1st-gen K-pop is coming back as Fin.K.L, Fly to the Sky, Son Ho-young return

Fin.K.L, left, and Fly to the Sky / Captured from social media

As K-pop’s newest generation competes for attention, some of the industry’s original stars are stepping back into the spotlight.

Fin.K.L, Fly to the Sky and g.o.d’s Son Ho-young are all preparing new music activities, bringing a wave of first-generation K-pop nostalgia to an industry now dominated by much younger acts. The returns are particularly notable because they are not limited to performances of old hits: The veteran artists are preparing new releases and longer-term activities after years away from their respective music careers.

Fin.K.L, one of the defining girl groups of K-pop’s first generation, is making a full-group return after about 21 years.

Gemstone E&M, which is overseeing the group’s comeback, announced Sept. 21 that all four members — Lee Hyo-ri, Ock Joo-hyun, Sung Yu-ri and Lee Jin — would resume activities together.

It marks Fin.K.L’s first full-fledged group activities since the 2005 digital single “Forever Fin.K.L.”

Following the group’s hiatus, Lee Hyo-ri and Ock continued their careers as solo singers, while Sung and Lee Jin focused primarily on acting.

The four members previously reunited for JTBC’s reality show “Camping Club” in 2019 and released a new song through the program. That reunion, however, was conceived as a special project tied to the show and did not include promotional stage performances.

Debuting in 1998, Fin.K.L became one of the defining girl groups of K-pop’s formative years with hits including “Blue Rain,” “To My Boyfriend,” “Forever Love” and “Now.” Lee Hyo-ri later emerged as one of Korea’s biggest solo pop stars.

This time, the reunion is intended to extend well beyond a one-off comeback. Fin.K.L is embarking on a two-year project leading up to the group’s 30th anniversary.

Fans can expect “a K-pop legend project” featuring new music, performances and other activities through the 30th anniversary, Gemstone E&M said.

The nostalgia wave is not stopping there.

First-generation male R&B duo Fly to the Sky is also preparing to return after eight years. Hwanhee revealed the comeback on KBS2’s “Mr. House Husband Season 2” on Saturday.

“We had kept talking about it,” Hwanhee said. “Brian came as a guest at my solo concert, and I think that became the decisive moment that made us want to perform onstage together.”

The comeback will be the duo’s first since their 10th studio album in 2019.

Brian Joo also confirmed the news on social media, sharing glimpses from music recording sessions.

“You heard the news, right? What Hwanhee said is true. We’re coming back!” he said.

Son Ho-young / Courtesy of Gemstone E&M

Son Ho-young of g.o.d, another act synonymous with K-pop’s first generation, is also returning as a solo artist.

Son will release the new digital single “Go Around” on Oct. 14 to mark the 20th anniversary of his solo debut. It will be his first solo release in five years, following “A Passing Time” in March 2021.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Son has remained regularly active with his group. G.o.d has continued to meet fans through annual concerts, while Son has also performed as a vocal duo with fellow member Kim Tae-woo.

His upcoming single adds another chapter to those activities as he marks two decades since launching his solo career.

With veteran K-pop stars returning not simply to revisit their greatest hits but to release new music and resume active careers, the latest wave of nostalgia is bringing the industry’s earliest generations face-to-face with today’s K-pop landscape.

Whether longtime fans — and listeners who discovered K-pop generations later — will embrace the revival could make the first-generation comeback wave one of the more unexpected trends in Korean pop music this year.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.