The Surprising Reason Why K-Pop Group Names Are So Long These Days

For decades, K-Pop idol groups have preferred short, punchy names that pop off the tongue and stick in your memory. Think of iconic groups like Red Velvet, TWICE, or EXO, and you’ll see a pattern. These names are typically comprised of 2 to 4 syllables, chosen with the strategy of creating a catchy and easily memorable handle for the public.

Red Velvet | SM Entertainment

Following the same footsteps, 4th generation girl groups like Aespa, IVE, NewJeans, NMIXX, and Kep1er continued to uphold this tradition. With their compact and creative group names, these bands have ensured that their identity is concise and catchy, helping them to stand out amidst the ever-growing sea of K-pop talent.

NewJeans | ADOR

However, in recent times, fans might have started noticing a shift in the naming trends. It seems like K-Pop group names are slowly but surely getting longer. The latest additions to the K-Pop landscape, HYBE‘s newest boy group BOYNEXTDOOR (보이넥스트도어), YG Entertainment‘s upcoming girl group BABYMONSTER (베이비몬스터), and Mnet‘s new survival show boy group ZEROBASEONE (제로베이스원) are prime examples.

ZEROBASEONE | Mnet

For fans, this deviation from the shorter group names to longer ones may have been surprising, raising the question – Why the sudden change?

BABYMONSTER | YG Entertainment

To quench this curiosity, an industry insider spilled the beans about this intriguing trend. They revealed that the growing number of idol groups has created a struggle for companies to find new names for their groups. According to the insider, longer names help create a unique identity for each group, distinguishing them from the rest.

With the continuously growing number of idol groups, it has become more challenging to find new names. To avoid similar names, they started using long names composed of multiple words.

— Industy Insider

BOYNEXTDOOR | KOZ Entertainment

But what about the memorability factor, you may ask? Doesn’t a longer name make it harder for fans to remember? The insider had an answer for that too. “They try to compensate for the drawback of long names by establishing abbreviations.” These abbreviations become a key part of the group’s identity and are promoted heavily. Thus, this creates a balance between uniqueness and memorability.

HYBE’s Tomorrow X Together mostly goes by the abbreviation of their name TXT. | GQ

So, there you have it! In the ever-evolving world of K-Pop, longer group names are not just a trend but a strategic move to ensure each group’s unique place under the bright lights of the industry. It’s yet another fascinating aspect of the K-Pop industry, keeping fans on their toes, always ready for the next big surprise.