Women empowerment is something that the K-pop industry has been excelling in portraying. The fact that the K-pop girl-band idols go through a hell of a ride to reach the spotlight, makes them inspiring for the young generation, especially females. Besides their music, there is much in them to empower young fans to follow their passion and keep working hard for it until they succeed.

For those who have no clue about what K-pop means, it is the short form of ‘Korean popular music’. It is a musical genre, obviously originating in South Korea, which encompasses other genres, such as electronic, hip-hop, rock and R&B music.

What has made K-pop groups so popular with many youngsters worldwide is “the distinctive blend of addictive melodies, slick choreography and production values, and an endless parade of attractive South Korean performers who spend years in gruelling studio systems learning to sing and dance in synchronised perfection,” according to the website Vox.

Interestingly, most K-pop groups are all-male or all-female ones, and somehow the few mixed gender groups have never fared well. Today we will look at some of the popular K-pop groups that have all female members and why they are such a global phenomenon.

Blackpink

Blackpink, the most popular South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, And Lisa. According to a label representative, the group’s name meant “pretty isn’t everything” and symbolised that “they are a team that encompasses not only beauty, but also great talent.”

The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album “Square One”, which featured Whistle and Boombayah. Their songs consisting of empowering lyrics and bold moves are the symbol of power for them.

Boombayah is a spicy song sung from the perspective of a girl. The song serves as a motivation and it is a great reminder of Blackpink’s origins and how far they have come. Their second single album, “Square Two”, consisting of tracks Playing With Fire and Stay, which reached number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.

The group’s first standalone digital single, As If It’s Your Last, is a song dedicated to their normal self, explaining how at one point in their professional life the girls tend to lose their true selves, and later on miss them. So their message here is that girls should live every moment of their life to the fullest, “as if it’s their last time” to enjoy it.

Most of their other lead singles being, Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, Kill This Love, How You Like That and Lovesick Girls, along with being the most-viewed online video in the first 24 hours, are hyped-up songs which put forward the idea of remaining positive and strong during dire times.

Apart from their music and discography, the band itself is an inspiration, the main reason being their hardships and cultural setbacks. For three of the members who had left their lives outside of South Korea, the pace of training alongside the culture shock was especially difficult. Their original line-up was cut down from seven to four, giving them a hard time. The girls themselves having had a rough start makes them comparatively relatable to young girls struggling to pursue their passion, but are chained by the norms of society.

Itzy

The second band with the symbolism of women empowerment is Itzy, a girl group formed by JYP Entertainment, consisting of members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. The group debuted on February 11, 2019, with the release of their single album, Dalla Dalla.

Their debut song held empowering lyrics, with a music video bringing out the fact that people will follow you and keep an eye on you wherever you go, trying to bring you down, but girls have got to stick together and find a common ground to soar higher and lead a happy life.

Their powerful performances and strong moves are what sets them apart from the rest. Breaking stereotypes to the next level, they swore to outshine and that is what keeps them going till now. Their songs technically scream “women empowerment” and “self-love”. Even in their second album’s lead single Wannabe, they talked about freedom and self-determination to what comes their way.

Every member portrayed a different role of a girl in society, be it a princess, student, normal girl, brat, or model, all of them are connected with a single string called assertion and dominance. They gave off a solution for breaking the rules and going ahead, because you are the queen of your life. The intense dance break and catchy music made the video interesting and irresistible.

In their third and latest album, they presented a single Not Shy, the title itself promoting not holding back, being bold and going after what you want in life without any regret. The music video, being all funky, promoted self-love.

Twice

A third popular girl group, Twice, under the same company, JYP Entertainment, consists of nine members Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. The group debuted on October 20, 2015, but rose to fame in 2016 with the lead single Cheer Up, revealing society’s judgment on how girls should be acting. Using lenses in the music video adds a level of hyper-awareness because, as viewers, we are already watching them and now we watch them being judged. Some of their other popular songs are Fancy You, Feel Special and Signal.

In 2020, they charted Billboard 200 with two of their albums “More & More” and “Eyes Wide Open”, featuring singles More & More and I Can’t Stop Me, the songs this time focusing on the need of going further and craving more. Two months after the release of “Eyes Wide Open”, the album debuted at number 72 on the US Billboard 200, marking the group’s highest entry on the chart surpassing “More & More”, as well as making Twice only the third K-pop girl group break within the top 100 of the chart.

Twice is most notable for their consistent employment of ‘cute’ concepts which was further supported by the group’s bubble gum pop sound attracting Western appeal, also seen as a departure from the usual retro style of music, which eventually became a development of signature ‘colour pop’ sonic style. Their ‘cheerful’ musical base is employed alongside a colourful style in terms of the members’ fashion, and while they have gained notability for emphasising their youthful image influencing the girls of this generation.

The group is also known for incorporating modern online culture into their musical releases and their corresponding music videos. For instance, their 2017 track “Likey” lyrically alludes to Instagram culture and the struggles of maintaining a beautiful social media image and how this makes it hard for girls to live their own life. The way how Twice incorporates their concept is a source of their success and they are inspiring the youth by their bubbly performances.

Women can support and inspire women better than anyone else. If instead of putting each other down, their accomplishments are used as a source of encouragement and enthusiasm for them, then the goal of running a movement of women empowerment can easily be fulfilled. Learning from others is the key to success and that is the secret to the growth of nations. Whether it is a pop icon or a college student, if they are doing something positive and constructive, everyone can learn something from them.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 13th, 2021