5 Iconic 5th-Gen K-Pop Girl Crush Anthems Celebrating Women’s Empowerment

K-Pop girl groups often showcase different concepts ranging from cute and youthful to mature and chic. Out of all these concepts, girl crush has been one of the major ones widely adopted by girl groups since the 2nd gen era. ‘Girl crush’ refers to a concept that demonstrates confidence and female empowerment, which is often presented in the forms of rebellious images, powerful music style and choreography, and assertive lyrics. 2NE1 is widely regarded as the first prominent K-Pop girl group that adopted girl crush as the group’s core concept, and since then many K-Pop girl groups such as BLACKPINK, (G)I-DLE, and EVERGLOW also presented girl crush image. Other pure concept girl groups like Red Velvet, TWICE and Apink also incorporated girl crush in some of their releases. 

Throughout the years, concepts of K-Pop girl groups have become increasingly diverse. However, girl crush has remained one of the most popular concepts widely adored by K-Pop fans globally until today because it portrays female idols as brave and charismatic figures that many female fans aspire to become, which captivates them and brings them comfort and encouragement. Recently, many 5th gen girls groups are also adopting the girl crush concept, capturing K-Pop fans’ hearts with their confident and powerful image. Here are 5 girl crush songs from 5 promising 5th-gen girl groups that showcase the beauty of rookie girl power in different styles! 

1. ‘XXL’ by YOUNG POSSE

‘XXL’ is an upbeat hip-hop track that draws inspiration from the 90s hip-hop style from the Seo Taiji & Boys era. YOUNG POSSE showcased their impressive rap skills and confidence unmatched by their young age by rapping over the bold lyrics that declare the group’s ambition to go ‘extra large’ and make big waves. The group also presents a hip-hop street image through their stylings as they wore oversized hoodies, gold chains, and grillz in the music video and live performances, demonstrating a chic girl crush image. 

2. ‘Bad News’ by KISS OF LIFE

‘Bad News’ is a dance-pop that gives out a groovy and laid-back vibe, showcasing a more mature and cool side of KISS OF LIFE. The song tells the world that KISS OF LIFE is ready to surprise everyone with their charisma wherever they go as everything they do is different from the others, boldly proclaiming themselves as the ‘realest queen’. The song highlights the group’s daring attitude of standing out from the crowd, and the dynamic guitar bass adds playful energy to the song, making it a refreshing girl crush track. 

3. ‘DRIP’ by BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER proves that they are truly baby monsters with great ambition and dazzling aura with ‘DRIP’. The song is a hip-hop EDM track that expresses the group’s passion for performing on stage and ambition to show the world their true colors. The members dancing to the powerful choreography along the catchy beats is truly addictive and captivating, and the song also brings out the individual colors of each member. Asa’s rhythmic and mischievous rap and Ahyeon’s 3-level high notes at the bridge accentuate the impact of the song and always give fans goosebumps!

4. ‘Girls Never Die’ by tripleS

Unlike conventional girl crush songs that have intense and powerful beats, tripleS interprets girl crush in their unique style through ‘Girls Never Die’. While the melody is on the softer side, the lyrics deliver an empowering message of rising up again after setbacks and never giving up on pursuing one’s dreams, celebrating resilience and confidence of the girls. What is particularly special about the song is that it is the first song that all 24 members of tripleS performed together as a full group, and the whole group dancing to the dynamic choreography in absolute synchronization makes the performance even more powerful and is truly satisfying to watch! 

5. ‘BADVILLAIN’ by BADVILLAIN

BADVILLAIN made a bold debut into the K-Pop world with a dark concept trap dance track ‘BADVILLAIN’ last June. The song demonstrates the rebellious image of the group as the members sing their bold attitude of embracing their true selves and determination to break the old system and bring new changes. The piano and string instrumentals of the song create a dramatic atmosphere and pour extra energy into the upbeat music. In addition, since many of the members were professional dancers before debuting as idols, they pulled off the sophisticated and intense choreography perfectly, and their sharp dance moves make the live performances very powerful and captivating. 

Which of the above songs is your favorite, and are there any other girl crush songs from 5th gen girl groups that you are having on repeat? Let us know in the comments!