20. SeeYa
was a South Korean female group originally made up of Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram, and Nam Gyuri. In 2009, Nam Gyuri left the group to pursue a solo career. She was replaced by Lee Soomi until 2010. The group continued as a duo consisting of Kim Yeonji and Lee Boram until their disbandment in 2011. When they first debuted, they were marketed as the female version of SG Wannabe.
19. Rainbow
Rainbow (sometimes stylized as RAINBOW; Hangul: 레인보우, Katakana: レインボー) is a 7-member South Korean girl group signed to DSP Media. The members are frontwoman Jae Kyung, Go Woo Ri, Cho Hyun Young, Kim Ji Sook, No Eul, Oh Seung Ah, and Jung Yoon Hye. On November 12, 2009, the group released their debut EP Gossip Girl; two days later, they made their television debut on the MBC program Show! Music Core.
18. Chocolat
Chocolat (Hangul: 쇼콜라), commonly stylized as ChoColat, is a South Korean girl group created by Paramount Music in 2011. Their group name means "Chocolate" in French. The concept behind the group's name is that each member would remind different types of chocolate, the name was initially set to be Chocolate, however there was an existent group with the same name, so Paramount Music decided to use its french translation, naming the group Chocolat and thus discerning them from the group. The group consists of four members: three are mixed race Korean, (Juliane, Tia, Melanie), and the other one is Korean (Min Soa).
17. 5Dolls
F-ve Dolls (Korean: 파이브돌스, formerly known as 5dolls) is the female sub-group of the South Korean dance-pop group Coed School. They debuted with two single tracks "Lip Stains" (입술자국) and "I Mean You" (너 말이야).
16. RaNia/Jewelry
►Rania (Hangul: 라니아, stylized as RaNia or RANIA) is a six-member (currently performing with five members) South Korean girl group, who debuted in South Korea and was produced by Teddy Riley and DR Music. Despite being a Korean group, ex-members Joy and Data are Thai (Data is half Chinese and half Thai), ex-member Sarah is Chinese, and Riko was raised in Japan. They released their debut track "Dr. Feel Good" in 2011. All members speak fluent Korean, while Jooyi is fluent in English[citation needed], Riko is fluent in Japanese[citation needed], and Xia can speak some Mandarin. Before debuting, RaNia received three years worth of vocal training.
As of May 2011, Teddy Riley has officially ended his professional relationship with RaNia after taking to his Twitter to reveal that he had a fall out with RaNia's Korean record label, DR Music. Darkchild has expressed interest in working with RaNia in the future. On 16 November 2011, RaNia released their second mini album "Time To Rock Da Show", promoting the track "Pop Pop Pop". On 12 June 2012, RaNia's agency released a statement referring to member Joy's absence from the groups promotions of "Pop Pop Pop", clarifying that Joy's withdrawal from the group is not an official one.
In August 2012, Joy announced on both her Facebook and Twitter pages that she was now a "former" member of RaNia, and released a video in which she said she would be embarking on a solo career. This came after she made a string of tweets in which she expressed her loss of interest in being in RaNia, and apologized to fans.
►Jewelry (Korean: 쥬얼리) is a South Korean girl group which was formed in 2001. Its most successful album was Kitchi Island (2008). As of 2013, they are the longest running Korean girl group (with more than 2 members) ever, surpassing super-group Baby V.O.X.
15. Davichi
Davichi (Hangul: 다비치) is a South Korean pop-ballad duo that consists of Lee Haeri and Kang Minkyung. The duo was formed in 2008 by Mnet Media.
14. Brown Eyed Girls
Brown Eyed Girls, often abbreviated as B.E.G., is a South Korean pop girl group managed by Nega Network. The group consists of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Ga-In. They've debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group in 2006 and challenged themselves with different music genres. They rose to popularity in 2008 with L.O.V.E, and cemented their position in the K-Pop world in 2009 with Abracadabra. Other than promoting as a group, all of the members have released solo albums.
13. A Pink
A Pink (Korean: 에이핑크; stylized as Apink) is a South Korean girl group under A Cube Entertainment formed in 2011. The group consists of Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bomi, Jung Eun-ji, Son Na-eun, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young. Hong Yoo-kyung left the group in April 2013.
The group has released three Korean EPs and one studio album. They debuted on April 21, 2011, with "Mollayo" (몰라요; "I Don't Know") from their debut EP Seven Springs of A Pink on Mnet's M! Countdown. The group has also won numerous rookies awards at shows such as the 26th Golden Disk Awards, 21th Seoul Music Awards, and 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their first music program win was on M! Countdown on January 5, 2012, for "My My" from their second EP Snow Pink.
In April 2013, it was announced that Yookyung had left the group which was followed by the announcement that a new member will take her place.
12. SISTAR
Sistar (Hangul: 씨스타, stylized as SISTAR) is a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 under the management of Starship Entertainment. The members are Hyolyn (often written Hyorin), Bora, Soyou and Dasom.
11. 2NE1
2NE1 (Korean: 투애니원; pronounced to anyone or twenty one) is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The name combines the phrases "21st century" and "new evolution. The band consists of CL, Minzy, Dara, and Bom.
First appearing in "Lollipop", a commercial campaign with Big Bang for LG Electronics, 2NE1's debut single "Fire" was released on May 6, 2009. Since then, the group has released two extended plays, 2NE1 and 2NE1 2nd Mini Album, and one studio album, To Anyone. Their first EP, 2NE1 spawned the number-one single "I Don't Care", which won them the "Song of the Year" award at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their follow-up singles, such as "Go Away", "Lonely" and "I Am The Best" were similarly successful, with "I Am the Best" winning 2NE1 their second "Song of the Year" award in 2011.
2NE1 officially debuted in Japan in September 2011 with a mini album titled NOLZA, which contained re-made versions of the Korean songs featured on the group's 2nd Mini Album. Since then, the group has released one studio album, Collection, and two physical singles in Japan. 2NE1 are set to debut in the United States in 2013, with work on the group's debut English studio album beginning in 2010 with producer will.i.am. In 2012, The New York Times named 2NE1's performance at the Prudential Center in New Jersey as one of the "Best Concerts of 2012". As of 2013, the band has 400 million video views on YouTube as well as 27 million digital singles sold.
10. SECRET
Secret (Korean: 시크릿; Japanese: シークレット, often stylized as SECRET) is a South Korean K-pop girl group formed by TS Entertainment in 2009. Consisting of four members, Jeon Hyosung, Jung Hana, Song Jieun and Han Sunhwa, the group released their debut single, "I Want You Back" on October 13, 2009.In 2010, they released two mini albums entitled Secret Time and Madonna with lead singles "Magic" and "Madonna" respectively. In 2011, Secret released three other singles, namely "Shy Boy", "Starlight Moonlight" and "Love is Move". Jieun, the main vocalist, also released a solo single titled "Going Crazy" featuring B.A.P's leader, Bang Yong Guk. In August 2011, the group made their official debut in Japan. Secret was the third Korean girl group to debut in the top ten on the Oricon charts, with Kara and Girls' Generation being the first and second groups respectively. In October 2011, Secret released their first full-length studio album, Moving in Secret. Aside from their commercial accomplishments, Secret is well known for their transitions to cute and the girl-next-door image through songs like "Shy Boy" and "Starlight Moonlight" from the sexy and powerful image back in 2009 and 2010.In support of their 2nd Japanese single, "So Much For Goodbye", the group embarked a promotional tour in Japan named "Secret 1st Japan Tour" held on March 2012. In September 2012, Secret released their 3rd mini-album entitled Poison after almost a year of absence in the South Korean music industry due to Japanese promotions.
9. T-ARA
T-ara (/tiˈɑːrə/; Korean: 티아라, Japanese: ティアラ; often stylized as T-ARA or T♔ARA) is a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2009 under Core Contents Media. Before their debut, there was a high level of interest in the group as they were called the "Super Rookies" and had been training for three years prior.
Originally a five-member group composed of Jiae, Jiwon, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Jiyeon, they released their first song "Good Person" (좋은 사람, Joheun Saram) for the soundtrack of the Korean drama Cinderella Man in April 2009. After Jiae and Jiwon withdrew from the group two months later, T-ara debuted as a six-member group with the addition of Boram, Soyeon, and Qri in July 2009, releasing their first single "Lies" (거짓말, Geojitmal).
Their debut studio album Absolute First Album was released in December 2009 and spawned several hit singles including "TTL (Time to Love)", "Bo Peep Bo Peep", and "I Go Crazy Because of You" (너 때문에 미쳐, Neo Ttaemune Michyeo). The album was followed by the group's first extended play, Temptastic, in 2010. Their second extended play John Travolta Wannabe (2011) produced "Roly-Poly", which was nominated for several awards and went on to become the Gaon chart's number one single of the year. In less than six months, the group released their third extended play Black Eyes (2011), which spawned three number one singles: "Cry Cry", "We Were in Love" (우리 사랑했잖아, Uri Saranghaetjanha) and "Lovey-Dovey".
In 2011, T-ara signed a $4.3 million contract with management company J-Rock for their Japanese debut, the highest out of all the Korean girl groups debuting in Japan. The group's first single was a remake of their 2009 hit "Bo Peep Bo Peep". It ranked at number one on the Oricon weekly charts with 49,712 copies sold, the first time a debuting Korean girl group has done so in the charts' history. T-ara released their debut Japanese studio album Jewelry Box in 2012, which peaked at number two on the Oricon charts.
The group has added three members to their lineup since debut: Hwayoung in July 2010, Areum in June 2012, and Dani, who was announced to be joining the group after she finishes training. Hwayoung later departed the group in July 2012. Areum left in July 2013, only one year after joining. T-ara uses a rotating leader system in which a different member of the group is elected as leader each year, in order to give both the group and the individual members the opportunity to grow in a new direction.
8. F(x)
f(x) (/ˌɛf ˈɛks/; Korean: 에프엑스) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2009. The quintet consists of Victoria, Amber, Luna, Sulli, and Krystal. The group made their debut on September 5, 2009, with release of the digital single "LA chA TA". They are known for their consistent sound in releases, with their music being very electronic. f(x) released their first EP Nu ABO in 2010 to growing popularity. They released their first studio album Pinocchio in 2011. The lead single off the album "Pinocchio (Danger)" gained their first music program win and was their first song to win the triple crown. Their band name, f(x) originates from the mathematics' notation meaning function, f(x).
They released their second EP Electric Shock on June 10, 2012. Electric Shock reached the number one spot on both the US and Canadian iTunes electronic albums chart soon after its release. The lead single off their EP gained significant popularity and acclaim, domestically sweeping digital charts. They are currently preparing for their second studio album, which is set to be released on July 29, 2013.
7. Miss A
Miss A (미쓰에이), commonly stylized as miss A, is a four member Chinese-Korean girl group based in South Korea. They were formed by JYP Entertainment and are managed by AQ Entertainment. The group consists of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. Their group name stands for Miss Asia
6. Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls (Korean: 원더걸스, Chinese: 奇迹女孩, Japanese: ワンダーガールズ) is a South Korean girl group, whose current line-up is Yubin, Yeeun, Sunye, Sohee and Hyelim. They are managed by their producer, the singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young under his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. They are co-managed in the United States by Creative Artists Agency. The group's name, 'Wonder Girls', comes from the idea that they are "the girls who can amaze the world". The group began their entry into the American market in 2009 as an opening act for The Jonas Brothers' World Tour, performing the English version of their hit single "Nobody". In late 2009, their song charted at number seventy-six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making the Wonder Girls the first South Korean group to enter the chart.
In 2010, Wonder Girls entered the Chinese market with the compilation album Wonder Girls that included Chinese language versions of "Tell Me", "Nobody" and "So Hot".
In 2012, Wonder Girls signed with DefStar Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan, for their Japanese debut.
It was announced on November 26, 2012, that the group would be taking a break because of Sunye's marriage, with the other members focusing on their own activities.
5. Girl's Day
Girl's Day (Hangul: 걸스데이) is a four-member South Korean girl group under the management of Dream Tea Entertainment. The group consists of four members whose names are Sojin, Minah, Yura and Hyeri. Their fan-club is called "Daisy" or "Dai5y".
4. KARA
Kara (Hangul: 카라, Japanese: カラ, often stylized as KARA) is a South Korean pop girl group formed by DSP Media in 2007. The group is composed of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Nicole Jung, Goo Hara, and Kang Jiyoung. The group's name comes from the Greek word "chara" (χαρά, lit. "joy"), which they interpreted to mean "sweet melody".[2]
The group originally started off as a quartet and made their debut with "Break It" (2007) while displaying a strong female image and a mature R&B sound. Expectations for the group to be as big as their senior labelmates, Fin.K.L, were extremely high and the members were promoted as successors to them. They released their first studio album titled The First Blooming in March 2007. However, their debut was not well received by the public and was a commercial failure.
The following year, Kim Sunghee departed the group due to parental pressure, and members Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung were brought in. After their addition, the group also changed their image and style of music to the "pretty but natural" appeal, releasing their first mini-album entitled Rock U in July 2008.[4] They achieved their first number one song with "Honey" (2009). In July 2009, the group released their second studio album entitled Revolution. The album spawned the hit single "Mister", whose choreography featured the "butt-dance", that helped increase the group's popularity within East Asia. Their follow-up singles including "Lupin" (2010), "Jumping" (2010), "Step" (2011), and "Pandora" (2012) were also successful and helped further establish the group within the Korean music industry.
After finding national success the group eventually began to expand their music to Japan by signing to Universal Music Japan's subsidiary label, Universal Sigma in 2010. The group's debut was a success as they were dubbed as "Japan's No. 1 Rookie Artist of 2010" by Oricon and also receiving the "New Artist of the Year Award (International)" from the Japan Gold Disc Awards. In April 2011, the group achieved their first number one single in Japan with "Jet Coaster Love", making them the first foreign female group since the creation of the Oricon to rank number one in the first week of release and also the first foreign female group in thirty years to do so. Overall, the group managed to sell over one million physical singles within two years, making them one of the fastest-selling South Korean acts in Japan.
3. After School
After School (Hangul: 애프터스쿨, Japanese: アフタースクール, often stylized as AFTERSCHOOL, abbreviated as A.S.) is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009.[1] They were known as the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a natural manner. The band consists of eight members: Jungah, Jooyeon, Uee, Raina, Nana, Lizzy, E-Young and Kaeun. Graduate member Soyoung graduated from the group in fall 2009, Bekah officially graduated from the group in July 2011, and Kahi graduated in September 2012.
Kahi and Jungah first performed alongside labelmate Son Dam Bi in 2008. After School officially debuted in January 2009 with the song "AH!" with the five original members being Kahi, Jungah, Soyoung, Juyeon, and Bekah. After concluding their debut song promotions in mid March they made a comeback with a new member UEE in early April with "Diva". Once Soyoung graduated after "Diva" promotions, two new members, Nana and Raina were added for the popular hit single "Because of You", which attained No. 1 and a triple crown on SBS's Inkigayo. Afterwards, After School released "Bang!" with the addition of Lizzy and "Shampoo" where E-Young was added. Shortly after, Bekah graduated After School and After School made their debut in Japan.
The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in 2011 under Avex Trax with a remake of their Korean hits "Bang!", "Diva" and "Because of You". The group also released an original Japanese song titled "Rambling Girls" in January 2012. Their debut in Japan. was quite a success, as the group managed to enter the Oricon Weekly Chart at number seven. The group's debut Japanese album, Playgirlz, debuted at number eight on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart.
In April 2012, Pledis confirmed the addition of Kaeun for the fifth maxi single in June. On 5 June 2012, it was reported that Kahi would graduate from the group in September 2012 to conclude promotions in Japan but not participate in group activities in Korea.[9][10]
Over a year later on 13 June 2013, the group's sixth Korean maxi single First Love was released.
2. 4Minute
4Minute (Korean: 포미닛) is a five-member South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment with music singles and albums released primarily in South Korea and Japan. The members of the group are Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, Jeon Ji-yoon, Kim Hyun-a, and Kwon So-hyun. The group debuted in June 2009 with its first single, "Hot Issue", and in December 2010, it released its first Japanese album, Diamond. In 2011, the group released its first Korean full length album, 4Minutes Left.
The group received the Bonsang Award at the 20th Seoul Music Awards, and the Kpop New Artist Award at the 2010 Billboard Japan Music Awards.
1. Girls Generation/SNSD
Girls' Generation (Korean: 소녀시대; So Nyeo Shi Dae) is a South Korean girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2007.[1] The nine member group consists of Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. In Japan, they are known as Shoujo Jidai (Japanese; 少女時代).
The group gained attention at the beginning of their career with songs such as "Into the New World" and "Kissing You" but it was not until 2009 when they gained significant popularity with their hit single "Gee", which would be named as South Korea's "Song of the Decade". The group solidified their place in the Korean music industry with follow-up singles "Tell Me Your Wish", "Run Devil Run", and "Oh!" from late 2009 to early 2010. In 2011, after a series of activities in Japan, the group returned to the Korean music scene with "The Boys", which was released in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and for the first time, English. In 2010 alone, the group sold more than 11,730,000 digital albums and singles collectively. The group's immense popularity in their native South Korea has earned them titles "The Nation's Singers" and "The Nation's Girl Group". The Sisa Journal named the group as the most influential entertainers for the years 2011 and 2012, making them the first female idol group in history to make the list. They have also been listed as #1 on the Top Female Singer's list for 4 consecutive years in a row (sans 2nd half of 2011 at #2) on the Leespiar Popularity Survey in Korea.[7][8] Asia Today placed the group at forty-four on the 50 Korean Power Leaders list in 2011. Forbes also revealed the group were most powerful entertainers in South Korea for the year of 2011.
The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in late 2010 under Nayutawave Records, with Japanese remakes of their 2009 Korean hits "Genie" and "Gee". The group's debut Japanese album, Girls' Generation, released in June 2011, is currently the highest selling album in Japan by a Korean group in Oricon history. It was certified "Million" by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, which made them the second Korean artist to earn such an achievement in Japan since label mate BoA's "Best of Soul" in 2005. The group followed up their success in Japan with their second album, Girls' Generation II ~Girls & Peace~.
They have expanded their reach in the Korean industry through their first sub-unit, Girls' Generation-TTS (known simply as "TaeTiSeo"), composed of members Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. The subgroup's debut EP, Twinkle, peaked at #126 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting K-Pop album on the chart thus far.
~ 5 Girls Band Most Beloved~
was a South Korean female group originally made up of Kim Yeonji, Lee Boram, and Nam Gyuri. In 2009, Nam Gyuri left the group to pursue a solo career. She was replaced by Lee Soomi until 2010. The group continued as a duo consisting of Kim Yeonji and Lee Boram until their disbandment in 2011. When they first debuted, they were marketed as the female version of SG Wannabe.
19. Rainbow
Rainbow (sometimes stylized as RAINBOW; Hangul: 레인보우, Katakana: レインボー) is a 7-member South Korean girl group signed to DSP Media. The members are frontwoman Jae Kyung, Go Woo Ri, Cho Hyun Young, Kim Ji Sook, No Eul, Oh Seung Ah, and Jung Yoon Hye. On November 12, 2009, the group released their debut EP Gossip Girl; two days later, they made their television debut on the MBC program Show! Music Core.
18. Chocolat
Chocolat (Hangul: 쇼콜라), commonly stylized as ChoColat, is a South Korean girl group created by Paramount Music in 2011. Their group name means "Chocolate" in French. The concept behind the group's name is that each member would remind different types of chocolate, the name was initially set to be Chocolate, however there was an existent group with the same name, so Paramount Music decided to use its french translation, naming the group Chocolat and thus discerning them from the group. The group consists of four members: three are mixed race Korean, (Juliane, Tia, Melanie), and the other one is Korean (Min Soa).
17. 5Dolls
F-ve Dolls (Korean: 파이브돌스, formerly known as 5dolls) is the female sub-group of the South Korean dance-pop group Coed School. They debuted with two single tracks "Lip Stains" (입술자국) and "I Mean You" (너 말이야).
16. RaNia/Jewelry
►Rania (Hangul: 라니아, stylized as RaNia or RANIA) is a six-member (currently performing with five members) South Korean girl group, who debuted in South Korea and was produced by Teddy Riley and DR Music. Despite being a Korean group, ex-members Joy and Data are Thai (Data is half Chinese and half Thai), ex-member Sarah is Chinese, and Riko was raised in Japan. They released their debut track "Dr. Feel Good" in 2011. All members speak fluent Korean, while Jooyi is fluent in English[citation needed], Riko is fluent in Japanese[citation needed], and Xia can speak some Mandarin. Before debuting, RaNia received three years worth of vocal training.
As of May 2011, Teddy Riley has officially ended his professional relationship with RaNia after taking to his Twitter to reveal that he had a fall out with RaNia's Korean record label, DR Music. Darkchild has expressed interest in working with RaNia in the future. On 16 November 2011, RaNia released their second mini album "Time To Rock Da Show", promoting the track "Pop Pop Pop". On 12 June 2012, RaNia's agency released a statement referring to member Joy's absence from the groups promotions of "Pop Pop Pop", clarifying that Joy's withdrawal from the group is not an official one.
In August 2012, Joy announced on both her Facebook and Twitter pages that she was now a "former" member of RaNia, and released a video in which she said she would be embarking on a solo career. This came after she made a string of tweets in which she expressed her loss of interest in being in RaNia, and apologized to fans.
►Jewelry (Korean: 쥬얼리) is a South Korean girl group which was formed in 2001. Its most successful album was Kitchi Island (2008). As of 2013, they are the longest running Korean girl group (with more than 2 members) ever, surpassing super-group Baby V.O.X.
15. Davichi
Davichi (Hangul: 다비치) is a South Korean pop-ballad duo that consists of Lee Haeri and Kang Minkyung. The duo was formed in 2008 by Mnet Media.
14. Brown Eyed Girls
Brown Eyed Girls, often abbreviated as B.E.G., is a South Korean pop girl group managed by Nega Network. The group consists of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Ga-In. They've debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group in 2006 and challenged themselves with different music genres. They rose to popularity in 2008 with L.O.V.E, and cemented their position in the K-Pop world in 2009 with Abracadabra. Other than promoting as a group, all of the members have released solo albums.
13. A Pink
A Pink (Korean: 에이핑크; stylized as Apink) is a South Korean girl group under A Cube Entertainment formed in 2011. The group consists of Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bomi, Jung Eun-ji, Son Na-eun, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young. Hong Yoo-kyung left the group in April 2013.
The group has released three Korean EPs and one studio album. They debuted on April 21, 2011, with "Mollayo" (몰라요; "I Don't Know") from their debut EP Seven Springs of A Pink on Mnet's M! Countdown. The group has also won numerous rookies awards at shows such as the 26th Golden Disk Awards, 21th Seoul Music Awards, and 13th Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their first music program win was on M! Countdown on January 5, 2012, for "My My" from their second EP Snow Pink.
In April 2013, it was announced that Yookyung had left the group which was followed by the announcement that a new member will take her place.
12. SISTAR
Sistar (Hangul: 씨스타, stylized as SISTAR) is a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 under the management of Starship Entertainment. The members are Hyolyn (often written Hyorin), Bora, Soyou and Dasom.
11. 2NE1
2NE1 (Korean: 투애니원; pronounced to anyone or twenty one) is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The name combines the phrases "21st century" and "new evolution. The band consists of CL, Minzy, Dara, and Bom.
First appearing in "Lollipop", a commercial campaign with Big Bang for LG Electronics, 2NE1's debut single "Fire" was released on May 6, 2009. Since then, the group has released two extended plays, 2NE1 and 2NE1 2nd Mini Album, and one studio album, To Anyone. Their first EP, 2NE1 spawned the number-one single "I Don't Care", which won them the "Song of the Year" award at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their follow-up singles, such as "Go Away", "Lonely" and "I Am The Best" were similarly successful, with "I Am the Best" winning 2NE1 their second "Song of the Year" award in 2011.
2NE1 officially debuted in Japan in September 2011 with a mini album titled NOLZA, which contained re-made versions of the Korean songs featured on the group's 2nd Mini Album. Since then, the group has released one studio album, Collection, and two physical singles in Japan. 2NE1 are set to debut in the United States in 2013, with work on the group's debut English studio album beginning in 2010 with producer will.i.am. In 2012, The New York Times named 2NE1's performance at the Prudential Center in New Jersey as one of the "Best Concerts of 2012". As of 2013, the band has 400 million video views on YouTube as well as 27 million digital singles sold.
10. SECRET
Secret (Korean: 시크릿; Japanese: シークレット, often stylized as SECRET) is a South Korean K-pop girl group formed by TS Entertainment in 2009. Consisting of four members, Jeon Hyosung, Jung Hana, Song Jieun and Han Sunhwa, the group released their debut single, "I Want You Back" on October 13, 2009.In 2010, they released two mini albums entitled Secret Time and Madonna with lead singles "Magic" and "Madonna" respectively. In 2011, Secret released three other singles, namely "Shy Boy", "Starlight Moonlight" and "Love is Move". Jieun, the main vocalist, also released a solo single titled "Going Crazy" featuring B.A.P's leader, Bang Yong Guk. In August 2011, the group made their official debut in Japan. Secret was the third Korean girl group to debut in the top ten on the Oricon charts, with Kara and Girls' Generation being the first and second groups respectively. In October 2011, Secret released their first full-length studio album, Moving in Secret. Aside from their commercial accomplishments, Secret is well known for their transitions to cute and the girl-next-door image through songs like "Shy Boy" and "Starlight Moonlight" from the sexy and powerful image back in 2009 and 2010.In support of their 2nd Japanese single, "So Much For Goodbye", the group embarked a promotional tour in Japan named "Secret 1st Japan Tour" held on March 2012. In September 2012, Secret released their 3rd mini-album entitled Poison after almost a year of absence in the South Korean music industry due to Japanese promotions.
9. T-ARA
T-ara (/tiˈɑːrə/; Korean: 티아라, Japanese: ティアラ; often stylized as T-ARA or T♔ARA) is a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2009 under Core Contents Media. Before their debut, there was a high level of interest in the group as they were called the "Super Rookies" and had been training for three years prior.
Originally a five-member group composed of Jiae, Jiwon, Eunjung, Hyomin, and Jiyeon, they released their first song "Good Person" (좋은 사람, Joheun Saram) for the soundtrack of the Korean drama Cinderella Man in April 2009. After Jiae and Jiwon withdrew from the group two months later, T-ara debuted as a six-member group with the addition of Boram, Soyeon, and Qri in July 2009, releasing their first single "Lies" (거짓말, Geojitmal).
Their debut studio album Absolute First Album was released in December 2009 and spawned several hit singles including "TTL (Time to Love)", "Bo Peep Bo Peep", and "I Go Crazy Because of You" (너 때문에 미쳐, Neo Ttaemune Michyeo). The album was followed by the group's first extended play, Temptastic, in 2010. Their second extended play John Travolta Wannabe (2011) produced "Roly-Poly", which was nominated for several awards and went on to become the Gaon chart's number one single of the year. In less than six months, the group released their third extended play Black Eyes (2011), which spawned three number one singles: "Cry Cry", "We Were in Love" (우리 사랑했잖아, Uri Saranghaetjanha) and "Lovey-Dovey".
In 2011, T-ara signed a $4.3 million contract with management company J-Rock for their Japanese debut, the highest out of all the Korean girl groups debuting in Japan. The group's first single was a remake of their 2009 hit "Bo Peep Bo Peep". It ranked at number one on the Oricon weekly charts with 49,712 copies sold, the first time a debuting Korean girl group has done so in the charts' history. T-ara released their debut Japanese studio album Jewelry Box in 2012, which peaked at number two on the Oricon charts.
The group has added three members to their lineup since debut: Hwayoung in July 2010, Areum in June 2012, and Dani, who was announced to be joining the group after she finishes training. Hwayoung later departed the group in July 2012. Areum left in July 2013, only one year after joining. T-ara uses a rotating leader system in which a different member of the group is elected as leader each year, in order to give both the group and the individual members the opportunity to grow in a new direction.
8. F(x)
f(x) (/ˌɛf ˈɛks/; Korean: 에프엑스) is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2009. The quintet consists of Victoria, Amber, Luna, Sulli, and Krystal. The group made their debut on September 5, 2009, with release of the digital single "LA chA TA". They are known for their consistent sound in releases, with their music being very electronic. f(x) released their first EP Nu ABO in 2010 to growing popularity. They released their first studio album Pinocchio in 2011. The lead single off the album "Pinocchio (Danger)" gained their first music program win and was their first song to win the triple crown. Their band name, f(x) originates from the mathematics' notation meaning function, f(x).
They released their second EP Electric Shock on June 10, 2012. Electric Shock reached the number one spot on both the US and Canadian iTunes electronic albums chart soon after its release. The lead single off their EP gained significant popularity and acclaim, domestically sweeping digital charts. They are currently preparing for their second studio album, which is set to be released on July 29, 2013.
7. Miss A
Miss A (미쓰에이), commonly stylized as miss A, is a four member Chinese-Korean girl group based in South Korea. They were formed by JYP Entertainment and are managed by AQ Entertainment. The group consists of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy. Their group name stands for Miss Asia
6. Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls (Korean: 원더걸스, Chinese: 奇迹女孩, Japanese: ワンダーガールズ) is a South Korean girl group, whose current line-up is Yubin, Yeeun, Sunye, Sohee and Hyelim. They are managed by their producer, the singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young under his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. They are co-managed in the United States by Creative Artists Agency. The group's name, 'Wonder Girls', comes from the idea that they are "the girls who can amaze the world". The group began their entry into the American market in 2009 as an opening act for The Jonas Brothers' World Tour, performing the English version of their hit single "Nobody". In late 2009, their song charted at number seventy-six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making the Wonder Girls the first South Korean group to enter the chart.
In 2010, Wonder Girls entered the Chinese market with the compilation album Wonder Girls that included Chinese language versions of "Tell Me", "Nobody" and "So Hot".
In 2012, Wonder Girls signed with DefStar Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan, for their Japanese debut.
It was announced on November 26, 2012, that the group would be taking a break because of Sunye's marriage, with the other members focusing on their own activities.
5. Girl's Day
Girl's Day (Hangul: 걸스데이) is a four-member South Korean girl group under the management of Dream Tea Entertainment. The group consists of four members whose names are Sojin, Minah, Yura and Hyeri. Their fan-club is called "Daisy" or "Dai5y".
4. KARA
Kara (Hangul: 카라, Japanese: カラ, often stylized as KARA) is a South Korean pop girl group formed by DSP Media in 2007. The group is composed of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Nicole Jung, Goo Hara, and Kang Jiyoung. The group's name comes from the Greek word "chara" (χαρά, lit. "joy"), which they interpreted to mean "sweet melody".[2]
The group originally started off as a quartet and made their debut with "Break It" (2007) while displaying a strong female image and a mature R&B sound. Expectations for the group to be as big as their senior labelmates, Fin.K.L, were extremely high and the members were promoted as successors to them. They released their first studio album titled The First Blooming in March 2007. However, their debut was not well received by the public and was a commercial failure.
The following year, Kim Sunghee departed the group due to parental pressure, and members Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung were brought in. After their addition, the group also changed their image and style of music to the "pretty but natural" appeal, releasing their first mini-album entitled Rock U in July 2008.[4] They achieved their first number one song with "Honey" (2009). In July 2009, the group released their second studio album entitled Revolution. The album spawned the hit single "Mister", whose choreography featured the "butt-dance", that helped increase the group's popularity within East Asia. Their follow-up singles including "Lupin" (2010), "Jumping" (2010), "Step" (2011), and "Pandora" (2012) were also successful and helped further establish the group within the Korean music industry.
After finding national success the group eventually began to expand their music to Japan by signing to Universal Music Japan's subsidiary label, Universal Sigma in 2010. The group's debut was a success as they were dubbed as "Japan's No. 1 Rookie Artist of 2010" by Oricon and also receiving the "New Artist of the Year Award (International)" from the Japan Gold Disc Awards. In April 2011, the group achieved their first number one single in Japan with "Jet Coaster Love", making them the first foreign female group since the creation of the Oricon to rank number one in the first week of release and also the first foreign female group in thirty years to do so. Overall, the group managed to sell over one million physical singles within two years, making them one of the fastest-selling South Korean acts in Japan.
3. After School
After School (Hangul: 애프터스쿨, Japanese: アフタースクール, often stylized as AFTERSCHOOL, abbreviated as A.S.) is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009.[1] They were known as the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a natural manner. The band consists of eight members: Jungah, Jooyeon, Uee, Raina, Nana, Lizzy, E-Young and Kaeun. Graduate member Soyoung graduated from the group in fall 2009, Bekah officially graduated from the group in July 2011, and Kahi graduated in September 2012.
Kahi and Jungah first performed alongside labelmate Son Dam Bi in 2008. After School officially debuted in January 2009 with the song "AH!" with the five original members being Kahi, Jungah, Soyoung, Juyeon, and Bekah. After concluding their debut song promotions in mid March they made a comeback with a new member UEE in early April with "Diva". Once Soyoung graduated after "Diva" promotions, two new members, Nana and Raina were added for the popular hit single "Because of You", which attained No. 1 and a triple crown on SBS's Inkigayo. Afterwards, After School released "Bang!" with the addition of Lizzy and "Shampoo" where E-Young was added. Shortly after, Bekah graduated After School and After School made their debut in Japan.
The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in 2011 under Avex Trax with a remake of their Korean hits "Bang!", "Diva" and "Because of You". The group also released an original Japanese song titled "Rambling Girls" in January 2012. Their debut in Japan. was quite a success, as the group managed to enter the Oricon Weekly Chart at number seven. The group's debut Japanese album, Playgirlz, debuted at number eight on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart.
In April 2012, Pledis confirmed the addition of Kaeun for the fifth maxi single in June. On 5 June 2012, it was reported that Kahi would graduate from the group in September 2012 to conclude promotions in Japan but not participate in group activities in Korea.[9][10]
Over a year later on 13 June 2013, the group's sixth Korean maxi single First Love was released.
2. 4Minute
4Minute (Korean: 포미닛) is a five-member South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment with music singles and albums released primarily in South Korea and Japan. The members of the group are Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, Jeon Ji-yoon, Kim Hyun-a, and Kwon So-hyun. The group debuted in June 2009 with its first single, "Hot Issue", and in December 2010, it released its first Japanese album, Diamond. In 2011, the group released its first Korean full length album, 4Minutes Left.
The group received the Bonsang Award at the 20th Seoul Music Awards, and the Kpop New Artist Award at the 2010 Billboard Japan Music Awards.
1. Girls Generation/SNSD
Girls' Generation (Korean: 소녀시대; So Nyeo Shi Dae) is a South Korean girl group formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2007.[1] The nine member group consists of Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. In Japan, they are known as Shoujo Jidai (Japanese; 少女時代).
The group gained attention at the beginning of their career with songs such as "Into the New World" and "Kissing You" but it was not until 2009 when they gained significant popularity with their hit single "Gee", which would be named as South Korea's "Song of the Decade". The group solidified their place in the Korean music industry with follow-up singles "Tell Me Your Wish", "Run Devil Run", and "Oh!" from late 2009 to early 2010. In 2011, after a series of activities in Japan, the group returned to the Korean music scene with "The Boys", which was released in three languages: Korean, Japanese, and for the first time, English. In 2010 alone, the group sold more than 11,730,000 digital albums and singles collectively. The group's immense popularity in their native South Korea has earned them titles "The Nation's Singers" and "The Nation's Girl Group". The Sisa Journal named the group as the most influential entertainers for the years 2011 and 2012, making them the first female idol group in history to make the list. They have also been listed as #1 on the Top Female Singer's list for 4 consecutive years in a row (sans 2nd half of 2011 at #2) on the Leespiar Popularity Survey in Korea.[7][8] Asia Today placed the group at forty-four on the 50 Korean Power Leaders list in 2011. Forbes also revealed the group were most powerful entertainers in South Korea for the year of 2011.
The group began a foray into the Japanese music scene in late 2010 under Nayutawave Records, with Japanese remakes of their 2009 Korean hits "Genie" and "Gee". The group's debut Japanese album, Girls' Generation, released in June 2011, is currently the highest selling album in Japan by a Korean group in Oricon history. It was certified "Million" by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, which made them the second Korean artist to earn such an achievement in Japan since label mate BoA's "Best of Soul" in 2005. The group followed up their success in Japan with their second album, Girls' Generation II ~Girls & Peace~.
They have expanded their reach in the Korean industry through their first sub-unit, Girls' Generation-TTS (known simply as "TaeTiSeo"), composed of members Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. The subgroup's debut EP, Twinkle, peaked at #126 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting K-Pop album on the chart thus far.
~ 5 Girls Band Most Beloved~