10 Girl Groups Who Tried The Retro Concept And Totally Outdid Themselves

They’re all retro queens!

K-Pop idols are always in pursuit of their next, newest concepts to completely dazzle fans with! They’re always open to trying new concepts, which makes K-Pop super enjoyable! Here are 10 girl groups who tried out the retro concept for a comeback, and paved their own way!

1. Wonder Girls

“Nobody” does the retro-concept better than Wonder Girls! The group has been hailed as the queen of the retro concept ever since their debut in 2007, and have cemented themselves as a top group with a signature retro sound and concept with releases such as “Nobody”, “Tell Me”, “So Hot” and “Why So Lonely”!

 

2. Girls’ Generation

Rather than sticking to one concept, Girls’ Generation have been noted to jump from concept to concept throughout their long career, and have also tried out the retro concept! For their 2010 comeback with “Hoot” and their 2015 comeback with “Lion Heart”, Girls’ Generation embraced a light, retro sound that helped further their long legacy as a top girl group!

 

3. TWICE

For TWICE‘s 2017 comeback with “Signal”, the girls took on wide range of concepts! In the MV, they were aliens who wake up in the middle of a deserted field, and the members were all dressed in retro-inspired outfits that made them look super cute!

 

4. Red Velvet

As a group famous for rocking any concept, Red Velvet has also tried the retro concept, and totally slayed! From “Be Natural” to “Automatic” to “Bad Boy” and “#CookieJar”, the members of Red Velvet have transformed themselves many times over to fit their concepts, and prove that retro is just another concept they can totally own!

 

5. Lee Hyori

Lee Hyori is a well-known and established K-Pop queen, and her songs are always instant hits among the public! In 2013, Lee Hyori released the title track for her fifth full album, “Miss Korea”. “Miss Korea” is described as a retro-jazzy number and was accompanied by a matching retro-themed MV.  The concept and song were a hit, and also spoke volumes of Lee Hyori’s wide-ranging artistry!

 

6. T-ARA

T-ARA are one of the most well-known groups of the 2nd generation of K-Pop, and have many iconic hits to their name! One of them is “Roly-Poly”, released as the title track to their 2011 mini-album titled John Travolta Wannabe. The song is well-noted for its catchy music and chorus, and also for its iconic retro concept!

 

7. MAMAMOO

MAMAMOO as a group have been noted for their retro and jazz-inspired musical styles, and much of their early work has followed the tunes of retro music! “Mr. Ambiguous”, “Don’t Be Happy” and “Aah Oop!” are some of their retro-concept tracks, and show just how talented they are as musicians!

 

8. 9Muses

9Muses is a group that mostly leaned toward sexy concepts, but that didn’t stop them from experimenting! With the release of “Figaro” in 2011, 9Muses put out a fun, funky retro concept that showed their talents and visuals greatly!

 

9. EXID

In 2018, EXID made their long-awaited comeback as a five-member group with “I Love You” which was noted for its slight retro music feel and accompanying retro MV!

 

10. SECRET

SECRET is a group that was extremely notable for their fun concepts! Their 2011 single “Shy Boy” was a single that featured a funky, retro concept, and at the time of its release, became wildly popular, and even gave the group its first win!