Girls’ Generation, Kara and Exid: Guide to K-pop’s comeback girl groups

This summer has been brilliant for fans of older K-pop girl groups, with Girls’ Generation releasing their first album for five years in August, Exid returning this month with new album X and Kara planning a return for November.

With younger groups like BTS and Blackpink currently dominating, these more senior teams may be less familiar. Here’s what you need to know about them.

Exid The history

Exid are returning for their 10th anniversary after being on hiatus since 2019. Before this week, their most recent Korean single was 2018’s I Love You, while their most recent album was the Japanese B.L.E.S.S.E.D in 2020.

Their new album X is fronted by the single Fire, with both arriving on Sept 29.

The story of Exid is one of sudden, but well-deserved, success.

Starting out in 2012, they went through a tumultuous early period that involved several line-up changes, resulting in the current five members: Hani, LE (who writes much of their music), Solji, Hyelin and Jeonghwa.

The group didn’t make it big until 2014, when a fancam of member Hani performing their song Up & Down went viral in South Korea. From then on, their immense vocals and power won over hearts and ears.

Since 2019, with several members not renewing their contracts with company Banana Culture, the girls have more or less been doing their own thing, which makes the 10th anniversary album all that more exciting.

The music

Exid are known for both their outstanding flair and talent, and have a strong but charming image.

Their singles range from in-your-face aggressiveness to pop music, with a turn to R&B and hip-hop. They also put a touch of sass or wit into almost every song and video, so keep your ears open and eyes peeled.

The absolute must-know song from Exid is Up & Down with its infectious, jazzy, coy melody, which sets the tone for the group moving forward.

Following that breakout year in 2014 they returned with 2015’s Ah Yeah and Hot Pink, bringing Exid from one-hit wonders to reliable hitmakers.

Since then, songs such as 2016’s L.I.E, 2017’s DDD and Night Rather Than Day, 2018’s I Love You and Lady, and 2019’s Me & You have seen major love, showcasing the group’s ability to freely flit between R&B, pop and hip-hop.

Girls’ Generation The history

Girls’ Generation formed in 2007 and returned with their 15th anniversary album, Forever 1, in August.

Over that period, Girls’ Generation were leaders of K-pop, with hits like 2009’s Gee and Genie making them one of the biggest hitmakers in the industry.

The group, originally nine members but now an eight-member act, was formed by SM Entertainment, which was already home to some of the biggest names in K-pop, and they were the first K-pop girl group to have nine members.

The size proved that in some cases bigger really is better, as Girls’ Generation ultimately became the biggest girl group of the generation, living up to their name with hit after hit under their belt.

Their more recent solo careers continue to spotlight each member, and several are among South Korea’s most well-known contemporary singers and actors.

Nowadays, Girls’ Generation are considered as having had one of the biggest impacts on K-pop of all time.

The music

It’s impossible to list all of Girls’ Generation’s biggest hits, but the breakout was undoubtedly 2009’s Gee, followed the same year by Genie.

The romantic, peppy songs were two of the most well-known of the era, and were followed by dozens of other singles, both Korean and Japanese, that propelled them forward internationally and in South Korea.

While songs like Gee, Genie and 2010’s Oh! relied on addictive, repetitive bubblegum pop, over the years the group’s music matured along with them, with a variety of sounds and styles used across releases like 2011’s The Boys (released in both English and Korean), 2013’s I Got A Boy, 2014’s Mr. Mr., 2015’s Catch Me If You Can, 2015’s Party and Lion Heart, and 2017’s Holiday.

Girls’ Generation have also put out a variety of notable Japanese releases, and subunits TTS and Oh!GG have also released their own music.

Their most recent album, Forever 1, commemorated that act’s decade-and-a-half together, while the titular single, also called Forever 1, took inspiration from their very first song Into the New World, with a music video that tied in the eight members’ current careers as actors, soloists and all-around entertainers.

Kara The history

Kara will return in November also with a 15th anniversary album, coming after a long and winding road through the industry.

Kara’s original reign lasted from 2007 and 2016, under DSP Media, which had previously seen major success with girl group Fin.K.L. Kara proved similarly popular and was one of the most successful K-pop groups in Japan during the early 2010s.

While K-pop acts are typically divided generationally (we’re currently in the fourth, by most people’s reckoning), Kara straddles different generations having gone through several notable line-up changes over time, primarily due to a series of contract disputes with DSP.

The act debuted in 2007 as a four-member team, but one member, Sunghee, left in 2008, with Goo Hara and Jiyoung joining. The five member line-up, including original members Nicole, Gyuri and Seungyeon, saw hit after hit.

Jiyoung and Nicole left the group in 2014, with new member Youngji joining, returning Kara to a four-member team.

This will be Kara’s first album since 2015’s Japanese EP Girl’s Story, with the group going on hiatus in 2016.

Nicole and Jiyoung have been brought back for the album, performing for the first time with Youngji and returning the group to a five-member team.

Poignantly, this will be the first Kara album since Goo Hara died in 2019. 

The music

Kara’s earliest releases had more of an R&B tilt, and it wasn’t until 2008’s Pretty Girl and Honey when their distinctive fun, peppy sound first appeared and they truly took off.

That was followed by many other big songs, especially 2009’s back-to-back Mister (which went viral thanks to its now iconic butt dance) and Wanna.

They continued to hit it big with 2010’s Lupin and Jumping and 2011’s Step before a more mature sound arrived with the sleeker Pandora from 2012 and 2013’s Damaged Lady.

Mamma Mia from 2014 and 2015’s Cupid, their last Korean singles to date, blended all the different elements, showcasing a Kara that was both sweet and sexy.

Kara was huge in Japan and had many Japanese hits, with singles that tended to be electropop- and disco-fuelled earworms. Their most successful hit there is considered to be 2011’s Jet Coaster Love.

This article was first published in South China Morning Post.