21 Underrated K-Pop Acts To Support In 2021

The time has come; 2020 is finally ending. As the year comes to an, end in which K-Pop fans have been blessed with plenty of new music, we cannot help but look forward to what this new year 2021 will bring to fans of the genre. It will hopefully just get better, and we, here at The Honey POP, are hoping to see some of our favorite underrated acts flourish in 2021. As we see great potential in the following acts, we hope you will give them your support in the new year!

WEEEKLY

WEEEKLY is absolutely slaying the rookie girl group game; they are PLAY M’s first girl group after APINK. The girl group’s album sales are absolutely amazing, and they are the girl rookies to watch in 2021. We would be lying if we said we haven’t been bopping to their music since their debut. WEEEKLY debuted in June with their first mini-album We Are and title song ‘Tag Me (@Me)’ and has not stopped delivering ever since. They have already released a second mini-album, We Can, with title song ‘Zig Zag’ and have proven they are here to stay. Their music video views have proven to be very successful. So, we think this group will step into APINK’s footsteps and be here for a long time! They sure have the potential.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Universe,’ ‘Reality,’ ‘Unnie,’ ‘My Earth.’

TOO

TOO is well on their way to becoming amazing rookies! The group was formed through Mnet’s survival show To Be World Klass and debuted as a 10-member group in March 2020 with their first mini-album REASONS FOR BEING: Benevolence with title track ‘Magnolia,’ blowing fans away with their performance. When they came back during the summer with their follow up mim-album, Running TOOgether, they solidified their potential. ‘Count 1,2’ truly showcases their strengths and made fans hopeful for their future. The rookie group also proved how good of performers they are on Mnet’s Road To Kingdom. TOO competed alongside long-debuted idol groups after just debuting, and they didn’t fall short of amazing! 

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Step by Step,’ ‘Dancing In The Moonlight,’ ‘Take It Slow.’

Secret Number

Secret Number is a five-member group that debuted under Vine Entertainment in May 2020, and they are already making waves! The girl group debuted onto the K-Pop scene with ‘Who dis?’ and their music video already has 33 million views. This already shows the group’s potential and what the future awaits them. Their second lead single, ‘Got That Boom,’ released in November 2020 also does not disappoint. Secret Number has members from all over the world (Indonesia, America, and Japan), and this might be why the group is so internationally appealing. We see this group blowing up much more during the new year and hope you will give them your support!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Got That Boom,’ ‘Privacy,’ ‘Who dis?’

LUCY

You might know the group LUCY if you watched JTBC’s SuperBand, since all the members participated in the show. The band debuted in May 2020 and consists of four members. They are a unique boy band that features not only a drummer, bassist and guitarist but also a violinist, which gives them an advantage in the K-Pop scene. We have seen many bands during our time of being K-Pop fans, but a violinist is entirely unique and gives the group a rather unique sound. The group has already scored two OST’s for major network K-drama’s and their songs are rather catchy. We think this group really deserves your support!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Flowering,’ ‘Watermelon,’ ‘Flare,’ ‘Run To You.’

StayC

StayC are brand new freshly born idols. They debuted in November 2020 and have blown fans away with their single ‘So Bad.’ We believe Black Eyed Pilseung is working their magic in the song’s music production. ‘So Bad’ and StayC is a song and girl group we didn’t see coming, and we are absolutely excited to see what the future holds for these six girls. We hope it will go well for them and as we wait for more music alongside their fans, let’s support these girls!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘So Bad,’ ‘ Like This.’

A.C.E

A.C.E has been on our radar for quite a while now, and we hope 2021 will bring their big breakthrough. Sadly, the boy group is suffering from a somewhat irregular release schedule, but the music A.C.E has delivered to CHOICE throughout the years slaps. The boys blew fans away this year with their release of ‘Goblin’ and pre-release single ‘Stand By You,’ which show off their different strengths. One is a K-Pop feast for the eyes and ears as ‘Goblin’ has a very strong performance, and ‘Stand By You’ shows off the group’s amazing vocal tones and skills. The group has already toured the world and held their first Korean concert! We hope they will keep on going this steadily and finally get their big break in 2021!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Stand By You,’ ‘Callin,’ ‘Baby Tonight,’ ‘Under Cover.’

Cravity

Cravity is the first new boy group Starship Entertainment has debuted after Monsta X, and their potential is really promising. They debuted with a strong first mini-album, HIDEOUT: REMEMBER WHO WE ARE and retro debut song ‘Break All The Rules’ in April. Since then, the group has continued to deliver solid music. Their follow-up mini-album HIDEOUT: THE NEW DAY WE STEP INTO dropped in August and didn’t disappoint either. Now, the rookies are already gearing up for their third comeback in January. The group has a solid and versatile discography so far, and former members of the project group X1 helped to stir a certain amount of hype around this group. Their b-sides have to be some of the best, which is also a tradition for label-mates Monsta X. Cravity is very high on our support list for 2021, and we hope to see them take off.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Hot Air Balloon,’ ‘Sunrise,’ ‘Cloud9,’ ‘Jumper.’

ONEWE

ONEWE is another K-Pop band, and they released their first full album ONE in 2020. The group is the brother group of label-mate ONEUS and debuted the same day with ‘Regulus.’ They dropped one of the best songs of 2020, ‘End Of Spring,’ which is the lead single of ONE, in May. The band consists of five members, one of which is the twin brother of ONEUS’ Xion. We really think this group has great potential as they have been together for years before signing with RBW Entertainment. CyA, the group’s bassist, is the brain behind most of ONEWE’s songs, and we hope you support them.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Regulus,’ ‘About Her, ‘Trauma(Aquarium),’ ‘Q.’

ONEUS

As mentioned before, ONEUS is the brother group to ONEWE and debuted the same day with lead single ‘Twilight’ off of the mini-album Raise Us. The group has had a great year and showed off their talent while participating in Mnet’s Road To Kingdom. They showed old and new fans that they are terrific at live performances. We hope they have gained new fans as their mega-hit ‘LIT’ is still keeping TOMOONs alive and breathing to this day. Sadly, the group is still not appreciated enough among K-Pop fans, which should change in 2021. The six-member group consists of all-rounder idols and deserves much more support!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘LIT,’ ‘Blue Sky,’ ‘A Song Written Easily,’ ‘Airplane.’

BAE173

MBK Entertainment gave fans of X1 and duo H&D a present towards the end of this year by debuting Hangyul and Dohyon in a new boy group, BAE173. The group debuted with refreshing single ‘Crush On U’ and left fans with a huge smile on their faces. The entire album is strong and promises huge potential. Their album sales are also steady, and we hope that 2021 will be kind to them. This group is very under the radar for most K-Pop fans, but we think they deserve your support in 2021.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Crush On U,’ ‘Fly.’

WOODZ

WOODZ has proven this year how versatile he is. Cho Seungyeon (WOODZ’s real name) first debuted in the Chinese/Korean group UNIQ under Yuehua Entertainment in 2014. He then went on to pursue a solo career under stage names Luizy and WOODZ and participated in Produce X 101 in 2019, later debuting as part of X1. This year, after X1’s untimely disbandment, he returned to fans as WOODZ and released two stellar albums, EQUAL and WHOOPS!. Each song on these albums follows a different genre and shows the artist’s versatility as he can sing, rap, and dance. The idol also has his own production studio and writes most of his music. Our 2021 hopes are really high for this solo artist!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘BUMP BUMP,’ ‘Accident,’ ‘BUCK,’ ‘Recipe,’ ‘Pool.’

Victon

Victon is Play M’s only boy group and has had a rollercoaster of a career. The group faced a rather long hiatus after their comeback with ‘Time of Sorrow’ in 2018. To save their group, then-leader Seungwoo and member Byungchan participated in Mnet’s Produce X 101, which lead to Seungwoo debuting in X1. Following Byungchan’s return to the group, Victon came back with ‘Nostalgic Night’ in Fall 2019 and has continued to release amazing music since then. Member Seungwoo even debuted as a solo artist this year! Victon has grown immensely in their popularity and are now getting music show wins. We think this is just the start for this group, and 2021 will most definitely be their year! 

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Nostalgic Night,’ ‘Petal,’ ‘Light,’ ‘Hands Up.’

VERIVERY

VERIVERY was one of the youngest groups to participate in Mnet’s Road To Kingdom this year, and they certainly caught our attention. The young group is known for having sharp, synchronized choreography, and RTK certainly proved this. VERIVERY is following their company senior VIXX’s tradition of having amazing concepts each comeback, and we hope Kangmin will be saved eventually! We can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for this group; they really had a phenomenal 2020.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Lay Back,’ ‘Get Outta My Way,’ ‘Thunder,’ ‘My Beauty.’

WEKI MEKI

WEKI MEKI or WEME is a very underrated girl group under Fantagio Entertainment and demands your support immediately. The girls have given fans summer bop after summer bop these past years. WEME is also the home to former I.O.I members and has a unique, distinguishable sound when it comes to their discography. Their latest single ‘Cool’ has been stuck in our heads since the day it dropped. The group switches up their concept every time, and their big break is bound to happen; ‘Picky Picky’ certainly came close!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Neverland,’ ‘Cool,’ ‘Moya Moya,’ ‘My World.’

WEi

WEi debuted with a title song produced by none other than Pentagon’s Hui. ‘Twilight’ gave fans everything that is to be expected from a K-Pop boy group of the fourth generation, and their album sales and music video views showed that they are not here to play. WEi unites former members of JBJ, X1, and 1THE9 and started off with a solid fanbase. Oui Entertainment has done a great job at promoting the group, and we think that with Yohan’s acting career about to kick off, WEi will have a big 2021. We can’t wait to hear what other sounds this group will bring to fans; they certainly have many great performers in the group.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Twilight,’ ‘Fuze.’

ASTRO

Cha Eunwoo is one of the hottest idol-actors out there at the moment, especially with True Beauty doing incredibly well in ratings. But did you know he is part of an idol group called ASTRO? ASTRO is under Fantagio Entertainment and has been steadily growing in popularity. They used to promote with a refreshing concept and only switched to an edgy, dark boy group concept last year. They have already gotten their first music show win, but still, people don’t seem to appreciate their talent enough. ASTRO has already debuted their first sub-unit with members Moonbin and Sanha, and all members have been prospering individually. Still, we really hope they will get their big moment in 2021 as a group.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Blue Flame,’ ‘When You Call My Name,’ ‘No, I Don’t..,’ ‘Always You.’

CIX

Did someone ask for EXO’s little brother group? If so, we think CIX is exactly what you are looking for. Here at The Honey POP, we miss EXO a lot since the start of their hiatus and think CIX will get EXO-Ls through it. CIX debuted with well-known members Jinyoung of Wanna One and BX and Seunghun from YG’s Treasure Box as part of its line-up. Therefore, the group was highly anticipated in the summer of 2019, and they delivered great music right off the bat. ‘What You Wanted’ could easily be an EXO b-side song. CIX also has a solid Japanese discography, and we are hopeful for their future as their latest comeback, ‘Jungle’, had FIX shook with its musical diversity. 

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Rebel,’ ‘Revival,’ ‘Imagine,’ ‘The One.’

KARD

KARD is a co-ed group and consists of four members, two male and two female. The group is rather successful internationally, especially in Latin America, but seems to still be flying under the radar in Korea. KARD has a fascinating concept, and their music has, due to being able to use female and male tones, a unique sound and perspective to it. Member BM has started to produce for the group, and might we say, he makes them bops. Currently, member J.Seph is serving in the military, so we are unsure what that means in terms of group activity this upcoming year. Regardless, KARD still needs your support as we think we will get a lot of content from the group’s individual members in 2021. We are expecting a BM solo and maybe a Jiwoo and Soomin sub-unit. The possibilities are endless!

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Dímelo,’ ‘You in Me,’ ‘Red Moon.’

DRIPPIN

DRIPPIN only debuted in October of 2020, but they are already promising rookies. The group debuted under Woollim Entertainment and is also the new home to former X1 member Cha Junho. The group’s musical potential with their first mini-album Boyager is undeniable. The title song ‘Nostalgia’ combines old second-gen K-Pop sounds with modern trends and makes it catchy. The entire album has promising b-side tracks and gets the fans excited for more. Woollim knows how to build up excitement, and they have caught our attention, that’s for sure. We think DRIPPIN will keep on delivering solid music, and we can’t wait to support them in 2021 as well.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Overdrive’,’ ‘Shine,’ ‘Light.’

ONF

ONF is still criminally underrated when it comes to their music. The group participated in Mnet’s Road To Kingdom and even placed second during the final line-up. But they still seem to not be on everyone’s radar. The group is under WM Entertainment and has been releasing amazing music and bops since their debut. The members are heavily involved in the production of their music, and they have quite a unique sound. Their re-imaged version of SHINee’s ‘Everybody’ on RTK left fans shook, and we are starving for more. They followed up their success on the show with a comeback, releasing the bop ‘Sukhumvit Swimming.’ However, ONF still doesn’t have a music show win to their name. We hope to see them succeed in 2021 and hope for your support as they are incredibly talented.

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘Why,’ ‘Moscow Moscow,’ ‘Complete.’

Golden Child

Golden Child is the second group under Woollim Entertainment on this list! The 10-member group is full of potential and talent, and they are starting to get the attention they deserve finally. The group delivered three amazing comebacks in 2020, two of which were dark concepts and the third ‘Pump It Up,’ taking them back to their refreshing roots. GolCha has had an amazing year, and we hope this streak continues in 2021. The group was sadly the first to be eliminated on Road To Kingdom, but they still had a chance to show off their talents. We think this is just the beginning for this group and encourage you to support and love them in 2021. 

Songs we recommend to listen to: ‘OMG,’ ‘Lean On Me,’ ‘Lady.’

Of course, there are many more K-Pop acts that will blossom in 2021 and we hope to not only see just these acts outdo in the upcoming year! Which K-Pop artists do you think need more support in 2021? Did we name your favorite? Let us know by commenting below, tweeting us at @TheHoneyPOP, or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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