The sudden rise in the Korean culture’s popularity is no mere coincidence; in fact, it is all a result of the country promoting it’s talent; most notably through K-Pop and K-Dramas. And one of the most prominent K-Pop acts happens to be Bangtan Sonyeondan, better known as their acronym BTS.

The band has a dedicated and growing fan base all over the world. And they happen to have a lot of fans living in Pakistan as well. So much so that even in our part of the world, BTS have almost become a household name. But while BTS are a K-Pop act, they do not represent all of K-Pop. There are numerous other K-Pop bands and singers which are loved all around the world.

So if you heard a few tunes by BTS, you might be interested in venturing further into the world of K-Pop and here are a few acts you may like:

1. BlackPink

A lot of people consider BlackPink to be the female equivalent of BTS because of their commercial success internationally. The four member girl band is popular for their music as much for their looks and fashion. Their most popular songs include ‘Kill This Love’ and ‘DDU-DU-DDU-DU’.

2. EXO

EXO is a 9-member South Korean–Chinese boy band. Even though one of their lead vocalist by the name of D.O. has recently enlisted in the Korean army to serve for his mandatory military service, the band still has several bops that you can dance to. Stream ‘Monster’ or ‘Call Me Baby’ to get an idea of what their music is like.

3. iKON

The 7-member boy band turned to a 6-member group after the group’s leader Hanbin aka B.I was involved in a drug related scandal which resulted in termination of his contract. The music the 7-members made together will however forever remain iconic. Some of their greatest hits include ‘Killing Me’ and ‘Love Scenario’.

4. Twice

Twice is a 9-member South Korean girl group which is quickly climbing the charts internationally. The group was formed due to a reality show in 2015. And Their song ‘Fancy’ is very popular and a total bop honestly. Apart from that, their song ‘Likey’ is pretty catchy too and you’ll find yourself humming it all day long.

Little fun fact about Twice: one of their members is named Sana.

5. TXT

TXT stands for Tomorrow X Together is considered the little brother band to BTS since they are from the same management company; Big Hit Entertainment. The band debuted earlier this year to massive success and their big brothers from BTS make sure to hype them up every chance they get. Their song ‘Crown’ has gained immense popularity and their song ‘Cat & Dog’ is also a fun listen.

6. KARD

KARD is a 4-member Korean band consisting of two male members and two female members. Yes! Finally a band with both genders! And their songs are very dance worthy. Listen to ‘Bomb Bomb’ and other then that, if you want more listen to ‘Don’t Recall’.

7. Lee Hi

Lee Hi is a female soloist and is very popular in South Korea. She rose to fame after becoming the first runner-up in SBS’ K-Pop Star Season 1. And while she’s a soloist, her songs are amazing and do well on the charts as well. Her song ‘No One’ which features B.I is an especially good listen. And other than that, her song ‘Breathe’ demonstrates the versatility in her voice and style pretty well.

8. GOT7

As their name suggests, GOT7 has seven members and the band is gaining a lot of popularity in the West as well. They recently performed their song Eclipse’s English version for an American television show. While it was great, the Korean version is better, apart from ‘Eclipse’ their song ‘Lullaby’ is a straight up bop as well.

9. Red Velvet

While the group started out with 4-members, a fifth member was subsequently added. They are an all female band and just like their name, their music is also pretty delicious. If you want to get a taste of Red Velvet, listen to ‘Peek-A-Boo’ or ‘Russian Roulette’.

10. SHINee

SHINee is one of the older bands in this line-up having debuted in 2008. And currently several band members are serving their mandatory military service. While currently, the status of the band is in limbo, their music still exists and is honestly amazing. The 5-member band lost a member to apparent suicide in 2017 but carried on as a 4-member group afterwards. One of their all-time hit you should check out is ‘Lucifer’ other than that, one of their latest offering was ‘Countless’ which is completely different from Lucifer but amazing in it’s own right.

11. Monsta X

Monsta X is another ot7 group meaning they consist of 7-members. Their latest hit ‘WHO DO U LOVE’ featuring French Montana is completely in English which is making people argue about whether it qualified as K-Pop but hey it’s still good music by a K-pop band. But if you want a taste of what their more Korean music has to offer, then take  a listen to ‘Shoot Out’.

Did your idols make it to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

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Cover Image Source: kpopmap.com/aminoapps.com