Many Kpop fans wonder, who are the 4th gen(generation) leaders? Many 4th gen groups are nominated to be leaders, but who exactly is fit to be the winner?

One of the top groups is Stray Kids. With their self-produced songs and talented skills, a lot of fans consider them as 4th gen leaders. Stray Kids are self-made, meaning ever since their debut in 2018, they have been producing their songs without much help from their company. The group consists of eight members: Bang Chan(leader), Lee Know(main dancer), Changbin(rapper), Hyunjin(visual), Han(rapper), Felix(rapper) Seungmin(main vocalist), I.N(vocalist). They have won various awards and are continuing their music career as a group. 

Another group is  TXT(Tomorrow x Together), which some say is the entertainment group Hype’s secret weapon. TXT debuted on March 25, 2019 and is known for becoming the first male K-pop artist to enter Billboard’s Song Breaker Chart. Their fans are called MOA which stands for “moment of alwaysness.” The group is still very active and dominating the K-pop industry.

 Enhypen was originally formed in the show I-Land. They debuted on Nov. 30, 2020 under BeLift Lab, HYBE Entertainment.  The group consists of seven members: Jungwon(leader), Heeseung(center, main vocalist), Jay(lead dancer, vocalist), Jake(lead vocalist, sub dancer), Sunghoon(lead dancer, vocalist), Sunoo(lead vocalist, sub dancer), and Ni-ki(main dancer, sub vocalist). Enhypen continues to thrive and achieve many awards throughout 2023.

Girl group G-(idle) also has a big impact on being 4th gen leaders. They are under Cube Entertainment and debuted on May 2, 2018. G-(idle). This talented group is also self-made, with Soyeon as the main producer. Members Miyeon (vocalist), Minnie (vocalist), Soyeon (leader, rapper), Yuqi (vocalist, dancer), and Shuhua (vocalist) have been building their way up to prove that they can do a ton without the company.

Le Sserafim is a South Korean-Japanese girl group that debuted on May 2, 2022, under Source Music, HYBE Entertainment. Something interesting about the group is that members, Chaewon and Sakura, first debuted together in a different group called IZ*ONE, but shortly after they disbanded in 2021. Chaewon(leader), Sakura(visual), Yunjin(vocalist), Kazuha(dancer, rapper), and Eunchae(dancer) are famous in South Korea and Japan. Le Sserafim continues to win and nominate many awards today. 

Itzy is a K-pop girl group that debuted on February 12, 2019, under JYP Entertainment. They’re known for their impressive choreography and catchy lyrics with girl power. Yeji (leader), Ryujin (rapper, dancer), Lia (vocalist), Yuna (dancer, rapper), Chaeryeong (dancer, vocalist) are the five members of Itzy. They’ve been making comebacks, and they turn out to be a hit every time. The group is still active in 2023, but Lia is on a hiatus (taking a break from her career) to focus on her mental health. 

Ever since SM Entertainment debuted the four-member girl group, Aespa, their fame has risen off the charts. Aespa debuted on Nov 17, 2020, with Karina as the leader (main dancer), Winter (lead vocalist), Giselle (main rapper), and the youngest Ningning (main vocalist). They debuted under their single album, “Black Mamba.” At first, they experienced some hate, but their fandom, MY, has backed them up and continued supporting them. 

Another worthy group fit to be a 4th gen leader is Ateez. In 2020, they won the MAMA award for “Favorite Global Performer,” proving that their performance is being immensely enjoyed. The group consists of members Hoongjoong (rapper), Seonghwa (vocalist), Yunho (vocalist), Yeosang (vocalist), San (vocalist), Mingi (rapper), Wooyoung (vocalist), and Jongho (main vocalist).

BSS (bookseoksoon), a unit from boy group Seventeen, debuted in 2018, just in time to be considered as a 4th gen group. BSS consists of Hoshi (rapper), DK (leader, main vocalist), and Seungkwan (main vocalist). Although they are members of a different and popular group, they have worked hard as a unit. The group debuted with the song “Just Do It” as a digital single and five years later, they released their album, “Second Wind,” with the main title track being “Fighting” featuring Lee Youngji.

Although many Kpop groups are entitled the “4th gen leaders,” who will be the final winner? Are there more groups out there making their way to claim their title? Do you think these groups are worthy of having the title of 4th gen leaders?