Project girl group GOT the Beat / Courtesy of SM Entertainment

GOT the beat, Choi Ye-na, TWICE and VIVIZ to release new music offerings

By Dong Sun-hwa

Several K-pop divas and girl groups took the music scene by storm in 2022. This year, the dominance of female acts is likely to continue, with numerous A-list stars gearing up for their new music offerings.

GOT the beat, a project group consisting of seven female singers under K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment, will put out its first mini-album, "Stamp On It," Jan. 16.

Fronted by the lead single of the same name, "Stamp On It" will carry five other tunes touching on diverse topics. "Alter Ego," for instance, revolves around the theme of environmental sustainability, while "MALA" stresses the significance of self-love.

GOT the beat premiered its lead track during the "SM TOWN LIVE 2023: SMCU PALACE@KWANGYA" concert, an online show featuring SM artists that took place on Jan. 1. It is an R&B hip-hop-infused dance song about the fierce competition to rise to the top.

GOT the beat, which is made up of BoA, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation, Seulgi and Wendy of Red Velvet and Karina and Winter of aespa, is the first sub-unit that signals the beginning of SM's "Girls On Top" (GOT) project. It aims to combine different SM female artists to showcase new styles of music and performances. GOT the beat debuted with the tune, "Step Back," in 2022.

K-pop star Choi Ye-na / Courtesy of Yuehua Entertainment

Choi Ye-na, a former member of now-defunct project group IZ*ONE, is also scheduled to drop her new EP, "Love War," on Jan. 16.

According to her management company, Yuehua Entertainment, the EP will offer three songs: "Love War," "Love is over" and "Wash Away." Leading the EP is "Love War," which features rapper BE'O. Choi and BE'O will sing about a couple on the verge of a breakup.

K-pop girl group TWICE / Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

"Choi participated in the creative process of 'Love War' and 'Wash Away,'" Yuehua said in a statement. "She will showcase her passion and musical maturity this time, portraying love from her own perspective."

Choi made her name known to the public on Mnet's audition program, "Produce 48" (2018). After ranking fourth on the show, she joined IZ*ONE, which parted ways in 2021. Choi went solo in 2022, rolling out her first EP, "Smiley."

On Jan. 20, girl group TWICE is poised to bring out its new English single, "MOONLIGHT SUNRISE." It has taken more than a year for the nonet to drop a song in English, after releasing "The Feels" in 2021.

"'MOONLIGHT SUNRISE' likens love to moonlight and sunrise," the group's record label, JYP Entertainment, said in a statement. The company gave a short preview of the song on TikTok on Jan. 13.

After unleashing "MOONLIGHT SUNRISE," TWICE ― best known for its hits like, "Cheer Up" (2016) and "Heart Shaker" (2017) ― is set to put out a new mini-album in March.

K-pop trio VIVIZ / Courtesy of Big Planet Made

VIVIZ's third mini-album, "VarioUS," will hit multiple streaming platforms on Jan. 31, about six months after the trio released its second EP, "Summer Vibe."

Fronted by the lead track, "PULL UP," the upcoming EP will feature five other songs including: "Blue Clue," "Love or Die" and "Vanilla Sugar Killer." Acclaimed songwriters Dave Villa and Maddy Simmen composed "PULL UP."

VIVIZ consists of SinB, Eunha and Umji, who were part of GFRIEND that disbanded in 2021. It burst onto the music scene in 2022 with its first EP, "Prism Beam."