K-pop is a part of a bigger trend known as the Korean Wave or hallyu. In fact, in the late 1990s, it was the proliferation of Korean soap operas on TV that caught the attention of some Asian countries and has since grown exponentially to cover the many aspects of South Korean culture. Names like BTS, EXO, Blackpink, Twice, Got7 and Mamamoo are on the lips of youngsters around the world. Success didn’t come to these K-pop musicians overnight. They had to work long hours to achieve a memorable debut.

In K-pop world, ‘rookie groups’ has a deeper connotation. Every year, dozens of rookie groups want to make their mark. The members are talented. They all work hard and they all want to be the next big star. But there is a process, a long one at that. Only a handful of these rookie groups succeed and that, too, after working for months, if not years, before making a big debut. The pressure is intense.

The ‘recruitment’ process is tough because they have to win the hearts and eyes of talent agencies. Once selected, they have to go through periods of intense training. And some of them are doing a fantastic job. t2 lists the more prominent ones...

Itzy

The girl group, which made its debut in early 2019, is enjoying a successful run. Comprising five young talented girls (Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna), they have the blessings of JYP Entertainment, a record label and talent agency.

Prior to their public appearance, some of the girls had competed and participated in survival-style shows. Yeji was a contestant on The Fan (produced by SBS), Chaeryeong was on K-pop Star 3 and Sixteen (produced by JYPE), and Ryujin won first place on Mix Nine (produced by JTBC). They are the first girl group to debut under JYPE since Twice in 2015.

The girls made their debut with a “single album” titled It’z Different from which the single Dalla Dalla collected 17.1 million views within the first 24 hours, and they received their first music show award on M Countdown just eight days later, becoming the fastest debut girl group to receive their first music show win. Dalla Dalla holds the record for being the fastest K-pop debut music video to reach 100 million views on YouTube. They went on to release their debut EP, It’z Icy, and then came albums like It’z Me and Not Shy.

The girls have brought in slick choreographies and their empowering lyrics have been received well by fans.

TXT (Tomorrow X Together)

The boy band is from the same talent agency that has given us BTS. Plans to debut a second boy group after BTS was announced by the agency’s founder Bang Si-Hyuk in 2017 but TXT was officially presented only in January 2019. Comprising Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai, the boys put out their first mini album, The Dream Chapter: Star, in March with the lead single and music video titled Crown.

As expected, their popularity soared, with Crown garnering 14.5 million views within the first 24 hours of its release, breaking the record for the highest-viewed debut boy group music video on YouTube. The song even took the crown on the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart. TXT announced its first overseas tour as early as April 9, 2019, proving their popularity among fans, who call themselves MOAs.

Groups like Itzy and TXT inspire young, talented people around the world to audition. Since the training of aspiring idols starts at a young age, South Korean entertainment companies frequently hold online auditions. The chosen ones are then given a physical makeover as well as prepared mentally to lead a new life, one that has its roots in the K-pop industry.

Some more favourites

Earlier this year, a boy band named ENHYPEN gained a lot of popularity. They are the result of the competition-reality show I-Land. Formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between the entertainment companies CJ E&M and Big Hit Entertainment, the band is composed of seven members — Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon and Ni-ki.

Groups such as Everglow (by Yuehua Entertainment) and Cherry Bullet (by FNC Entertainment) have gained social media following and have been nominated for several awards quite quickly after their debut. Such growth points to the development of an entertainment industry that is finding an important place on the global music scene.

Fandoms of these groups show their support by hosting streaming events, buying merchandise and albums, and voting for their favourite artistes during award shows. Fan accounts, on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, deliver news and host events related to a fandom, irrespective of the period of time the group has been active for. Yes, fan following of rookie groups worldwide contribute greatly to the success.

The fierce and strong line-up of rookie groups also includes Treasure (by YG Entertainment), Cravity (by Starship Entertainment) and TOO (by Stone Entertainment). For the South Korean music industry to become bigger, it is important for these rookie groups to have their presence felt. A new generation always brings fresh thinking, which in turn fuels creativity. More power to the rookies!

Cherry Bullet

Cravity

ENHYPEN

Everglow

TOO

Treasure