9 Incredible Co-Ed Groups Every K-Pop Fan Should Know About
Co-ed groups have a history of being less commercially successful than all-male or all-female groups so, for K-Pop companies, debuting one is a gamble. In an entertainment industry built on same-sex idol groups, these co-ed stars have been trailblazers, paving the way for future co-ed groups with their incredible musical talent!
1. KARD
KARD is the most recent and well-known co-ed idol group in K-Pop, having debuted in 2017. While K-Pop has had a few newer male-female subunits and special units, KARD is the first true co-ed group to debut in years.
KARD’s addictive tracks and lovable members have earned them a devoted fanbase that’s growing larger by the day. As a co-ed group, KARD is able to play with an endless range of concepts, choreographies, and music video storylines that draw on their male-female dynamic.
2. Urban Zakapa
Urban Zakapa debuted in 2009 as a 9-member R&B group consisting of four vocalists and five instrumentalists. In 2012, the group became a trio: Park Yong-in, Jo Hyunah, and Kwon Soon-il.
Urban Zakapa’s songs are the perfect blend of soothing melodies and emotive vocals that can bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart.
3. Trouble Maker
HyunA and Hyunseung (formerly of BEAST) made waves with their sexy Trouble Maker live performances and music videos. This duo debuted in 2011 and has gained new fans with each release.
Trouble Maker hasn’t had a comeback in four years, but fans are still hoping for one because the pair’s chemistry is incredible!
4. MFBTY
MFBTY, short for “My Fans (are) Better Than Yours”, is a hip-hop force to be reckoned with. They debuted in 2013 with the unforgettable single, “Sweet Dream”, and were active until 2015.
Although MFBTY hasn’t dropped a new album since 2015’s WondaLand, the group is still active so fans still have their fingers crossed for a comeback!
5. Clazziquai
Clazziquai is an electropop band that has been around since 2001. This makes them one of the longest-lived co-ed acts who are still active in the Korean music industry.
Clazziquai gained an enormous amount of recognition for their songs, “Be My Love” and “She Is”, which were featured on the OST for My Lovely Samsoon. In 2016, Clazziquai released their seventh album, Travellers, and they are currently still performing and producing music.
6. 8Eight
8Eight was a co-ed singing trio formed by Big Hit Entertainment and Source Music. The group produced beautiful music for seven years before disbanding in 2014.
BTS fans may not realize it, but they may already know at least one 8Eight song. BTS covered 8Eight’s “Without a Heart” at the 31st Golden Disk Awards in 2017. Their gorgeous rendition certainly did their seniors justice!
7. Triple H
Trouble Maker isn’t HyunA’s only co-ed group. She also debuted alongside PENTAGON‘s E’Dawn and Hui in 2017 as a member of Triple H. The trio has used their male-female dynamic as a key component of their daring, sexy concepts.
Triple H made their first comeback in July 2018 with their second EP, Retro Futurism. The future of Triple H is currently uncertain, due to E’Dawn’s and HyunA’s strained relationship with the group’s agency, Cube Entertainment. A month after their comeback, E’Dawn and HyunA revealed that they have secretly been dating for two years, news that caused tensions to arise with both their agency and with fans.
8. Koyote
This co-ed group was formed way back in the 1990s as a dance-pop co-ed group. Their energetic songs will never fail to make you want to get up dance!
Although Koyote hasn’t been active since 2005, they have not disbanded and will hopefully produce new energizing tracks in the future.
9. Akdong Musician
This creative brother-sister duo participated on K-pop Star 2 in 2012 and debuted two years later under YG Entertainment. They have been blowing listeners out of the water with their incredible talent ever since!
Akdong Musician were very young when they debuted, so they still have many more exciting years of music making ahead of them!
