‘Little brother groups’ are jumping into the K-pop scene.

With major K-pop agencies declaring the launch of new groups all at once this year, the ‘K-pop rookie war’ has come to fruition early on, and the outlines of some groups are drawing attention. Global fandom is also focusing on whether a new ‘rising star’ will be born among these groups basking in the glow of their top star seniors.

The first ‘big rookie’ to throw their hat in the ring is the seven-member boy group Kickflip from JYP Entertainment (JYP), who debuted on the 20th of last month. Previously, bands Xtenary Heroes and Japanese localized group Nex-G debuted under JYP, but this is the first K-pop-based group in seven years since Stray Kids in 2018, so they are being called the ‘SKIZ (nickname) little brother group’ among fandoms.

Kickflip, in particular, is already lusting after the ‘self-producing idol group’, saying that Stray Kids, who write lyrics, compose, and produce their own songs, are their “role models. Member Amaru participated in writing the lyrics for three songs on the debut album ‘Flip It, Kick It!’, including the title track ‘Mama Sed (What Are You Trying to Be?)’. Thanks to this, the album, which infused the team‘s free-spirited individuality, sold 300,000 copies through pre-orders alone.

For such a younger sibling group, Stray Kids members Changbin and I.N. are also sparing no support by participating in Kickflip’s debut commemorative content.

SM Entertainment (SM) announced that the eight-member girl group Hearts To Hearts, the ‘espa‘s younger sibling group, will release their first single ‘The Chase’ and debut on the 24th. They are the first girl group introduced by SM in five years since aespa, and recently announced their group name for the first time at the ‘SM Town Live 2025’ concert where all of SM’s seniors gathered, garnering great interest both domestically and internationally.

The trailer video featuring the faces of the eight members surpassed 1.1 million views on the 4th, just one day after it was released on SM‘s official YouTube account. SM is emphasizing that the group will debut in their 30th anniversary and is confident that they will be a “differentiated group based on unique colors and solid planning.”

Another “K-pop powerhouse,” Hive, is preparing an “&Team younger brother group” to follow the localized group &Team under their Japanese label, Hive Labels Japan. An audition program that will feature the selection of group members and the debut process will also be aired on Nippon TV. Starship Entertainment also held a large-scale open audition last year to introduce an “&Team younger brother group” this year.


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.