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Aug 23, 2023

The Grammys

Photos: JUNG YEON-JEAFP via Getty Images; Jun Sato/WireImage;The

Photos: JUNG YEON-JEAFP via Getty Images; Jun Sato/WireImage;The Chosunilbo/JNSImazins via Getty Images; Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images; John Lamparski/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust

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From rookies to more established acts, guys are taking the K-pop world by storm this year. Read on to learn about 11 boy groups whose recent successes have made them artists to watch in 2023.

The complexity of Korean pop music is akin to an ocean of changing tides. Every year brings a stream of new elements that, in due course, become part of the fabric of the genre. That's the part of the magic of K-pop: a guaranteed churning of trends and influences that continue to mesmerize millions.

While last year saw an awakening of girl groups, the current landscape of boy groups is reaching an interesting phase. Well-established ensembles are growing more soloists than ever, and different generations of performers exist side-by-side in a way previously unseen. At the same time, survival television shows (those similar to "American Idol" or "The Voice") remain a cultural phenomenon in Korean music, serving as a vault for trainees and many in this new wave of boy groups.

Within this new wave, K-pop acts such as VERIVERY and ONEUS are experiencing long-awaited recognition, while the groups who debuted during the pandemic are finally performing in front of live audiences. Meanwhile, rookies like xikers are raising their hands with a desire to conquer, and yet-to-debut acts like ZEROBASEONE are hotly anticipated. Here, get to know 11 rising boy groups — in order of debut — consolidating their position under the bright lights of K-pop's dominion.

Energy and precision are integral parts of Verivery's identity. The group seems to flip a switch in the audience with their impeccable coordination and lively dance-pop sound. But they also embrace dualities in their music — exploring the emotional highs and lows of life.

Hailing from Jellyfish Entertainment, the septet debuted in January 2019 with the new jack swing single "Ring Ring Ring," and continually sharpened their skills to drive impact. Verivery's third single album, Liminality - EP. Love, and its title track, "Tap Tap," opened a new chapter, and the group captured their first-ever wins in MBC's "Show Champion" and KBS's "Music Bank."

If there's one group that thrives on defying creative limits and building timeless narratives, it's ONEUS. They’re called "stage geniuses" for a reason.

Formed by music label RBW in 2019, the quintet have established themselves as versatile performers with intricate choreographies and vocal prowess. Each record reveals a new soundscape, and with it, there's a seamless unpredictability that increases their public acknowledgement.

Their eighth mini-album, Malus, released last September, proved to be a breakthrough. ONEUS earned four trophies from South Korean music shows, and they crossed the barrier of one million accumulated sales on the Circle Chart, one of the most notable music charts in their home country.

CRAVITY combines the words "Creativity" and "Gravity" to state their aura can draw you in like a magnet. They’re joie de vivre personified and may switch gears from "monster rookies" to K-pop dynamos at any moment.

Since debuting in 2020 under Starship Entertainment, the group has displayed great adaptability when tackling different musical colors. But the arrival of Liberty: In Our Cosmos, the second part of their first full-length album, in March 2022, channeled a youthful approach that's become their signature sound. This conceptual glow-up fully fleshed out CRAVITY's abilities that shine the most in feel-good pop terrains, crafting a unique niche as a result.

Backed by YG Entertainment (Blackpink, BIGBANG), TREASURE burst onto the scene in the summer of 2020 with the hard-hitting single "Boy." It was the crowning of sky-high expectations since they came together a year prior through the challenging survival show YG Treasure Box. However, in November 2022, vocalists Bang Yedam and Mashiho left, and TREASURE had to redirect their trek with 10 members.

TREASURE aren't only known for their blistering levels of performance, as they also flaunt a diverse sonic palette and self-written material. Take, for example, the potent "JIKJIN," which contrasts with the zestful charisma surrounding "Hello," or the enchanting (and viral) "DARARI," composed by former member Bang Yedam. They’re creative powerhouses and this is just the beginning for them.

This seven-member group assembled by Woollim Entertainment demonstrates how it's possible to mature a career without compromising brilliance. DRIPPIN boasts one of the most solid repertoires in the fourth generation of K-pop.

When DRIPPIN debuted in 2020 with their EP, Boyager, their musical compass signaled lightness, but as time passed, the course steered towards a darker route. It was an organic and smooth transformation, exemplified by their fantastic Villain album series released throughout 2022.

The start of P1Harmony's journey in October 2020 was literally a cinematic experience that laid the foundation for their exciting artistry. They’re adventurous and fun, so better be prepared every time they take the stage — because you’re in for a ride.

Of course, nothing of this would be possible without having a mesh of talents working in tandem. The voices of Keeho and Theo balance out the fierceness of rappers Intak and Jongseob, while Soul and Jiung are proven all-rounders. This blend and a penchant for electrifying tracks are the main propulsors behind P1Harmony's international popularity.

Living up to the essence of their group's name, up-and-coming stars TEMPEST are a force to be reckoned with. And contrary to the title of their debut song, "Bad News," their entrance into the K-pop realm was a harbinger of potential.

The septet comes from Yuehua Entertainment, home to Iz*One alum Choi Yena and girl group EVERGLOW. Several members participated in competition programs like "Produce 101" and "I-LAND" — so their perspective, along with their collective strengths, indicates that these newcomers wield the confidence of veterans. Last year, the group won accolades across different South Korean music ceremonies as best new artists – including the New Wave Award from the Asia Artist Awards.

When exploring the vastness of K-pop, it's always a pleasant surprise to discover captivating hidden gems. This is the case of TAN, a septet formed through MBC's survival show "Extreme Debut: Wild Idol."

What makes TAN such an alluring act is its musical nostalgia, which is reminiscent of one of the most brilliant eras of K-pop. Press play on their first single "Du Du Du," and you’ll find yourself immersed in a second-generation revival layered with stunning vocals. Fortunately, the group is holding the line, and their latest record, "FIX YOU," continues with this evocative quality even a year after their debut.

Xikers are the freshest (and youngest) idols on this list, yet they’re threading a path that has many paying close attention.

Formerly known as KQ Fellaz 2, the world witnessed the group's onstage verve when they opened for labelmates ATEEZ during their 2022 North American tour. In March, they debuted with the double-punch "TRICKY HOUSE" and "ROCKSTAR," both singles from their first mini-album, HOUSE OF TRICKY: Doorbell Ringing. The seven-track project has sold more than 140,000 copies in South Korea. With their vibrant teamwork, aural intensity, and rapidly growing recognition, xikers are certainly a bunch to keep your eyes on.

At the end of 2020, K-pop giant HYBE announced the acquisition of KOZ Entertainment, a music label spearheaded by Block B's leader Zico. The news was received with surprise, and fans wondered what kind of endeavors this business alliance could offer.

What followed has been a series of revelations that have created enthusiasm about their first project together: A group called BOYNEXTDOOR. The six members – Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan and Woonhak – were officially presented on May 12, and the concept is already striking as bright and juvenile. We will get the whole picture once BOYNEXTDOOR debuts on May 30 with their first single album, WHO!

Although the story of ZEROBASEONE (shortened as ZB1) is yet to unfold, a promise of success is darting their presence in the industry. Word on the street says they will inaugurate K-pop's fifth generation, but that will be a topic of discussion when they step into the spotlight next summer. In the meantime, we’ll see how many records go down before that happens.

This nine-member, multinational ensemble emerged from Mnet's reality competition Boys Planet – a spin-off of 2021's Girls Planet 999, which created their sister group Kep1er. It's a well-rounded lineup that will allow for artistic agility and breathtaking stages, the same characteristics that attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers during ZB1's formation process week after week. Worth mentioning that Zhang Hao, a music prodigy from Fujian, China, made history as the first foreigner to win a Korean survival show of this kind, and he will be the group's center.

TXT, Blackpink, Aespa & More: Here Are All The K-Pop Tours And Events You Can Catch This Summer

Photo: The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

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Whether you want to put your Head in the Clouds, free yourself at Outside Lands or be (re)born pink, plan out your summer with these K-pop events and tours in mind.

2023 started off strong for K-pop events in the U.S. Household names like NCT 127, Kang Daniel, and Stray Kids all toured the country, while the Empire State Building was lit up in honor of TWICE's latest EP, Ready to Be. In April, BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop group to headline Coachella, while BTS' Suga (under the alias Agust D) began his first solo tour — the first out of all BTS members.

As summer starts to bloom, so do even more tours, festivals and conventions for lovers of Korean music and culture to rejoice. From mid-May to the end of August, almost every week will be busy with affairs that range from concerts by rising groups like WEi, to weekend-long celebrations like KCON, to trailblazing performances like Tomorrow X Together (TXT) headlining Lollapalooza, or aespa becoming the first K-pop group to play at New York's Governors Ball.

To add some color to your summer, GRAMMY.com assembled a list of all the K-pop concerts and events happening in the next few months so you can enjoy the season at its fullest.

Suga: Agust D Tour

April 26 - May 17

The first BTS member to headline his own solo tour, Suga kicked off a string of performances in the U.S. on April 26 in Belmont Park, New York. The setlist included hits from his two mixtapes, August D and D-2, new tracks from his first solo studio album, D-Day, and even some BTS classics. Before heading to the Asian leg of the tour, Suga will play in Los Angeles and in Oakland, California.

Head in the Clouds Festival

Forest Hills, New York

May 20-21

88rising continues its mission of spreading the talents of Asian diaspora artists through their Head in the Clouds Festival. In addition to their usual Los Angeles edition, 2023 sees Head in the Clouds Festival expand to New York for the first time. The lineup includes returning acts such as DPR IAN and DPR LIVE, while K-pop sensation ITZY, global girl group XG, and rising rockstar LØREN will make their HITC debuts.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT): ACT : SWEET MIRAGE World Tour

May 5-27

Dazzling boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) grow bigger with each new release and their international tours follow suit. After last year's ACT : LOVESICK, they return for a six-city stint in the U.S. with ACT : SWEET MIRAGE, kicking it off on May 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai perform hits like "0x1=LOVESONG (I Know I Loved You)," "Good Boy Gone Bad" and their latest single, "Sugar Rush Ride."

MAMAMOO: MY CON World Tour

May 16 - June 4

Vocal queens MAMAMOO will soon begin their first-ever U.S. tour. Hwasa, Solar, Moonbyul, and Wheein are set to perform in nine cities, starting with New York on May 16 and ending in Los Angeles on June 4. With almost a decade of classics under their belts, the quartet will likely perform songs such as "Um Oh Ah Yeh," solo songs by each member, and a slew of hits like "HIP" and "Egotistic."

WEi: PASSION World Tour

May 24-31

Boy group WEi also returns to the U.S. for their second world tour, PASSION. Each of its six members — Daehyeon, Donghan, Yongha, Yohan, Seokhwa, and Junseo — are known for competing in different survival shows, with Yohan finishing in first place on Mnet's "Produce X 101" in 2019. Although Yohan himself will be absent from this tour due to conflicting schedules, the remaining quintet promises to have a blast from coast to coast.

Bang Yongguk: The Colors of Bang Yongguk US Tour

May 31 - June 16

As a singer/songwriter, record producer, and former leader of boy group B.A.P, Bang Yongguk is one of K-pop's most wide-ranging artists. Through honest lyrics and a voice deeper than the Mariana Trench, Yongguk's work is immediately identifiable and always innovative. After releasing a brand new album this month, The Colors of Love, he is set to perform 10 concerts across the U.S., beginning in Joliet, Illinois on May 31.

TRI.BE: 2023 USA Tour VIDA LOCA

June 6 - July 3

Girl group TRI.BE have graced K-pop with effervescent singles and boundless energy since 2021, when they debuted with "Doom Doom Ta." This year, members Songsun, Kelly, Jinha, Hyunbin, Jia, Soeun, and Mire will embark on their first U.S. tour. The septet will play a massive round of 17 shows throughout the country, starting in Orlando, Florida and concluding in L.A.

aespa: Governors Ball Music Festival

June 10

In less than three years since their debut, aespa are already making history. The quartet — formed by Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning — will be the first K-pop group to perform at NYC outdoor festival Governors Ball, held June 9-11. SM Entertainment's latest girl group became known for their AI-filled lore that includes avatars and an avant-garde sound in the likes of popular singles "Next Level" and "Savage."

TWICE: 5th World Tour Ready to Be

June 10 - July 9

Unrelenting girl group TWICE return to the U.S. for their 5th World Tour Ready to Be. Named after their latest album, the performances will feature hits from their 8-year spanning discography, as well as solo performances from each of its nine members. After performances in Asia and Australia, they will kick off a 13-stop North American leg of the tour at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on June 10, and wrap it up at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 9.

CRAVITY: The First World Tour Masterpiece

June 16-25

Last year, rising boy group CRAVITY toured the U.S. as one of the representatives of KCON 2022 Rookies — a series of concerts organized by the All Things Hallyu festival with up-and-coming names in the industry. In 2023, the nine-member group are proving their growth as they headline their own tour through New York, Chicago, San Juan, Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

JUST B: Otakon

July 28-30

Held in Washington, D.C., Otakon is the place to be for lovers of Asian pop culture. After bringing names like AleXa and PIXY last year, this year's edition of the festival will bring rookie boy group JUST B — Lim Jimin, Geonu, Bain, JM, DY, and Sangwoo — for a performance and some VIP experiences to get to know them better.

Lee Youngji K-PLAY! FEST

San Mateo, California

July 29-30

Rapper Lee Youngji rose to fame by being the first woman to win survival shows "High School Rapper 3" and "Show Me the Money 11." However, she gathered an even bigger fandom through the YouTube variety show "My Alcohol Diary," where she invites other K-pop idols to her home for drinks and hilarious conversations. On July 30, she will headline the Bay Area edition of K-PLAY! FEST, the "first ever K-pop festival for fans, by fans." Besides spitting fiery bars, she will also do a hi-touch event, a fansign, and take some selfies with fans who purchase VIP packages.

Tomorrow X Together, NewJeans, DRP IAN, DPR LIVE: Lollapalooza

Chicago

Aug. 3-6

After last year's success with performances from Tomorrow x Together and BTS’ j-hope, the Lolla 2023 features even more K-pop. For the first time in history, TXT will headline the festival on August 5, while fellow labelmates and current sensation NewJeans will perform on Thursday, August 3. DPR IAN, 6 and DPR LIVE bring their R&B, rock, and rap fusion to the last day of the festival on Sunday.

(G)I-dle: I am FREE-TY World Tour

Aug. 4-17

K-pop's resident tomboys will bring their flair and authenticity stateside. After last year's Just Me ( )I-dle World Tour, the quintet formed by Soyeon, Miyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, and Shuhua will perform in six cities throughout the first half of August. In addition to their attitude-filled setlist, fans can expect new songs from their upcoming sixth EP, I Feel.

Head in the Clouds Festival

Pasadena, California

Aug. 5-6

After their New York edition in May, HITC heads to the West Coast for another weekend celebrating Asian talents. While the lineup is yet to be announced, fans can expect it to hold some of the names who performed in past editions, as well as exciting newcomers. HITC will happen at Brookside at the Rose Bowl on Aug. 5 and 6.

BLACKPINK: BORN PINK World Tour

Aug. 12-26

Headlining Coachella in April wasn't enough for the unstoppable girl group BLACKPINK. Jennie, Rosé, Lisa, and Jisoo have just announced four stadium concerts in August as an extension of their ongoing BORN PINK World Tour, which also included U.S. dates in 2022. The quartet will perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on Aug. 12, then follow to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Oracle Park in San Francisco, and wrap it up at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 26.

aespa: Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

San Francisco

Aug. 11-13

Once again, the groundbreaking aespa hit the U.S. for another milestone: they will be the first K-pop group to perform at San Francisco's Outside Lands. The quartet will play their futuristic set on Friday, August 11, along Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monaé and WILLOW, among others.

KCON

Los Angeles

Aug. 18-20

Known as the largest Korean culture and music festival in North America, KCON has a decade-long legacy of serving as a bridge for "all things Hallyu." Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, the festival includes a two-night concert, fan signings, food and merch stalls, panels with professionals in the industry, and many other attractions. KCON hasn't announced its official lineup yet, but attendees can expect it to maintain the same excellence of past years.

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In this episode of Press Play At Home, K-pop group CRAVITY blend the styles and personalities of their nine members — with high-energy results — in their performance of "Adrenaline."

With nine members in their group, K-pop boy band CRAVITY certainly have a bounty of various influences and creative leanings to juggle. Still, they pull those diverse interests together gracefully in their performance of their new song, "Adrenaline."

In this episode of Press Play at Home, CRAVITY bring funk, future house, moombahton and trap together in their irrepressible performance of "Adrenaline," which captures the youthful exuberance of young love.

Band member Minhee recently told The Korea Times that he's proud of the way the song accomplished their goal of evoking youthful excitement. "I felt like I was in high school again when I was recording this song," he expressed.

Therein, the group evoke memories of younger days — which especially goes for this performance. All members wear prep-school uniforms and perform in front of banners emblazoned with an emblem that reads "Luvity High School."

CRAVITY not only display some serious choreographic skills, but they bounce the lead-vocalist role from member to member — including a colorful rap breakdown by band members Serim and Allen.

That diversity isn't just for the sake of giving every member his time to shine: It also adds stylistic texture to the song, keeping the proceedings uptempo and high-energy.

"Adrenaline" is the lead single off of CRAVITY's first full-length studio album, which they released in two segments. The first, The Awakening: Written in the Stars, came out in mid-2021; the second, Liberty: In Our Cosmos (whose track list includes "Adrenaline"), in spring 2022.

Overcoming release delays and a group-wide bout with COVID-19 in February, CRAVITY propel forward with "Adrenaline," toward a new creative phase propelled by stylistic freedom and giddy, youthful exuberance.

Enjoy their euphoric performance of "Adrenaline" above, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Press Play at Home.

Everything We Know About BTS' New 2022 Album Proof

Photo: Brian Rasic/Getty Images

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Get beyond the snark about the snare sound and the lack of guitar solos, and 'St. Anger' sounds like a refreshing mid-career reset for the heavy metal lifers.

Since its release in 2003, there's been a consistent (pingy) drumbeat of chatter about Metallica's St. Anger.

The quixotic snare sound — which bassist and producer Bob Rock claimed he spent about 15 minutes crafting — is central to the St. Anger discourse; a Google search for "metallica st. anger snare" yields about 661,000 results. As for why the eight-time GRAMMY winners uncharacteristically nixed guitar solos? That question yields millions of hits.

Then there's the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster, one of the most uncomfortably revealing portraits of a rock band engulfed in a mid-life crisis. Memorable moments abound, but for one scene alone — drummer Lars Ulrich's Middle Earth-looking dad hearing a take, and telling his son to "delete that" — the film is a must-watch.

Given the controversial status St. Anger has accrued, it may seem like the metal community may want to, well, delete it. While your mileage may vary, this hotly debated album shouldn't be consigned to any internet-snark dustbin.

Listening with the benefit of temporal distance, tracks like "Frantic," "Some Kind of Monster" and "The Unnamed Feeling" sound raw and alive — perhaps of their time, given its adjacency to then-ascendant nü metal. Ultimately, they conjure the sensation of a reset, rather than a capitulation to trends.

Today, St. Anger seems to hew less to the reputation it's engineered, and more to Rock's characterization of the thing: "To me, this album sounds like four guys in a garage getting together and writing rock songs. There was really no time to get amazing performances out of James. We liked the raw performances… we just did it, boom, and that was it."

To mark the 20th anniversary of St. Anger, here are five facts about the album.

By 2001, Metallica hadn't released an album of original material in almost five years, since 1997's Reload (a follow-up to the previous year's Load).

While these sessions ground to a halt due to personal upheaval and frontman James Hetfield heading to rehab — and the band later continued work at a new studio in San Rafael, California — this no-nonsense setting befitted the unvarnished quality of the music.

Newsted was the second bassist for Metallica, after the tragic 1986 death of Cliff Burton. Newsted's departure came the month they began St. Anger, which destabilized progress on the album.

"Due to private and personal reasons, and the physical damage that I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love, I must step away from the band," Newsted said in a statement. "This is the most difficult decision of my life, made in the best interest of my family, myself, and the continued growth of Metallica."

As Hetfield put it, St. Anger was a valve for which to release intense psychological pressure.

"There's a lot of passion in this. There's two years of condensed emotion in this," he told Metal Edge magazine at the time. "We've gone through a lot of personal changes, struggles, epiphanies, it's deep. It's so deep lyrically and musically… It's so hard to talk about, you really need to hear it."

Accordingly, St. Anger is nothing if not visceral — and two decades haven't sanded off those sharp edges.

While producer Bob Rock recorded the bass parts on St. Anger, his instrumental involvement

would prove to be transitional; Robert Trujillo joined Metallica on bass in February 2001.

Having played on all ensuing Metallica albums, 2008's Death Magnetic, 2016's Hardwired… to Self Destruct and 2023's 72 Seasons — all of which were warmly received by critics — Trujillo is now the longest-serving bassist in Metallica.

While some contemporaneous critics knocked St. Anger as everything from "an ungodly mess" to having "underwent more processing than cat food," not everyone characterized it that way.

Allmusic called it a "punishing, unflinching document of internal struggle"; Rolling Stone said "there's an authenticity to St. Anger's fury that none of the band's rap-metal followers can touch."

As for the band themselves, they've seemingly come to accept St. Anger, warts and all.

"There are things I would like to change on some of the records, but it gives them so much character that you can't change them," Hetfield said in 2017. "St. Anger could use a little less tin snare drum, but those things are what make those records part of our history."

Unflinching, daring and unpolished, St. Anger is one of the ultimate "line in the sand" albums in heavy music history. Whatever your perception of this ugly-duckling entry is, take its 20-year anniversary as an opportunity to revisit its fury with fresh ears.

How Many GRAMMYs Have Metallica Won? Ahead Of New Album '72 Seasons': 6 Questions Answered

Photo: Rob Schanz

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While traveling the world, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers' lead vocalist River Shook is faced with one burning dilemma: finding a high-quality banana.

In the typical fashion of touring rock stars, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers' lead vocalist River Shook prefers an assortment of fruits and vegetables: hummus, baby carrots, baby peppers, and salsa. "It's nice to have some snacks that are a step up from gas station snacks," Shook says in this episode of Herbal Tea & White Sofas.

However, the most difficult healthy food to find is bananas, as Shook reveals: "In my experience, the bananas are half raw, green and half way too ripe. I don't know how gas stations do that because I haven't encountered that anywhere else."

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers aren't just on their best behavior with clean eating habits — they also make sure to treat every green room with the utmost respect.

"We just played someplace with a special note in the tour doc that was like, 'No inappropriate behavior backstage,'" Shook recounts. "And we were like, 'What? What are people doing back here? I don't want to know. I'm good.'"

Through everything, the most important aspect of touring for Shook is being able to show their authentic self. "Even the oldest of the songs that we're still performing are so personal to me because they come from my life experience [...] The closeness of the band shines through our music and through our live performances."

Press play on the video above to hear more about River Shook's touring lifestyle, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Herbal Tea & White Sofas.

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