Before I take a look at K-pop’s established artists, it’s time to spotlight this year’s fresh crop of talent!

While 2022 was stuffed with girl group debuts, 2023 was dominated by boy groups. The ratio itself is pretty staggering, and much of this is likely due to the various spin-offs from MNET’s Boys Planet series. As usual, this countdown is a tricky one to rank. Do you simply look at this year in music, or do you account for an act’s potential in the future? And, how do you compare a group who debuted in January with one that just arrived in the past few weeks? My criteria ends up being a mix of several factors, resulting in some flip-flopping between ranks. To be honest, I’m still not sure which of my top two deserves the number one spot.

Unlike my Top 50 countdown, any group who debuted in this calendar year is eligible. Before I break down my picks, here are a few honorable mentions:

Babymonster (through sheer potential alone, I guess…)
BXB
Catch The Young
Kiss Of Life
LUN8
POW

Click for last year’s rookie countdown

2023 Year-End Masterpost

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10. 8TURN

I only loved one or two tracks from this rookie group, but I find their energy endearing and I’m eager to see where they go next. They’ve got some kinks to work out when it comes to their sonic identity, but the talent is definitely there.

Singles released: Tic Tac, Excel

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9. TripleS

TripleS feel like an especially tricky group to rank because they’re made up of so many sub-units. The TripleS brand released the most music of all this year’s rookies (including some pre-debut stuff in 2022). I enjoyed a lot of it, but I couldn’t justify placing them higher because I didn’t think they had one clear standout song or album.

Singles released: Rising, Cherry Talk, Touch+, Girls’ Capitalism, Invincible

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8. BOYNEXTDOOR

So far, I enjoy BOYNEXTDOOR as a concept more than their actual music, but I’m gradually coming around to their youthful pop/rock sound. If they can find stronger material, they could easily leapfrog up my list. I’m rooting for them!

Singles released: But I Like You, One And Only, Serenade, But Sometimes

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7. n.SSign

n.SSign already have a sizable fan base thanks to support in Japan, but I’m not quite sure where their musical allegiances lie. Pre-debut tracks Higher and Salty were a ton of fun, but their actual debut landed with a thud. However, they enlisted producers Sweetune for a b-side, which proves their agency has good taste!

Singles released: Salty, Higher, Wormhole: New Track, New Star

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6. LIMELIGHT

Limelight didn’t make a ton of waves this year, but I find their vocal-focused pop sound quite intoxicating. Without too much music under their belt, it’s hard to know where they’ll go from here. As long as they keep delivering shimmering tracks like Madeleine, I’ll remain a big fan.

Singles released: Honestly, Madeleine

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5. XIKERS

Xikers released some of my favorite and least favorite songs of the year, putting them in an awkward position. But when they hit, they hit big. They got the strongest material from the Edenary production team this year and their rambunctious energy is a ton of fun.

Singles released: Tricky House, Rockstar, Do Or Die, Homeboy

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4. AMPERS&ONE

This is a tricky one because AMPERS&ONE have only been around for a few weeks. However, their bright sound and energy appeal to my taste. As long as they stick with that and don’t cave into the typical boy group arc of constantly changing concepts, we’ll be in a good place. I predict we have at least another year of upbeat, youthful pop ahead of us.

Singles released: On And On

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3. ZEROBASEONE

I’m not usually enthralled with acts coming from MNET survival shows, but ZEROBASEONE feel more like a traditional idol group with a signature sound that makes their output feel consistent. Their discography so far has been a mixed bag, but I’m encouraged by the songs’ focus on vocals and melody. They have plenty of fan support behind them, so whatever they end up releasing in the future will be a success. I just hope the music continues to be good.

Singles released: In Bloom, Crush, Melting Point

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2. RIIZE

For what they may achieve in the future, RIIZE may deserve a spot on the top of this list. After all, the prospect of a new SM Entertainment boy group disentangled from the vast NCT brand is thrilling. And, their double-whammy debut gives me plenty of hope for their future. Follow-up Talk Saxy dulled that enthusiasm a bit, though the song did grow on me. And, the yet-to-be-released dance track Siren makes me worry the agency may fall into played-out NCT sounds eventually. But if RIIZE can stick with the bright, funky sound of Get A Guitar for awhile longer, they could be a new force to be reckoned with. I only hope they’ll have member Seunghan alongside them.

Singles released: Memories, Get A Guitar, Talk Saxy

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1. THE WIND

The Wind were on top of my list all the way until last week when it was announced that main vocal/leader Jaewon would be leaving the group. Member departures are always sad, but Jaewon’s vocals were my absolute favorite thing about this group. There’s no way The Wind will sound the same without him, making the future feel quite uncertain. Because of this, I considered placing them at number two.

However, this feature is the top ten rookies of 2023, and if I’m looking solely at the material released this year, The Wind had my favorite output. At only six songs, they didn’t release a ton of music — but those six songs hold together as their own little musical universe, unveiling a consistent sound and some of 2023’s most enduring melodies. I don’t know how 2024 will shape up for them, but I’m so happy The Wind were with us this year.

Singles released: Island, Summer Vacation, We Go