The Top 25 Rookies Artists of 2021: 25-11

It has been about a year since I did the rookies countdown, so I guess it is a good time to do the rules refresher, and thank all my new viewers. Thanks for joining this site's community! Thanks to all old viewers too, you have all stuck around for a long time!

I love rookie artists. They are the musical future, and thus their feature is one of the biggest for this site and starts several weeks before the rest of my end-of-year lists. Before we get to the list, let us go over some rules.

• Rookies don't really get time to show their skills within a month, so I go from December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021, for all the artists available in this countdown. That means Rolling Quartz is eligible, but IVE is not.

• This is based on debut, not breakout. As a result, Arooj Aftab and Brave Girls are excluded.

• This counts an artist's single or album debut. Whichever came first. As a result, Morgan Wade and aespa are excluded.

• Your first debut internationally is what counts. Twice don't count as they made their Korean debut years before their international one.
• I also eliminated artists who released great material but lack the funding to become influential.

• No disbanded artists count.

Now let us start the list!

25. NTX

There are so many reasons for NTX to not be on the list, from the awkward 'cultural' photos, the heavy autotune in their debut single, the fact they have failed to release anything since debut, but debut single Kiss the World, whether heard in the Performance or Ballad version, is such a K-Pop throwback track that it more than makes up for the flaws.

24. Blitzers

The best groups know what they want to be, guided by a strong A&R team. While Blitzers material hasn't exactly been flawless, they have this down. Their edgy rap-rock song seems just ahead of the curve, and it makes little to no sense for them to falter soon.

23. T1419

T1419 provided a blitz of hip-hop singles this year, most of them fitting into K-Pop's noisy, electronic boy band sound. However, Exit proved a strong 90s throwback track faltered only by its repetitiveness. If they continue down this route, they have a strong chance to establish an influential discography.

22. Ciipher

Let us not kid ourselves, Ciipher's debut track I Like You was one of the worst songs this year. At the same time, for the group's first comeback, Rain and his team let Ciipher have more creative control, and the result was the fantastic Blind, with its surging rock chorus. The pre-chorus instantly raised expectations for their next release.

21. BugAboo

BugAboo's biggest strength and weakest is their company's CEO and main producer Ryan Jhun. On one hand, he is undoubtedly one of the most talented composers in Korea of modern times, but he also is a bit of a controversial, misogynist, mess. If the group can somehow thrive, and Jhun improve his behavior, then things might go great for BugAboo.

20. Do Hanse (Victon)

Sometimes, the music scene can seem a bit stagnant and safe. That is why despite its occasional flaws, Victon member Do Hanse's solo debut album was such a joy. Public Enemy and Take Over were some of the most invigorating tracks this year, with just enough G-Dragon in his style to stand out.

19. TRI.BE

TRI.BE's three singles have all chased trends. Nonetheless, each of them managed to carve their space into the K-Pop fandom's collective memory via strong performances, catchy hooks, and strong production via legacy composer Shinsadong Tiger.

18. Omega X

Omega X have talent, with each of the members being former members of talented but commercially unsuccessful boy bands. While none of their singles were worth a mention, b-side Younger is one of the year's best tracks.

17. ALAMAT

While Kbye was a solid track, it was with Kasmala that ALAMAT fully impressed us. From one of the best MVs this year to the fragmented production through the chorus, ALAMAT clearly know what they are doing. Make no mistake, they are a group to keep an eye on.

16. MIRAE

With two solid mini-albums under their belt already, MIRAE seem to know what they are doing. While Killa has aged fantastic, Splash remains a blot that lowered their spot on the list.

15. Just B

Had Just B only released their first EP this year, they would have nearly topped this countdown. Yongguk was just the perfect composer for them, and each of the members were easily able to show their talents with the epic and expansive EDM landscape. Unfortunately, they switched producers for their comeback, and Andreas Ohrn failed to understand what made Damage so good. Hopefully they return to Yongguk soon.

14. Wendy (Red Velvet)

After suffering from one of the most disastrous accidents in recent K-Pop history, Wendy's solo debut was a comfort to her fans, along with anyone who listens. A fantastic vocalist, Wendy provided much pathos to Like Water and its b-sides.

13. Yuqi ((G)I-DLE)

While (G)I-DLE fans can't exactly say that their group had a great year, member Yuqi's solo debut stood out in its own right. Her deep voice stood out in its own right, providing intensity and ambience to both her tracks.

12. Adora

Adora has received much acclaim over the years as a producer for BTS, even providing backing vocals for the group several times. Her solo debut stood out with its alt-pop feel and quirky MV. It will be interesting to see where she goes next.

11. Naniwa Danshi

Although far from perfect, Ubu Love was a neat debut for the Johnny's J-Pop group. Their agency, while controversial for its behind-the-scenes actions, has a strong A&R team, and I have no doubt Naniwa Danshi will continue their extraordinary success.