I've previously discussed my love for male idol groups, and now it's time to list down my favorite female idol groups.
Admittedly, trying to come up with this list was ten times more difficult than figuring out the male counterpart. Not because there's a lack of amazing girl groups in Seoul but easily due to the fact that, as a girl, I'm drawn to the guy groups more. Nonetheless, there are flawless girl groups in abundance in the k-pop world and I've listed down my favorites.
Note that, much like my list of favorite male idols, this list is by no means a be all and end all of my favorite k-pop girl groups ever. They change from time to time. It could change by tomorrow. Seriously.
After School - This is the first group to debut with an "admissions and graduation" concept in Korea, where older members eventually graduate from the group and newer girls are then added. Known for their dancing just as much as their singing, After School's music concept is very much like the Pussycat Dolls - catchy tunes, amazing long legs, captivating choreography.
Secret - The group was first introduced to me via Sunhwa's spot on
We Got Married. Admittedly, I know almost nothing about this girl group aside from the fact that they have four members and that they produce predominantly retro pop music. But, I have seen some of their music videos, and I have to say, "Poison" is an addictive little earworm that will not let you go. And every time I listen to the song, I'm dancing to the choreography in my head.
Girls' Generation - You can't even begin to discuss k-pop without mentioning this 9-member girl group. Girls' Generation is probably the biggest name in Korean girl groups. With their sweet and innocent image, this group has been making uncle fans happy since 2007. When they first debuted, their music was predominantly bubblegum pop. They've since grown and matured into successful young ladies who now churn out addictive electro-dance and modern R&B tracks.
Wonder Girls - Known more for their biggest song to date, 2008 worldwide hit single "Nobody," the Wonder Girls have been consistently churning out fun pop songs with a retro twist since 2007. But despite being the biggest name in girl groups back in 2008-2009, their popularity in Korea started to dwindle when they left Seoul to promote widely in the US market. So while they toured internationally, initially with the Jonas Brothers and eventually on their own world tour, the other up-and-coming girl group, Girl's Generation, slowly took over the local scene. Nonetheless, the Wonder Girls returned to Korea in 2011 armed with several hit singles up their sleeves.
Kara - Once upon a time, I thought I couldn't stand this group. Turns out I was dead wrong. Now my problem with them is that I could never quite figure out which one of the Kara girls I like the most. I like them all, and all for several different reasons. And while I never considered them one of my favorite groups, I eventually realized that the songs by Kara that I do like, I like a lot. Like, I listen to them all the time. With the dance steps haunting me all day. Songs like "Step," "Mister," and "Pandora" are on constant rotation on my playlist. So maybe they ought to be higher on this list.
f(x) - To be honest, a lot of k-pop groups are introduced to me via variety shows. I don't go out looking for new music. I hardly ever watch the music programs. I watch a lot of variety and drama though. So it's no surprise that I found out about f(x) through Victoria's participation in
We Got Married. I came for Victoria and stuck around for Amber. In my opinion, Amber - in spite of her tomboy image - is still one of their prettiest members. She's also the coolest. Oh, and Sulli is adorable. She really is. Like, can I adopt her?
Sistar - Gotta love Hyorin. Her voice is beyond compare and is a rare find in the idol world. And personally, I would attribute Sistar's success to Hyorin. While I love Bora (she's gorgeous and her raspy voice suits her rapping so perfectly), Hyorin is just everything you'd ever want in a pop star While she's not typically beautiful, she's captivating enough that it's hard to watch anyone else when she's on stage.
Brown Eyed Girls - In all honesty, I'm all about Ga-in. Seriously. From the moment I laid eyes on her on
We Got Married down to her special appearance in Psy's "Gentleman," she's just proving to me how awesome she is. Not just coz she's gorgeous, but also because the girl can sing and dance like a boss. She's sexy and classy at the same time. She's comfortable with her sexuality. And she's a big dork. We know she can't live without her eyeliner, and that's okay. We love her anyway. And we love the rest of the BEG members as well - them of the insane vocal range and risque music videos. These girls mean business and we love them for it.
miss A - I just love miss A. Min and Jia, to be quite specific. Although, all four of them are amazing talents, and Suzy and Fei are super pretty, but Min and Jia are badass. Their stage presence and charisma can be felt a mile away. What intrigues me most about the group, however, is how they can go from cute to badass so seamlessly. So it's, therefore, not surprising that they can go from teen pop to urban to sexy R&B and back again without being disconcerting.
2NE1 - While aegyo is fine from time to time, and depending on who's trying to pull it off, I'd rather a girl be fierce than cute. So, needless to say, my favorite girl group in all of k-pop is 2NE1. CL is the badass leader, rapper and vocalist. Park Bom is the charming main vocalist with killer legs. Dara is the adorable yet curiously sexy fresh-vocalist. Minzy, the ero-maknae, is the illest dancer whose vocal ability has improved so much since their debut in 2009. 2NE1 caught my eye early on, not just because I've been a fan of Dara's from her showbiz career in the Philippines, but also because they were the first Korean girl group whose concept didn't scream out "look at us, we're cute!" 2NE1, jjang!
Who are
your favorite female idol groups? Let me know!
