K-pop girl groups are taking over Singapore amid KPop Demon Hunters craze
Benson Ang for The Straits Times
The season of K-pop girl groups is officially upon Singapore.
Not only have fictional trio Huntrix from the hit animated movie KPop Demon Hunters become the first girl group to hit No. 1 on US Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart - for their ubiquitous banger Golden - since America's Destiny's Child almost 25 years ago, but a slew of South Korean all-female acts are also set to perform in Singapore every month until the end of 2025.
Le Sserafim and Stayc lead the charge on Aug 16 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and The Star Theatre respectively.
The 2025 edition of music festival Waterbomb Singapore features five girl groups - 2NE1, Exid, Team Bebe, Jam Republic, and Sorn and Seungyeon, formerly from CLC - at Sentosa's Siloso Beach on Aug 30 and 31.
I-dle will take the stage at the Bubbling & Boiling Music and Arts Festival Singapore at Resorts World Ballroom on Sept 13, while Twice's two-night gig will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Oct 11 and 12.
The monthly K-pop girl group takeover in Singapore culminates in Blackpink's two sold-out concerts at the National Stadium on Nov 29 and 30.
Singaporean polytechnic student Qti Tan cannot wait. The 17-year-old nabbed $308 Cat 2 tickets for Blackpink's Nov 29 show, and is trying her luck for the second date.
In addition, she is hoping for some last-minute luck to attend Le Sserafim's upcoming sold-out gig and wishes to see Twice - tickets to which will be released from Aug 14.
Qti tells The Straits Times: "There are so many girl groups coming, it is hard to choose. I am super excited, and it feels like I'm spoilt for choice, but my wallet is crying."
OTT video-streaming service Viu Singapore, the organiser of Waterbomb Singapore 2025, has noticed a resurgence in the popularity of K-pop girl groups in 2025, says Mr Anson Tan, country head for Viu Singapore.
In his view, a key factor driving this renewed interest is the increased visibility of female idols beyond the music stage.
"Many are now taking on acting and hosting roles, appearing in high-profile dramas and variety shows. This crossover into mainstream entertainment allows audiences to connect with these artistes on a deeper level, sparking fresh engagement and curiosity."
There has been growing viewer interest in content featuring idols turned actresses and hosts, reflecting the evolving appetite of local audiences for multifaceted storytelling within the K-pop universe, Mr Tan notes.
For example, Girls' Generation's Sooyoung starred in the romantic comedy series Second Shot At Love (2025), while Apink's Eunji is the leading lady in the fitness-themed series Pump Up The Healthy Love (2025).
Ive's An Yu-jin has been part of all three seasons of variety show Earth Arcade (2022 to 2025), while Oh My Girl's Arin and I.O.I's Chaeyeon have had lead roles in original productions such as My Girlfriend Is The Man (2025) and Family By Choice (2024), under the Viu Original initiative.
Waterbomb Singapore, which is part of the Viu Scream Dates initiative, is designed to reflect a full spectrum of what excites K-pop fans today, Mr Tan adds.
"Fans of first- and second-generation girl groups can look forward to 2NE1 and Exid, who have helped shape K-pop since its early days.
"Sorn and Seungyeon are a duo that many fans have been looking forward to seeing since their CLC days.
"In addition, Team Bebe and Jam Republic are dance crews and contestants from dance reality show Street Woman Fighter 2 (2023), a programme which has been very popular among Viu audiences. In this way, this year's line-up reflects a sense of nostalgia and that of K-pop's evolution."
K-pop training academy SM Universe (Singapore), which opened its doors at *Scape in June, has also noted that fourth and fifth generations of K-pop girl groups are coming in hot.
The school's marketing director Rachel Lee feels they have always played a crucial role in K-pop, but those among the current wave do not focus solely on visuals or performance. Instead, they have strong concepts, distinct personalities and genre-blending music, which are drawing more fans than before.
"In 2025, girl groups are putting on an extremely strong showing, often rivalling and even surpassing their boy band counterparts in terms of global reach, engagement and digital consumption."
Apart from the improved production quality of their music videos and live performances, more have diverse compositions, allowing them to be more inclusive and relatable.
Take, for example, Los Angeles-based Katseye, who made their debut in 2024 after being formed via the 2023 reality competition series Dream Academy, a collaboration between Hybe Corporation and Geffen Records. They are billed as a "global" girl group, with members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. One member, Megan, is half-Singaporean.
With the release of two EPs - SIS (Soft Is Strong) (2024) and Beautiful Chaos (2025) - that spawned breakthrough viral singles Touch (2024) and Gnarly (2025) and an upcoming concert tour across North America, the sextet's rise reflects K-pop's increasing emphasis on globalness and digital connectivity, says Ms Lee.
"Katseye might not be South Korea-based in the traditional sense, but their success proves the K-pop model is highly adaptable and can be influential far beyond South Korea."
Another phenomenon reflecting the increasing interest in girl groups is the massive success of KPop Demon Hunters, she notes.
The English-language musical flick from Sony Pictures Animation, about K-pop girl group Huntrix who lead double lives as demon hunters, premiered on Netflix on June 20. With more than 158.8 million views in total, it has become Netflix's fourth-most-watched movie of all time - behind action-comedy Red Notice (2021), thriller Carry-On (2024) and sci-fi flick Don't Look Up (2021).
For the week of July 28 to Aug 3, it ranked No. 2 on Netflix's list of Global Top 10 Movies.
The movie's soundtrack is holding at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, while Golden has topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Britain's Official Singles Top 100 charts.
Huntrix's members were reportedly modelled after Itzy, Blackpink and Twice, while 2NE1 also provided an early reference.
Ms Lee says: "There is a growing global appetite for strong, multidimensional female icons, and Huntrix's portrayal as a group with grit, vulnerability and strength taps this desire for more female representation. The show has also ignited more interest in K-pop girl groups, funnelling casual viewers worldwide to invest their attention in real-life ones."
So much so that SM Universe (Singapore), which offers dance and vocal workshops as well as K-pop training programmes, is offering K-pop group vocal classes featuring KPop Demon Hunters' most popular track Golden on Aug 14, 21 and 28.
The classes sold out within a day of being announced, says Ms Lee. She notes that most of the movie's songs are in English, making them more accessible, and are vocally challenging, allowing students to learn new techniques.
In addition, she says the academy's curriculum is constantly updated to reflect emerging trends in the K-pop landscape, including the current girl group craze.
"Our trainers understand the unique demands of girl group performances and are able to hone specific skills that are often essential, from refining feminine lines and movement quality, to building confidence in stage presence and expressiveness.
"Their insights and mentorship help students better understand what it takes to succeed as part of a K-pop girl group today."
SM Universe (Singapore) student Lisa Tan, who loves girl group Aespa and boy bands, enjoyed KPop Demon Hunters tremendously.
The 13-year-old Singaporean says: "I really like the message of teamwork and theme of girl power. It is also so cool that even though the characters are animated, their song Golden managed to top real music charts. It shows how strong the music is."
Having some members of Twice record the single Takedown for the soundtrack brought even more attention to the film. Lisa adds: "It made more people want to check the show out."
Kiss92 DJ Shawnia Seah says KPop Demon Hunters songs such as Golden and Soda Pop - performed by Huntrix's rival boy band Saja Boys - have been added to the local radio station's playlist as listeners have been requesting them.
"Despite being sung by fictional groups, these songs were beating those of real-life K-pop groups like Blackpink and BTS," she says.
"And even if people who watched KPop Demon Hunters don't know actual girl groups, they know the animated characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey. From there, it is just a short leap into actual fandom."
Seah, who hosted a Pop! Off party on Aug 7 at Far East Square's Glass Dome that featured hits from the movie and songs by Katseye, recalls: "It was crazy and so fun. Some attendees came dressed up as Huntrix, and there was a photo booth, slushie bar, claw machine, singalongs and plenty of dancing."
The 24-year-old presenter-host attended Twice's Singapore concert in 2023 and plans to score tickets for Le Sserafim and Blackpink. She says: "K-pop girl groups are literally taking over the world now. I am clearing my schedule to catch as many as I can."
But is the current bonanza simply due to supply rather than demand?
That is the belief of Mr Alan Chan, who produced Singapore's first K-pop girl group Skarf, which were active from 2011 to 2014 and included local actress-singers Tasha Low and Ferlyn Wong.
Girl groups, he reckons, are also much easier to put together than boy bands.
The 62-year-old, now chief executive of Southern IX Media, which oversees music production, artiste management and live event organisation, says: "South Korean men have to serve in the military, so it is difficult to produce a boy band because you have to make sure the guys are available to record a song or hold a concert. The women do not have this problem."
That said, Mr Chan feels there might be oversaturation because of the sheer number of girl groups coming to town. He cites how Le Sserafim's gig on Aug 16 starts at 5pm, while Stayc's begins at 6pm on the same day.
"The clash in timing means that even if fans can afford to attend both shows, they physically cannot. That might be one reason the Stayc concert has not sold out yet."
But for fans, it is a case of the more, the merrier - and the deluge is not stopping diehards from splurging across the board.
Mr Muhd Raimi Kadir, a 32-year-old who would reveal only that he is "doing various jobs and his own business", managed to nab $348 VIP tickets to Le Sserafim and paid $626 for Blackpink.
The Singaporean has also set aside more than $600 for Twice. "Although many girl groups are coming to Singapore, I know what I want, and I plan my finances well."
