50 Best 3rd Gen K-pop Groups, Ranked

JYP Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group Twice via the 2015 reality show Sixteen. Nine members make up the group: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Twice debuted October 20, 2015, with the EP The Story Begins. As of December 2020, the group sold over 10 million albums in South Korea and Japan. This makes Twice the highest-selling K-Pop girl group ever. They earned the title "Nation's Girl Group." Their point choreography includes "Cheer Up" (2016), "TT" (2016), and "Signal."

SM Entertainment formed and managed the South Korean girl group Red Velvet. They debuted August 1, 2014, with the single "Happiness" featuring four members: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy. Yeri joined the group in March 2015 after their first mini album, Ice Cream Cake, dropped. Red Velvet's music mirrors their name. Their pop "red" side tries electronic, funk, and hip hop. The "velvet" side uses '90s-style R&B with jazz and ballad touches.

Pledis Entertainment formed the South Korean boy band Seventeen, also known as SVT. Thirteen members comprise the group: S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Seventeen debuted May 26, 2015, with the EP 17 Carat. Seventeen acts as a "self-producing" idol group. Members actively write songs and choreograph performances. The group performs as one unit, split into three units: hip-hop, vocal, and performance, each with different styles.

Exo is a South Korean–Chinese boy band based in Seoul. Nine members make up the group: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun. SM Entertainment formed the band in 2011, and Exo debuted in 2012. Their music mixes pop, hip-hop, and R&B with electronic dance music styles like house, trap, and synth-pop. Exo performs and releases music in Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese. Forbes Korea Power Celebrity listed them in the top five most influential celebrities from 2014 to 2018. The group has been called "the biggest boy band in the world".

Boy band BTS gained international fame through appearances on Billboard's Hot 100 and World Albums charts. They also performed at the American Music Awards. Forbes magazine named them the most retweeted music act on Twitter in March 2016. BTS became one of few South Korean pop acts to gain global fame and enter the U.S. mainstream. The group formed in 2012 after over a year of auditions and lineup changes. Seven members made the final cut, performing under the names J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga, and V. The group's initial performance...

Mamamoo, sometimes MAMAMOO, is a South Korean girl group. RBW (formerly WA Entertainment) formed the group in 2014. They debuted June 19, 2014, with the single "Mr. Ambiguous". Some critics saw their debut as one of the best K-pop debuts of 2014. They show off retro, jazz, R&B concepts and strong vocal skills.

BLACKPINK (stylized as BLACKPINK or BLΛƆKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group from YG Entertainment. Members include Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. BLACKPINK broke many online records. Their music videos for "Kill This Love" (2019) and "How You Like That" each set records for the most-viewed video in 24 hours. "How You Like That" broke three records and set two Guinness World Records. BLACKPINK is the first music group and Korean act with three music videos hitting at least one billion views on YouTube.

GOT7 (stylized as GOT7) is a South Korean boy band from JYP Entertainment. Seven members make up the group: JB, Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom. GOT7 debuted in January 2014 with the EP Got It?. This EP hit number two on the Gaon Album Chart and number one on Billboard's World Albums Chart. The group also drew attention for live shows featuring martial arts tricks and street dancing. In 2015, GOT7 released the EPs Just Right and Mad, which earned their most commercial success.

Dreamcatcher, formerly MINX, is a South Korean girl group from Happy Face Entertainment. Seven members comprise the group: JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami, and Gahyeon. Dreamcatcher officially debuted January 13, 2017, with the single album Nightmare.

Source Music formed the six-member South Korean girl group GFriend in 2015. Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji make up the group. GFriend debuted with the EP Season of Glass on January 16, 2015. Source Music announced their exclusive contracts ended May 22, 2021, on May 18, 2021. The members confirmed the group officially disbanded May 19, 2021.

S.M. Entertainment formed the South Korean boy group NCT. The name stands for Neo Culture Technology, a term S.M. Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man created. This term describes the group's concept: an unlimited number of members split into sub-units across cities globally. NCT U debuted in April 2016 with digital singles "The 7th Sense" and "Without You". NCT 127, based in Seoul, debuted in July 2016 with the mini album NCT #127. NCT Dream debuted in

MONSTA X is a South Korean boy group. Starship Entertainment formed them through the No.Mercy reality survival program. Six members make up the group: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, and I.M. Former member Wonho left in October 2019.

Fantagio formed the South Korean boy group Astro in 2016. Six members make up the group: MJ, JinJin, Eunwoo, Moon Bin, Rocky, and Sanha. Astro debuted with the single "Hide & Seek" from their debut EP Spring Up. Billboard named Astro one of the best new K-pop groups of 2016.

WM Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group Oh My Girl, stylized as OH MY GIRL and OMG. Six members comprise the group: Hyojung, Mimi, YooA, Seunghee, Yubin, and Arin. The group started as eight members. Jin left in October 2017 for health reasons. Jiho left in May 2022. Oh My Girl debuted on April 20, 2015, with an EP named after the group.

YG Entertainment formed the South Korean boy band iKon in 2015. The group first appeared on the reality survival program WIN: Who is Next as "Team B." Team B then appeared on the 2014 reality survival program Mix & Match. That show determined iKon's final seven-member lineup: B.I, Bobby, Jay, Ju-ne, Song, DK, and Chanwoo.

FNC Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group AOA, an acronym for Ace of Angels. Five members make up AOA: Jimin, Yuna, Hyejeong, Seolhyun, and Chanmi. AOA started as an eight-piece group. Youkyung left in October 2016. Choa left in June 2017. Mina left in May 2019. AOA began their career as a dance group and a band. AOA officially debuted in July 2012 with the single album Angel's Story, featuring eight members, excluding Youkyung as a dance group. In early 2013, the band unit AOA Black released their official...

Pledis Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group Pristin, stylized as PRISTIN, in 2016. Ten members make up the group: Nayoung, Roa, Yuha, Eunwoo, Rena, Kyulkyung, Yehana, Sungyeon, Xiyeon, and Kyla. Most members appeared on the television show Produce 101. Nayoung and Kyulkyung became part of the project girl group I.O.I as prize winners. They later reunited to debut as Pristin on March 21, 2017, with the EP Hi! Pristin. Pristin writes and composes.

EXID, short for Exceed In Dreaming, is a five-member South Korean girl group. Solji, LE, Hani, Hyelin, and Junghwa make up the group. They debuted February 16, 2012, with "Holla." The five members released their first EP Hippity Hop in August 2012, which saw limited success. Their 2014 single "Up & Down" reached number one on the Gaon Singles Chart four months after its first release.

CLC, short for "CrystaL Clear," is a South Korean girl group. Cube Entertainment formed the group in 2015. Seven members make up CLC: Seunghee, Yujin, Seungyeon, Sorn, Yeeun, Elkie, and Eunbin. Their debut EP, First Love, dropped March 19, 2015. CLC started with five members, but two more joined in February 2016.

I.O.I, also known as IOI or Ideal of Idol, is a South Korean girl group. CJ E&M formed the group through the 2016 reality show Produce 101 on Mnet. Eleven members made up the group: Lim Na-young, Kim Chung-ha, Kim Se-jeong, Jung Chae-yeon, Zhou Jieqiong, Kim So-hye, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kang Mi-na, Kim Do-yeon, and Jeon So-mi. They debuted May 4, 2016, with the EP Chrysalis. The group promoted as a whole and a sub-unit for less than a year. Their concert, Time Slip – I.O.I, ran January 20 to 22, 2017, marking their final on-stage activity.

Polaris Entertainment formed Ladies' Code in 2013. The group started with leader Ashley and members RiSe, EunB, Sojung, and Zuny. They debuted with the mini-album Code#01. The lead track, "Bad Girl," dropped March 7, 2013. On September 3, 2014, a car accident killed EunB and RiSe. Ladies' Code returned as a trio in February 2016 with the extended play Myst3ry. In October 2016, they released "The Rain" from their EP Strang3r.

Cube Entertainment formed BtoB, a South Korean seven-member boy group in 2012. Seo Eunkwang, Lee Minhyuk, Changsub, Lim Hyun-sik, Peniel, Jung Il-hoon, and Yook Sungjae are the members. BtoB debuted March 22, 2012, on M! Countdown with Insane and Imagine.

DSP Media formed April, a South Korean girl group. They debuted in 2015 with the mini-album Dreaming and the title track "Dream Candy." Six members make up April: Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel, and Jinsol. The group officially ended on January 28, 2022.

WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean-Chinese girl group. Starship Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment formed the group. WJSN debuted February 25, 2016, with the extended play Would You Like?. Twelve members started the group: Seola, Xuanyi, Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda, Dawon, Eunseo, Cheng Xiao, Meiqi, Yeoreum, and Dayoung. WJSN added a thirteenth member, Yeonjung, in July 2016.

JYP Entertainment formed Day6, a South Korean band. Five members make up the band now: Jae, Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon. The band debuted with their first EP, The Day, on September 7, 2015.

Hello Venus, stylized as HELLOVENUS, is a South Korean girl group. Tricell Media, a former joint venture of Pledis Entertainment and Fantagio, formed the group. Alice, Nara, Lime, Yooara, Yoonjo, and Yooyoung made up the original lineup. They debuted on May 9, 2012, with the single "Venus" from their debut EP. Fantagio and Pledis ended their Tricell Media joint ventures in July 2014. Yooara and Yoonjo stayed with Pledis; the other four members continued group work under Fantagio. Fantagio introduced two new members in October 2014.

Lovelyz is a South Korean girl group. Woollim Entertainment formed the group in 2014; it is Woollim's first girl group. Eight members make up Lovelyz: Baby Soul, Jiae, Jisoo, Mijoo, Kei, Jin, Sujeong, and Yein. The group released its debut album, Girls' Invasion, on November 17, 2014.

Momoland, a South Korean girl group, formed by MLD Entertainment via the 2016 reality show Finding Momoland. Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, and Nancy were the original members. They released their debut mini album Welcome to Momoland on November 10, 2016. In 2017, Daisy and Taeha joined, making Momoland a nine-member group. Taeha and Yeonwoo left in 2019; Daisy left in 2020. Ahin, Hyebin, Jane, JooE, Nancy, and Nayun make up the group now.

Wanna One is a South Korean boy band. CJ E&M formed the group through Produce 101's second season. Eleven members comprised the group: Kang Daniel, Park Ji-hoon, Lee Dae-hwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Lai Kuan-lin, Yoon Ji-sung, Hwang Min-hyun, Bae Jin-young, and Ha Sung-woon. The group debuted on August 7, 2017, under Swing Entertainment and CJ E&M. Their contract ended December 31, 2018, but their last group activity was their concert from January 24–27, 2019.

Gugudan, styled gu9udan or gx9, started in 2016 under Jellyfish Entertainment. The group debuted June 28, 2016, with the mini-album Act. 1 The Little Mermaid and the track "Wonderland". Nine members comprise Gugudan: Mimi, Hana, Haebin, Nayoung, Sejeong, Sally, Soyee, Mina, and Hyeyeon. After two years without group activities, Jellyfish Entertainment released a statement. They declared the group would end activities and officially disband December 31, 2020.

Weki Meki, also known as WEME, is a South Korean girl group. Fantagio formed the group in 2017. Eight members make up Weki Meki: Ji Suyeon, Elly, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Do-yeon, Sei, Lua, Rina, and Lucy.

DIA, short for DIAMOND and a backronym for Do It Amazing, is a South Korean girl group. MBK Entertainment formed DIA in 2015. They debuted as a seven-member group in September 2015 with the full album Do It Amazing and the title track "Somehow". Nine members currently include Eunice, Jueun, Huihyeon, Jenny, Yebin, Eunjin, Chaeyeon, Eunchae, and Somyi.

VIXX is a six-member South Korean boy band. Jellyfish Entertainment signed them. All members joined Mnet's MyDOL survival show. Viewers chose them through an elimination system. Viewers also voted for the name VIXX. The members are N, Leo, Ken, Ravi, Hongbin, and Hyuk.

PENTAGON (PTG) is a South Korean multi-national boy band. Cube Entertainment formed them in 2016. Nine members make up the group: Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, Yan An, Yuto, Kino, and Wooseok. Ten members originally formed the group. E'Dawn left the group and the record label on November 14, 2018. Mnet's Pentagon Maker show introduced them. Pentagon released their self-titled debut EP on October 10, 2016.

FNC Entertainment produced N.Flying, a South Korean rap rock band. Kwon Kwangjin, Lee Seunghyub, Cha Hun, and Kim Jaehyun make up the band. They perform in Japan now. The name ‘N.Flying’ comes from ‘NEW’ and ‘Flying,’ meaning ‘new wings’ or ‘new escape.’ Their first release, Basket, hit number two on Oricon’s weekly Indies chart in Japan.

Laboum is a South Korean girl group. They debuted in 2014 under NH Media and Nega Network's Global H Media joint venture. Their name comes from the French term meaning "The Party." The group has five members: Yujeong, Soyeon, ZN, Haein, and Solbin.

Hunus Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group Elris in 2017. Five members make up the group: Sohee, Yukyung, Bella, Hyeseong, and Karin. Elris debuted on June 1, 2017, with their first extended play, We, first.

B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) is a South Korean boy group. TS Entertainment formed B.A.P in 2012. B.A.P debuted with the single "Warrior" on January 26, 2012. They released their debut EP, Warrior, in February 2012. In March 2017, B.A.P released their sixth single album, Rose. Yongguk rejoined the group for promotions after a four-month break. Billboard's Jeff Benjamin called "Wake Me Up" the group's "most personal and accomplished single yet". The EP focused on social issues with "Wake Me Up".

YNB Entertainment formed the South Korean girl group Bestie. They released their first single, "Pitapat," in July 2013. The group included four members: Hyeyeon, Uji, Dahye, and Haeryung. Uji and Dahye left YNB Entertainment in September 2017. The group disbanded in 2018 after Hyeyeon joined Star Entertainment.

Beat Interactive formed the South Korean boy group Ace (A.C.E, Adventure Calling Emotions). Five members make up the group: Jun, Donghun, Wow, Jason, and Chan. Ace debuted on May 23, 2017, with the single "Cactus." The group gained attention from their YouTube covers.

Winner is a South Korean boy band. YG Entertainment formed them in 2013, debuting in 2014. Four members now make up the group: Jinwoo, Seunghoon, Mino, and Seungyoon. Taehyun left the group in November 2016. The group formed from the 2013 reality show WIN: Who is Next. They competed as "Team A" against other YG trainees for the chance to debut as the first YG boy group in eight years, since Big Bang. The name "Winner" went to Team A after they won all three rounds.

SPICA, stylized as SPICA, is a South Korean girl group. B2M Entertainment formed them in 2012. The group has Kim Boa, Park Sihyun, Park Narae, Yang Jiwon, and Kim Bohyung. Their pre-debut single "Doggedly" dropped January 10, 2012. Their debut mini-album, Russian Roulette, followed on February 8, 2012. SPICA officially disbanded February 6, 2017. Bohyung confirmed a possible reunion in the future.

NU'EST, short for New Establish Style Tempo, is a South Korean boy band. Pledis Entertainment formed and managed the group. Five members included JR, Aron, Baekho, Minhyun, and Ren. They debuted March 15, 2012, with the single "Face". NU'EST disbanded March 15, 2022. Aron, JR, and Ren left Pledis Entertainment after finishing their 10-year contract.

Golden Child is a South Korean boy band. Woollim Entertainment formed them in 2017. They debuted August 28, 2017, with their first extended play, Gol-Cha!. The group started as eleven members but now has ten, following Park Jae-seok's departure.

The Rose is a South Korean band. J&Star Entertainment formed the band. Four members currently play: Woosung, Dojoon, Jaehyeong, and Hajoon. The band debuted with the single "Sorry" on August 3, 2017.

Victon, an acronym for Voice to New World, is a South Korean boy group. Plan A Entertainment formed Victon in 2016. Members include Han Seung-woo, Kang Seung-sik, Heo Chan, Lim Se-jun, Do Han-se, Choi Byung-chan, and Jung Su-bin. They debuted November 9, 2016, with the extended play Voice to New World. "I'm Fine" is their debut song and a pop hit.

SF9, shortened from Sensational Feeling 9, is a South Korean boy group. FNC Entertainment formed SF9. SF9 became the company's first dance boy group to debut. They debuted October 5, 2016, with the single album Feeling Sensation.

VAV, shortened from Very Awesome Voice, is a South Korean boy group. A Team Entertainment (formerly AQ Entertainment) formed VAV in Seoul, South Korea. Seven members make up the group: St.Van, Baron, ACE, Ayno, Jacob, Lou, and Ziu. They debuted October 31, 2015, with the mini-album Under the Moonlight.

WM Entertainment formed the South Korean boy group ONF in 2017. Seven members make up ONF: Hyojin, E-tion, J-Us, Wyatt, MK, U, and Laun. ONF debuted August 2, 2017, with their self-titled mini album.

JBJ was a South Korean project boy group. Six members joined from Mnet's 2017 survival show Produce 101 Season 2. Fave Entertainment managed JBJ. CJ E&M handled the group's release production. JBJ officially debuted October 18, 2017. The group held its final concert April 22, 2018, and disbanded April 30, 2018.