Feature: Mikiki: In the “74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” broadcast on New Year’s Eve 2023, MISAMO, Stray Kids, and SEVENTEEN participated for the first time , LE SSERAFIM participated for the second consecutive year, and New Jeans participated in a special program slot. The success of K-POP artists was notable, as it was announced in a hurry .
In 2023, the number of groups expanding into Western countries is increasing, and in Japan, solo tours at domes and stadiums are being held, and Korean music awards and events are becoming commonplace. It is quite difficult to look at the overall picture of the K-POP scene while picking up each one one by one.
In order to record K-POP trends in 2023, Mikiki asked music writers Matsumoto and Takuo, who are familiar with the entire Korean music scene, to write a comprehensive text. In addition to trends in 2023, we also asked them to write about the outlook for the K-POP scene in 2024 and beyond. *Mikiki Editorial Department
2023, when girl groups such as New Jeans dominate
K-POP has grown in popularity over the years, and it feels like it has gone beyond being a boom and has become a popular genre. I think there were many movements in 2023 that strengthened this idea.
If you look at last year’s major Korean hit charts, you can see that songs by girl groups were in the top ranks throughout the year. Three groups stood out among them: NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, and IVE. It is interesting that while all of them give off an idol-like aura, they have gained support from a wide range of generations with their high-level sound and performance.
NewJeans’ combination of sound creation that incorporates recent trends such as Baltimore club and baile funki, and dance that appeals to the unique charm of teenagers has gained acclaim and resulted in a string of hits. In less than a year since their debut, they have become a representative of K-Pop.
When both LE SSERAFIM and IVE were first formed, the selling point was that they included former members of the legendary group IZ*ONE, but since then they have developed an edgy sound and an unbroken line known as “Kalgunmu.” Become a unique person through dancing. In 2023, they will push this route even further, and both groups have earned the title of “New Generation Girl Crush (Women Who Women Aspire to)”.
