The Women of K-Pop
The girl groups running the multilingual game
K-pop, the South Korean genre that’s become sensation in Western markets in recent years, has come a long way in the English-speaking world. Many were first introduced to K-pop in 2012 when Psy’s “Gangnum Style” went viral on YouTube. Now, you’ve likely seen or heard K-pop groups getting radio play or performing in America’s biggest award shows.
The biggest names in K-pop offer fresh takes on high-energy pop music, often singing in a mix of Korean and English languages and punctuating their performances with flawlessly executed choreographed dance moves. Most have likely heard of undisputed K-pop kings BTS, who made an appearance at the Grammys this year and recently announced an upcoming collaboration with Halsey. But now it’s the women of K-pop’s time to shine.
Here are three K-pop girl groups making waves in their genre and around the world:
BLACKPINK
The hottest girl group in K-pop by far, BLACKPINK is a group of four women from Seoul who debuted at number one in Korea with its first single “Whistle.” They’re the highest-charting K-pop girl group ever on the Billboard Hot 100, and the group’s music video for “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” holds the title of most-viewed K-pop video on YouTube. This spring, BLACKPINK will make even more history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella. Their exciting, electronic-infused music is danceable and add a fun and female flair to the notorious party in the California desert.
Red Velvet
The five-member group Red Velvet sites Destiny’s Child and Gwen Stefani as inspirations for its R&B-infused style of K-pop. The group’s most popular single, “Bad Boy,” has a smoother tone to it, and songs like it set the group apart from their K-pop counterparts. But Red Velvet also doesn’t shy away from the high-tempo pop beats K-pop is known for with songs like “Power Up,” the perfect bubblegum-flavored hit.
TWICE
TWICE has nine members, but the number of talented voices performing doesn’t detract from its signature K-pop sound. Like many K-pop groups, TWICE regularly sings in a mix of English and Korean, but it’s also known for its singles sung in Japanese. It was ranked as a top artist in the country in 2017 and released a Japanese EP in March containing five singles. TWICE also released a cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in 2018, showing of their vocal range both in tone and in language and the fun and flirty rendition of the classic American hit.
