Anyone who fears that K-Pop’s legacy is going nowhere, need not to worry. The list is constantly growing and adding new talented individuals to join them.

There’s plenty to look forward to and these up-and-coming girl group members are already making their mark to prove themselves in the industry with contributions from these five remarkable qualities — vocals, performances, self-production, acting and variety.

(This is solely based on the writer’s personal opinion and does not involve any ranks or comparison between each group. Feel free to share your personal favourite songs, stages or moments of the leading 4th gen girl groups in the comment section below!)

Their Vocals Leave Us Speechless

Vocal ability is the major selling point in K-Pop and each group has a main vocalist who can belt out high notes or simply hum a very nice tune to their songs. Their talent and hard work has provided us with lots of phenomenal songs, be it their own songs or cover songs.

Ever seen an idol group singing live while drawing?  fromis_9 starts off the list with them singing to Fun on M2 LIVE CLASS. All of them have a very amazing voices and are indeed stable when singing on stage. Hayoung has a sweet and clear tone while Gyuri adds the vibrant feel to the song. Jiwon has also released two OSTs – Start From Now On (The Secret Life of My Secretary) with fellow member Nagyung, and Cloud (Racket Boys), proving her capabilities as the main vocalist.

Vocal queens with amazing tracks. Yes, that’s Purple Kiss! The newly debuted group from RBW undeniably possess outstanding vocal skills. This performance of their debut song PONZONA on DAY6’s Kiss The Radio really helps to highlight each member’s unique tones especially their main vocalist Na Goeun. She has showcased her potential since Produce 48 and keeps on showing significant improvements.

Cherry Bullet makes it on the list with their main vocalists, Haeyoon and Bora. Their rendition of CNBLUE‘s Then, Now and Forever depicts the emotional lyrics about getting through the day without their loved one. They also have no problem hitting high notes in their songs as well. It is not an exaggeration to say that these two can be considered as one of the best main vocalists among 4th gen girl groups.

Each Performance Is On The Next Level

With today’s technology and lack of live stages, K-pop idols have to put on exciting performances for fans to view online. These girls constantly wow audiences with their live stages, dance covers, or dance practices!

aespa’s first comeback in 2021 took the music industry by storm with their unique yet addictive track, Next Level. The song charted #1 on several different charts and is also going viral for its amazing choreography. The emerging technology also helps to make the stages and performances entertaining, especially during this period where they are unable to do any live performances in front of the audiences. It’s so mesmerizing and makes you tap on the replay button nonstop. And the camera work at 3:28? Perfect!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knz0j_G7lKg

(G)I-DLE’s stage of LATATA on Queendom is nothing short of impressive. Right off the bat, the introduction creates a spine-chilling tension. Minnie‘s chanting in Thai is also hypnotic and memorable.

ITZY‘s Wannabe on Studio Choom‘s BE ORIGINAL performance shows that these girls are amazingly great dancers. Ryujin injects so much personality into the choreography with her iconic shoulder moves that it’d be hard not to try and copy it (We’ve all tried to do it, right?). It’s packed with all the charm and finesse you’d expect. The outfits complete the overall look and this stage is a definite way to show off their skills.

Say Hello to Producing-Dols

Producing-dols refer to idols who contribute their talents to create a masterpiece. Be it composing, lyrics writing or producing, these are the most desired skills to be mastered.

(G)I-DLE Soyeon has been actively participating in composing the group’s songs since their debut album and is doing a really good job with it. Lyrics-writing, music production and arrangement is her forte and she is also the only 4th gen female idol to be listed under KOMCA’s Top 100 Most Copyrighted Idols list. Fellow (G)I-DLE members Minnie and Yuqi are also actively involved in the production of their arts.

fromis_9 is another group who are actively involved in song composition and lyrics-writing. The members are credited as the lyricists from their debut album To.Heart up until their latest single album 9 Way Ticket. Main rapper Seoyeon released her first self-composed song Starry Night as a track in the group’s third mini album My Little Society. Damdam duo, Jiwon and Hayoung also participated in composing Fly High. They shared their lyrics writing process on their YouTube channel. Can we expect more self-produced works in the future?

New Generation Actresses In The Making

They are talented, and another platform for them to allow themselves to be able to broadcast it to a wider audience is through acting. Idols in the acting industry are not an unfamiliar sight in K-Pop. But what about an actress-turned idol?

STAYC Sieun debuted as a child actress in 2014 and bagged the Best Young Actress at the 2018 SBS Drama Awards for her role in Still 17. She then debuted with STAYC in November 2020 and is now thriving as the group’s main vocalist. It’s fascinating to see and hopefully we can see her in more acting gigs in the future!

Next up, the rising star is none other than fromis_9’s main vocalist, Gyuri. She landed a role in tvN drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and portrayed impressive acting in the drama. Another figure with excellent talent will be Minnie from (G)I-DLE with her acting debut on Netflix So Not Worth It. Her K-dramas lover antics were hilarious to watch. Her fellow bandmate Miyeon has also embarked on the acting route by debuting as the female lead in web-drama Replay: The Moment. Cherry Bullet members Chaerin and Yuju are also budding acting-dols with their participation in web-dramas.

Web-dramas are a new way for the idols to kick off their acting career. It is a great choice as these web-dramas are often uploaded to YouTube, which makes it easier to reach global audiences. A huge plus if English subtitles are provided!

They Can Give Us Big Laughs Too

Entertainment shows play a big part in introducing idols to the general public and this is not an exception for 4th gen too. Shows like Running Man, Knowing Bros, The King of Masked Singer and Weekly Idol are the usual shows where idols are often invited for promotion. Just with the invitation only, it doesn’t guarantee immediate attraction, so what do they need to do?

Quick-witted idols are definitely the most sought after by these variety shows and will definitely be one of the promising candidates to succeed in this field. The first idol that comes to mind is LOONA Chuu. She guested on SBS Law of the Jungle in Jeju and tvN Salty Tour in Malaysia and did a great job considering the nature of both shows. She also has been actively engaging content to promote an eco-friendly life with her YouTube channel Chuu Can Do It.

Next is the bright and energetic Yuqi from (G)I-DLE. She has a great sense of humour and is able to fit in any situation or with any individual, be it of different ages or genders. You can witness her appeal from the KakaoTV Learn Way series where she meets expert mentors in various fields to be an “all-rounder”. She is also currently a cast member in Chinese variety show Keep Running. 

What’s not to love about these talented sweethearts? Like their predecessors, these girl group members will shine bright and leave their mark in the K-Pop industry in the coming years.

Written by: Iffah
Featured Image by: Agnes