Here’s Why The K-Pop Market Is Shifting Towards The Global Movement Of K-Pop Girl Groups
Unlike the past when K-Pop idol boy groups were expanding globally, it has shifted to the global popularity of girl groups, creating a change in the global K-Pop market. With this change, girl groups like BLACKPINK and rookie groups such as NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, and IVE, have become more active globally.
The first to leave a big mark in the global music market was BLACKPINK. Last October, they became the first Korean female artist to top the Billboard 200 with their second full-length album, BORN PINK. This was significant as it was the first record made by a female group in about 14 years and five months since Danity Kane in 2008.
In addition, they also took first place in the UK Official Album Chart and the first K-Pop artist to top Spotify’s Global Top Songs Weekly Chart. With this global popularity, they are currently on their Asian leg of their large-scale world tour.
Rookie girl group NewJeans, who debuted in July last year, has gained a huge interest overseas. They first received popularity in Korea with their songs, “Attention” and “Hype Boy” from their first mini album, NewJeans. They also entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their song, “Ditto,” which came in at number 96. With this, they were able to enter the chart just six months after their debut.
LE SSERAFIM also showed outstanding performance as they ranked number 14 on the Billboard 200 chart with their second mini album, ANTIFRAGILE. In addition, they officially released their Japanese debut album, FEARLESS, in January and garnered more success by topping the Oricon Single ranking chart.
TWICE and ITZY are also continuously expanding their global reach. TWICE ranked 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their new English single, “Moonlight Sunrise.” ITZY climbed to number eight on their Billboard 200 chart with their fifth mini album, CHECKMATE, and have most recently completed their first world tour.
With various girl groups showing clear success in the global market, the K-Pop market, which was mainly focused on boy groups, will bring about a change with the increase in global girl group activities.
Pop culture critic Park Song Ah stated, “It greatly suggests the possibility that girl groups that have shown influence in Korea will be active in the global market. They have started to break away from sexy and innocent concepts, which were preferred by male fans in the past, and began targeting the global fandom beyond Korea with concepts that show a more natural yet independent concept.”
They continued, “At a time when the growth of large domestic agencies and the cultural impact of K-Pop are growing, having the charts in overseas markets increase without distinguishing boy groups and girl groups is a part of K-Pop’s status. Therefore, it is a matter of time in the global market before a second BTS can emerge from a girl group.”
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