Which Kpop Girl Group Has the Best Debut?
I will be Ranking 20 Girl Group Debut Songs.
Note: All of this is my personal opinion. We all get impacted by songs differently. I know a lot of my rankings will be unpopular (I have bad taste) but that is why variety exist :).
Twice - "Like Ooh-Ahh" This doesn't feel like a Twice title track to me. I personally think Twice can't pull off the girl crush concept. This debut wasn't memorable.
Loona - "Hi High" Very plain—it exists. Compared to their later comebacks, this song wasn’t all that. I don’t care if anyone agrees, but Loona’s pre-debut million-dollar project was one of the most useless promotion strategies in K-pop. I will never understand how it was approved.
KIOF - "Shhh" An okay song, but again, it didn’t leave a lasting impact.
Babymonster - "Sheesh" How do you mess up a song this badly? After having "Boombayah" and "Whistle" as debut songs, this feels like a missed opportunity. The girls had a year-long promotion with their pre-debut evaluations, leaving high expectations. I did enjoy the song and think it's catchy, but it's definitely not a good debut.
Meovv What was Teddy Park thinking when he released this? The MV and song feel so low-budget and unfinished. The only good thing is the dance.
Kep1er - "Wa Da Da" I liked their concept, but the chorus is annoying as hell.
Nmixx - "O.O" Mixxpop is not my thing. I used to hate this song, especially the second half, but it grew on me. The choreography is such a treat to watch.
Babymonster - "Batterup" This is going to be unpopular, but I actually liked this song. The concept was creative to me, and I loved the baseball-inspired dance in the chorus. Still, it’s wasted potential considering the hype that evaporated with this song.
Red Velvet - "Ice Cream Cake" "Happiness" was so much better. I didn’t like the concept or the MV, and the choreography is boring. The only thing I loved about the song is the chorus.
STAYC - "So Bad" There’s nothing bad about it, but nothing extraordinary either. A great song with great dance.
(G)I-DLE - "Latata" A decent debut. A great track to introduce the group.
Le Sserafim Fearless A catchy track, and the girls perfectly embodied the concept.
IZ*ONE - "La Vie en Rose" The only reason this isn't ranked higher is because the chorus ticks me off a bit.
ITZY Forever 4th-gen leaders in my heart. Teen crush was popularized by them. The song sounds so fresh.
Everglow - "Bon Bon Chocolat" Back then, I thought they would lead the 4th generation. Good times. The excessive use of autotune sounds so good here—it’s very addicting.
Aespa - "Black Mamba" To this day, I love how they keep their unique concept. The pre-chorus is the reason this song ranks so high. Once again, SM proves they have the best bridges.
ILLIT - "Magnetic" Everything about this was perfect—the dance, the concept. It’s dreamy and endearing, especially the bridge
Red Velvet - "Happiness" Best bridge of all time. The video was also chaotic and fun.
Blackpink - "Boombayah" No words. Queens of the girl crush concept for a reason. They’re effortlessly cool.
SNSD - "Into the New World" I’m not usually into 2nd-gen groups, but this song blew me away. It’s a legendary debut. I feel like I could start a revolution or something.
IVE - "Eleven" I absolutely love their elegant concept. There are so many killing parts—Wonyoung’s lines, the slowed-down parts, and the intro.
NewJeans - "Attention" I’m not even a fan, but damn, they killed it. Their concept is just perfect for them—fun, bouncy choreography, and nostalgic songs. Best 4th-gen girl group.
Blackpink - "Whistle" I know I’m biased, considering BP are my ults, but I can’t describe my love for this song. The visuals, the choreography, the bridge—everything. Jennie sounds amazing, and Jisoo’s intro ("Hey boy") is just iconic. I wish their later songs could have continued with this concept.
What are your most favorite and least favorite debuts?