In 2024, K-POP continues to thrive with BTS enlistment, high album sales, new group debuts, and exciting collaborations.

In 2024, K-POP is captivating the world and making progress. The Kstyle editorial department held a roundtable discussion. With all BTS members enlisted, the editorial department reflects on 2023 and discusses the changes and excitement in the K-POP world, as well as artists currently in the spotlight. Reflecting on the K-POP world in 2023, photos = SM Entertainment Editor-in-Chief: It's already April 2024, but there were many things happening in the K-POP world in 2023. What was the most impressive news? Editorial Department A: I was surprised by the sudden global hit of FIFTY FIFTY. It was an extraordinary achievement that such a hit song was produced from a relatively unknown agency, not a major one. The vocals of the two singers were very good and impressive, but unfortunately, contract issues arose, and the members ended up going their separate ways. I would like to keep an eye on the three members who left the agency. Editor-in-Chief: It was a surprising year last year. Also, many albums sold well, with many reaching the million mark. Editorial Department A: That's right. Last year, ZEROBASEONE and RIIZE, who debuted, achieved double million and million sales, and SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids also had amazing sales. The first-week sales were in the 4 to 5 million range. Photo = WAKEONE Editor-in-Chief: It's going against the trend that CDs are selling well physically. Initially, CDs were selling well in Japan, so they were lagging behind in digital, but now K-POP CDs are selling well. Editorial Department B: K-POP albums have had various forms for a long time. There were many interesting formats, but recently, there are keychain-shaped items. NewJeans also released them, and there are trading card kits, so this diversification may be one reason. I think that in the past few years, a mechanism has been established where physical items can sell even if they are not in CD form. Editor-in-Chief: That's still not familiar in Japan. Editorial Department B: It seems that the K-POP market is making efforts to sell CDs. Photo = Pledis Entertainment Editorial Department C: I think the momentum of the 5th generation boy groups was amazing from last year. Editor-in-Chief: The term "5th generation" came up in 2023. Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, etc., are considered the 4th generation. Editorial Department C: RIIZE, BOYNEXTDOOR, ZEROBASEONE are from the 5th generation. Editor-in-Chief: The advancement of the 5th generation boy groups was amazing. In the 4th generation, girl groups like aespa, LE SSERAFIM, IVE were said to be hot, but the 5th generation boy groups have been gaining attention since "BOYS PLANET." Editorial Department C: I think the 5th generation will continue to debut this year, but it's rare for fans to see interactions between new 5th generation groups and 2nd generation artists on music shows, so they are looking forward to cross-generational and cross-agency exchanges. Photo = ADOR Editor-in-Chief: NewJeans' activities have also been highly anticipated by Kstyle. Editorial Department B: Despite being a rookie group, NewJeans gathered huge crowds at the US festivals "Lollapalooza" and "Summer Sonic." Editor-in-Chief: It felt like a unique experience to see teenage girl groups performing at large festivals with live bands. The jinx of 7 years, changes after discharge? Editor-in-Chief: I think there were many interruptions in the activities of the members last year, but unlike in the past, members who took breaks returned to the group firmly. This is a good change compared to the past industry trends. Editorial Department B: There were many interruptions due to health issues, but I was happy to see idols return healthy and active. Also, the so-called "7-year jinx" of K-POP contracts seems to be disappearing. Editor-in-Chief: Even after the so-called "7-year" contract period of K-POP, more groups are continuing their contracts and activities. There have been significant changes allowing groups to actively engage in group activities even after military service. 2PM's comeback and EXO's songs causing a resurgence, various forms of group activities are emerging. The comebacks of groups after military service have been happening for a few years, but with the calming of the pandemic, there was a more active impression in 2023. Photo = BIGHIT MUSIC Editorial Department B: In the past, military service was seen as a turning point for fans, a timing for transition. However, recently, many groups, including BTS, have started announcing in advance when they will return and resume activities, allowing fans to wait with peace of mind. From major agency scandals to BTS enlistment Editorial Department D: The most surprising thing in 2023 was the contract issue with EXO. Editor-in-Chief: The news involving SM, HYBE, and Kakao Entertainment was shocking, but that was also in 2023. Editorial Department B: The news of ASTRO's Moonbin's passing was a big shock to K-POP fans, a truly sad event. Editor-in-Chief: The contract issues of BLACKPINK and the drug suspicions of BIGBANG's G-DRAGON were also in 2023, there were really various events. Editorial Department A: There was news last year that Jin of BTS enlisted in 2022, and last year, all members entered military service. Editor-in-Chief: Especially, Jungkook's solo song "SEVEN" was a big hit in America, and it's a great achievement for an Asian artist to be recognized so popularly in the pop market. Dome concerts continue one after another! The momentum of K-POP in 2024 is unstoppable Photo = JYP Entertainment Editor-in-Chief: In 2023, dome concerts were held in Japan one after another, and the momentum of K-POP was increasingly felt. Editorial Department D: Girl groups have also been announcing dome concerts since the beginning of this year. NewJeans will hold a fan meeting at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in June for two days, and it's expected to be a big topic with guest appearances by YOASOBI and Rina Sawayama. aespa has decided to hold a Tokyo Dome concert in August as an additional performance for their Japan arena tour, and IVE will finally hold their first Tokyo Dome concert in September. Editorial Department C: Of course, they have always been popular, but I feel the momentum of Stray Kids. And I want to continue to pay attention to SEVENTEEN and NCT. Editorial Department A: I'm also looking forward to ZEROBASEONE. Their Japanese debut single achieved half a million sales, and they are incredibly popular in Japan. Editorial Department B: Also, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and ENHYPEN are worth watching. Each group is popular not only in Asia but also elsewhere, so it's interesting to see how far they will go (laughs). Photo = BIGHIT MUSIC Which rookie groups are worth watching in 2024? Photo = BELIFT LAB Editor-in-Chief: So, which rookie groups are worth watching in 2024? Editorial Department D: ALL(H)OURS, known as Stray Kids' "cousin." I think a group with its own worldview is strong. Editorial Department C: I'm curious about DXMON. Editorial Department B: UniHair? (laughs) Editorial Department C: Yes (laughs). The members of UniHair are said to resemble TVXQ's Changmin, and I'm interested in their group activities. Some people say that the hairstyle gives off a vibe of H.O.T. and the 1st generation, but when I saw a photo of the UniHair member with black hair, they looked very cute (laughs). They can speak Japanese quite well, and there are also Japanese members, so I'm looking forward to what kind of production they will have. Editor-in-Chief: It's been a while since a group with such a concept has come out. In the past, groups were concept-driven, and there were times when all groups were too unique. Photo = Pledis Entertainment Editorial Department D: The bar has been raised for rookie groups, but I'm still keeping an eye on TWS, SEVENTEEN's younger brother group. Editor-in-Chief: The momentum of RIIZE is amazing. They are said to be a monster rookie from SM, so I wonder how far they will go in the future. And EVNNE from the BoyPla forces is also worth watching. We also interviewed them at Kstyle, and the response was great. Editorial Department C: I'm interested in ILLIT, which was born from the audition program "R U Next?" under the HYBE umbrella. Photo = BELIFT LAB Editorial Department A: I'm also interested in YOUNG POSSE from DSP Media. Their music and music videos are unique, and the leader has charisma that catches your eye. Editorial Department B: KISS OF LIFE is also a hot topic. I'm interested in NATTY from JYP and rapper JULIE from THE BLACK LABEL. Also, BELLE, the daughter of singer Shim Shin, has participated in the production of LE SSERAFIM's songs, and her singing ability is amazing, like Ariana Grande (laughs). The youngest member Hanul also has a wonderful singing ability, and I think the group as a whole has high quality. Their songs reminiscent of 90s American pop, and performances reminiscent of Namie Amuro! Which groups is the Kstyle editorial department focusing on this year? Photo = SM Entertainment Editor-in-Chief: Are there any groups or activities that the editorial department is focusing on other than rookies? Editorial Department D: I thought LUCY, a band, started to attract attention last year. They headlined a festival in Korea, which I thought was amazing. They haven't come to Japan yet, but they have many songs that you can sing along to, and if you go to their live once, everyone will be hooked, so I hope their songs will spread more through such interactions. Editorial Department C: I found it interesting that LDH's FANTASTICS and EPEX released a joint song. It seems they also did release events together. Editor-in-Chief: It might be the first time that Japanese and Korean idols have collaborated on such activities. Photo = EPEX Facebook Editorial Department C: Also, I'm still pushing for BIGBANG's G-DRAGON (laughs). I've seen him meeting YOSHIKI a lot recently, so I'm hoping for a collaboration (laughs). And I'm curious about the band QWER, which includes former NMB48 members. I don't think there are many girl bands in Korea, so I'm curious to see how they will be active in the future. Editor-in-Chief: Indeed, I hope G-DRAGON will make a comeback soon (laughs). I'm also interested in the collaborations and activities of BIGBANG members. Editorial Department C: BIGBANG had various units, but there wasn't a unit with G-DRAGON and D-LITE, right? Editorial Department A: I was also happy to see the comeback of the unit SISTAR19 with Hyolyn and Bora. SISTAR was my favorite group in K-POP, and it still is (laughs). It would be quite difficult for them to work as a group with four members since they disbanded and are in different agencies, but a few years ago, Hyolyn and Dasom released a song as a unit, so it would be great to see such collaborations again. I'm also particularly interested in WayV within NCT. I like their music, but I want to see them in more places. Editorial Department B: I also want to pay more attention to NMIXX. NMIXX has amazing bass. There is a video of them practicing dancing while singing live, and I learned that their vocal abilities are outstanding. I was impressed by their skills in the video, and they also have a sense of variety, so I think they can be active in various fields. Photo = JYP Entertainment Editor-in-Chief: K-POP has been leaning towards EDM in recent years. While dance music has been strong in recent years, hits like Jungkook's "SEVEN," NewJeans, and RIIZE's 90s pop have also been successful. K-POP has always been challenging various genres and with the quality of music influenced by the collight culture, the charm of the music is immeasurable. Editorial Department B: Recently, virtual idols have also become popular. I saw a video of the 6-member girl group ISEGYE IDOL's performance, and their momentum was amazing. PLAVE is also buzzing, so I want to keep an eye on them. Editorial Department D: I happened to see on SNS the other day that there are underground idols in Korea. The group name is in Japanese, and their costumes are like those of Japanese underground idols, which I found interesting. Editor-in-Chief: In 2023, J-POP gained popularity in Korea, and there were scenes of J-POP playing in the streets of Korea. Japanese artists holding concerts in Korea have also increased, and Japanese bands have performed at Korean festivals. There are also Japanese artists involved in songwriting and collight, and choreographers who are emerging dancers from Japan. I want to continue to focus on such cultural exchanges and disseminate them in the future. Photo = BIGHIT MUSIC