K-pop idols were the stars of the show at the recent New York Fashion Week, where they strutted the runways showcasing the looks of the world's top designer, further proving that K-pop has hit North America in a big way. K-pop has become increasingly popular in the past few years, amassing millions of fans from around the world, who pick and choose which groups to and what albums to buy. These groups put on intense musical performances and train for hours each day to prepare.
A newer trend in the industry, however, is the introduction of Korean survival-type competition shows, in which judges get together a few trainees from different companies and judge them on their singing ability, dance talent and stage presence. Most of these shows gain millions of fans per episode and generate more and more talent onto the scene each year.
Finding Momoland - Momoland
Finding Momoland was a 2016 reality girl group survival show produced by Mnet. It featured 10 trainees from Duble Kick Entertainment competing to debut in a girl group by the name of MOMOLAND. It first aired in July 2016 and ran for 10 episodes. In 2018, they gained popularity after the release of their third mini-album "Great!" The EP featured the lead single "Bboom Bboom," which became a huge commercial success, charting at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart.
Since then, however, they have lost a considerable amount of popularity with mildly successful hits like "I'm So Hot," but never really caught the attention of new fans. The group has millions of views and numerous award wins, but their album sales have barely reached 10k. Because of their music style and concepts, they failed to build a solid fanbase.
Produce 101 Season 1 - I.O.I
Produce 101 was a reality survival show created by Mnet in 2016. It was a large-scale project in which the public "produces" a girl group by voting for their favorite from a pool of trainees from 46 different companies.
Since debuting with "Dream Girls," I.O.I have disbanded and seemed to find even more success as soloists. Just a few weeks into their debut, though, they demonstrated their immense popularity as a group in the industry. They gained nine music show awards, and their most viewed music video has over 49 million views. As of today, many of the are focused on their own activities as K-pop artists and acting in some of the most popular K-dramas.
Produce 101 Season 2 - Wanna One
Out of all the Produce 101 seasons, season 2 was quite possibly the most popular. It saw the creation of boy group Wanna One in 2017, their first temporary boy group that amassed great success within a short time frame. There was a pool of 101 trainees from 54 different companies. Even though their career as a group is over, their achievements will always be ed by their fans.
Making their debut with "Energetic," their music encomes a wide range of genres. They were always synchronized with their choreography and pulled each performance off perfectly. They also were included on the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity List in 2018. Some K-pop idols from the group have now moved on to K-dramas.
Pentagon Maker - Pentagon
Pentagon Maker, aired in 2016, was a survival show created by Cube Entertainment. K-pop survival shows usually never last longer than one season, and this was no exception. The group currently consists of nine and has risen to be household names in Korea. They release music with many themes, such as their funny, childlike concept with their debut single "Gorilla" back in 2016, and their more mainstream pop songs such as "Like This."
Their music video for "Shine" has amassed over 162 million views and dominated Korean charts. They currently have 1.69 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.5 on their TikTok page.
YG Treasure Box - Treasure
YG Treasure Box was a survival show produced by YG Entertainment, and it followed the formation of the boy group Treasure. The show aired in 2018 and showed 29 trainees competing to stay. Ahead of their debut, Treasure became the fastest Korean act to chart on the Billboard Social 50, peaking at number 12 on August 4th.
Now, the group consists of 12 and has 6.29 subscribers on its YouTube channel. In 2020, they won the Mnet Award for Best New Male Artist and have won many more awards since. They continue to reach the highest heights in the Korean charts and have even made it to Japan.
Girl's Planet 999 - Kep1er
Girl's Planet 999 was a survival show broadcast on Mnet in August 2021 and ran for 12 episodes. The 12th episode showed the nine final contestants. Even though they have only debuted recently, they have rapidly gained success and fame in the past year and now have 2.23 million YouTube subscribers.
Kep1er's new mini album has sold over 287,000 copies in its first week of release. They have been named one to watch to become the "best girl group of the next generation". One of their first singles, "Wa Da Da," has become one of the most watched music videos of the year. Currently, they have 4.7 million followers on TikTok and counting.
No.Mercy - Monsta X
No. Mercy was a survival show that aired on Mnet in 2014, produced by Starship Entertainment, and it saw the creation of Monsta X. It pitted 13 trainees against each other. The final group consisted of seven and, while now only being six, they have gained immense success since their debut.
After hitting the K-pop scene in May 2015, Monsta X came to meet American fans just three months later with a performance at the 2015 KCON Los Angeles festival. The U.S. has continued to be a priority for the band, who visit at least once a year and have held stateside events every year since 2017. In 2016, they won the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best of Next and currently have 14 awards. Their YouTube and TikTok channels each have over 2 million followers and their music videos reach views of over 40 million.
I-Land - Enhypen
I-Land lead to the creation of the up-and-coming boy group Enhypen, who are immensely popular and managed by the same company as BTS. The show aired in 2020 and saw 23 hopeful trainees compete for a place in the final group. The group now consists of six who were chosen by a public vote and one member by the producer of the series, Big Hit's founder, Bang Si-Hyuk.
Now, the group has had many successful performances with 6.61 million subscribers on YouTube and 12.6 million on TikTok. Since they debuted during Covid, they have always performed online, until now. They have attended events with more than 65,000 fans from over 80 different countries. Even before releasing any music, they amassed over 1 million followers across Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Stray Kids - Stray Kids
Another JYP-created group, Stray Kids, who found each other through the survival show of the same name. Stray Kids, a K-pop survival show created by JYP Entertainment, aired in 2017 and followed the lives of 9 trainees as they competed to stay in the group.
The group now has eight , and they have had numerous successful concerts with millions of fans around the world. They are the fourth most popular K-pop group in Korea, and even have celebrity fans, such as Ryan Reynolds and Hannah Montana actor Jason Earles. Since their debut, they have sured over 10 million subscribers on YouTube and over 13 million on TikTok. Their most viewed music video, "God's Menu," has 330 million views.
Sixteen - Twice
Coming in at number one is the competition survival show Sixteen, responsible for the formation of mega-popular girl group Twice, under JYP Entertainment. Sixteen was a 2015 reality show created by JYP Entertainment and Mnet. The show pulled 16 trainees together who were judged on both their singing and dancing abilities, as well as their charisma and personality.
Twice now have nine and has won numerous awards since its debut, such as the Mnet Asian Music Award for Song Of The Year in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and more recently the Mnet Asian Music Award for Worldwide Fans' Choice Award in 2021. Their YouTube channel currently has over 14 million subscribers and their most viewed music video, TT, has over 618 million views.