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2021 was a year for K-pop nostalgia, as 2PM, 2AM, T-ara and Brave Girls racked up views, awards and appearances and Girls’ Generation members hinted at a comeback
- Older K-pop groups such as 2PM and 2AM had a revival in 2021, despite not having released any music for years. Girls’ Generation members hinted at a new release
- Such groups – they also include T-ara and Brave Girls – belong to K-pop’s second generation, active from around 2007 to 2015
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In 2021, young and recently formed K-pop acts had some of the year’s major hits. The year also saw the return of some older acts, driven by nostalgia.
This interest in music from the past was focused on artists from the so-called second generation of K-pop, active from around 2007 to 2015. Acts who haven’t released music for several years saw songs from several years ago gain renewed attention, giving K-pop in 2021 an odd timelessness.
The nostalgia wave began with Brave Girls’ resurgence in March. Formed in 2011, the girl group never saw much commercial success despite being produced by K-pop hitmaker Brave Brothers and even though songs of theirs received critical acclaim.
Early in 2021, a decade’s worth of effort and line-up changes paid off, and their 2017 single Rollin’ went viral.
With Brave Girls’ career revitalised, they began appearing on television and promoting new songs, and racked up tens of millions of views for their music videos and performances. The group are up for prizes at various South Korean end-of-year award shows.
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