Similar to the explosion of Western teen pop in the early 2000s and 2010s, which was dominated by artists such as Miley Cyrus, MD, B2K, Keke Palmer, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, BTR, Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Raven Symone, and many others, this genre has slowly faded away. Instead of creating enjoyable music that resonates with today’s youth, young artists have been focusing on trivial and adult-oriented topics.

Fortunately, K-pop has witnessed certain groups take the teen pop route. The group Weki Meki popularized the “Teen Crush” concept in 2017 with their song “I Don’t Like Your Girlfriend.” However, even within Kpop, music catered to a younger audience has taken a back seat. That is, until emerging groups like XG, tripleS, New Jeans, and FIFTY FIFTY entered the scene. Their music effortlessly captures the nostalgic Y2K teen pop sound that Generation Y and older Generation Z’s enjoyed during their childhood years.

RIIZE

RIIZE, the newcomers on the scene, are gradually gaining popularity worldwide with their nostalgic sound and relatable lyrics. Their music primarily explores the themes of young love, friendship, and the challenges that come along with it at a tender age. Songs like “Play A Guitar” and “Memories” invoke nostalgia with their fun imagery that can either remind you of a simpler time or mirror your current life. Notably, the Memories is a lyrical scrapbook of Riize’s journey as a group, and how they look back on their youth as a fond memory.

FIFTY FIFTY

While the future of this group is uncertain, we can still appreciate the works of the original lineup of FIFIY FIFTY. With their nostalgic K-pop sound and Western teen pop style, FIFTY FIFTY’s Cupid captivated a nation. The song explores young love as it follows a girl navigating through her romantic emotions. Her quest for love and understanding is beautifully portrayed in Cupid, with its lighthearted lyrics that could easily be relatable to today’s youth.

New Jeans

© ADOR – NewJeans

It felt like a breath of fresh air when New Jeans burst onto the scene. While their concept may not be entirely original, it marked the first instance of a K-pop group blending early 2000s Korean trends with Western Y2K trends.

© ADOR – NewJeans – ‘New Jeans’

This genius move was met with excitement and enthusiasm, as it offered a refreshing take on the K-pop genre. Many of the topics and themes of their music are highly relatable to a coming-of-age generation. Songs such as “Super Shy, OMG, and NewJeans” emphasize this argument.

tripleS

This group captures the spirit of teen pop, combining multi-unit concepts with irresistibly catchy and relatable tunes. TripleS has the potential to stand out as one of the best rookies in the current K-pop scene.

© Modhaus – tripleS_LOVElution ‘Girls’ Capitalism’

Their music delves into themes of self-love and their determination to follow their dreams, exemplified in songs like ‘Rising,‘ ‘Girls Capitalism,‘ and ‘Generation.

VCHA

© JYP Entertainment, Republic Records – VCHA

VCHA has a youthful energy that takes you back to when SNSD and Gfriend first started out. Their music is upbeat and carries a message that can resonate with people of all ages. However, I believe it is particularly well-suited for the younger crowd.

© JYP Entertainment, Republic Records – VCHA “Girls of the Year“

XG

This group embodies the epitome of the Western Y2K aesthetic, fully embracing its essence. Just like New Jeans, they blend iconic Western Y2K fashion with their own hometown’s unique aesthetic. However, what sets XG apart is their incorporation of styles that gained popularity not only in the West but also in Japan during the rise of J-pop in America during the early 2000s.

Throughout their music, the tone is highly relatable. This is especially evident in the song “Shooting Star,” in which they express their drive and determination to follow their dreams no matter what.

As I wrap up this article, I’d like to suggest one more act that I believe could resonate with today’s youth, TRI.BE. Their earlier release “We Are Young,” is all about expressing ideas that can be hard to articulate, especially in today’s world.

Additionally, I wanted to explain my reason for creating this list. Last year, I came across a TikTok video where the person talked about how today’s youth don’t have teenage role models, like most Millennials and older Gen Zs did when they were kids. It made me realize these younger generations only have older individuals to look up to, which is somewhat disheartening. However, I had to take a step back and think about how many of our childhood heroes, said they wish they had experienced a real childhood.

Especially with the recent airing of the documentary ‘Quite On Set.’ Which is about child actors who experienced terrible abuse as child stars. With this in mind, it made me wonder if the shift towards content targeting older audiences is a direct response to the backlash the industry has been receiving. It also raises the question: should we completely disregard the subculture of teen media?