From EXID to Le Sserafim, K-pop welcomes back old and new girl groups this fall

This fall is going to brim with girl groups, with a barrel of female acts, both old and new, set to return in the coming months.

First among the comeback rush is EXID, which will drop a new EP “X” on Sept. 29.

Earlier this month, EXID members announced they will be making a surprise comeback this month in celebration of its debut 10th anniversary with a new album. They explained “X” stands for number ten in Greek and one of the letters of the group’s name.

The EP will consist of three new tracks: the lead track “Fire,” a fan song for its fandom, Leggo, and a self-written song from member LE.

This will mark the first full-group comeback from the five-piece in over three years since the release of its fifth EP “We” in May 2019. EXID first debuted in 2012 and gained popularity in 2014 with “Up & Down” going viral on the online. The members parted ways in 2020 after the group’s contract with agency Banana Culture ended in 2020, and the members have been focusing on their solo careers since.

EXID’s new album “X” is set to drop under Sony Music Korea.

Another so-called second generation girl group to make a long-awaited comeback is Kara, which is set to return in November. The second generation includes groups that debuted between mid-2000s until early 2010s.

Kara’s agency RBW on Monday announced the band is breaking its seven-year hiatus with an album celebrating its 15th anniversary. This will be the act’s first release since dropping its seventh EP “In Love” in May 2015.

All five members, Nicole, Ji-young, Gyu-ri, Seung-yeon and Young-ji, will be taking part in the new project, and RBW added the girls are also set to appear on various TV programs together.

Kara debuted in March 2007 and instantly shot to stardom in Korea and Japan. In 2013, it became the first K-pop girl group to stage a concert at Tokyo Dome, Japan’s largest concert venue.

October will see the tension tighten, with the more recent chart-toppers all gearing up for comeback then.

On Oct. 17, (G) I-dle is set to comeback with its new EP, “I Love.”

This marks the group’s return to the music scene in seven months since it made a grand return with its first LP “I Never Die” in March. While the group was returning in over a year and had lost a member in the meanwhile, “I Never Die” and its lead single “Tomboy” successfully brought the girls back into the spotlight, topping global charts and renewing the act’s own records.

Set to vie against (G) I-dle is a fresh-out rookie, Le Sserafim, who is set to make their first-ever comeback on the same day.

The act’s agency Source Music on Monday announced Le Sserafim will drop its second EP “Antifragile,” which “embodies the attitude and the innermost stories of Le Sserafim that became stronger from overcoming hardships.”

Le Sserafim debuted under Source Music, an affiliate of Hybe Labels, in May with its first EP “Fearless.” As the first all-female group from Hybe, its debut was met by a heated attention and “Fearless” racked up the highest opening-week sales by a girl group debut album.

The upcoming EP will also mark the first album from Le Sserafim after it repositioned into a quintet. In July, Source Music announced its termination of contract with Kim Ga-ram and her removal from Le Sserafim after she was involved in rumors of school bullying.