12 K-Pop Groups Debuting in 2022 That Need to Be on Your Radar

Girls On Top bring together some of SM Entertainment's most incredible women artists to create a K-pop supergroup that'll feature various combinations from the agency's roster. The first sub-unit, GOT The Beat, debuted on Jan. 1 with members BoA, Girls' Generation's Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet's Seulgi and Wendy, and aespa's Winter and Karina. After performing their single "Step Back" at SM Entertainment's New Year's Eve concert, SMTOWN LIVE 2022: SMCU EXPRESS@KWANGYA, the group officially released their song on streaming platforms on Jan. 3.

Kep1er is a multinational group that includes nine members from Korea, China, and Japan. After being put together on the Mnet competition show Girls Planet 999, which aired its finale in October 2021, they debuted on Jan. 3 with their EP First Impact, which features their lead single "Wa Da Da." Yujin, Mashiro, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, Youngeun, and Yeseo make up Kep1er, which is named after the German astronomer Johannes Kepler.

H1-KEY is a four-member group made up of Yel, Seoi, Riina, and Sitala that debuted on Jan. 5 with their first single, "Athletic Girl." They're the first K-pop act formed by Grandline Group, which is a subsidiary of the record label Grandline Entertainment.

This year, SM Entertainment will debut a new unit of NCT that will be based in the United States called NCT Hollywood. Its lineup will be determined through the audition program K-Pop Goes Hollywood, which will have 21 eligible members competing for a spot in the group. According to a press release by the agency, existing members of NCT will help mentor the competitors. No premiere date for the show has been revealed yet, however.

According to AllKPop, Big Hit Music is set to debut a new boy group either in the second or third quarter of 2022. Right now, they're going by their predebut name, Trainee A, and their current lineup includes members Inhyuk, Jihoon, Leo, James, Sangwon, and JJ.

JYPn, which is an upcoming girl group from JYP Entertainment, will have seven members: Kyujin, Jiwoo, BAE, Jinni, Sullyoon, Haewon, and Lily. The agency released a teaser for JYPn on Dec. 9 that showed the girls walking with their backs toward the camera. "COMING SOON," the screen read. They're set to debut in 2022, although no official date has been confirmed just yet.

This year, HYBE Labels Japan will broadcast a program called &AUDITION on YouTube that will mark the agency's first phase of its global debut project. According to a press release by HYBE, the goal behind the initiative is to find the "stars of tomorrow." K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki, who are former contestants of the reality competition series I-LAND, are set to appear on the show and debut with the group formed on &AUDITION sometime in 2022.

Soon, P NATION will debut its first-ever boy group, which will be made up of members Eun Hwi, Oh Sungjun, Cheon Jun Hyeok, Woo Kyung Jun, Choi Taehoon, Jang Hyunsoo, and Koki Tanaka. The guys were put together through the survival show LOUD (which was a collaboration between JYP Entertainment's CEO Park Jin-young and P NATION's CEO PSY) and are expected to debut in 2022.

During the LOUD finale, which aired in September 2021, Yoon Min, Amaru, Keiju, Lee Gye Hun, and Lee Dong Hyeon were selected to debut as JYP Entertainment's upcoming boy group, which is rumored to debut in the second half of 2022.

After GFRIEND's unfortunate disbandment in May 2021, fans were happy to hear SinB, Eunha, and Umji would return as the trio VIVIZ. Although the group's debut hasn't been announced, they're set to release music sometime in 2022.

Baby Monster (or BaeMon for short) will mark YG Entertainment's first girl group since Blackpink's debut in August 2016, making them one of the most highly anticipated K-pop acts of 2022. Not much is known about the group yet, however, like which members will be part of its lineup and when they'll debut.

In December 2021, HYBE launched a new label called ADOR (which stands for All Doors One Room) in order to look for talented individuals for its next generation of boy groups and girl groups. Auditions to join the label opened on Dec. 1 and closed on Jan. 10. According to a press release by ADOR, the company first plans to debut a rookie girl group sometime in 2022.