The genderless wave coloring K-pop, an honest way to express “me”

or a long time, the K-pop market has moved around two main axes: boy groups and girl groups. It had become something of a formula for boy groups to present strong, masculine images and girl groups to put forward beautiful, feminine images. Concepts changed, but the framework itself rarely did.

However, along with changes across society, including fashion and makeup, a trend breaking down gender boundaries is rapidly spreading in the K-pop market as well. It is the so-called “genderless” trend. It has also long been a steady keyword in the fashion and beauty industries. Genderless means creating one’s own style according to individual personality and taste from a neutral perspective, without gender distinctions.

It is no longer unfamiliar to see girl groups cover boy group songs or boy groups perform girl group choreography. Recently, it also no longer feels out of place to see boy groups such as TWS and Stray Kids wear skirts for pictorials or on stage. The ways skirts are used have also become more diverse. They may be matched with wide pants and miniskirts, worn boldly on their own to complete a look, or used as props that maximize the dynamism of choreography.

Girl groups are changing as well. i-dle’s SOYEON showed a powerful presence with a short haircut that fully revealed her eyebrows, while Billlie’s MOON SUA and ILLIT’s MOKA also showcased girl-crush charm with short hairstyles.

Amid this trend, a group has emerged with genderless identity at its center. That group is XLOV. As the first K-pop male idol group to promote with a genderless concept at the forefront, they are building their own musical world through androgynous charm across their outfits, makeup, and performances. In their album released last June, they drew sympathy from fans with the message that “everyone in the world is an irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind existence.”

Their moves are drawing attention not only domestically, but also in the global market. Through ‘2026 XLOV FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR,’ they sold out shows in major cities including the United Kingdom, France, and Romania, and even expanded their stage to Iceland, which had been considered barren ground for K-pop concerts. They also set an unusual record for a rookie by surpassing 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. In doing so, they dispelled some views that they were merely a concept group through overwhelming skill and results. XLOV’s 2nd mini album ‘I, God’ will be released on the 27th of this month.

Genderless may not be just a passing trend. The desire to move beyond the framework of gender and express “me” as I am may, perhaps, be something extremely natural and essential. Wearing a skirt or choosing short hair is ultimately a choice made to convey the message one wants to express in the most honest way. The K-pop stage is now erasing boundaries.