Written by Angela Mou
More and more people are beginning to ride the Korean culture wave, also known as the Hallyu wave. A major part of Hallyu is Korean pop music. Since 2000, there have been over 300 K-pop music groups that have debuted which have gained millions of fans world-wide. Below are six of the most iconic Korean music groups/artists in 2019:
Red Velvet:
Image By SM Entertainment
Red Velvet is a girl-group formed by SM Entertainment that debuted in August of 2014. The five members of the group include Irene, Suelgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri. The group is known for their iconic “red” concept in the outfits worn in their music videos. The name Red Velvet reflects their musical concepts of vibrant “red” pop music and “velvety” ballads. According to Billboard, Red Velvet was the favorite K-pop band among every gender and every sexual identity in 2018. Some of their most notable songs include “Dumb Dumb” and “Red Flavor.”
Seventeen:
Image By MBC
Seventeen or SVT is a Korean boy-group formed in 2015 by Pledis Entertainment. The group consists of 13 members: Woozi, Wonwoo, Vernon, Mingyu, Jun, Hoshi, The8, DK, Joshua, Jeonghan, Dino, S.Coups, and Seungkwan. The members are known to write their own songs and choreograph their own performances. Seventeen’s fans call themselves Carats because the band’s logo is shaped like a diamond.
IU:
Image By tvN
At fifteen years old, this solo artist debuted with her first album, Lost and Found. IU gained most of her popularity following the release of her song “Good Day,” in which she sings three extremely high notes at the climax of the song. She is typically known for her sweet, youthful voice and her girly, elegant image. In addition to singing, IU has also starred in many dramas, most notably Dream High and Hotel Del Luna. Her performances have attracted fans of all ages. At twenty six years old, IU is currently one of the most iconic solo K-pop artists.
PSY:
Image By One Production
One of the most well-known K-pop songs is none other than Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which had the first music video to reach one-billion views on Youtube and instantly popularized Korean pop music internationally. Psy’s performances, both live and in music videos, are mostly known for his bizarre style and humorous imitations of celebrities. Since “Gangnam Style,” Psy has partnered with American rapper Snoop Dog to create the song “Hangover.” This collaboration, along with his previous success on Youtube, gained him many supporters in the United States.
BLACKPINK:
Image by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
This group debuted with YG Entertainment on August 8. 2016 with their album Square One and have been a phenomenon ever since. Consisting of only four members: Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé. In September 2019, the group hit 29,903,092 subscribers on Youtube, becoming the music group with the most followers since One Direction. Blackpink portrays more of a mature, sexy concept compared to other K-pop girl groups who shy towards the “cute” image. Blackpink became increasingly popular in the United States since their performance at Coachella in 2019.
BTS:
Image by BigHit Entertainment
BTS is a Korean boy group that has had so much success that they have been compared to the Beatles. They hold the record for the highest album sales, in the K-pop industry. The members include: Jin, Suga, J-hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have all been listed on Time’s 100 most influential people in the world. The lyrics in their songs often target issues in society, such as mental health. Since 2014, the group’s fanbase, who call themselves ARMY, has grown to over 21 million people.
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