5th- and 4th-Generation New Girl Groups Enter the Market in Force...Intensifying Competition to Fill the NewJeans Void

The K-pop girl group market has seen intense competition as major new groups and established 4th-generation groups launch simultaneously. Filling the void left by NewJeans since two years ago, these new and existing groups are competing fiercely to gain fanbases. SM Entertainment released the new girl group Hearts2Hearts five years after aespa. Debuting on the 24th of last month, Hearts2Hearts emphasized images of “girlhood” and “innocence,” with its debut music video accumulating over 6.5 million views within 24 hours. Meanwhile, Starship Entertainment’s new girl group KIKI released its first song on the 16th of last month, rising to first place in both the domestic YouTube Trending Videos and Music Videos categories just 12 hours after release. The debut concepts of these two groups share a similar direction. Their music videos, featuring girls running freely in grassy fields, showcase a fresh and youthful charm typical of teenage girl groups. However, some critics argue that these images remind people of NewJeans. Music critic Kim Yoon-han noted, “Many people are reminded of NewJeans when seeing the debut looks of these two groups. This shows just how significant NewJeans’ influence remains.” Along with the arrival of these new groups, 4th-generation established groups will also make coordinated Comeback appearances in March. LE SSERAFIM is scheduled to debut on the 14th, while NMIXX will debut on the 17th. LE SSERAFIM enjoys particularly high recognition overseas and won the “Artist of the Year” award at the “Hanteo Music Awards 2024” held last month. The concept photos released ahead of its comeback reveal a strong charisma. NMIXX is well-known for its mixpop music and solid performances, generating high expectations within the industry for its comeback. The reason these established groups have focused on March comebacks lies in strategic considerations—allowing them to target spring festivals and university festivals that begin in April and May after new songs are released. In recent years, live footage from university festivals, filmed directly by fans, has played a major role in boosting popularity for girl groups. LE SSERAFIM benefited greatly from viral effects resulting from live footage from performances at Yonsei University festivals over the past two years, while NMIXX also produced various live footage content by performing at festivals at Korea University and other institutions last year. Nevertheless, the industry is concerned about issues that may arise when multiple groups are active simultaneously. A representative of a mid-sized entertainment company complained, “Many groups that make comebacks often don’t even get a chance to appear on major terrestrial music programs. Especially under the pressure from large agencies, it’s increasingly difficult for groups from smaller companies to find space.” With both new and established groups needing to secure fanbases in a limited market, there are concerns that “fierce competitive battles” will intensify.