Are kpop groups struggling this year?

I thought I would go check myself because I misread that tweet and thought it meant in the entire Top 100 only had 1 group song lol.

The top 100 is of course full of group songs, and the top 10 has IVE Rebel Heart in there too now.

But it is indeed the season of soloists right now. The summer is usually a great time for girl groups to comeback, so I am sure they’ll dominate again soon.

Honestly, I think kpop really seems to have passed its peak internationally and in Korea and we are seeing it winding down.

I also genuinely think theres a problem with the music. I might disagree with Yamas base assertion that kpop is boring because no NewJeans, BUT i think kpop is boring because the music is playing it way, way too safe recently. Theres no experimentation, no energy, so many groups are sounding the same and going to the current trend... It's all quite forgettable. A lot of wahts coming out isn't even really danceable, so no decent tiktok challenges or dance content.

I think it's why Gnarly had such a reaction, because, as divided as opinions are on it, it's something different.

I think it's a mixture of things. The major girl groups that released songs in 2025 are trying to rebound from a not so good 2024

IVE - a top 5 group with 2 household names but their recent singles haven't performed well like their earlier years imo. Their songs reached high peaks but unsure about their longevity. I'm most likely wrong here because I don't fully follow charts but it seems like their recent singles come and go

LSF - recovering from one of the worse years I've experienced for a major group. They perform very well globally but in Korea they will need a comeback or 2 to recover. This one is sad because they started off 2024 strongly with Perfect Night and Easy. Then downhill from there

Nmixx -Haven't recovered from their polarizing debut. They make good music but people don't fully check them which results in songs lacking in longevity. I think they're on the right track.

Stayc - I think they're still trying to find their identity and public not fully supporting their shift. I liked their song Bebe a lot, but I don't think their fans fully support the shift.

5th gen debuts - There wasn't a hit liek magnetic for any of the 5th gen GG debuts. I think they were able to put people on notice with strong debuts but the songs aren't strong enough to disrupt the soloist.

I think Idle will be the true test but I think the pre-release "girlfriend" had mixed reaction. I am curious to see how the title track performs because I think some of the discourse about Idle has changed this year and I am curious if that will be affected in sales and charts. I hope they're not impacted by the current discourse.

Quote from foreveraespaaa

It feels like now Songs are peaking well but barely any longevity it’s almost half way through the year and I can’t think of a deserving SOTY from any groups

I guess it is the year of Soloist

Agreed, I think it’s wide open and anyone’s game. I would say Aespa and QWER are both strong contenders if they comeback with a hit. QWER feel like they just need that one hit song to skyrocket them into the stratosphere. They still have 2 songs lingering on the top 100 now. While Aespa feel like the biggest girl group at the moment with NewJeans gone.

It seems KPop has reached a level of saturation

So much that the Senior Singer is coming back to discipline them.

I'd say that in defense of NewJeans is that a majority of their songs have longevity compared to other groups when charting. Though, aespa's Whiplash is still charting (which isn't their best song IMO, compared to Armageddon).

In a shameful display, the only recent group content song I've been listening to on repeat is Hands Up.

The quality of music, MV’s, content, basically everything has deteriorated. I think this especially applies to girl groups who for a long time have been carrying boy bands on their backs. Evidently, this burden is now too heavy to carry.

I’m let down by 95% of comebacks. I honestly just assume that the next comeback I’m remotely interesting in will suck - and you know what? It almost always does.

I also think the current gen isn't really bringing in many NEW fans that are coming in because they are wowed by the newer groups.
Instead, most kpop fandom seems to be 3rd and 4th gen fans (if not earlier), who are stuck in our ways, stuck on our faves from 2/3/4 and while we might be adding these newer groups to our list of faves, we aren't migrating to them over our faves.

This means that there isn't loyalty to the newer groups like there is the older ones.
We might listen to them a few times on release, but not really adding them to ongoing playlists or hyping the groups themselves.

Another group to watch would be Hearts2Hearts. In the past, the member heavy SM groups have taken a couple of songs before they explode. SNSD with Gee (which I think was their 4th single) and Exo with Growl. There's always the chance that Hearts2Hearts come out with their Gee equivalent and ignite the world with a new trend.

Quote from ThePhantomThief

I also think the current gen isn't really bringing in many NEW fans that are coming in because they are wowed by the newer groups.
Instead, most kpop fandom seems to be 3rd and 4th gen fans (if not earlier), who are stuck in our ways, stuck on our faves from 2/3/4 and while we might be adding these newer groups to our list of faves, we aren't migrating to them over our faves.

This means that there isn't loyalty to the newer groups like there is the older ones.
We might listen to them a few times on release, but not really adding them to ongoing playlists or hyping the groups themselves.

I wonder if we've gotten older and 5th gen is too young and cutesy for us? magnetic is exception but i feel I'm too old for illit sound.

My other "issue" with 5th gen is that nowadays idols look all the same, i cannot tell them apart. The only group that looks wise is easily distinguishable to me is young posse both in concept and looks (yes, i get it that many find their concept questionable). I feel like everyone could sing any song, there's nothing original about anyone. Or maybe I'm older now and grumpy lol

not sure whether they are struggling or not but this is a good thing (to me personally)

it reminds groups (and more so their companies) to not be complacent and always be on their toes - if they produce stuff that don't capture the GP's attention then...

Quote from doesitneedsaying

I wonder if we've gotten older and 5th gen is too young and cutesy for us? magnetic is exception but i feel I'm too old for illit sound.

Completely agree, I don't think I've hidden my dislike for groups with lots of young/underage members. Part of it comes from the music those groups make, which will usually also be young, overly cutesy and just not really very mature sounding. And again, I don't know if theres enough new fans, or younger fans, coming in.

Quote from doesitneedsaying

My other "issue" with 5th gen is that nowadays idols look all the same, i cannot tell them apart. The only group that looks wise is easily distinguishable to me is young posse both in concept and looks (yes, i get it that many find their concept questionable). I feel like everyone could sing any song, there's nothing original about anyone. Or maybe I'm older now and grumpy lol

Also completely agree with this as well. Even physically, many groups are going to a more homogenous look. I think it's another thing other groups/companies are cribbing from the success of NewJeans, which at times very much went for the similar looking members with similar hairstyling thing.

They are all starting to blur into each other, i genuinely cant find a point of difference in your illitkiiheart2heartkiizna whatevers...