Where have all the girl groups gone? K-pop sees solo acts, bands rise as girl groups fade
K-pop girl group aespa / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
With few exceptions, girl groups struggle to chart and expand fandom in first half of 2025
K-pop girl groups that once dominated the charts are losing ground, with only a few holding on in a shifting music landscape. While aespa and IVE managed to stand out during the first half of 2025, many others, from rebranded veterans to ambitious rookies like ILLIT and Le Sserafim, fell short of expectations.
On Monday, rookie co-ed group Allday Project topped Melon’s daily chart with its debut single “Famous.” Often called a “concrete chart” for its resistance to change, Melon is notoriously difficult even for top-tier K-pop acts to break into, making the rookie group’s No. 1 ranking symbolic.
With soloists and bands now occupying much of the top ranks, attention has shifted away from girl groups that once led the industry.
According to the Korea Music Content Association’s digital chart, based on usage data from major platforms, only four girl groups entered the weekly Top 10 between January and June 21.
IVE, which released an album in February, was the only act to earn significant chart positions, with “Rebel Heart” reaching No. 1 and “Attitude” peaking at No. 7.
Aespa, meanwhile, kept its footing with “Drama,” released last October, which stayed in the Top 10 for much the first half of 2025.
“Sheesh” by Babymonster and “Hot” by Le Sserafim briefly entered the Top 10 at No. 10 and No. 9, respectively, but only lasted a single week each and failed to reach the Top 10 on Melon’s weekly chart. Aside from IVE and aespa, few girl groups made a notable impact.
This marks a sharp contrast to the girl group renaissance of two to three years ago. In the first half of 2023, acts like NewJeans, Le Sserafim, aespa, IVE, i-dle, NMIXX, STAYC and FIFTY FIFTY routinely filled more than half of the Top 10 on major charts.
But this year, even rookies from major labels such as H4T4 and KIKI — along with former breakout names like FIFTY FIFTY, H1-KEY, Kiss of Life and Young Posse — failed to maintain traction.
Girl group IVE / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment
Waning public interest
Album sales data reflect similar trends. Only two girl groups surpassed one million copies in first-week sales.
“Good Thing” by i-dle sold 1.06 million units, slightly up from their previous release, while IVE’s “Attitude” moved 1.04 million units, lagging behind their previous release by 260,000.
Le Sserafim’s “Easy” recorded 670,000, which was 300,000 behind its predecessor. NMIXX, ILLIT and ITZY posted similar sales to their earlier works.
Experts point to several causes. Some cite waning public interest in K-pop due to ongoing political issues. Others suggest public fatigue caused by high-profile conflicts, such as the feud between HYBE and former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, which may have hurt groups like Le Sserafim and ILLIT.
“Popular girl groups chose to play it safe this year, and that failed to attract attention,” said music critic Jung Min-jae. “And the HYBE controversy added fatigue, reducing public interest in their artists.”
Girl group ILLIT / Yonhap
Music critic Lim Hee-yoon noted a broader shft in content consumption, saying that streaming platforms, short-form content and sports are providing alternatives to K-pop.
“Audiences are increasingly listening to solo artists and bands on music platforms and engaging with K-pop through short-form challenges instead," Lim said. "That disconnect may explain why the charts don’t reflect actual fan activity.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.