The 5th Generation of K-pop is officially here. ICYMI, 5th generation, or “5th gen” for short, is any K-pop group that debuted during or after 2023. Some groups have already made some waves in the K-pop community, including RIIZE, BABYMONSTER and xikers. Keep reading for all of the 5th Gen K-pop groups you should watch out for.
One such 5th Gen group that’s making waves is SM Entertainment’s boy band RIIZE. The group debuted in September 2023, with the single album Get a Guitar, and consists of members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee and Anton.
RIIZE’s debut was highly anticipated as two members, Shotaro and Sungchan, had previously debuted in SM’s boy group, NCT. After being active in NCT for three years, the company announced that the two would be joining the lineup for RIIZE in May 2023. On top of that, many of the members of the group are hands-on to the production of their music, choreography and more.
“All of the RIIZE members are very much devoted to their work as artists in a variety of ways, with many members being able to create choreography and write lyrics,” Anton said in an interview with Consequence in September 2023. “As I am actively pursuing music production as well, I believe having a team where all of the members actively give input into the creative processes is what makes RIIZE so exciting.”
Another highly anticipated 5th Gen group that debuted in 2023 was BABYMONSTER, YG Entertainment’s first girl group in seven years since BLACKPINK.
BABYMONSTER consists of seven members including Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Haram, Rora and Chiquita. The septet released a pre-debut single in May 2023 titled “Dream,” and will make their official debut in November 2023.
The group’s selection process was chronicled by a 2023 reality show titled Last Evaluation, showcasing seven potential members. YG Entertainment founder, Yang Hyun-suk, and several other YG artists, ranked and determined which girls would debut in YG’s next girl group — with all the members ultimately making the cut.
Another K-pop group to debut in 2023 is one that is first of it’s kind, PLAVE — a.k.a. the first virtual K-pop group, ever. To learn more about all of the rising 5th Gen K-pop groups to watch, scroll through our gallery below.
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