[Appreciation Thread] My 10 favorite 4th generation groups and why

AESPA

Really a group I've been interested since I heard their debut song "Black Mamba". I've been liking most of the their releases so far. All, if you delete ICU from their discography. I sympathize with all the girls, I admire their vocal skills and I think their identity as a group is very unique. They are one of these ones that I can always trust that will comeback with music I like.

• Favorite member

Karina

• Favorite song

ATEEZ

One of the most interesting and dynamic groups of the generation, for sure. Exceptional performers, I think they shine on the stage with any song given to them and I could see It during Immortal Songs the most. Also one of my favorite discographies, specially the Treasure Series, which is immacute. Love their appeareances on variety shows.

• Favorite member

Hongjoong

• Favorite song

EVERGLOW

Curiously, I only paid attention to them with "Dun Dun" even though they've been popular on international K-pop community since their debut. And I regreted taking one year to appreaciate them. What an amazing group! I'm yet to see they miss with a title track and I always see myself checking their b-sides out too. They are so good at performing that I often follow their promotions.

• Favorite member

Yiren

• Favorite song

(G)I-DLE

I've been giving chances to IDLE's singles since their debut, but It was with "Uh-Oh", one of my favorite 2019 songs, that I started to follow them casually and listening to everything they release. I think they are a very skilled group with unpredictable concepts and unique vocal colors. Soyeon is so talented that often I see the other members talents and charms being undestimated. If I wasn't interested in them, I wouldn't know Minnie and Yuqi are also composers, for example.

• Favorite member

Minnie

• Favorite song

ITZY

What could I say about my favorite girls? Since I put my eyes on them performing "Dalla Dalla" It was one of the very few moments an idol group impressed me so much in the first time I see them on the stage. I love their music more than almost all K-pop, I love their vocals, I love their chemistry, I love to watch them dancing, and they do with so much love, that It makes me engaged and happy. They are really, really special.

• Favorite member

Ryujin

• Favorite song

LE SSERAFIM

I had no idea I would like LE SSERAFIM as much as I do, wasn't even hyped for their debut. But they surprised me, "Fearless" is one of my favorite albums of the year and all the songs are solid. They are also super mesmerizing, I watched their whole promotion circle and didn't get bored. I'm looking foward more material from them for sure.

• Favorite member

Chaewon

• Favorite song

NEWJEANS

I don't know how they made me liking them so much in such a short amount of time, but they did. It's been more than 3 years since the last time a debut left such a strong impression on me. They just came from nowhere and dropped my favorite album of 2022! To the point I bought a copy without stanning the group. The girls are also charming and their vocal colors are all so beautiful. I've been liking the 5 of them. I wish they have a bright future.

• Favorite member

Haerin

• Favorite song

NMIXX

Hands down to the owners of one of my most streamed songs of the year. It's funny cause, even though It's controversial, I'm very satisfied with their musical direction and I think "O.O" and "Tank" are good songs. It does help me rooting for them the fact they incredibly talented and the girls' energy gives me good vibes. I hope their comeback fits my taste as much as their previous release.

• Favorite member

Haewon

• Favorite song

STRAY KIDS

Talented. Brillant. Incredible. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Never the same. Totally unique. Completely-not-ever-been-done-before.

• Favorite member

Hyunjin

• Favorite song

WEEEKLY

They are so amazing, It's a crime they aren't more popular. Just think about a group that have It all: great and catchy music, immensely talented members, charisma and entertaining performers. It's Weeekly. I'm always rooting for them and looking foward to everything they release.

• Favorite member

Soeun

• Favorite song

It's just a simple appreciation thread to spread love for the groups I like! If I don't flop and someone wants to comment the favorite 4th gen groups, is welcomed

Quote from MY-Kwangya

Well I only have one favourite 4th gen girl group and that is Aespa with Karina also my bias but to be fair, their comeback was a little meh for me.

Didn't you like even the b-sides?

For me, Girls was a good comeback, as usual.

Quote from centen

Good mix of groups and styles!

I'm an eclectic person

Quote from MY-Kwangya

I think I only liked Lingo. Next Level is still their best song in my opinion.

I definitely agree Next Level is their best song!

Quote from BlackpinkHouse

8 out of 10, very good!!

Time to make it perfect by replacing two of the groups (we know which ones ) with two of Ive, Classy, Kepler or Stayc.

I know you don't like NewJeans, since you've been tasteless and always drag their songs What is the other group you don't like?

Quote from zuzuhhaa

i agree with all of this! except i think i would switch le sserafim with ive lol

Let LSRF bless your Last.fm, Zuzu

Quote from TikiTiki

Truth be told 4th gen has been serving lately

Favorite groups for me would be (in no particular order):

Ive, Le Sserafim, NewJeans, Billlie, Itzy, Stayc, Pixy, Treasure, (G)idle, Woo!Ah!

For sure, so many great groups

I like Woo!ah! and PIXY

I would add them with more spots

Quote from bunnyviolet

Hmm tough picking, but my personal top ten (in no particular order)

• Purple Kiss
• Ateez
• P1harmony
• Billlie
• Ghost9
• ITZY
• aespa
• Xdinary Heroes
• Omega X
• BDC

Honorable mentions:

• Enhypen
• IVE
• WEi
• Tempest
• Oneus
• The Boyz
• MCND
• CIX
• Cravity
• StayC

A lot of different styles, I like it!

CIX is a group I feel I should know better. Everything I've heard from them so far is pure quality

Quote from TheLadybug

how do you feel about ive and purple kiss

From Purple Kiss, I've heard all their title tracks, Pretty Psycho and the Geekyland album. I must say Pretty Psycho and Nerdy are in my 2022 playlist. Great songs! And they are also super talented.

About IVE, I don't really have a strong opinion. I like Love Dive, but their other songs are not my cup of tea, so I don't know much about the group other than who are members.

Quote from ZombiePopsicle

I'd always seen predebut fans of adorngg but I never felt the hype for their debut because I thought their concept wouldn't be for me. But then attention dropped and I was hooked. Hype boy toppled me down into the rabbit hole and hurt was the lid that trapped me. Then I find out the girls themselves have absolutely adorable personalities and are full of their own unique charms. I'm pretty much stuck now. I feel like if the next comeback is as top tier as their debut, they'll climb to the top of my stan list. At the moment it's like this

The most ultimately ults: DPR + txt

Ult: 1) Dean 2) Newjeans

Newjeans is this 👌 close to joining dpr and txt which is insane because my stan list has pretty much not changed for a while now. Newjeans are causing this much havoc for me in a months time

Sameee

People were always talking about "ADORNGG" here and there, but I wasn't caring about their existence until Attention dropped, then Hype Boy was another amazing surprise, then Hurt too and I also ended up liking Cookie. When I saw, I was listening to them non stop!

They climbing up your bias list doesn't surprise me, because NewLegends are THAT likeable

Quote from Derpcatcher

Purple Kiss

Pixy

Everglow

StayC

They are my goto 4th gen girl groups

Purple Kiss and Pixy served in 2022

Can't wait for Everglow comeback that I hope It isn't ot6

Quote from Kairina

nice here's mine:

aespa,nmixx,enhypen,g-idle,ateez,le sserafim,rocket punch,stayc,cix and the last one gwsn prob

Girl, I completely forgot GWSN is 4th gen too

the Keys album is a serve

Quote from selfmate

was that in order you like weekly more than stray kids?

It's in alphabetical order!

Quote from the101

What a great thread Minazuki and an interesting read. I'll borrow your format to try and do your original post justice, although I don't think I have 10 groups. I feel like 2022 is the year a lot of 4th gen groups finally got me. I think many of the groups are maturing IMO into their sound and style and what they do well and/or jelling as a group. I think it's just how I approach a lot of music because even my faves took 2 years and the right song to hook me.

Also as someone who usually likes boy group songs (I'm not a fan of the cuter, higher pitched style of gg songs. Yes I know that's not the only style but it feels until recently, it was the predominant style). I'm surprised how many of my 4th gen faves are gg. (I made a whole playlist of my fave 4th gen songs and was surprised to see so many songs there!) One I really enjoy about many 4th gen groups is the emphasis on strong choreo, which I love - particularly for gg this was often missing in older generations. I get that there are different expectations but I certainly feel bad for earlier performers like Seulgi who would have really killed it in the more choreo-forward groups. I also really like the different and unexpected styles of music.

PURPLE KISS

This group had me out of the gate the same way a group always hooks me: I fall in love with a voice or voices and then I'm interested. Swan first, and then Na Go-eun brought me in with their gorgeous voices, particularly with the warmth of Swan's lower tones. What kept me is the strength of their discography, which bounces from aching power ballads to rock-tinged bravado to splashy pop fun. They are also great performers and dancers, which I think is a surprise from such a vocally-driven group, plus a solid rapper. I think they're still in the process of nailing down their style but I certainly love watching it happen. Purki was first recommended by someone on akp in a thread, as were Pixy and I'm really glad someone (don't remember who) helped me discover them! They are definitely one of my faves now.

• Favorite member
• Dosie (the main dancer) - I like her fun personality and her amazing dancing.

• Favorite song
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WayV

It may seem like cheating, but they are a 4th gen group. I appreciate that each of the NCT units has a different style, which is also reflected in the vocals of the group: Dream is light and bright, 127 is strong and intense and WayV is slinky and sultry. Xiaojun has the SM power vocal corner and is one of my favorite vocals in NCT but he's complemented well by Ten's nimble voice which he has really worked to improve and Kun's softer, more delicate one (although quite sturdy in his lower register). I always feel like listening to WayV music is like being in someone's very chic penthouse downtown with impossibly cool people. It's a sophisticated style with strands of r&b running through the sound. They also are top-notch performers with a dance style that is much more fluid and graceful than the power or attitude of the other units IMO.

• Favorite member
• Kun - even if he wasn't someone who can do it all (fly a plane, cook, write and produce music), I really enjoy watching him show us his songwriting and producing process. He can play by ear and will do so on lives. It's also been impressive to watch him strengthen his dance and vocal abilities (he was one of the weakest dancers to start with and now he can move into the center!) Oh and the man is fine.

• Favorite song
• A tie here - Domino as one of my favorites - a slow-simmering late night jam and when the three mains blend on that power note..
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• And I will always love Take Off - it's a bop with all the style elements I love in a WayV song - the build of the 3 vocals (Kun's softer, pretty tones usually help create the build into the others)
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Billlie

Their first track was a miss for me but @quarkie told me about Flipping a Coin, which is a great track and then Gingamingayo came out and...they're a really dynamic group on stage and and in performances with great vocals. I really love Harlan's vocals (long sleeved yellow shirt, the main vocal). I feel like their music is a vibe without worrying about what's trendy. It either is an unexpected bop with a quirky feel that sounds like nothing else or has a very jazzy r&b feel that's very Sunday afternoon with a cup of coffee.

• Favorite member
• Moon Sua - she's so dynamic and interesting on-stage (She's in the little plaid jacket)
  
  
• Favorite song
• Sign - it's a chill lite r&b flavored vibe
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aespa

Vocals for days brought me in here, of course, because Miss NingNing gives me life! All of the group have strong vocals and overall, I really enjoy the icy, modern flair in their music, with licks of r&b runs, although they've shown they can do more traditional gg pop fare on the b-sides. I'm really going to enjoy watching them grow as performers as they become more comfortable on stages!

• Favorite member
• NingNing - not only that voice, but fun and feisty
  
• Favorite song
• I'm still not over Next Level and heaven knows, I wore out that song. I still want a song like that one in the middle, but this is song is so what aespa is to me: icy cool and sleek + VOCALS DAMMIT THE VOOOOOOCALS + r&b sass (that middle portion).
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The Boyz

I wasn't really interested in this group - the light style and high, bright vocal style isn't something that interests me. But I'm trying to ask and get into people's b-sides because I know NCT is totally different when you dig into the b-sides! @keaji and litc were kind enough to give me recs I might like, knowing I like r&b and they cautioned me that there weren't the big power vocals. Again, I fell for a pair of voices (Sangyeon and New) and could pick the voices out even if not the members. (I still don't know most of the members in this group LOL). The power was there, just not used in a lot of their songs. I think The Boyz are really maturing in their style - there's still the bright side of their discography and I think they make some really sparkling pop songs. I may love r&b but I love a great pop song! They also have a darker, deeper side that's more edgy and/or is more R&B influenced. To me in a lot of the early stuff they didn't always let their vocals - which are quite strong and diverse - shine. They too are great performers with complex and interesting choreo (I'm a sucker for choreo).

• Favorite member
• Sangyeon - THAT VOICE
  
• Favorite song
• Thrill Ride - I said I love a great pop song and I do! My two faves have some big notes here particularly in the front and back end of the bridge at 2:03

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Stray Kids

I think they're always phenomenal performers and rappers. But they've really sold me on their work beginning with Back Door. The vocals aren't quite the style I prefer so I always lean into the faster paced songs vs the ballads, but man they make such great and interesting songs and the rappers are some of the best in the business!

• Favorite member
• I don't have one
  
• Favorite song
• Back Door - still that song for me. It's such an unexpected bop and everything I didn't know I needed in a song.
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Itzy

The counterpart to Stray Kids in a lot of ways, insomuch that I think they are really dynamic and engaging performers and dancers, but the vocal style isn't always my preference. From about Loco on, they've had me though: when their song is a bop, it is a bop maximus and I'm always interested to see what they do on a new album.

• Favorite member
• Yeji/Ryujin (I really like Yeji but Ryujin is such an eye catching and interesting performer!)
  
• Favorite song
• #Twenty (although Voltage might knock her out)
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Pixy

This was another group that someone recommended when they recommended Purki. I felt like some of their early stuff was interesting - the rappers, in particular, felt very strong and robust, and they were doing some interesting stuff but the songs didn't quite gel so I kept following. Like so many of the other groups here, strong perfomers and dancers and I think they've really settled into their dark and sleek sound and style. Even with the departure of the main vocalist, it's a shift in the vocal load but I still really really liked the tracks on the most recent album, which continue that dark and unexpected but irresistibly catchy style.

• Favorite member
• Dia (the main dancer, really shallow here, she's just gorgeous, charismatic and a great dancer. She has an appealing and pretty singing voice too.)
  
• Favorite song
• a tie between Bewitched - quintessential Pixy: dark and unexpected (Dia is the center with the long black and silver hair)
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• And the softer groove of Natural
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Wow, that's 8 groups!

There are a scattering other groups that have songs I've liked a lot, notably New Jeans, but I feel like I would want to know more or see a few comebacks here before I put them in the list. Or I'm seeing more Ateez songs that interest me and there are some fantastic vocals in that group, so I'd probably keep an eye on them.

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I love reading it! Thank you for the contribution with your amazing post, 101!

While reading your post, I see you are often sold by strong and entertaining performers, like me. In my opinion, It's one of the things that set K-pop apart and, a lot of times It elevates a song I didn't care previously. so I really like It when a group stand out on this field.

Quote from bunnyviolet

I can appreciate a lot of things!

Cix is great. Have you checked out their latest?

I heard Jungle and Cinema along with the albums of both songs (exactly because the title tracks got my attention). But then, I didn't hear anything anymore.

Is the new comeback good?

Quote from Ramasson

I just reread the thread and noticed that I literally know like 3 4th gen groups (or at least more then 3 songs)

Which groups? I know IDLE is one, cause we already talked about them previously

Quote from icyruios

In no particular order

IZ*ONE (yes I'm still sad)

IVE

LE SSERAFIM

DKZ

ITZY

EVERGLOW

XDINARY HEROES

ONEUS

Kep1er

Stray Kids

My top few title tracks of 4th Gen

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And finally, please give a listen to my nugu faves DKZ and stream Lupin

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I just listened to Lupin and I like it a lot! More than the only other song from them I heard, Cupid

Quote from xx-jenn-xx

Ateez Taste. mmhmm.

now go listen and stan my OTHER 4th gen nugu faves lol

Aweek (2019)

Black Level (2022)

Bz-Boys (2019)

**D-Crunch** (2018)

DKB (2020)

**E'Last** (2020)

F.able (2020)

Ghost9 (2020)

Just B (2021)

**Luminous** (2021)

Mirae (2021)

M.O.N.T (2019)

Nine.I (2022)

**Noir** (2018)

Omega X (2021)

OneUs (2019)

P1Harmony (2020)

Trendz (2022)

Triger (2019)

VeriVery (2019)

Xeed (Pre-Debut)

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The ones with ** are your ults, Jenn?