SM, YG, and JTBC Race to Launch New Groups in 2025 – Year of K-POP Generation Shift

2025 is expected to see a full-scale generation shift within the K-POP market. New groups from SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and those emerging through television audition programs are announcing their debuts one after another, signaling a reshuffle of the K-POP landscape. On the 12th, SM Entertainment revealed the debut of its new girl group Hearts2Hearts during the “SMTOWN LIVE 2025” concert held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul to mark the company’s 30th anniversary. The following day, an official announcement confirmed that the group will make its debut on February 24th. As SM’s first new girl group in approximately five years since aespa in 2020, and debuting in 2025 coinciding with the company’s 30th anniversary, Hearts2Hearts has drawn significant attention from global K-POP fans. SM described the group name as representing “the intention to connect hearts with global fans through a mysterious and beautiful musical world filled with diverse emotions and sincere messages, thus moving forward together as one larger community.” The group consists of eight members with varied charms and immense potential. SM stated that “leveraging its long-established unique cultural heritage and strong planning capabilities, the group will deliver a distinctive style across music, performance, and visuals.”

YG Entertainment is also set to launch a new group this year. Yang Hyun-suk, YG’s chief executive producer, previously mentioned on the company’s official social media accounts last year that a group tentatively named “NEXT MONSTER” is in development. With girl group BABYMONSTER having debuted in April of last year, there are speculation that “NEXT MONSTER” will be a boy group. If it debuts as a boy group this year, it will be the first new boy group in approximately five years since TREASURE debuted in August 2020. The nine-member boy group AHOF, formed through SBS’s global audition program “Universe League,” is also preparing for its official debut. AHOF confirmed its debut after performing in the final episode of “Universe League” live on the 24th. The group name, AHOF, stands for “All-time Hall Of Famer,” reflecting their ambitious goal of entering the K-POP Hall of Fame. Composed of J.L, Steven, Zhang Xuebo, Zuyen, Park Ju-won, Daisuke, Seo Jung-woo, Cha Woong-gi, and Park Han, AHOF consists of four Korean members and five foreign members and will be under the management of F&F Entertainment.

The seven-member boy group CLOSE YOUR EYES, formed through JTBC’s “PROJECT 7,” is set to debut in April this year. Meanwhile, five members of fromis_9—Song Ha-young, Park Ji-won, Lee Na-kyung, Lee Chae-young, and Baek Ji-heon—have signed a exclusive contract with ASND. Having ended their contract with PLEDIS Entertainment, they have chosen a new path and will carry out various activities in 2025 under ASND’s support, though discussions regarding the use of their group name are still ongoing. The future activity plans for the remaining three members—Lee Saerom, Lee Seo-yeon, and Rozi Sun—are currently unclear.