There is no denying that K-Pop has been doing so great lately as more and more acts from the said industry have started dominating international music and digital sales charts worldwide. Among the most successful groups there are today include BTS, BLACKPINK and MONSTA X.
While more K-Pop artists have started mushrooming here and there lately, some industry experts eye three groups that could reach BTS, BLACKPINK and MONSTA X's success. Here are the names that surfaced:
ATEEZ
Reports claimed that ATEEZ is the most prominent "Gen Z" K-Pop group as of late. The group, which is composed of Park Seong Hwa, Kim Hing Joong, Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yun Ho, Choi Saan, Choi Jong Ho, Kang Yeo Sang, and Song Min Ji, debuted on Oct. 24, 2018.
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ATEEZ, formed by KQ Entertainment, gained worldwide attention after they released their first album titled "Treasure 1P.1: All to Zero." A proof of their success is the fact that they were announced as the Worldwide Fans' Choice during the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) and received the Next Generation Award trophy during the 2019 Golden Disc Awards.
Their achievements did not stop there as the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named ATEEZ as "4th Generation Leaders" and were later announced as the official ambassadors of Korean culture and tourism.
If that is not enough, ATEEZ was also successful in building a strong presence in various music charts around the globe, which include the prestigious Billboard and Spotify charts. ATEEZ even featured on TIME Magazine's Best K-Pop Songs and Albums of 2020 list!
LOONA
Blockberry Creative formed LOONA in October 2016. When the group, which is composed of HeeJin, HyunJin, HaSeul, Chuu, Olivia Hye, Kim Lip, JinSoul, Choerry, Yves, Go Won, YeoJin and Vivi, released the "[++]" album, their "Hi High" track effortlessly peaked at No. 2 on the Gaon Album Chart. The same EP was announced as the second bestselling debut album by a girl group in the year 2018.
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In 2019, LOONA was invited to perform at KCON 2019 in Los Angeles and later released their single called "365," which served as their appreciation track for their devoted supporters. The group released their third album called "[12:00]" in October 2020.
Though HaSeul was not involved in the album, it was able to ranked at No. 4 on the Gaon Album Chart. "[12:00]" also became the group's first album to ever make it to the Billboard 2020. In January, "Star" became part of the Billboard Top 40 Chart, which made Loona as the second K-Pop girl group to ever enter the said list.
ENHYPEN
Belift Lab formed ENHYPEN in November 2020. The group, which is comprised of Ni-Ki, Jungwon, Sunoo, Sunghon, Jake, Jay, and Heeseung, also dropped their first album titled "Border: Day One" at the time. The South Korean boy band shocked most K-Pop fans around the world when their EP entered the Billboard Charts during the first week of its debut.
ENHYPEN's "Border: Day One" album also made it to Gaon Album Chart after it was sold more than 318,500 copies in one day. Due to its undeniable success, it was announced as the highest-selling album by a K-Pop group that was launched in 2020.
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The same album also made it to the No. 2 spot of Oricon Albums Charts after it sold more than 71,000 copies in Japan alone. Their success did not go unnoticed as they were conferred the Next Leader Award during the 2020 The Fact Music Awards.
With ATEEZ, LOONA, and ENHYPEN's exemplary milestones and recognitions, it would not be surprising if they would become the next leaders in the K-Pop industry just like BTS, BLACKPINK, and MONSTA X.
ALSO READ: BTS Featured on 'Rhythm Hive' Teaser With TXT & ENHYPEN + Achieves New Milestone With 'DNA'
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Written by Nica Vaughn
