15 must-listen rookie K-pop acts of 2020, from Enhypen to Aespa to Treasure, to keep an eye on

This year has felt a bit like an episode of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror that we’ve all had to collectively live through – but there have been some bright moments in 2020.

The K-pop world, although it has plenty of its own troubles, has remained a stalwart bubble of entertainment and bright moments. Many artists have remained active and have rapidly adjusted to the new norms.

Many of K-pop’s biggest stars made waves with amazing albums and singles, but 2020 was also a very good year for rookie acts. Numerous bands and soloists marked their beginnings with debut releases of outstanding creativity, setting the bar high for a new decade of K-pop rookies.

Here are some rookie K-pop acts to keep an eye on, and must-listen releases.

DKB

This boy band is produced by Brave Entertainment, with production team Brave Brothers guiding their sound. They began their promotions last year, but made their formal debut in February, and released high-quality music throughout the rest of 2020 that has endeared them to fans across the globe.

Debut date: February 3

Must listen: “Love” 

Cignature

This is a seven-member girl group launched by J9 Entertainment, a subsidiary of C9 Entertainment which manages the likes of boy band CIX and singer Younha. Cignature’s seven members brightened up the year with their infectious songs, showing off their skills and charisma through a varied series of releases.

Debut date: February 4

Must listens: Nun Nu Nan Na, Arisong

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MCND

MCND is a five-member boy band under Top Media, which has produced other boy bands Teen Top, 100%, and Up10tion. They are a hip-hop oriented team that has seen a lot of love for their series of releases this year.

Debut date: February 27

Must listens: Ice Age, Bumpin’

Demian

This 26-year-old singer-songwriter has captivated fans with a series of releases, but only made his formal debut this year under Sony Music Korea with his song Cassette – followed by others. Although he’s yet to drop his first album, it’s definitely a highly anticipated one.

Debut date: March 11

Must listens: Yes, Karma 

Ong Seong-wu

If you were a fan of Wanna One or watch K-dramas, you might be familiar with Ong, who launched his solo career as a singer with the release of the album “Layers” in March. The album comprises six expressive and addictive songs that showed the sort of musicality he’s going for as a soloist, and sets him up as a vocalist to keep an eye on.

Debut date: March 25

Must listens: Gravity, Guess Who

Cravity

The latest boy band from Starship Entertainment, known for Monsta X and WJSN, is a nine-member team that has excited with their intense performance style and a pair of mini albums this year.

Debut date: April 14

Must listens: Hot Air Balloon, Ohh Ahh 

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E’Last

E’Last was known as “Eboyz” in their pre-debut days, when they appeared on a variety show of the same name. The eight-member group’s sound may sound familiar to anyone who was a fan of K-pop five or 10 years ago. They’re bringing back more of a straightforward, dramatic electropop sound than is heard in the hip-hop-dominated scene now, resulting in a nice throwback vibe and refreshing feel all around.

Debut date: June 9

Must listens: “Day Dream”, Tears of Chaos

Lucy

This pop-rock quartet previously appeared on the competition show SuperBand in 2019, where they won second place. After some line-up changes, the current line up fronted by vocalist Choi Sang-yeop debuted this year and has rapidly gained a lot of love.

Debut date: May 8

Must listens: Flowering, Jogging

Weeekly

This year may very well go down as the year that spawned a new generation of girl groups. This group’s effervescent, upbeat style has won them hearts and fans across the world – and energised followers, who will listen to Weeekly whatever day of the week it is.

Debut date: June 30

Must listens: Tag Me, Zig Zag

Treasure

Twelve-member Treasure are the first boy band to be produced by YG entertainment in a while. They’ve released a series of singles this year that show their diverse, dance-oriented performance style.

Debut date: August 7

Must listens: I Love You, Mmm

Han Seung-woo

Han is a member of boy band Victon and was part of the short-lived X1, and this year released his first solo album, “Fame”, in August, which showcased his diverse vocal tone. Han excels at creating lush, trap-fronted alt R&B songs that are perfect to blast on the road, late at night after a tough day, when you’re in your feels.

Debut date: August 10

Must listen: “Fame”

Wonho

After parting ways with Monsta X last year, Wonho returned triumphant in the summer as a soloist. He showed his tender side with the ballad Losing You and then made everyone lose it with the alluring Open Mind, showing the world that he has what it takes to stand on his own, in style.

Debut date: August 14

Must listens: Losing You, Open Mind

StayC

This six-member team is produced by K-pop hit makers Black Eyed Pilseung, and their name stands for “Star To a Young Culture”. Though they’ve only released debut single So Bad and the B-side Like This so far, they’re definitely ones to keep an eye on with their impactful performances and sleek pop productions.

Debut date: November 12

Must listens: So Bad, Like This 

Aespa

The first girl group from K-pop juggernaut SM Entertainment in over half a decade, Aespa was touted as a quasi-virtual girl group, featuring four human members and their AI counterparts. Their arrival marked the start of SM Entertainment’s attempt at formalising a roster-wide storytelling universe, similar to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

So far, they’ve only released a single song, Black Mamba, but they’ve already garnered a lot of attention. The song’s music video is expected to have more than 80 million views before the end of the year.

Debut date: November 17

Must listen: Black Mamba 

Enhypen

The first group from Belift Lab, a collaboration between Big Hit Entertainment and CJ ENM, Enhypen is a seven-member team that arrived on the scene in November after appearing in a competition show, I-Land, earlier in the year. One of the most highly anticipated acts of the year.

Debut date: November 30

Must listens: Given-Taken, 10 Months

Which stories mattered most to you in 2020? Find out with our Year In Review 2020 retrospective.