It’s safe to say that the K-Pop world does not know how to rest. Almost every single day, we hear about new groups debuting – ranging from acts of prominent agencies to smaller groups who take a chance on breaking through. Today, we spotlight the up-and-coming K-Pop groups and acts that deserve all the support and recognition.
TEMPEST – This seven-member group may come from the acclaimed YueHua Entertainment which houses acts like Everglow, Yena, and Woodz but TEMPEST is still in their beginning stages as they ambitiously take on opportunities to make their mark in the industry. They debuted last March with their first EP called “It’s Me, It’s We”. From the looks of it, this group is poised to have a promising career with their lead single “Bad News” standing out from the pack of releases with its carefree and youthful vibe reminiscent of songs from K-Pop group Block B. Members of the group include Hyuk, LEW, Euchan, Taerae, Hwarang, Hanbin, and Hyeongseop.
PIXY – PIXY may still be under the radar for a lot of newer K-Pop fans and followers, but they are already receiving applause for their body of work in such a short amount time. Debuting just last year with the track “Wings”, their 2021 comeback was added in Dazed Magazine’s best K-Pop songs of the year which is a big deal for a newer group. Their latest comeback, “Villain”, once again highlights how polished they sound despite coming from a relatively smaller agency. PIXY is a six-member girl group from AllArt Entertainment comprising of members Dia, Satbyeol, Sua, Lola, Dajeong, and Ella (also known as Mirae of Cherry Bullet, currently on hiatus).
DKZ – DKZ, formerly known as Dongkiz, is another smaller group to watch out for. Debuting in 2018 under Dongpyo Entertainment, the group had been struggling to stand out from the crowded competition until they found a breakthrough with the support of member Jaechan and his appearance in the boys love drama “Semantic Error.” They’ve enjoyed the surge of popularity recently and are making use of the momentum to come out strong as they prepare their new music. The current members of the group include Kyoungyoon, Sehyeon, Mingyu, Munik, Jaechan, Jonghyeong, and Giseok. Former member Wondae had left the group earlier this year and is longer part of Dongkiz.
FAINIT – One of the most recent debuts to be featured in this list (barely two weeks since launch), girl group FAINIT whose name stands for Fantasy, Avatar, Intersection, Nationality, Idol, Travel is starting to carve a path on their own. Their debut single “Killer” combines second generation K-Pop melodies with darker, grittier undertones. Together with their FAINIT Universe lore that sees the group “traversing different” territories (as suggested by their name), they will be one of the upcoming acts to watch out for. FAINIT consists of five members – SeoA, Yumin, Meanu, Liha, and Jinseo
Yukika – The name Yukika may have a cult following among K-Pop fans but she is still relatively unknown to the large majority of the genre’s audience. What makes Yukika a unique gem in the saturated industry is her own brand of music leaning towards the city pop genre. A fitting style considering that Yukika is a Japanese idol and the genre traces its roots to the same country. As a solo act, Yukika has released one full album, a mini-album, and a series of singles. Recently, the idol revealed that she is also getting married. She recently released a fresh comeback digital single called “Scent”