As the year 2023 draws to a close, the K-pop industry reflects on a year marked by extended global expansion and a continued craze for girl groups following the trend from last year. While the temporary hiatus of superstar BTS for its members’ mandatory military service posed a new challenge, their solo endeavors and the flourishing success of younger groups kept the K-pop phenomenon alive and thriving .The growth of new girl groups, notably led by NewJeans and Ive, was particularly noteworthy this year. NewJeans became a sensation with its first single album “OMG” and second EP “Get Up,” smashing charts at home and abroad upon their releases in January and July, respectively.

Achieving a milestone by topping the Billboard 200 within a year of its debut, the K-pop quintet solidified its global status by winning the Top Global K-pop Artist award at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards last month In addition, the group clinched the 19th spot on Apple Music’s year-end chart with its smash hit “Ditto.” The group later emerged as the biggest winner at Korea’s two major annual K-pop music awards — the MAMA Awards and the Melon Music Awards — claiming two of the coveted four grand prizes at each event. Ive garnered wide media attention by winning both the rookie award and grand prize at various local annual K-pop awards last year. Continuing its hot streak, the group once hit the mark this year with “Kitsch” and “I Am,” along with tracks off its first EP, “I’ve Mine,” building on the achievements of “Eleven,” “Love Dive” and “After Like.”

Several others representing the fourth-generation girl groups such as Le Sserafim, aespa and (G)I-dle collectively spearheaded the so-called golden age of girl groups this year by taking turns dominating various domestic music charts. Fourth-generation girl groups refer to those that debuted or gained significant attention in the industry after the year 2020.On the Billboard 200, the torchbearers of K-pop’s future, including Tomorrow X Together, Stray Kids, NewJeans and Ateez, took turns to rise to the top, cementing K-pop’s influence in the American music scene. Rookie girl group Fifty Fifty also became a sensation, securing the 44th spot on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart with its hit single “Cupid.” It became the first K-pop girl group ever to hit the year-end chart, with Psy being the first K-pop act to enter it with “Gangnam Style” in 2013. Jungkook’s “Seven” ranked 82nd, making him the first K-pop solo artist to be on the chart in over a 메이저 decade, following Psy.