It’s no question that K-Pop girl groups have become a global sensation. The days when girl groups fell behind in popularity compared to their K-Pop boy group counterparts are gone.

These are the five girl groups who dominated the first half of 2024 through their various achievements, including each group selling a million copies of their latest album.

1. (G)I-DLE

(G)I-DLE started off 2024 with a bang along with the release of their 2nd full album, ‘2’, in January.  The album wrapped up its first-week sales at 1.54 million copies, a career high for the group.

While songs like “Wife” and “Super Lady” were also well-received, the true chart topper for (G)I-DLE in the first half of 2024 was the pop rock number, “Fate”. 

Meanwhile, (G)I-DLE will be making a comeback on July 8 with the release of their 7th mini album, ‘I SWAY’.

2. LE SSERAFIM

Things were not “EASY” for LE SSERAFIM in the first half of 2024. The title track from the group’s  3rd mini album was initially praised for its experimental style, becoming LE SSERAFIM’s first song to enter Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’.

Riding on the initial success of “EASY”, LE SSERAFIM hoped to boost their rise to stardom with their performance at this year’s ‘Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival’ in April. However, as the festival performance approached, LE SSERAFIM faced attacks from online users for their alleged “poor live singing skills”, and their ‘Coachella’ performance suffered from harsh criticism.

Furthermore, LE SSERAFIM’s image also suffered damages as the group was caught in the crossfire between HYBE Labels and Min Hee Jin of ADOR over various internal disputes.

The girls are now looking to bounce back in the second half of 2024 with a comeback scheduled for late August.

3. IVE

The girls of IVE spent the first half of 2024 on the road, making various stops around the world for their 1st world tour, ‘SHOW WHAT I HAVE’. Right in the middle of their tour, scheduled to continue until September of this year, the girls also released their 2nd mini album, ‘I’VE SWITCH’, in April.

Through their title track “HEYA” as well as their follow-up track “Accendio”, IVE successfully showcased their ability to pull off experimental concepts while telling captivating stories.

Later this summer, IVE will be making their ‘Lollapalooza’ debut in Grant Park, Chicago, performing at the T-MOBILE stage on Saturday, August 3. 

4. NewJeans

Although NewJeans got off to a slow start in 2024 as a result of the HYBE vs. Min Hee Jin feud, the girl group effortlessly topped music charts once again with their double single ‘Bubble Gum / How Sweet’.

Immediately following the success of ‘Bubble Gum / How Sweet’, NewJeans rocked Japan with their Japanese debut single album, ‘Supernatural’, accompanied by a large-scale fan meeting at the Tokyo Dome from June 26-27.

If all goes according to plan, NewJeans fans can also expect the girls to return with another album in the second half of 2024, followed by a world tour kicking off in 2025. 

5. aespa

Although the sub-genre of ‘Easy Listening’ seemed to have overtaken the latest trends in K-Pop, aespa proved that staying true to their identity was the way to go with their 1st full album, ‘Armageddon’.

Together, the catchy and eccentric pre-release track “Supernova” and the powerful, dramatic title track “Armageddon” caused a “iron-flavor” syndrome in K-Pop with the beginning of summer. In particular, as of June 28 KST, “Supernova” has once again claimed the #1 spot on Melon’s ‘Top 100’ chart, just a day after being knocked down to #2.

Meanwhile, aespa will release their Japanese debut single ‘Hot Mess’ on July 3. The group is also scheduled to embark on their 2nd world tour, ‘SYNK : Parallel Line’ in the second half of 2024.

Other K-Pop girl groups who showed promise in the first half of 2024 include ILLIT with their chart topping debut title track “Magnetic”, BABYMONSTER with their immense global fandom, as well as KISS OF LIFE, tripleS, and more.