Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Molly Raycraft

Here come the girls! All-female K-pop groups conquer Britain

K-pop group Itzy will play a London arena next month.
K-pop group Itzy will play a London arena next month. Photograph: Jun Sato/WireImage

When girl group Blackpink took to the stage in Hyde Park in London last month, they made history as the first ever Korean pop (or K-pop) group to headline a UK festival. Yet, despite the quartet clinching eight official Top 40 UK hits, their appearance at such a big UK event was still viewed with surprise by some. British music snobbery is not short of jibes towards the K-pop industry’s overtly manufactured nature.

Now doubters will have to concede that the juggernaut of K-pop music is not showing any signs of slowing. And this year it’s all about the girls.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.