K-Pop Industry To Witness Fierce Chart Battle Among Girl Groups Le Sserafim, aespa, And (G)I-dle In May

This month, the Korean music industry will witness a fierce competition among popular girl groups like Le Sserafim, aespa, and (G)I-dle who are making a comeback with new albums. This competition is expected to be particularly challenging as these groups aim to top the domestic music charts.

Le Sserafim, one of the three girl groups, has released their first full-length album titled "Unforgiven" on Monday, coinciding with their first anniversary since their debut. They are the first group to compete for the top spot in the music charts among the three returning groups, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Also read: aespa Releases Music Video For Pre-Release Track 'Welcome To MY World'

Earlier on Monday, during a media showcase held in Seoul, the members of the band had expressed that the message that underlies their first full-length album, "Unforgiven," is their resolution to create their own destiny and not let external opinions hold them back.

Upon its release, the lead single from Unforgiven debuted at the third position on the Top 100 chart of Melon, South Korea's biggest music streaming platform. As of Thursday, the first and second places on the chart were occupied by "I Am" and "Kitsch" by Ive, one of the leaders in the fourth-generation girl group trend.

Female artists dominated six out of the top 10 songs on the music chart, including those from Ive, Le Sserafim, Jisoo of BLACKPINK, and NewJeans. SM Entertainment's girl group aespa, famous for their "metaverse" concept, will be releasing their third EP "My World" on Monday, which includes six tracks. The album features the lead song "Spicy," which showcases the group's youthful energy, as well as the chic and dreamy pop track "I'm Unhappy."

SM Entertainment stated that the upcoming album of aespa signifies the start of the second season of their fictional world. As the pre-orders of "My World" have exceeded 1.5 million copies, it is anticipated to be a million-selling album.

One week after aespa's release, (G)I-dle will drop its sixth EP "I Feel". The group has already established its status as a prominent girl group with its back-to-back hit tracks "Tomboy" and "Nxde" last year. According to their agency Cube Entertainment, the upcoming EP will feature six songs, including "Queencard," "Lucid" and "All Night."

It is worth noting that the recent releases of Le Sserafim, aespa, (G)I-dle and Ive do not focus on love stories. Le Sserafim's "Unforgiven" conveys a message of perseverance in difficult situations, while aespa's "Spicy" is rumoured to capture the team's free-spirited energy. Similarly, (G)I-dle's upcoming EP "I Feel" is anticipated to steer away from typical love stories.