Blackpink, Red Velvet (Photo Credit: Emma McIntyre | Getty Images for Coachella, The Chosunilbo JNS | Imazins via Getty Images)
Following the path paved by their preceding musical generation, third-generation K-pop girl groups have created a blueprint for the rising female acts that came later. Some of the most prominent third-generation girl groups include Red Velvet, Blackpink, TWICE, WJSN, Mamamoo, and more.
For the uninitiated, K-pop groups are divided into generations based on their debut date. The third generation started in 2012 and ended in 2018. Among the history-making K-pop groups that debuted during this period include BTS, Blackpink, Stray Kids, and Seventeen.
Since girl groups have equally impacted the music scene alongside their male counterparts, here’s a look at some of the best third-generation girl groups who have made indelible marks in the K-pop industry and worldwide.
Mamamoo
RBW Entertainment’s chart-topping girl group Mamamoo debuted with the titular EP Hello on June 18, 2014. Even without a big label’s support, Mamamoo made a name for themselves with their stellar vocals and offering fierce concepts that K-pop girl groups did not venture into before.
Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa’s popularity rose eventually when fans experienced some of their songs at live concerts. The group’s on-stage vocal harmony and powerful dance choreographies made Mamamoo stand out amid many other contemporary K-pop acts.
Mamamoo reached number 1 on the Gaon Album chart for the first time with their extended play, Yellow Flower, which sold over 68,000 copies within a week of its release. The album also ranked number 7 on Billboard’s US World chart. Later, the “Décalcomanie” crooners topped Gaon again with the studio album Reality in Black and EP White Wind.
WJSN
Cosmic Girls, aka WJSN, debuted on February 25, 2016, with the extended play Would You Like? under Starship Entertainment. The group showed slow but steady growth over the years. WJSN’s first chart-topping hit album came in 2019 with the release of For the Summer.
The special Summer EP sold over 78,555 copies within a week of its release, lending the group’s first number 1 on South Korea’s Gaon (later named Circle) Album Chart. Years after the chart-topping EP, WJSN reached another new career-high, winning Mnet’s globally famed reality show Queendom 2.
Along with their remarkable success in music charts, some WJSN members broke the mold of K-pop stars and showed a new side of themselves through various individual projects. Among the members, WJSN star Bona stunned fans in several K-dramas, including Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), Joseon Attorney (2023), and Pyramid Game (2024).
Red Velvet
SM Entertainment’s Daesang-winning girl group Red Velvet is one of the top 3rd generation K-pop acts whose influence in K-pop is significant. The girl group consists of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri, who initially debuted in 2014 with four members. Yeri joined in 2015 before the group’s first mini-album release.
Since their debut, two of Red Velvet’s studio albums and over ten extended plays reached number one on South Korea’s Gaon Album chart. The group has also received the highest prize in K-pop, Daesang (grand prize), four times: 2019 Asia Artist Awards Song Of The Year Grand Prize, Golden Disc Awards Song Of The Year Digital Daesang in 2016, 2018, and 2021.
Moreover, Red Velvet’s importance in K-pop goes far beyond charting numbers and awards. The group snagged a permanent place in listeners’ hearts by producing vocal harmonies that impressed fans even when the group performed live. In 2019, Billboard recognized Red Velvet’s contribution to K-pop and hailed the group as “the best idol group alive.” The publication also included the group’s track “Red Flavor” as the second-best K-pop song of the 2010s.
TWICE
After becoming one of the million sellers of third-generation Korean acts, JYP Entertainment’s TWICE got the nickname “Nation’s Girl Group.” The K-pop nonet consisting of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu debuted on October 24, 2015, with the EP The Story Begins. Within two years of debut, TWICE snagged their Daesang in the 2017 Golden Disc Awards for the Song of the Year category.
Over almost a decade in their career, TWICE snagged 18 grand prizes. In 2024, they achieved a new height in their K-pop career, earning the first spot on Billboard 200 with the EP With Youth. The “Yes Or Yes” crooners became one of the few acts that achieved number 1 on the chart, placing themselves next to BTS, Stray Kids, Blackpink, TXT, and NewJeans.
TWICE’s With You-th sold over 90,000 physical copies of the album in the United States and over a million copies in South Korea within a week of its release. The group’s latest release shows that even amid the fourth-generation girl group’s rising popularity, the impact of TWICE remains intact among K-pop fans.
Blackpink
YG Entertainment’s history-making group Blackpink is the most popular third-generation female act. Since their debut, Blackpink made waves in the global music industry. The quartet’s studio albums became a million sellers within a week of their release.
The K-pop act’s second studio album, Born Pink, peaked at number one on Billboard 200 with over 101,500 sales in the U.S. Blackpink’s popularity also transcended beyond the chart numbers as they made history with their tour revenue. The Born Pink tour of the act made over $331 million in revenue, becoming the highest-grossing girl group tour at that time.
Along with the aforementioned K-pop acts, other girl groups of the third generation include Momoland, Oh My Girl, Dreamcatcher, AOA, and EXID.
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