2022 is looking to become one of the biggest years for K-pop music. With already established acts like Girls’ Generation, 2NE1, and BLACKPINK making their highly anticipated comebacks, the successful genre is taking things a step further with so many new groups on the rise.
Several K-pop groups have had their official debut this year and are beginning to enjoy significant success like their established predecessors in the industry. With their stunning visuals, epic dance numbers, and bubbly personalities, these new girl groups are already winning hearts globally.
We’ve covered the boy groups that burst onto the scene this year, so this list will focus solely on the brand new shining starlets of the genre. Here are 10 K-pop girl groups that have debuted in 2022 and are fast on the rise to mega stardom.
Lapillus
Lapillus is a six-member girl group that made its debut on June 20 with the digital single, “Hit Ya!” The group’s managing company MLD Entertainment brought together Yue, Shana, Hauen, Chanty, Bessie, and Seowon to form the group. Of the six members that make up Lapillus, three are international members who are Japanese, Filipino-Argentinian, and Chinese-American. The group debuted at the 22nd spot on the Melon Artist chart while their song peaked at 121st spot on the Circle Music chart.
CLASS:y
CLASS:y is a seven-member girl group that debuted in South Korea on May 5 with the single album, Y: CLASS IS OVER. The group went on to make its Japanese debut on June 22 with the single, “Shut Down- JP Ver.” CLASS:y was formed through the survival program, My Teenage Girl where all seven members Chaewon, Hyeju, Riwon, Hyungseo, Jimin, Seonyu, and Boeun were contestants and finalists. The group is managed by two companies: M25 and Universal Music Japan, which handle their Korean and Japanese promotions, respectively.
CSR
CSR (Choes-Sarang) is a seven-member girl group that debuted on July 27 with the EP, Sequence:7272. The group was formed by the successful J Planet Entertainment but debuted under the label POPMUSIC. CSR consists of the girls: Yeham, Sua, Seoyeon, Yuna, Duna, Sihyeon, and Geumhee, and all members were born in 2005. The group’s EP peaked at the seventh position on the Hanteo album sales rank.
ILY:1
ILY:1 is a six-member girl group that debuted under FC ENM Entertainment on April 4 with the debut release, Love in Bloom. The group consists of Ara, Hana, Ririka, Nayu, Elva, and Rona. The group has four international members, two from Japan and two from Taiwan. Before their debut, two members of the group were contestants in the survival shows Nizi Project and Girls Planet 999, but did not make the final lineup. Love in Bloom was released as a single album and peaked at the 17th spot on the Circle Album chart.
Le Sserafim
Originally a sextet, the group debuted under Source Music and Hybe Corporation on May 2 with their EP Fearless. The group subsequently became a quintet moments after their debut when singer Kim Garam, a former member, terminated her exclusive contract. The remaining members are Sakura, Chaewon, Kazuha, Yunjin, and Eunchae. The group’s EP peaked at the penultimate spot on the Circle Album chart, while their title song ranked 9th place on the Circle Digital chart. Le Sserafim is one of the debut K-pop groups on several one-to-watch lists, and their debut music video has already been viewed over 100 million times just three months after its release.
Kep1er
Kep1er is a group formed by the MNET survival show, Girls Planet 999. The nine-member group debuted with the EP First Impact on Jan. 3. The members are: Mashiro and Yujin, who serve as co-leaders, and Huening, Bahiyyih, Dayeon, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Youngeun, and Yeseon. The group is managed by two entertainment agencies, WAKEONE Entertainment and Swing Entertainment, and has three international members, two from Japan and one from China. First Impact peaked at the top spot on the Circle Album chart, and the group is enjoying a steady rise to stardom as one of the most famous debut groups in the decade so far.
NewJeans
NewJeans is a five-member group formed under ADOR and HYBE Corporation. The quintet made their official debut on Aug. 1 with the EP New Jeans but had pre-released a single, “Attention” a few days earlier on July 22. The group consists of Hyein, Hanni, Minji, Danielle, and Hyerin. There are two international members, one being Vietnamese-Australian and the other, Korean-Australian. The EP New Jeans peaked at the third spot on the Hanteo Album sales.
NMixx
Formed by SQU4D, a sub-label of the popular JYP Entertainment that houses groups such as TWICE and Stray Kids, NMixx is a girl group that made its debut on Feb. 22 with the single-album Ad Mare. The group consists of members: Haewon, Lily, Sullyoon, Jiwoo, Kyujin, Bae, and Jinni. NMixx has one international member who is Korean-Australian while the rest of the group hail from South Korea. Ad Mare reached the peak position on the Circle Album chart.
Viviz
Viviz is a girl group formed with former members of the group GFriend. Consisting of just three members, the trio was formed by BPM Entertainment and made its official debut on Feb. 9 with the EP Beam of Prism. After their debut, the members: SinB, Umji, and Eunha went on to participate in the MNET competition show called Queendom. Beam of Prism peaked at 2nd place on the Circle Album chart.
GOT the Beat
GOT the Beat is a supergroup formed by SM Entertainment as part of a project called Girls on Top. The group boasts seven members that are a part of other successful K-pop groups: Taeyeon and Hyoyeon from Girls’ Generation, Seulgi and Wendy from Red Velvet, Winter and Karina from Aespa, and the soloist BoA. The group made its official debut on Jan. 3 with the single, “Step Back,” which has been watched over 120 million times on YouTube and peaked at the fourth spot on the Circle Digital chart.