to say. Every day, fans-to-be are stumbling upon the countless groups at the forefront of K-Pop on today’s world stage—Blackpink, Le Sserafim, Ateez and more. Despite its promise as a global entertainment industry, though, the world of South Korea’s popular music is a hard genre to get into.
K-Pop has an extensive lore all its own—a great deal of which was born in tandem with the Korean Wave since the 1990s. Idol culture especially can be hard to take in, with its expansive terminology and the sheer amount of self-referential jargon. No need to worry, though: for those wanting to get a full survey of some of the most important groups in K-Pop now and across the years, here’s a balanced plate of groups of every flavor, whether they’re active or inactive, boy or girl, mega-popular or a hidden gem.
1EXO
Active 2012 - Present Under SM Entertainment
EXOare a powerhouse within K-Pop, plain and simple. Their impact on boy groups resonates still today (one notices over time how boy groups like SHINee with five members or fewer rarely debut), and they’ve had a disproportionate impact on the genre as a whole.They also set a standard for what boy groups are capable of; intended as a challenge, this standard still hasn’t been fully met today, although several worthy contenders have tried.
Rapping, dancing and singing are places where EXO has always shined across the board. There’s a reason they became early international representatives of the genre. On par with SHINee and friends withNCT 127, EXO hits like “Monster,” “Overdose” and “Mama"represent the continuity of K-Pop across generations, combining the brash production of second and third-gen with the choreography and melodic motifs that would define fourth-gen.
2Girls' Generation
Active 2007 - 2017 And 2022 - Present Under SM Entertainment
Both domestically and internationally,Girls' Generationhave come to be known asabsolute legends in K-Pop. Nicknamed “Korea’s Girl Group,” Girls' Generation played a definitive role in K-Pop’s sound, but also their trajectory. Infectious bubblegum like “Gee” early in their career gives way to mature EDM grooves like “Mr.Mr.” and “All Night” later on.
At any rate,K-Pop fans should be familiar with Girls' Generation because of their role in “K-Pop lore.” They’re a pivotal group every K-Pop fan is familiar with, including the struggles during their tenure—countless words have poured out around the circumstances of Jessica’s departure and the consequent events. At any rate, Girls' Generation has always had a genre diversity that nonetheless gets to the heart of idol culture in its presentation—and they’ve pulled it all off effortlessly.
3SHINee
Active 2008 - Present Under SM Entertainment
SHINee(pronounced “shiny”) areoften called the “princes of K-Pop"for good reason. Their legacy is hard to overstate, and even today, members like Taemin and Key are known as some of the best dancersandsingers in K-Pop. SHINee have always been trendsetters within K-Pop, with songs like “Sherlock,” “Ring Ding Dong,” and “Juliette” being definitive milestones in the genre during their own time.
However, SHINee is alsofar from a thing of the past. That’s a big deal, as new fans tend to let their legacy be overshadowed by the tragic suicide of Jonghyun. As one comes to embrace newer parts of SHINee’s discography—say, certified bangers like “HARD”—and their respective solo careers (Taemin’s work drips of raw sensuality cross-breeding Michael Jackson with ’00s Justin Timberlake), it’s clear that SHINee isn’t an example of tragedy: They’re a portrait of resilience.
4Red Velvet
Active 2014 - Present Under SM Entertainment
Perhaps the first thing one could credit toRed Velvetis their diversity. From the nonsensical fun of “Zimzalabim” to the Euro-disco sentimentality of “Cosmic,” Red Velvet’s career has seen themsuccessfully execute a wide range of genres and tones. What makes them fantastic for beginners is the fact it’s unlikely one could run through Red Velvet’s extensive line-up of singles and not find at leastonesong that wins them over.
More than that, though, Red Velvet embodies a sheer talent in the realms of vocals and choreography that’s hard to top. One isn’t going to find Red Velvet rapping, that’s not exactly their style.But what theydodo, they do it extremely well, and they set a standard for K-Pop performances across the board.
5KARA
Active 2007 - 2016 Under DSP Media, 2022 - Present Under RBW
KARAwere pioneers of K-Pop who played a massive part in what has since come to be called the “Korean Wave.” Musically, their work embodies the dynamic energy of second-generation K-Pop groups. Their vocal prowess has always been second to none, as hits like “Step” and “Lupin” show effortlessly. It’s tempting to invoke names as massive as ABBA when drawing a comparison.
Serving as the successor to Fin.K.L, the group best known for gift-wrapping national sweetheart Lee Hyori for the Korean public, expectations around KARA were high. Their debut, however, didn’t work out so well; KARA wouldn’t continue to struggle, though, gaining massive popularity after Kim Sunghee departed and both Goo Hara and and Kang Jiyoung joined. Much like SHINee, KARA’s enduring legacy is sometimes overshadowed by the tragedy of member Goo Hara’s suicide. Nonetheless, their music is catchy and emblematic of their generation.
6aespa
Active 2020 - Present Under SM Entertainment
aespa(pronounced “ess-pah”) isthe last of a dying breed: a group built around a concept. Their debut “Black Mamba” was an initiation to their bold idea founded on metaverses, artificial intelligence, digital avatars and (implicitly) an ironic skepticism toward techno-futurism. aespa forged an identity for themselves with creative production and a penchant for crafting earworms.
Although recent comeback tracks like “Armageddon” have seen their metaverse concept fall to the wayside, aespa’s identity as a group continues to develop. No track shows this better thanthe Chicago house ice-queen energy of “Whiplash.“Their albumArmageddon’s “Supernova” swept award shows across Asia, and it’s a perfect starting point for seeing what makes aespa so beloved.
7Day6
Active 2015 - Present Under JYP Entertainment
Day6are deserving of a mention because they represent something sometimes overlooked: K-Pop’s diversity as a genre. Although it may seem at first like idol groups hardly emphasize live instrumentation,there’s actually a significant overrun between idol groups and more traditional bands(called “K-bands”).
K-bands follow K-Pop conventions in some ways—line sharing between the different members of the group for example—while also representing traditional bands. Among the most famous of these isDay6, whose pop styling shines through chord progressions and compositions reminiscent of K-Pop, butadorned with the luster of live rock music and noteworthy individual musicianship. Versatile and tenured, Day6 has a wide discography likely to have something new fans will latch on to.
8BIGBANG
Active 2016 - 2018 And 2022 - Present Under YG Entertainment
BIGBANGwas a cultural sensation in K-Pop. The group hadcountless massive hits and would inspire loads of groups to come, too. Although BIGBANG is loaded with personalities, K-Pop novices might be most likely to recognize memberT.O.P as Player 230 inSquid Gameseason 2.
The group wasone of K-Pop’s earlier breakthrough groups on the international stagewith massive hits like “BANG BANG BANG” and “FANTASTIC BABY.” With BIGBANG tragically falling into disarray—scandals led members Seungri and T.O.P to leave the group, leaving only G-Dragon, Daesung and Taeyang—all the members have moved on to solo pursuits.G-Dragon’s recent releaseÜbermenschshows the artistry of the creative mind at work behind BIGBANG all along and is a great jumping-off point after trying BIGBANG.
9Block B
Active 2011 - Present Under KQ Entertainment
When it comes to their historical impact,Block Bis anunderrated K-Pop group. Clearly drawing inspiration from the likes of BIGBANG, Block Bcarved out a unique persona for themselves as “bad boys” of K-Pop, with their songs often playfully flirting with villainy through, say, bank robberies. Even their most popular song, “Her,” was a lovably goofy evocation of the suit-and-tie pop of days gone by.
Block B was spearheaded and guided to success by the multi-domain creative Zico. Although their demise is a sad thing, they’re the closest mainstream K-Pop has earned to a “grunge” representative. They’re alsocharmingly a product of their time—the bombastic theatrics of “Jackpot” remind of the ’00s circus fascination (à la Panic! at the Disco’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies,” Pink’s “Funhouse,” or, well, Britney Spears' “Circus”).
10Gfriend
Active 2015 - 2021 And 2024 - Present Under Source Music
Gfriendis a diverse group that has been present for a long time. Their music isbest known for its vocal harmonies and unique, dynamic approach to pop-music mainstays. They manage to sound both cutting-edge and anachronistic throughout their wide-ranging discography.
That’s the other thing that makes Gfriend fantastic: their reliability.If one likes one Gfriend track, they’ll like the rest. Always consistent, remarkably efferverscent, and undeniably talented, Gfriend is an easy recommendation for any new K-Pop fan.
