As gender boundaries blur, K-pop experiments beyond traditional boy-girl group formulas

For years, K-pop’s image-building playbook relied heavily on gendered archetypes. Boy groups were often associated with powerful, masculine concepts, while girl groups were expected to emphasize beauty, elegance, femininity or cuteness. That formula, however, appears to be evolving. As audiences become increasingly receptive to gender-fluid fashion and self-expression, a growing number of K-pop acts are challenging traditional expectations surrounding gender presentation. Boy groups such as NCT NCT K-POP GROUP NCT is a South Korean boy group formed by SM Entertainment with a unique multi-unit concept.