6 K-pop Boy Groups Who Kickstarted 5th-Gen: RIIZE, BOYNEXTDOOR, More!
Generation placement in K-pop is a tricky thing to discuss. With the genre's evolution over the years, K-pop's timeframe has been narrowed down into eras, from the first gen that mainly focused on local audiences, to the fourth gen where more global fans are involved.
Determining a K-pop group's generation is complicated, simply because it's difficult to distinguish the clear line between an artist's debut year and the time when they finally made relevance in the industry.
Nowadays, while fourth-gen groups are making their mark, many Korean media outlets have voiced out that the fifth-generation wave is already here.
Here are 6 K-pop boy groups who have opened the fifth gen!
1. RIIZE
Among all mentioned boy groups in the fifth-gen, RIIZE is the latest K-pop to debut this 2023 under SM Entertainment, and is also the newest to debut for this generation.
The group is comprised of members Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Seunghan, Sohee and Anton. On September 4, RIIZE officially released their first single album "Get A Guitar," and gained a loyal fanbase ahead of their debut in the K-pop industry.
Apart from being talented and visually captivating, RIIZE also brought something new to the deck with their "Emotional Pop," SM's first separate musical take outside of the Kwangya worldview. The group has also broken numerous records despite being rookies.
2. BOYNEXTDOOR
BOYNEXTDOOR hails from Zico's company KOZ Entertainment and debuted on May 30, with their first single album "Who!," which contained three title tracks "But I Like You," "One and Only," and "Serenade."
Back in August 4, 2022, Zico revealed in an interview that he'll be debuting a boy group whose musicality isn't limited to any genre. The members of BOYNEXTDOOR are Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak.
3. ZEROBASEONE
Forged from Mnet's survival program "Boys Planet," ZEROBASEONE debuted on July 10, with "YOUTH IN THE SHADE." The group is formed with members Jiwoong, Zhang Hao, Hanbin, Matthew, Taerae, Ricky, and Gyuvin.
Since they're a project group, their activities are expected to end around the month of January 2026.
4. The Wind
The Wind debuted on May 15, under With US Entertainment. The seven-membered boy group is well known for releasing light-hearted hits and begged to differ amid the long list of edgy music releases from many male artists.
5. xikers
xikers is also one of the most popular rookies nowadays, and is considered to be in fifth-gen. The group made their debut on March 30 with first mini album "House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing."
6. XODIAC
XODIAC is also considered a new name in town and has gained traction among communities with their music. The group debuted on April 25 with first digital single "Throw A Dice," under One Cool Jacso Entertainment.
Which K-pop boy groups on the list are your favorite artists? Let us know in the comments below!
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