K-Pop Female Groups with 4 Members That Are Amazing
K-pop female groups with 4 members seem to be the magic formula in the industry. In fact, some of K-pop’s most popular and most iconic female groups have just four members. So in this article, I’m going to share with you my favorite Kpop groups that have just four female members, and tell you why we should all be paying attention to these very talented ladies.
Best K-Pop Female Groups for 4 Members
Let’s begin with the group Aespa.
Aespa
Make way for the future! Aespa takes a step into the metaverse as one of K-pop’s hottest four-member groups of the moment, combining the words “avatar” and “experience” in their name.
This female group provides a novel entertainment experience with 4 “avatars” or alternate online personas that perform in the virtual world. Their unique concept isn’t the only thing pulling people in and becoming their fans though.
Aespa’s song “Next Level” was released on May 17, 2021, and became a behemoth of a song whose massive charting success affects K-pop releases well over a year later. This song’s unconventional structure and hypnotizing EDM earned them Song of the Year at the Korean Music Awards, the Grammys of South Korea. “Next Level” started a trend in the K-pop industry of songs with jarring EDM production and mismatched song sections. This flavor of music is sprinkled in newer K-pop songs like “GingaMingaYo” by Billlie and “O.O” by NMIXX.
Aespa continues their unconventional music in their newest mini-album Girls. “Girls,” the title track of the mini-album, punches listeners with hard-hitting percussion, heavy beats, and futuristic synths. The rest of the album keeps up their unique production style. There’s nothing that will be stopping Aespa’s uniqueness anytime soon.
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BLACKPINK
Breaking dozens of records with their most recent pre-single release Pink Venom, BLACKPINK is a force to be reckoned with as K-pop’s most popular female group. Their numbers are unmatched and so is their talent.
As their main rapper, BLACKPINK bandmate Jennie has a fun and sassy flow that can be heard in the songs “Boombayah” and “Kill This Love.” Then, the group’s main dancer Lisa shows off her skills on her YouTube channel Lilifilm Official. The other two members Rosé and Jisoo display their talents in different ways, Rosé with her guitar and Jisoo with her acting.
With all this talent, BLACKPINK rightfully earns their spot on top in the K-pop industry. Their music is feminine, yet tough, contrasting K-pop’s old standard image for female groups. Typically, female groups took on cute concepts and soft images to appeal to more conservative South Korean audiences. Yet, BLACKPINK’s expectation-shattering “girl crush” concept took the country by storm.
In K-pop, the girl crush concept is a combination of “pretty and savage” where female groups combine style with confidence (as opposed to the trope of women being nothing but docile and cute). This newfound fierceness pulls brings in fans, creating fandoms of millions of people who feel uplifted by girl crush’s feminine prowess. There is no need to conform to stifling societal stereotypes of what being a woman is when girl crush is here!
BLACKPINK is at the forefront of crushing stereotypes thanks to the song “Pretty Savage,” which was released in their 2020 album titled The Album. This song’s whistles and grounded beat along with the empowering lyrics push BLACKPINK’s message of defying conformity.
You can wear high heels and be the boss of the office at the same time. Other songs showcasing their unparalleled power as a K-pop group are “How You Like That,” “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” and the forever fan favorite song “As If It’s Your Last.” BLACKPINK is an unmatched force with its four members and will remain #1.
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Mamamoo
Need self-confidence? Mamamoo is here to help! This group of four amazing women capture distinctly different expressions of femininity and encourage their fans to embrace themselves as who they are.
The group’s leader Solar has an air of maturity in the way she carries herself onstage. Meanwhile, Hwasa who’s the group’s youngest member exudes confidence as she isn’t afraid to try creative ways to engage with audiences during performances. In addition, Wheein’s coolness is unmatched with her controlled moves. Finally, the member Moonbyul combines masculinity and femininity to express herself in her own uniquely appealing way.
Together, these four women perform with some of the most amazing vocals in K-pop. Their 2019 hit “HIP” best captures their talent and image as a group. In this song, Mamamoo expresses themselves unabashedly and for the first time in their careers with intense choreography.
In South Korea, the group is revered in the industry for being a vocal powerhouse like in their songs “Paint Me” and “Egotistic.” Although “HIP” contrasts from their typical image in exchange for a more trendy dance-pop hit, the song retains the group’s unapologetic expression of themselves and what they consider hip.
Wonder Girls
There are plenty of newer groups on this list, but let’s delve into the classics. Known for their most popular song “Nobody,” this quartet of women became one of the most musically tasteful groups in all of K-pop. The members Yeeun, Sunmi, Yubin, and Hyelim evolved their music, changing their image from synthy pop songs to a retro reboot that left a lot to be desired.
“Nobody” was a part of these many pop songs with its iconic clapping and catchy chorus that charted the group at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100. These pop hits marked Wonder Girls’ early days in the late 2000s to early 2010s. Their song “Tell Me” released in 2007 earned them several awards and “So Hot” released three years later solidified their place in the industry as a hitmaker.
However, even though the group experienced unprecedented success, they have also experienced unprecedented struggles. The group constantly had members switching in and out. In 2007, Wonder Girls had 5 members with Yeeun, Sunye, Sunmi, Hyuna, and Sohee, but Hyuna left the group because of a myriad of health issues. Then, Yubin was added to the lineup to take her place.
After a few years, in 2010, Sunmi left the group to pursue an academic career, prompting new member Hyerim to enter the group. In 2012, the group took on a 3-year hiatus that had fans longing for more. Cue the 2015 Wonder Girls reboot, losing members Sunye and Sohee and regaining Sunmi to create the final 4 member group.
This final lineup gained Wonder Girls a new title as “South Korea’s Retro Queens” because of their new songs “I Feel You” and “Why So Loney.” The first of these songs is an 80s synth-rock song showcasing a sensuality never before seen in the members. Their airy vocals and charming charisma entice listeners to roll down their car windows and feel the members’ lighthearted joy.
Meanwhile, Wonder Girls’ last music hit was “Why So Lonely” which had a reggae streak not often seen in K-pop. Although the group is now disbanded, their discography filled with fun bops will continue to be shared by their dedicated fanbase.
Sistar
The summer queens have arrived! Sistar’s sexy embracement of summer songs gained them a title that’s remained unchallenged for the past five years since their disbandment in 2017. With the success of the song “Touch My Body” and the sexy-cute talent of the members Hyorin, Bora, Soyu, and Dasom, Sistar are without a doubt K-pop’s summer queens.
Every year during summer, their songs rise on the South Korean music charts. Their other summer hits are “I Swear” and “Shake It” whose music videos feature simple, yet engaging choreography accompanying the fun songs. Sistar’s music is constantly refreshing and invigorating, even on repeat. With Sistar, it’s always a party! So try them out and listen to their songs.
2NE1
Who doesn’t love powerful women? 2NE1 is a group renowned for their power as they diverted from the cutesy look of other girl groups during the early 2010s in favor of a tomboyish style. This style was natural and organic for the group because they focused on giving fantastic live performances over looking flawless. Every time they stepped on stage, they wanted to make a statement. And they sure made it.
Arguably, the greatest statement they ever made was their performance of their most popular songs “Fire” and “I Am The Best” at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards. No girl group since has been able to replicate the sheer charisma oozing off of each of the members CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy. In dazzling blue and gold outfits, 2NE1 brought out the crowd’s energy and enthusiasm with their natural-born performing skills.
Studio versions can never capture their energy and power perfectly. Their music is meant to be experienced live. Turn on those speakers, 2NE1 is calling!
f(x)
In a fantastic case of coincidence, f(x) is a four-member group composed of Victoria, Amber, Luna, and Krystal and they have a majorly popular song called “4 Walls.” This experimental group from SM Entertainment released song after song that broke convention and could in some ways be described as plain “weird.”
There’s never been consensus over f(x)’s music and that’s one of the most engaging ways to be a fan of the group. There is always more to think about when discussing their songs. Their music is meant to provoke!
Although “4 Walls” is one of their less provocative songs, its inconsistent EDM beats and house-inspired production broke from the typical K-pop hit formula. Usually cute and flirty pop songs or slow, sad ballads got the spotlight on the charts, but f(x) successfully charted #1 on the South Korean Gaon Albums chart with “4 Walls.” f(x) didn’t ever doubt their concept or all the unique features about themselves as a group. They trusted themselves to find success authentically and that trust makes their music unapologetically “weird.”
Brave Girls
In the industry, Brave Girls is one of the few groups to resurge in popularity because of a viral video. In 2020, a YouTube video of the members Minyoung, Yujeong, Eunji, and Yuna performing their tropical house song Rollin’ skyrocketed to viral bliss in South Korea. Online, their video was shared for their amazing dancing, with commenters praising the most memorable parts of their performance. This sudden popularity pushed Brave Girls into the spotlight and they came out with brand new releases and performances for fans to enjoy!
Hot off the heels of Rollin’s viral success, Brave Girls released the song “Chi Mat Ba Ram” in June 2021 on their new extended play Summer Queen. Many of their fans were nervous before the release with high expectations, but Brave Girls did not disappoint. This other tropical house hit was a super energetic song that pushed people to their feet to dance. Brave Girls is a success story you can’t miss out on with catchy tunes for you to enjoy all summer long!
Girl’s Day
Have a fantastic Girl’s Day! This quartet of Sojin, Minah, Hyeri, and Yura became known for their unique electro-funk and iconic dance moves. Those moves can be best seen in the performances of their songs “Something” and “Ring My Bell.” In “Something,” the members adorn sexy dresses with long leg slits to do the chorus’s side dance.
This side dance has them go up and down, showing off their side profiles to viewers. Then, “Ring My Bell” has a dance move where the member’s legs move in and out then turn to the side to circle and hit an imaginary bell. These sort of easy, yet fun dance moves became staples of Girl’s Day.
Beyond dancing, Girl’s Day is well known for their humanitarian work. As ambassadors for Plan Korea—a part of Plan International which is an organization focusing on the improvement of girls’ rights in developing countries—the 4-member group has carried out volunteer work on numerous occasions in Thailand and Cambodia.
Their work is much respected within the K-pop industry and accompanies their image wherever they are. While Girl’s Day has been largely dormant in group activities, the group says it has not disbanded. They promise to continue to work together in the future.
Brown Eyed Girls
Brown Eyed Girls might seem like a familiar name and you’d be right to think that! The 2013 international hit “Gentleman” by PSY (Yes, that PSY!) features one of their well-known hip dance moves. This hip move originated in Brown Eyed Girls’ “Abracadabra” released in 2009, a sexy electronica song with all the early 2010s staples of trendy and cool style. The members JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Gain encompass these well with a gritty feel to their music. These women aren’t raunchy though, they’re classy.
Brown Eyed Girls don’t only have charisma and style, they have the talent to back it up. Initially debuting as a ballad group in 2006, their powerful vocals accompany every track they release. They do high notes with ease and their endurance was impossible to replicate.
Additionally, Brown Eyed Girls’ longevity has been unrivaled as one of the only groups to last 16 years with all of the original members. These women love their craft and although their last group release was in 2019, they won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Conclusion
The industry would not be the same if these K-pop female groups with 4 members did not exist. Each group brings a different message and appeal, bringing in literally millions of fans. With unrivaled talent and endearing personalities, you need to check out all of these groups. Don’t miss out on some great music!
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