The Korean Business Research Institute released its brand reputation rankings for K-Pop groups for the month of August. To determine which group ranks on the list, they analyzed trends such as consumer participation, community awareness, and news coverage.
15. NCT
NCT is an umbrella group that has numerous sub-units. NCT's first ever sub-unit debuted in 2016. NCT is known for its rotational concept, in which they can have an unlimited amount of members that can go back and forth between units. As of now, the group has 21 members and 4 sub-units: NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV.
NCT has topped the Billboard's Emerging Artists Chart and is the first K-pop act to do so.
The current 21 members are Taeil, Taeyong, Jonghyun, Ten, Mark, Doyoung, Kun, Yuta, Winwin, Haechan, Johnny, Jungwoo, Lucas, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung, Hendery, Yangyang, and Xiaojun.
14. GFRIEND
GFRIEND is a six-member girl group that debuted in 2015 under Source Music. During their early years, they won several female rookie awards and gained a huge following despite coming from a small company. The group had their first concert and Asia tour in 2018. In July 2018, they made their Japanese debut. GFRIEND consits of six members: Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji.
13. ITZY
ITZY is a five-member girl group that debuted in 2019 JYP Entertainment. The group consists of Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. Before the group's official debut, the members had already appeared on broadcast before. Ryujin was a contestant on "Mix Nine" and placed first among the girls in the competition, but did not make her debut as the boys' team had won. Yeji competed on SBS's "The Fan". Both Ryujin and Yuna appeared on BTS's Love Yourself highlight reels, with Ryujin as J-Hope and Jimin's pair and Yuna as Jungkook's pair. Chaeryeong was a contestant on "K-Pop Star" and "SIXTEEN". All the members except for Lia appeared on the show "Stray Kids".
12. EXO
EXO first debuted in 2012 with 12 members divided into two sub-units. There was EXO-K, who sang in Korean and promoted in South Korea, as well as EXO-M, who sang in Mandarin and promoted in China. They are under SM Entertainment.
EXO has been ranked as one of the top five most influential celebrities on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, the Korean government officially awarded the group the title "The Nation's Pick", making them the face of Korean tourism since. In 2017, they were the recipients of the Prime Minister's Commendation.
They have been named as one of the biggest boy bands in the world, while media outlets and the industry have dubbed them as "Kings of K-pop" and a legendary group.
The group's current line-up is Suho, Kai, Chanyeol, Sehun, D.O, Xiumin, Baekhyun, Chen, and Lay. They are currently on a hiatus since members Suho, D.O, and Xiumin are undergoing their mandatory military service, while member Lay is promoting in China.
11. APRIL
APRIL debuted in 2016 under DSP Media. The group originally debuted with six members, but in 2015, leader Somin left the group. Somin is now a member of KARD, also under DSP Media. In 2016, member Hyunjoo left the group. That same year, two new members were added in the place of Somin and Hyunjoo. APRIL is currently six-members and consists of: Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel, and Jinsol.
10. SEVENTEEN
SEVENTEN is a thirteen-member boy group that debuted in 2015 under Pledis Entertainment. Within the members, there are three sub-units: Performance unit, Hip-Hop unit, and the Vocal unit. SEVENTEEN has been dubbed as a "self-producing idol group", as all the members have been involved in songwriting, choreographing, composing, and other aspects of creative process. In 2018, TIME Magazine named SEVENTEEN as one of the best K-pop groups.
The members are Seungkwan, Vernon, Woozi, Mingyu, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Joshua, Dino, Hoshi, S.Coups, Jun, The8, and DK.
9. Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation is an eight-member girl group that debuted in 2007 under SM Entertainment. They are considered prominent figures in the Hallyu Wave due to their contributions to the spread of Korean entertainment worldwide and have earned the nickname "The Nation's Girl Group". Their song, "Gee", was MelOn's most popular song of the 2000s decade. Their second Korean studio album, "Oh!", won the Golden Disc Award for Album of Year, making them the only female act to win the award. They have also ventured into the Japanese music scene and into the American market. The group has two sub-units: Girls' Generation-TTS and Oh!GG.
The group currently consists of Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Though originally nine members, former member Jessica left the group in 2014 due to conflicts between her and the group's schedules. In 2017, members Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun decided not to renew their contracts with SM Entertainment, though they are still members of the company.
8. Oh My Girl
Oh My Girl is a seven-member girl group that debuted in 2015 under WM Entertaiment. The group won their first win and entered the mainstream media three years after their debut, in 2018, with "Secret Garden". They received even more love from the Korean public in 2019, after they competed on Mnet's "Queendom", where they finished first runner-up. Their latest comeback, "Nonstop", is considered their breakthrough track, peaking at number 2 on the Gaon Digital Chart.
The group consists of Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Jiho, Binnie, and Arin. Originally, eight members, former member JinE left the group in 2017 due to health concerns.
7. IZ*ONE
IZ*ONE was formed by the Mnet survival show "Produce 48" in which trainees from Korean entertainment agencies and the AKB48 groups competed for a spot in the final line-up. They debuted in 2018 and were a a huge commercial success, subsequently winning them the "New Artist of the Year" award at several year-end award ceremonies. In late 2019, the group halted all promotional activity due to the Mnet vote manipulation investigation. They returned to their activities in 2020.
The group consists of: Jang Wonyoung, Kwon Eunbi, Kim Minju, Kang Hyewon, Ahn Yujin, Choi Yena, Lee Chaeyeon, Kim Chaewon, Jo Yuri, Miyawaki Sakura, Hondi Hitomi, and Yabuki Nako.
6. MAMAMOO
MAMAMOO is a four member girl group that debuted in 2014 under RBW Entertainment. Their debut was considered one of the best K-Pop debuts of the year by music critics, despite coming from a relatively unknown company at the time. They are widely recognized for their retro, jazz, and R&B concepts, as well as their strong vocal abilities. The group consists of: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa.
5. TWICE
TWICE was formed through the JYP Entertainment survival show "SIXTEEN," which was organized by Mnet. The show comprised of sixteen trainees, fighting for a spot in the agency's new seven-member girl group. In the finale, seven members were selected with two additional trainees handpicked by Park Jinyoung, making the final group name. The two additional trainees are Tzuyu, who was added in due to being the most popular contestant throughout the show, and Momo, who was eliminated in a previous episode but was chosen to join the group thanks to her dance skills. They joined Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Mina, Chaeyoung, and Sana to form TWICE.
The group debuted in 2015 and rose to fame with their first comeback, "Cheer Up." TWICE is the first Korean girl group to earn a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. They also ranked third in the Top Artist category of Billboard Japan's 2017 Year-End ranking.
They are also the first K-pop act to hold a Japanese dome tour. They have since started to promote in the United States.
4. (G)I-DLE
(G)I-DLE is a six-member girl group that debuted in 2018 under Cube Entertainment, with members hailing from China, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea. Upon their debut, they were dubbed as "monster rookies". They are known as one of the biggest K-Pop girl groups that did not come from a Big 3 company. (G)I-DLE is highly regarded for being involved in their music, with member Soyeon writing and co-producing all their material. They also gained lots of attention after appearing on Mnet's "Queendom"
The group consists of Soyeon, Minyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, Soojin, and Shuhua.
3. Red Velvet
Red Velvet debuted originally as four members in 2014 with "Happiness" with Irene, Seulgi, Joy, and Wendy. Member Yeri would join the group in 2015 for their "Ice Cream Cake" comeback, making the group five members. Red Velvet is highly recognized as one of the most popular K-pop groups worldwide by TIME Magazine and Billboard, and are known as major contributors to spread of the Hallyu Wave worldwide.
Red Velvet is known for having two sides to their music - the velvet, which has a more sensual, sophisticated vibe with R&B and strong 90s influences; and the red, which is mostly pop and electronic music, which is more cheerful when compared to their velvet music.
Their first sub-unit, consisting of Irene and Seulgi, debuted in July 2020.
2. BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK is a four-member girl group that debuted in 2016 under YG Entertainment with "BOOMBAYAH" and "WHISTLE", which also happens to be their first number-one hits. BLACKPINK was an instant success upon debut, subsequently winning the "New Artists of the Year" at numerous year-end awards. They are the highest-charting female K-Pop act on both the Billboard 100 and Billboard 200 with "Kill This Love." Additionally, they are the first female K-Pop group to enter the Billboard "Emerging Artists" chart and are the first female K-pop act to have four number-one singles on the Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. BLACKPINK is the most subscribed music group on YouTube.
The group released "How You Like That" on June 26. It was their first comeback in a year and 2 months. They are set to release another pre-release single called "Ice Cream" featuring Selena Gomez this August. In October, they will be releasing their first album.
BLACKPINK consists of four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa.
1. BTS
BTS is a seven-member boy group that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. BTS is known for co-writing and producing most of their material. They are also recognized for their lyrics, which usually focus on personal and social commentary, mental illness, troubles of adolescence, loving and being oneself.
Their album, "Wings", was BTS's first album to sell one million copies in South Korea. The album subsequently allowed the boys to bring their music to the West, leading the Hallyu Wave into the United States and breaking numerous records. They are the first K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself: Tear" and have hit the top of the U.S. charts numerous times. They are the fastest group since the Beatles to earn four number one albums in less than 2 years.
BTS is currently the best-selling artist in South Korean history and was the second best-selling artist in the world in 2018. Media outlets have labeled them as the "Princes of Pop" and were in TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2019. Additionally, the BTS members are the youngest ever recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit from the President of South Korea.
The group consists of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
